The Sun.
London, England, 1851-06-18 00:00:00

LONDON, _ WEDNE

After a few observations from Sir 11. VERNEY, Mr,
BROTHERTON, Mr. HUME, Sir B. H. INGLIS, and Mr.
GEACII,

Mr. COBDEN said that after the sentiments be had
heard expressed he should not feel justified in pressing
the motion to a division. He withdrew it, therefore, for
the session, in the hope that the Noble Lord would
make the resolution the actual basis of his policy.
Viscount PALMERSTON repeated his concurrence in
the principle of the motion, though objecting to the
particular method, and declining to fetter in any respect
the discretion of the Government.
The motion was then by leave withdrawn.

The St. Albans Bribery Commission Bill has
passed through Committee without mutilation. From
the stringent investigation that must in all human
probability take place, not only into the proceedings
at the recent election, but at all previous contests
where similar practices were indulged in, we antici-
pate the most beneficial results. It is high time that
the law and practice relating to bribery and corrup-
tion at Parliamentary elections should be placed on a
clear and satisfactory footing, so that those who are
really guilty may be subjected to the punish-
ment they so justly merit for their gross con-
tempt of the privileges of Parliament, while those
whose conduct is undeserving of censure may
not suffer either by being exposed to enormous pecu-
niary outlay, or by being unseated, and their cha-
racters injured on account of transactions with which
they were wholly unconnected.
It is a matter of perfect notoriety, that not at St.
Albans only, but at many other boroughs returning
representatives, the constituencies are utterly venal,
and that the result will depend more upon the
weight of the purses of the respective can-
didates than upon their political feelings
or qualifications for the important duties that
will devolve upon them, if successful. Matters are
now so adroitly managed, that it is only on few oc-
casions a guilty knowledge can be brought home to
the principal parties, while on the other hand,
where a defeat is unavoidable, the minority can so
arrange it, through the intervention of a " Man of
the Moon," or some other sprite of a similar character,
that a perfectly innocent person can be not only de-
prived of his seat, but disqualified from representing
the same constituency until after the next dissolution.
These are both untoward events, although the latter
is by far the most serious of the two. In the first, a
guilty person escapes with impunity, a constituency
is demoralized, and the representative branch of the
Legislature is, to a certain extent, injured in
the estimation of the community ; but, in
the second, an innocent gentleman, who has
taken every possible precaution to prevent anything
contrary either to the Parliamentary or common law
of the land, who has in his favour a majority so de-
cisive and overwhelming that it would be an act of
insanity to resort to any practices that could by any
possibility endanger his certain return, is subjected
to unmerited reproach, and the law has failed
in the very purpose for which it was en-
acted—the protection of the guiltless. We
need scarcely say that we have looked
to the grievous injury most undeservedly inflicted on
Mr. F. CALVERT, Q.C., as the illustration of the
second part of our argument. The first is net directed
to any particular individual—if any one should think
the cap fits, he is at perfect liberty to appropriate i
for his own use.

The proposed inquiry will doubtless prove what we
have long since asserted, that the existing state of
the law is not only utterly inefficient, but po-
sitively mischievous. If it can be shown that a
constituency is habitually and irremediably cor-
rupt, measures should be at once tak-n for
its disfranchisement. But we should also adopt pre-
cautionary steps to prevent the strong temptations to
which many of the electors are now exposed, and this
can only be done by subjecting the candidates to the tests
against bribery, to which voters only are now exposed.
If each candidate, and perhaps it might be no harm
to add, his accredited agents, were bound to take a
solemn obligation that they would not, directly or in•
directly, pay any sum of money for the pur-
pose of influencing any vote, or make any
allowance for expenses, the objects of which
were not fully explained, and of a perfectly
legal character, the system of bribery and corrup
tion that now unfortunately prevails would be com-
pletely knocked on the head. But anything less
than that will be utterly useless. A single de-
linquent may be captured ; an occasional
prisoner sent to Newg ..‘te may exhibit the power
of the House of Commons in a strong light, but he
will serve as a beacon to warn others from falling
into similar mistakes, rather than as a
salutary caution to avoid such courses. We trust
alanadt
ftha eiri
yinvestigation about to be instituted may turn
the Legislature into the right direction, and, there-
foe, we feel really anxious that it should be fully
effects
sed out in the spirit in which it wasg
conceived,laeneficial and that nothing should occur to mar the
which it is calculated to produce.

