The Sun.
London, England, 1869-10-15 00:00:00

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.

MORNING. EVENING
FRIDAY 25 min past 10 3 min past 11
►SATURDAY 40 min past 11 9 min past 12
SUNDAY 10 min past 12 30 mi❑ past 12
MONDAY 53 miu past 12 10 min past 1
rr V LSDAY 30 min past 1 50 mill Data 1

:;OCTOBER 15, 1869.

CHURCH CONFERENCE AT
MIDDLESBOROUGH.

A conference of the clergy and laity of tho rural deaneries
of the neighbourhood was held on Wednesday, at Middles-
borough, under the presidency of the Archbishop of York.
The Earls of Zotland, Mulgravo, Lord Houghton and many
other persons of distinction were present. The Archbishop, in
addressing the meeting, said that his object in calling
them together was to afford the opportunity for an inter-
change of ideas by the clergy and laity. All were there
for the purpose cf pointing out any existing evils, and he
invited them, if possible to suggest remedies. He never
knew meetings of that kind without good result.
To his mind the English Church would never
be in a thoroughly healthy position until there
existed in every parish a consultative body, which should
represent the parishioners and advise the clergyman.
Papers on Education were then read, and followed by a
discussion, in the course of which a clergyman stated that
from his experience of a prison not more than one-third of
the prisoners could write their names. A gentlemen pre-
sent said only one-third of the puddlers employed in his
ironworks could write their names, and though his firm
had erected national schools, they could not get all the
men to send their children. This made him a convert to
compulsory education. Other speakers, among whom was
Lord Houghton, supported the same principle.

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE FEXIANS.

In a letter to the Amnesty Committee in Dublin, The
O'Donoghue, M.P., expresses his opinion that the Govern-
ment, " collectively and individually, heartily commiserate
the unfortunate condition of the prisoners, and are most
anxious to liberate them, if they can do so consis-
tently with what they consider their duty to the State ;"
but he is equally convinced " that they will not as
they cannot, without degrading the functions of Govern-
ment, or betraying the trust reposed in tbem, yield any-
thing to the faintest semblance of unconstitutional pres-
sure." "How my dear countrymen," he adds, "in their
cells must curse the vanity of the heartless spouters,
who would persuade the world that, while powerless to
savo the captive from being dragged within the prison
walls, they can, nevertheless, extort his release, It is this
loathsome fustian that keeps the door locked, and not the
unappeased wrath or vindictivenes of either the Govern-
ment or British people. Let us approach the Government
with the respect due to their poeition, and with a confi,
dence which not only their acts but the attested worth of
their individual character entitles them to. If we take
this course, I have no doubt of the result."

THE NATIONAL EDUCATION LEAGUE,

The closing meeting of the Conference of the National
Education League at Birmingham was held in the Town
Hall, the Mayor in the chair.

Mr. GEORGE Dixon, M.P. (chairman of the League
moved the first resolution, which was: as follows :—" Mx.
in the opinion of this meeting the scheme of the National
Education League is the one best adapted to secure the
education of every child in the country." Ho said there
was reason to believe that education in towns had not
increased beyond the proportional increase in population;
and Canon Kingsley averredthat the denominational system
had failed in the rural districts. Mr. Villiers was of opinion
that so long as the present system continued not more than
half the children in agricultural placc s could bo educated, and
his statement was corroborated by other school inspectors,
and a Cabinet Minister of the late Administration. It was
under these circumstances that the Educational League
had sprung into existence. They had been informed
lately that the education in the existing schools contained
a very small tincture of religion indeed, and that in
the new schools there might be as much religion as in
nine-tenths of the present schools. By means of that League
they hope to rouse the people, in whom now happily
was placed political power, and if Mr. Forster would not
act as their leader in the movement, they must accomplish
their objects in spite of him.
Professor FAwcurr, M.P., seconded the resolution. He
said the labours of the League would prove as fruitful in
blessings as the labours of the Anti-Corn-Law League.
They were determined that they should form one united
body, and would never cease their efforts until elementary
education had been guaranteed to every boy and every
girl in the country. Perhaps the greatest danger that
threatened the movement was the possibility that some of
the members would be tempted to accept a compromise.
Nothing should satisfy the League but free, unsectarian,
compulsory education. The Conservatives, who had raised
the cry against the system, were never done talking about
the Factory Acts, which their party had passed, and yet
these very Acts made it compulsory for a child at a certain
age not to attend work unless the child also attended
school. The universities should be made the pro-
perty of the nation. He was glad that the House
of Lords had thrown out the University Tests Bill. He
ventured to predict that the House of Lords would never
have that 1 ill before them again. Next session they
would have to express their opinion upon a very different
measure. They would have to say "Aye" or "No" to a
proposal which would abolish at once and for ever every
remaining vestige of religious test and disability, and thus
make the Universities truly national institutions.
Mr. MuNDELLA addressed himself to working men. Ho
desired first to point out to them what was already accom-
plished by compulsory education. Although this was a
now doctrine in England, or comparatively new, it had been
in operation for many years in the North German Con-
federation and other parts of Europe ; and indeed on the
Ist of January next there will be 80,000,000 of the people
of Europe under the operation of compulsory education.
He mentioned the case of Switzerland, whose people were
the best educated in the world. There was the religious
difficulty. He had never found any difficulty in this
respect with the working men. He reminded them of some
lines written by Charles Dickens—describing this constant
contest between sects—this great religious difficulty which
we now stand in the face of :
" So have I seen a country on the earth,
Where darkness sat upon the livinc, waters,
And brutal ignorance and toil and dearth
Were the hard portion of its sons and daughters;
And yet where those who should have ope'd the door
Of truth and charity to all men's finding,
Squabbled for words upon the altar floor,
And rent the book in struggles for the binding."

