The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-19 00:00:00

CORN-LAWS:

Lerd WARWICK presented one hundred petitions from
the southern division of Warwickshire against any alteration in
the corn-laws. These petitions had been most numerously
signed, and were most carefully got up. There was not a
single name attached to one of them that was fictitious. The
petitioners prayed that if the duty was taken off corn; it might
also be taken off everything else.—(Hear, hear.)
FREE CHURCH X:tF SCOTLAND.
Lord CAMPBELL presented a considerable number
of petitions from members of the Free Church (Scot-
land), complaining a the difficulties which they cx.
perienced in obtaining sites for their churches. Ile
regretted exceedingly that it was necessary to bring the
subject before the attention of the House, but in. some parts of
Scotland the members of the Free Church were compelled to
worship God oil the hill- tops or the highways. Now he need not
tell their Lordships that this was persecution. The petitioners had
come before their Lordships in a most proper spirit. They
admitted that they had experienced some kindness from land-
lords, and only complained of the refusal to give a site for a
church.

EDUCATION IN WALES.

The Bishop of ST. DAVID'S presented a petition from the
Common Council, and other inhabitants of Cardigan, praying
their Lordships to adopt measures to afford a better system of
education to the poorer inhabitants of the principality than
that which now existed. He earnestly supported the prayer
of the petition, and trusted that its importance would
be an excuse fir his troubling their Lordships
with a few remarks in this respect. The petitioners
deeply regretted the want of education among the poor in
Wales, which they attributed to the want of funds to educate
them in the English language; that the ignorance of that lan-
guage prevented the working of many laws and institutions,
and restricted the natives to those scanty sources of information
which their language afforded; and concluded by praying
their Lordships to take steps for the industrial training
of the poor. In the month of March an inquiry
into the state of education in Wales was acceded to by the Go-
vernment on the motion of an Hon. Member noted for his
humanity, which he feared however Would be superfluous, as
the ignorance which prevailed was too well known. A national
„system of education had been suecessfusin England, and he saw no
reason why;it should not be equally successful if applied to Wales;
at any rate the inquiry might lead to some practical result.
Nothing could be done without the assistance of the Govern-
ment, and he thought that that was a; case in which they could
claim with some degree of prOpriety peciiniary assistance for the
purpose to which he had adverted. There was another point
on which he would venture to make a remark. He was afraid
that the anticipations expressed by the petitioners were doomed
to be disappointed; he did not think that a Government, however
stronglytdisposed to concur in the wishes of the petitioners,
could:guarantee all the results which they expected. There
were numerous districts then in Wales where schools had
been long established, and where tuition had been given in the
English language to the children, but where, notwith-
standing, the language was still very barely understood.
He was of opinion that if a measure of education had been
carried out in Wales they would not have been at the present
time labouring under the burdens they now experienced. They
would not have required soldiers and police to maintain tran-
quillity, nor have been saddled with an enormous expense.
The resources thus applied might have been used with great
advantage in carrying out an efficient system of moral and in.
tellectual education.
• st
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE agteed in the suggestions
which had been offered by the Right Hon. Prelate, and thought
something should be done to meet the present alarming defi-
ciency in education. While he agreed with him in that, he at
the same time thought there had been ample information laid on
the table of the House in order to form a correctjudgement. The
result of the inquiry into the Rebecca riots showed that
in the districts where the disturbances principally oc-
curred there was an entire want of education amongst
the people.—( Hear, hear.) He considered something was
absolutely necessary to be done to meet the deficiency.
There had been every year since Government had undertaken
to maintain .the system of education an increased demand for as-
sistance from the Government, and so much so that the in-
spectors were unable to inspect with anything like
proper attention. He considered that they were not called
upon to adopt a different principle of national education
in Wales from that adopted in England, which he considered
was a sound principle, and he hoped it would never be departed
from. There should be a number of districts apportioned, in
which the utmost latitude should be allowed, in order to effect
a great moral revolution.
The Bishop of ST. DAVID observed that the Noble Lord
had completely mistaken his meaning_he was as much grati-
fied as the Noble Lord with the national system of education.
Lord BROUGHAM was glad that the subject of education
in Wales had been brought under the notice of their Lordships,
for he believed that in no part of the country was there re-
quired more assistance from the education fund than in some
of the Welsh districts. But he agreed with his Noble Friend
who was sitting beside him, that no grant ought to be given
for the support of any local scheme, unless they
send a certain contribution, a certain proportion of pecuniary
aid from the local funds. Without this aid they would only
be weakening the cause of education in the districts which
most wanted their assistance. Charity-schools would never
prosper in any locality that did not itself materially support
them.
The Duke of BUCCLEUCH said, with respect to the state
of Wales,
_ that subject had received the attention of her Ma-
jesty's Government, and was then tinder the consideration of
the Council. With regard to the condition of schools at the
present time, and the inability of the inspector to look after
them all, he must say that their numbers had lately greatly
increased, so that the work upon the inspectors was more than
they were originally expected to undertake.
CORN-LAWS.
Earl DUCIE presented a petition in favour of the repeal of
the corn-laws from the town of Southampton.
CUSTOMS' DUTIES BILL.
Messengers from the Commons brought up this Bill.
The Duke of BUCCLEUCH moved the first reading of the
Bill.
The Duke of RICHMOND said he could not even allow the
Bill to be read a first time—(Cheers and laughter)—without
expressing his opinion that it was adding positively insult to in-
jury, because they were called upon to consider two Bills taking
away protection to the agricultural interest ; and he must say
that as far as he was concerned, it was a very unusual course
and extremely hard to the agricultural interest for those Bilis
to be brought into that House before the others had been read
a second time in the House of Commons. He considered that
the provision for lending money for the improvement of land
would be of some service, but he thought it was as bad a Bill
as it was possible to conceive, because it was inconsistent by
only applying the principle of free" trade to some articles and
not to others. There was no rednithin on their cottons from
India, for instance. The duties on
,some Manufactures were
to be reduced, but there was laistt—free' trade altogether.
[LEFT SPEAKING.I