IThe questionooeao—fl---"'"py
oantio.nal Education is one that muss
necessarily
attention until it
earnestness has already
is
satimfcreasing share of the public
abeactorily disposed of. Much
sion by the two societies
Riding though their views
are yet working in the right
PaYth,
gether in the end. If their real
ject be the education of the peo
/ at
ti thrown into the discus-
ma abnchester, who, con-
e in some respects,
and
must come to-
gether
without
ob.
to the ascendancy of this, that, or the ,atohutrreference
sect, whether political or religious, We can
tupta.rty or
no other issue than an ultimate cordial co-operation
and powerful united action of the two societies. Then
cause of popular education is assuredly a great
one, and second in importance to no other that can'
be named at this time of day.

The most thoughtful men now begin
of a largebegint massoregard
with apprehension and alarm the
of our population being allowed to grow up to ma-
iture years without the means of ordinary elementary
instruction, with minds untaught, and abandoned to
all the passing impressions of the senses, unable to
read or to comprehend the laws which they are re-
quired to obey, and respin,g as little advantage from
the civilization amid which they live as if they were
natives of Katntschatka or Terra del Fuego. Yet these 1
~ lower classes" of ours are a noble race of men, 1
equal to any on
the earth's surface. Would ;
you have proof of what the akin of their I

hands can do look at the World's Exhibi-
tion, where they stand unrivalled as artisans
and mechanics. Furnish them with facilities for in-
tellectual culture which, as industrial members of a
great and wealthy community, they are entitled to
have, and we shall find them, as men and citizens,
equalisi Notwithstanding
ttwo i
tanyhst
aontdhienrg i na
all
lhe thatw orld.
benevolent individuals in
this country have done for the Education of the
poorer classes, the deficiency in the means of ele-
mentary instruction is now generally admitted.
There are large numbers of agricultural parishes in
the southern counties 'without a single school, and
where the bulk of the population can neither read nor
write ; where schools, even if built by galvanic effort,
can scarcely be kept supplied with teachers and the re-
quisite school apparatus, for want of money ; the landed
proprietors being absent, and refusing for the most
part to contribute towards the maintenance of the
schools. This is the general complaint of her ALL/Es-
resllnspectors of Schools in their annual reports, just
published : they allege that "the schools are starving
for want of funds"---that the means of paying good
teachers and a sufficient number of them, cannot be
got—and hence they are unanimous in recommend-
ing that a public provision for education be obtained
through means of a local rate. The landlords may
at present refuse to contribute towards the educa-
tion of the children of the labourers on their estates ;
but the land is there ; " property has its duties as well
as its rights," and it can be assessed :to prevent star-
vation of the mind as well as starvation of the body.
Here, then, is a point of general concurrence of opi-
nion between her DiIA.,TESTT'S Inspectors of Education
and the two Educational Societies of Manchester;
and their arrival at this point marks an important
stage of progress in the educational movement.
The point of divergence is this—that one section of
the educationists insists on religious instruction being
imparted in the schools together with the school in-
struction, and the other insists on the schoolmaster
being confined to his proper mission of imparting
school instruction only. Now, with every regard to
the importance of early religious instruction, we
have great doubts as to the propriety or the necessity
of converting schoolmasters into priests, and devolv-
ing upon them the duty which more especially belongs
to parents and religious teachers. Surely, the Church
of England, which is the most splendidly appointed
as regards wealth of any State Church in the world,
