The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-01 00:00:00

THE GRAVES AT SEnASTOPOL.

The Earl of CA.THCART gave notice of his intention,
on an early day, to ask the Government what steps they
intended to take to prevent the further desecration of the
graves of the British soldiers in the Crimea.
SMITHFIELD MARKET.
_ _

Lord EBURY rose to move that an humble address be
presented to her Majesty, praying her Majesty to be pleased
to direct that the vacant site of Smithfield should be ap-
propriated in such a manner as would conduce to the
health and recreation of the inhabitants of the neighbour-
hood. His lordship said that before Easter the house had
been informed that the Government would not oppose th•
project of building over the late Smithfield Market.
He had heard the announcement with very much regret,
as it was of the utmost importance in a city like London
that every vacant space should be left open. He trusted
that the Government would reconsider the decision they
had arrived at, because the effect of building on the site of
Smithfield would be throwing away an opportunity that would
perhaps never occur again of forming a place of recreation
and amusement for the in:unease numbers of the poorer
classes resident in the vicinity. The authorities of St. Bar-
tholomew's Hospital were strongly opposed to the erection
of buildings thereon, because they were of opinion that the
result of so doing would be to render the air very impure,
which was a matter of a serious nature to the patients of
the institution. The Corporation of London seemed
determined to erect a dead meat market on the portion of
the site over which they had control, but in the event of
such an intention being carried out, all the evils that were
so loudly complained of formerly would be revived. Dr.
Lethaby in his report alluded very pointedly to the desira-
bility of having open spaces in the city, as it was stated in
his report that the mortalityamongst the children in three
of the districts, which at present was very great, would have
been more had it not been for the open spaces in the western
district. He hoped sincerely the Government would recon-
sider the determination they had arrived at. (Hear, hear.)
Earl GRA.NVILLE, who was nearly inaudible in the
gallery, was understood to say that as a compromise had
been entered into by the Government and the Corporation
of London, who had claimed the whole of the site, and that
compromise had been embodied in a bill which was now
before Parliament, the proper time to discuss the matter
would be when the bill came before their lordships.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY said the answer of
the noble earl was very unsatisfactory. He thought the
appropriating any portion of the site for a dead meat mar -
ket was highly objectionable, as it clearly appeared to be
the desire of the City authorities to profit at the expense of
their poorer fellow eitizens. (Hear, hear.) He looked
upon a dead meat market as a great nuisance—as a
knacker's yard—as the smells that would arise in the sum-
mer months would be perftetly insufferable. It had been
said that very few of the butchers died from the effects
of the impurities of the meat markets—that might be true,
because they got plenty of good beef every day, which was
the best way to prevent any such results, but the poorer
portion were not in a position to obtain that kind of food,
and as far as they were concerned the werst results were
certain to arise. What ought to be done was to plant the
the site with shrubs and lay the ground out with ghavel

walks, and thus give the poor what they did not possess at
present, a place of enjoyment and recreation. Much of the
intoxication of the metropolis was mainly owing to the
want of places of recreation, and if the sanitary comfort of
the poor was better looked after, their moral condition
would be sure to improve.

Earl GRANYILLE said there seemed to be some mis-
apprehension on this subject. The Government were cer-
tainly not opposed to making pleasure-grounds for the
recreation of the poorer classes, and he hoped his
noble friend would postpone the discussion until
the bill he had alluded to was before the house.

Lord EBURY said a few words in reply, and then with-
drew the notice.
EDUCATION IN IRELAND.

Lord CLANCARTY 'novel for a copy of an address,
presented in 1859, from the Irish Roman Catholic bishops,
to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, regarding the national
system of education in that country—a copy of the answer
of the Lord Lieutenant—and a copy of the reply of the
bishops. He contended that the system had failed to pro-
cure a proper attendance of children—failed to secure the
sympathies of the people—and that, in fact, the attendance
was not increasing, but decreasing. It had failed also to
secure the sympathies of the Protestant or Roman Catholic
clergy.
The Earl of CORK said the noble lord was inaccurate as
to the unpopularity of the system and as to the decreasing
attendance of children. The attendance had increased gra-
dually but continuously, from the establishment of the sys-
tem until now.

The Bishop of CASHEL, in the name of the clergy of the
Protestant church with whom he acted in his diocese,
thanked her Majesty's present Government for their adhe•
rence to the system of national education in Ireland.

The Earl of CARLISLE said he did not propose to enter
into the general question as to the duty of supporting the
system of national education in Ireland, because that ques-
tion was so momentous that if brought forward at all it
should be founded on some specific and determinate issue.
The opinions of her Majesty's Government upon the subject
had been very fully and clearly stated in a paper which was
moved for by a right hon. gentleman in the other house, and
with whom he was proud to act as his colleague in Ireland.
The noble earl who had made the motion to-night had
asked the question whether it was really true that her Ma-
jesty's Government meant to introduce no change into the
system of national education in Ireland, and his answer to
that question was, that it was the firm intention of her
Majesty's Government both in England and Ireland to ad-
here to the principles upon which they had uniformly
acted with respect to the system of national education in
Ireland. (Hear, hear.) And for himself he might say that
by reason of his long connection—though not unbroken--
with Ireland, he had always been led to feel a great interest
in this most important subject. Those principles, as he un-
derstood and maintained them, gave advantages for the
obtaining of as good a secular education as could be pro-
cured by any who were willing to receive it, and it gave to
all opportunities and facilities for specific religious instruc-
tion, without compulsory religious instruction to any. The
Government felt that instruction in religion upon those
duties which should regulate the conduct of persons in life
and inspire hopes for hereafter were of too high and im-
portant, and indeed paramount, a nature, to be imparted
except with the full consent and authority of the parents.
The noble earl said it was patent to all that in holding out
those principles they had with great regret found themselves
bound to oppose the views entertained by many of the most
excellent prelates of the Established Church ; and of late it
had been equally notorious that they had been obliged to
act in opposition to the views of a large body of the prelates
of tke Roman Catholic Church. The adhesion of the Go-
vernment to the main system and leading principles of
national education in Ireland would be, he hoped, main-
tained unimpaired. But if at any time, either from one side
or the other, there should be laid before the Government
propositions which should not be inconsistent with the prin-
ciples which he had laid down, the Government would be
always willing to give them a fair and candid consideration.
If, however, any proposition should be opposed to the vital
principle of
it. the
change would the Government would not
be made without a prior
enNporeeshen an t
communication to Parliament. He (the Earl of Carlisle)
did not know that he was justified in bringing it under the
notice of their lordships, but he could not refrain on this
occasion from expressing his deep satisfaction that that ad-
mirable prelate, before he finally closed his career amidst
the respect and the love of all who had watched its long
continuance, had been able to bequeath to the Church which
he had upheld and adorned, such a legacy of peace, wisdom,
and charity.

Viscount LIFFORD expressed his approval of the na-
tional system, but found fault with the judgment some-
times exercised by the board.

The Bishop of DERRY defended the national system of
education in Ireland, to carry out which he was appointed
one of the commissioners.
The Earl of DONOUGHMORE thought that the Go-
vernment were quite:right in refusing to accede to the
prayer of [the petition of the Roman Catholic bishops in
this matter.
The Earl of CLANCARTY replied, and the motion was
agreed to.