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock.
VISCOUNT HARDINGE AND LORD GOUGH.
Mr. CAMPBELL, of the India House, appeared at the bar,
and presented papers connected with the pensions granted to
Viscount Hardinge and Lord Gough.
LANCASTER AND CARLISLE RAILWAY.
Mr. GREENE moved that the order made on the 25th day
of February last, for referring the Ulverstone, Furness, and
Lancaster and Carlisle Railway Bill to the Committee of Se-
lection, be discharged, and that the said Bill be withdrawn.—
Agreed to.

BURY WATERWORKS.
On the motion of Mr. WALKER, this Bill was read a third
time and passed.

REPORTS.
The reports on the following Bills were made and considered,
he amendments agreed to, and the Bills ordered to be en-
;rossed :
Scottish Central Railway (Denny Branch).
Scottish Central Railway (Perth Termini and Stations).
Scottish Central Railway (Alloy Branch).
Slamannan Railway (Bathgate and Jawcraig Branches).
Edinburgh and Northern Railway (Dunfermline Branch).
Dundee and Arbroath Railway Extensions.
Dundee and Perth Railway Amendment.
Rye and Derwent Drainage.
Northumberland Decks.
Carshalton Rates.
Wakefield, Pontefract, and Goole Railway (Methley, Askern,
and Oakerishaw Branches).
Forth and Clyde Junction Railway.
Stirling and Dunfermline Branch Ra
_way.
Hartlepool Gas and Waterworks.
Dunblane Donne, and Callender Railway.
Gravesend and Milton W.derwork s.
Kilmarnock and Troon Railway.
Plymouth Cemetery.
Salford Hundred Court.
MALTON AND DIFFIELD JUNCTION RAILWAY.
On the motion of Mr. STANSFIELD, this Bill was read a
third time and passed.
BROMSGROVE IMPROVEMENT AND SMALL
TENEMENT BILL.
On the motion of General LYGON, this Bill was read a I
second time, and ordered to be committed.
KENDAL UNION, GAS, AND WATER BILL. 1
This Bill was read a third time and passed.
CHARING-CROSS BRIDGE CoAIPANY
On ti e motion of Sir DE LACY EVANS, this Bill
was read
a secon I time, and ordered to be committed.
WATERFORD HARBOUR.
On the motion of Mr. WYSE, this Bill was read a second
time, and (admit tu bo oninnttcd.