ought to be slow thus to confess its incompetency
to religiously educate the children of the community.
But we are disposed to maintain that in undertaking
to impart creeds, the national schoolmaster would be
departing from his proper business. What creed is
he to teach ? " The Articles of the Church," says
the Churckaan. But we cannot forget that there
are
,IndepgSdents, Methodists, Roman Catholics, and
Separatists of all kinds in nearly every parish of
England, as well as Churchmen ; and if you give one
creed the preference in the schools, they do not fulfi
the requirements of public or national schools, but
are only the schools of a religious sect.
Mr. DENISON and his followers go further, and in-
sist that the schools shall be placed under the exclu-
sive control of the clergy of the Established
Church. This is only the same notion expanded
into intolerancy. It is born in Jesuitism, and
is worthy of its origin. The Jesuits were
the first to insist on all education whatsoever being
conducted and governed by priests ; and our modern
clergy, in insisting on the inseparability of school in-
struction from creeds and articles of faith, are only
following in the footsteps of these wily despots.
What connexion there is between learning to write
and forms of faith, between geography and creed, be-
tween arithmetic and any point of divinity, we cannot
perceive, any more than we can detect a necessary
connexion between these subjects and shoemaking,
weaving, or typefounding.
There are few, we believe, now-a-days, who will
join Sir ROBERT INGLIS in deprecating all mere
intellectual knowledge as "an unmixed evil " Reli-
gious men knew that the greatest of all present
obstacles to the religious improvement of the people,
is ignorance, which is, in fact, anything but the
" mother of devotion." It is this which hinders the
usefulness of Sabbath schools, and renders them com-
paratively inefficient in improving the moral and re-
-li2ious character of the community; and it is this
which stands in the way of all religious teachers what-
soever ; for what impression can they make on men
who have not learnt the meaning of words, and grow
up to mature years unable to apprehend any ideas
beyond those associated with their merely animal
wants ?
While a large preponderance of such public opinion
as exists in reference to the education movement is
unquestionably on the side of an efficient public
provision being made for its support, there is also a
not inconsiderable nor uninfluential portion of Dis-
senters who are in favour of leaving matters
as they are, and to the operation of the voluntary
principle. They would let the rich men of property,
who are unwilling to subscribe towards the education
of their pauper peasantry, escape free, and saddle the
burden of educating the nation on the willing and
the liberal, who are yet, we fear, only in a small
minority, and are not the richest class. Even if we take
the most energetic and wealthy of the voluntary
educationists themselves, we do net find that their
efforts warrant us in inferring that the destitute and
uneducated poor will ever be educated on the volun-
tary principle only. The Rev. Mr. BURDER, of
Bristol, stated at the recent meeting of the Congre-
gational Union, that the Independents of England
contributed "less than a farthing annually per mem-
ber" towards the funds of the Congregational Board
of Education. And it appears front the last report
of the Voluntary School Association that the entire aid
granted by that body to the necessitous schools in Eng-
land during the whole year had amounted to only
84d., and the number of pupil-teachers taught by
the association at the date of their last report was
' only six. With about half the adult population of
England unable to read and write, and nearly one
half of the children of school age not attending day-
schools, we must confess that these feeble efforts of
voluntaryism do not inspire us with great confidence
in its power to meet the existing educational neces
sities of our country.