The resolution was carried.
Mr. Jos. CHAMBERLAIN moved " That the Executive
Committee of the National Education League be requested
to prepare a bill, based upon the principles of the League,
for introduction into the House of Commons dining the
next session of Parliament.'
Mr. CREMER seconded the resolution.

Mr. CARTEn, M.P. for Leeds, next briefly addressed the
meeting, after which Mr. LLOYD JOIcES also spoke in favour
of the proposition, which was unanimously carried.

THE ITARTLF.Y COLLIERY RELIEF FUN-D.—The
difference as to the application of the .surplus of the
Hartley fund returned to South Staffordshire and East
Worcestershire, was settled at a meeting of the trustees
and committee, held on Wednesday at Wolverhampton. It
was resolved unanimously—" That as soon as the colliers
of South Staffordshire and East Worcestershire have, in
accordance with their promise, raised and paid into the
Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire Bank the sum of
£5OO, and so raised the present balance of £2,500 to
£3,000, the interest of the total sum of £3,000 shall be
periodically divided amongst the widows and orphans of
those colliers who may have been killed in the above dis-
trict during the first year of their destitution, in such pro-
portions as a committee to be hereafter appointed shall
deem most desirable."

SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST A CLF.ILGYMAN.—
A case which has excited considerable sensation in this
neighbourhood occupied the attention of the magistrates
in petty sessions at Ledbury for no less than seven hours
on Thursday. It was a charge of affiliation brought
against the Rev. J. Jackson, vicar of Ledbury, by Eliza-
beth Parry, of being the father of her illegitimate child,
aged twelve months. Mr. 0. Ricardo was chairman.
Mr. Gwillim, solicitor, Hereford, appeared for the
complainant, and Mr. Ford, solicitor, London, for the rev.
defendant. The inquiry was confined almost entirely
to the examination and cross-examination of the mother
of the child, a good-looking young woman, who took th
extraordinary course a few Sundays ago of attending the
parish church of Ledbury and holding up the infant during
divine service, publicly proclaiming that the rev. vicar
(then in the pulpit), was its father. The defence was
a direct denial of paternity. The investigation was
adjourned.

Mu. CloscHEN AT nu: BIRMINGHAM WORK-
itousm.—We are glad to learn that the Preiident of the
Poor Law Board, following the example of score of his
colleagues in their departments, is determined to make him
self acquainted with the practical working of the Poor Law
ny personal observation. Last week Mr. Go:Then
the Birmingham -Workhouse, accompanied by Mr. Pcel, the
Poor Law Inspector; and, although the immediate object
of the visit was the inspection of the epileptic wads, the
President visited the sick wards, and went over the whc'e
house. The news of the arrival of so unexpected a visitor
brought up several of the guardians to the workhouse, to
whom and to the medical officer Mr. Goschen put "no •,ncl
of questions." His visit lasted some hours, and we are in-
formed was very satisfactory. We trust that many similar
inspections will be made, for we are confident that the
head of the Poor-law Board will find the process infinitely
more instructive than listening to the letters of guardians
and the reports of inspectors.—Lancet.