The Sun.
London, England, 1869-10-05 00:00:00

rHE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 5, 1869.

From that time onwards the natural and super-

natural societies of the world have been at least in

a state of mutiny together down to a time he would
hereafter mark, until they saw Christendom or
Christian Europe in a state in which the spiritual
and civil powers and authorities stood side by side,
with many jars and contentions indeed, but never-
theless with public laws, and mutual relations, and

duties acting in co-operation together, so that the
natural society of the world, which taught the un-
limited lawfulness of divorce, was taught the ab-
solute indissolubility of Christian mat riage —the
natural society which taught that fathers bad power
of life and death over their children was taught that

hose children were the children of God—theirs in
;he order of nature, but theirs not in the order of

grace, heirs of the kingdom of Heaven, wards com-
mitted to their guardianship, whom they were bound
tobringup in the nurture of God and the knowledge
of his Son Jesus Christ. They were taught also
the duty of mutual charity one to another. The law
was authority and equality as taught in its perfec-
tion in the Christian Church under the supreme
authority of one head. That was the state of the

Christian world when these two societies were in

unity together—when every member of the Sate
was a member of the Church, when every law of
the State was in conformity with the laws of the

Church, when the laws of Christianity were in-

scribed as part of the laws of the land, when men
believed that human soziety had not its perfection
in being founded on the order of nature only, to the

exclusion of religion or indifference of religion, but
when it was founded on the one only religion re-

vealed by Almighty God, the one only basis of life

eternal.

Then was the time when the natural and

supernatural societies were united together, and
acted in mutual cooperation. And now he came
to that date to which he before referred—three

hundred years ago. Germany and England and
the North of Europe separated themselves from
the Christian Church. They broke the bonds

of union and renounced its supreme autho-
rity ; they constituted themselves independent,
upon the basis of their own natural authority, and
they went their way ; and what that way was he
would endeavour to trace. There were three things
in that division. The first was a schism. The
second was a rejection of the Divine authority of
the Church, and the third was the setting in motion
of that which men now called progress, the un-
limited, unguided, and licentious action of the
human intellect and of the human will without law
and without guide. Looking at the condition of
Germany they were told the other day it was a
question whether four-fifths or three-fourths did
not believe in Christianity. He would not deter-
mine the proportion. And looking to England,
divided, subdivided, parcelled out into he knew not
how many sects and denominations, each interpret-
ing the Bible fur himself because the supreme
authority of the Church had been rejected. In
every country that had separated itself from the
unity of the Church 300 years ago the sacrament
of Christian matrimony was rejected by the public
laws. The indissolubility of Christian marriage
was destroyed and the law of divorce was intro-
duced. The foundation of the natural order of the