We believe, however, that an increasing number
of Dissenters contemplate with interest the Manclies •
ter movement in favour of public schools, so ably
headed by Mr. COBDEN; and, provided a system of
national education could be devised, which should not
in any way trench upon religious liberty or the
rights of conscience, we do not entertain a doubt
that it would be hailed by them as a boon of ines-
timable value to the nation.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
The conclusion of the sitting of the Assembly on
Monday was taken up with interpellations brought
forwarded by M. Leitantr, relative to en assertion
made in the notes which IL CARLIER had confided to
M. FOECADE, but which this latter gentleman had
published, to the effect thst a representative of the
people had obtained a situation under the Govern-
ment for a pt otege on condition of sharing with him
the emoluments of the place. The Members of the
inquiry into the facts
of
discussion, the Assembly
adopted
Left
proposedatsheer
order
but,Poafr after
m eha m rY
the
oeda
3, pure and simple, by 335
votes to 30G.
All the journals of every shade, save and except
the organs of the Elysee ensure the Assembly for
refusing to institute the ineriry, demanded, and quote
the notorious Teste case as a case in point.
M. Bounien DE L'ECLUS: has presented to the
g proposition relative
ythineii respective electoral col-
tNo atthioenraelvji‘eiBoBnemobflYthtehCe ofnisit°itn
Hay, 1852, all the electors
saesesoemndblSeudndina
leges, shall be called on to proed by universal suffrage,
such as existed before the law
of 'lr‘ °rennet"):
and according to the mode thcf May 31, in the manner fellowed:—l. To the
nomination, in execution and encording to the terms of
Article 45 of the Constitution, tf a provisional President
of the Republic. 2. To the nomination of a new Con-
stituent Assembly, invested with the special mandate of
the people, and with full powersto proceed to the total
revision of the Constitution of 848,. and to declare the
government of France."
A proposition has been presented to the Assembly
for a repeal of the duty on cohnial rum.
The Pays has an eloquent allele from the pen of
M. de Lamartine, on the recent discussions in the
Assembly on the subject of the passive obedience of
the army. The following is an extract :
" We have been profoundly allicted by what passed
in the two last sittings of the
.Assensbly on the subject
of the National Guard, and esmiaii—
x by the doctrines
propounded by one speaker, ItArnaud (de l'Ariage).
The doctrines of M. Arnaud on ,he obedience of armed
bodies would tend to nothing less tlan the overthrow of all
law, all subordination, all sovereignty of the majority, ail
society. The following dilemma "ill prove this :—Either
the army is below the law, or the aimy, is above the law. If
the army is subject to the law, it oust be obedient to it;
and if the army disobeys the law, there is no longer any
law at all; the army itself becomes the law, for it is the
supreme power. The discretional), disobedience of the
army would, therefore, be only the sovereignty of force.
Bat to speak truly, there are mystetes at the beginning and
end of all these discussions trenchitg on the metaphysical
basis of human societies. These mysteries can never be
fathomed without danger, for the human mind meets
there with certain problems which reason is powerless to
solve, and which never can be salted, except as the exist-
ence of God himself is solved—by nail's faith. The wisdsm
of legislators, and especially ofsoldirs, consists in avoiding
such problems and trusting to common sense. The plain
common sense of the nation is hater able to deal with
such matters than the mistaken metaphysics of M. Ar-
naud and the systematic insuborlination of M. Charms.
What says the common sense of the people? It says,
`No doubt there are extraordinary moments and extreme
cases, against which no law can provide, in which the
soldier may, by an exception as unusual as great
crimes and earthquakes, find himself called upon to de-
cide whether he shall obey his conscience or the orders
of his superior. Are the rules a these monstrous ex-
ceptions to the ordinary course of things to be the
standard for his conduct? Certainly not, for that,
would produce the very etil to be avoided.'
Thus, Charles IX. commended the Viscount
d'Orthez, and M. de Laguihe, commaneaut of
Macon, to slay all the Prot, dents in thtir pro
vinces on a certain night. Subordination said:
Kilt!' Conscience said: Offer your own head rather
that: imbrue your bandy in the innocent blood of your
brethren.' They offered their heods do you condemn
them? Perhaps you do; but God absolves, and posterity
hoccurs them ! Again, Bonaparteorcered members of a
military commission to go to Vincennes in the night, and
there condemn to death and execute a young man, the
Duke of Eoghien' itiegally arrested on neutral ground.
Did they obey? Yes, they did. The crime commanded
was legally accomplished by their votes and executed by
their hands. Are they innocent? According to discip-
line, no doubt, they are; but before their conscience and
posterity they are not. Who then can fathom this abyss?
God tilont.l Who, in cases like these, can decide as to the
right or wrong of disobedience There are only twojudges:
man by his conscience, and God in heaven. But of these two judges one is invisible, and does not decide
till we have passed away; the other is visible, but de-
cides only by an illogical and unanswerable tact, namely,
ja revolution. Who will dare to face either of these
udges? No moral and reasonable being; and for that
reason there has been written down in all languages,
and, as long as society exists, there will continue to be
written down, on the title page of all our military codes,
the mysterious words—PASSIVE OBEDIENCE 05 TUE
ARMY.'
The Bourse was not so firm, and the price of public
securities declined, in consequence, as it was said, of
many of the speculators realizing the profits made since
the beginning of the month. The Five per Cents. opened
at 92f. 60c., and closed at 92f. 45c.; the Three per Cents.
closed at 55f. 45e.; Orleans Railroad Shares, 855 f.;
Rouen, 636 f, 25e.; Havre, 247 f. 50c; Avignon, 220 f. ;
Vierzon, 463 f. 75e.; Basle, 152 f. 50c.; Bordeaux, 4001:;
Paris and Strasburg, 368 f. 75c.; Tours and Nantes, 2751.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT TEE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, JUNE 17.
Boulogne and Amiens, 9%—East Indian, 23—Namur and
Liege, 6e/4—Northern of France, 1513—Orleans and Bor-
deaux, 3%—Tours and Nantes, 7 ex div.

