The Sun.
London, England, 1851-05-26 00:00:00

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TO THE SECRETARY OF THE BRADFORD
REFORM ASSOCIATION.
(L HAY MONDAY AND wanaixaDAy.)
Sir,--On Thursday the 22d, Mr. Ewart moved, " That
it is expedient that the mitigations which have been
made in the Laws inflicting Capital Punishment in Eng-
land be extended to Scotland, and (as far as possible) to
the Colonial Possessions of this country,," The Govern-
ment replied, that every effort was maTe to practically
approach to this state of things. And the motion war
thereupo❑ withdrawn.
Mr. Fox then moved, " That it is expedient to pro-
mote the Education of the people, in England and Wales,
by the establishment of Free Schools for secular instruc-
tion, to be supported by local rates, and managed by
Committees, elected specially for that purpose by rate.
payers."

The arguments in opposition were desultory, incom-
plete, and misdirected. Much advantage was taken of
a dispute Which occurred at Manchester touching the
use or disuse cf the word " secular;" an unfortunate
eircumstanco, because it was construable into &los-
ttiing like what Shakspeare's swordsman abhorred
und, r the title of s• giriuh back," but which cn being
tx.ltuiled solved itsCt into evidence of pubic letlit:g in
favour of the term, though unhapPy borne down fur
nonce by authori.y. there may he room therefore
tor congratulation th4t the sound word is in its place
again. 'I here is much virtue iu sound words, and when
a cause has not got the length if daring to employ thole.
theie is no risk in precitcating that it is a long we,'
from success.

The reason at the bottom of the. whole is, that the
oppo:aieg parties none of Ilium believe their own creed.
hat is ei say, they do not believe. it to be a thug
esteblishable by appeul to the reasoning faculty *flak
lied bus given to, cod they dread the encouragement of
teat reasoning laculty, unless combated from birth by
taking pi sse„icia of the inlets to litan.o knowledge.
Nut bo did our Protestant ancestors; for their Protese
tantisui was the result of the encouragement of all the
(maths of knowledge, and its applicstion to the gem
godless" edition* 0
question iu which they were concernew(beiebTthbeedpirecieotiavett
pri as improved. The modern policy would hare criait
race for teaching to parish 'prentices the pro or tho
theouf t Eucol
ancients,d"iughdel andess Arabic,sedei gave
esv
aiarnfit virtue eli‘p‘ in anything bat a
contra on the Real Presence.
The misrepresentations also were wide and mallp
For an assemoly like the House of Commons, there is
nothing like charging the adversary with the wrong
thing. Nobody exposes it, and all who chuse take ti
up. Solemn arguments, fur instance, were brought
against the cruel tyranny of making education com-
pulsory; the tact being that the proposer had done all
that occurred to him, to assimilate his plan to others in
which the power of decision is lodged with majorities
of raw-payers. At the same time it may be worth
noting, that this is a point which may be advantageously
made more prominent hereafter.
Another fallacy of the same kind, was that there was
a design to expel religion from education. Which solves
itself simply into the determination of the sects concerned,
that there shall be no education without a struggle for the
introduction of their several tenets. The thing in which
men agree, shall not be taught without the introduction
of that in which they disagree. The Roman Catholic
cries out " godless colleges," and the Anglican Church-
man re-echoes " godless colleges," each meaning that
there shall be no in.truction at all unless he may do the
most possible to turn it his own way. A comparatively
small heretical population at Manchester, are finding oat
that it would be an admirable point gained, to educate
in spite of both. They do not want to hinder either,
from exerting any influence ho likes at proper times and
places; but they say you shall not close the school-room
by a fight for your respective tenets. You may eat your
beef or your ti.h as pleases you best, but you shall not
mince them up with our apple-pie, and expect us to
abide by the ruinous mixture. We mean no libel upon
either of your dishes, but we mean that you shall have
them to yourselves in the proper places, and not insist on
dn for
quite them into our dish, when we wanto
sit
ow
quite a different purpose.
On the
greatest whole
it
damageis p tehanthecause o
done
to an adversary,s gaining
ground.
The
is to make him talk; and the way to strengthen him, is
to let him alone. There is not a debate of this kind
that does not furnish hints for future conduct, evidences
of weakness in opponents, and of leanings on the part of
what hereafter will be triends. The division showed 51
friends to secular education; a seed sufficient to sprout
into any magnitude required.
Next followed a motion for the reduction of the Ex-
cise Duty on Hops. There is a certain duty per pound on
English hops, but there is a superior, and next to pro-
hibitive duty, on foreign. The hop duty is, therefore,
paid by you at Bradford. It is paid out of the stoppage
of your trade, and your trade is stopped that it may be
Faid. Hops ought to be brought from abroad and paid
for in your good.; but hops may not be brought from
abroad, and consequently your goods cannot go. The
object of the whole being, thut the public may drink
dearer beer, and money be put into the pockets of the
hop-growers. Nobody noted this in the House. A
hubbub was got up once about corn; but it was allowed
to die out, like a Fifth of November squib, as soon as the
flash was over. It is perhaps right that room should
be left for your children to be wiser than yourselves.

On Friday the Eeclesifttnical Titles Bat made som•
slight progress in Committee, by disposing of amendments
proposed The further cunbineration wits adjourned
till Monday.
I am, Sir, yours very sincerely,
AN OLD REFORMER.
London, May 26, 1851.