127168 8d
73
all

Aberdeen.. ..
Amberg ate, Nottingham,
Boston, & E. Juncion
Belfast and County Down
Woivernamp.,
and Stoer Valley
Birkenh., Lan., & Chcsh
June., late 33/. 6s. Bd..
Do. Chest & Birkenhd.,
501. & 251. Consolidated
Do., do., 201.
Bristol and Exeter..
Caledonian •• ••
Chester and Holyhead ..
Direct Lond. and Portsm.
Dublin and Belfast Janet.
Dublin and Kingstown..
Dundalk and Enniskillen
Dundee, Perth, and Abe-
rdeen Junction .. • •
Do., New • •
East Anglian (251. L. &
E. and L. & D.)
Do. (181. E. & II.) ..
Eastern Counties ..
Eastern Union, class A,
late E. U. shares ..
Do. do. do. ..
Do. do., B & C shares
East Lancashire ..
Do. New quarters ..
Edinburgh and Glasgotr I
Edin., Perth, and Dundee'
Exeter and Exmouth .. 1
Glasgow and South-West,
Do. do. G. D. &C. stock 8
Great Northern • •
Do. halves, A, deferred
Do. halves, B, 6 per ct.
Great Southern and,
Western, Ireland •• I
Great Western • • • •
Do. New, 171. ..
Lancaster and Carlisle ..
Do. thirds ..
Lancaster and Preston..
Lancashire and Yorkshire
Do. quarter shares
Do. fifths ..
Do. West Riding Union
Leeds and Thirsk • .
Liverpool, Crosby, and
Southport
London and Blackwell
Do., Tilbury Ext. Scrip
London, Brighton, and
South Coast .••
London and N.-Vi'.estern
Do. do. new quarters
Do. fifths
Do. 101. oh., M. & B (c;
London and S,-}Bes.
Do. new 501. • • ..
Do. new 40/. ..
Manchester, Buxton, and
Matlock ..
Manchester, Sheffield, &
Lincolnshire .•
Do. Manchester and
Lincoln Union
Midland
Do. 501. shares ..
Do. Firming & Derby
Midland Gt. West. (Ire.)
Newcastle and Carlisle..
Do. quarter shares .
NNewmarket.
Ne
and wport
HerefoA,
rdergavenny,
Newry and Enniskillen..
Newry. Warrenpoint, &
Rostrevor
Norfolk ..
Do. New 201. shares-
Northern Counties Union
North British..
North Staffordshire
•
Nerth-Western
North &Sth.-West.Jnne.
Oxford, Worcester and
Wolverhampton.. ..
Scottish Central
.3cottish Midland
Do. now
Snrews. & Birm., Class A
Do. .31ass 8..
-prows. & Hereford., Old
Do., do., New ..
Shrewsbury and Cheater
(Nor. W. Min.)
Do. tialv es
I)o. Oswestry
Do. New ..
•hropshire Union ..
Do., A, B, C, & D, Allly
paid up at per cent
South Devon
South. Eastern ..
South W ales.. .. •—• South Yerksh. and River
Dun . • • „
Shell., Roth., and Geole,
South Division ..
Stockton and Hartlepool Swansea & Loaghor, &c. 16
raw Vale Extension . a
Thames Haven Deck and
Railway
••
V .• ale ut Neath
.. •
Waterford and Kilkenn a
Waterford and Limericky , a Waterford, Wex., Wick.
and Dublin West Cornwall ..•• •• West London ..
Whitenaven and Irtumeas
York, Newcastle, & Ber-
wick

••1 4

•• •• •• ••
Ditto and Newcastle
Extension ..
Ditto G.N.E. purchase
York and North Midland

:Ole.
9%

'... ••

- 18%

-2% p.

- A P.
- 34 p.

-1W
-2%

- 11

15 3i
4 dim.

bSi dia.
10
331
g. Is. Id