family itself was brokea up. Wheresoever divorce
enured the authority of parents, the obedience
of children, and the equality of the family were
shorn, if not destroyed. What the effect of
that change had been he would leave those to say
who bad the daily reports of the tribunal where
such cases were tried before their eyes. Then it
was also announced as a principle that national
education must be without religion—that the edu-
cation of children belonged to the State. Within
the last few months he had seen it again and again
declared in those authoritative newspapers which
represented public opinion to a great, but he hoped
not to the full extent, that it was not for fathers and
mothers to determine how their children should be
educated; that must be determines by the supreme
authority of the State. They were told that in the
matter of religion it was indifferent whether men
agreed--it might be geed if they could, but the
State had nothing to do with it, and every man bad
a perfect, unfettered,unlimited freedom, not only of
thinking as he likes, for the State had no right
over his thoughts, but to speak as he likes, and to
sow with both hands broadcast errors, heresies, im-
pieties, and blasphemies where he will ; and there is
no authority on earth to restrain the sJwing of
that seed of universal desolation, immorality, and
unbelief, and rob posterity, children unborn, of
their inheritance of truth and salvation, and all to
gratify the unlimited liberty and the supreme free-
dom of each individual man. If ever there was a
spirit of revolt against God it was this ; and yet it
was inscribed in the public laws of what was called
modern civilization. He would explain the mean-
ing of Liberalism, progress, and modern civilisation.
Liberality meant the giving to every man his due,
and giving of our own freely for his good ; Libera-
lism meant giving to another that which did not be-
long to ourselves. The truth of God, and the laws
of God, and the rights of parents—these belonged
to no man, and to give them away was an impiety.
What, then, was the meaning of progress ? A de-
parture from the union of national order and na-
tional laws of States with the supernatural order
which the law of God had revealed in Christianity.
What, then, was the meaning of modern civilisa-
tion ? The state of political society founded upon
divorce, secular education, infinite divisions, and
contradictions in matters of religion, and the
absolute renunciation of the Supreme autho-
rity of the Christian Church. Could it, then,
be matter of wonder th It when the Roman Pon iff
published the Syllabus all those who were in love
with modern civilisation should have risen in up-
roar against it ? Or could it be wondered that
when the world, with great courtesy sometimes,
with great superciliousness at another time, and
great menace always, invites the Roman Pontiff to
reconcile himself to Liberalism, progress, and mo-
dern civilisation, he should say, " No ; I will not,
and I cannot. Your progress means divorce ; I
maintain Christian marriage. Your progress means
secular education ; I maintain that education is in-
trinsically and necessarily Christian. You main-
tain that it is a good thing that men should think as
they like, talk as they like, preach as they like, and
propagate what errors they please. I say that is
sowing error broadcast over the world. You say
I have no authority over the Christian world, that
I am not the vicar of the Good Shepherd, that I am
not the supreme interpreter of the Christian
Faith. I am all these. You ask me to abdi-
cate, to renounce my supreme authority. You
tell me I ought to submit to the civil power,
that I am the subject of the Ring of Italy,
and from him I am to receive instructions as to the
way I should exercise the civil power. I say I am
liberated from all civil subjection, that my Lord
made me the subject of no one on earth, king or
otherwise, that in His right I am sovereign. I
acknowledge no civil superior, I am the subject of
no Prince, and I claim more than this—l claim to
be the Supreme Judge and director of the con-
sciences of men—of the peasant that tills the field
and the prince that sits on the throne—of the house-
hold that lives in the shade of privacy, and the
Legislature that makes laws for kingdoms—l am
the sole last Supreme Judge of what is right and
wrong. Your progress is departure from Christian
civilisation—in that path you may Wave many com-
panions, but me you will not find." The Sove-
reign Pontiff even in that Syllabus has invited these
who are wandering from Christian civilisation to
what they call modern civilisation to return
again—to come back to Christian merrily.,
Christian education, Christian unity of faith
and worship, and Christian submission to him
who is the pastor of pastors. This wag
the meaning of the Syllabus. I know you
who are my own flock respond with your hearts
to what I have said ; but I am speaking to many
who are not members of my frein flock, and I put
it to you with that integAty, uprightness, and
honour, and strong, vigorous good sense, and clear
conscience, and the desire to do right, longing to
know the truth and willing to follow it, whether I
have indulged to-day in words of asperity or of ttno•
reason, and whether 1 bave not pleaded calmly for
the laws of the Chr',,,ti
an world. Do you not your-
selves long for the
Igc9nciling of divisions, so that

we may once more be one together, and have no
more contentions and divisions. The Syllabus is no
offence ; it is the word of truth, of charity, the word
of the Chief Christian Pastor speaking to the Chris-
tian world. And now one word by way of illustration
as to the state of Rome and of London. Rome is the
proof of the supernatural society of which I have
spoken. Long years of residence in Rome and an in-
timate knowledge of it, still longer years of residence
in London and a more complete intimacy with the
metropolis of my own country, enable me to declare
that in point of piety, of morality, of public
order, of true civilisation, which makes charity,
courtesy, justice, and goodwill between man and
man, Rome is incomparably beyond London. Lon-
don, with 2,500,000 of men, of whom two-thirds
never set their feet in a place of Christian worship
—2,500,000 men of whom I know not how many
have never received the sacrament of Christian
baptism ; 2,500,000 men of whom I know not how
many have never sanctified their life by Christian
marriage—this is a subject too deep and too large;
I cannot enter upon it ; and I end with these words.
There is but one name given under heaven whereby
we can be saved—namely, Jesus Christ--one faith,
ono baptism for the remission of sins, one fold
under one shepherd ; and there is one Chief Pastor
who represents him, the Vicar of Jesus Christ, of
whose supreme authoritative declarations I have
spoken to you to-day.

THE SOCIAL SCIENCE CONGRESS.

BRISTOL, MONDAY.

There was a full attendance at the Cathedral yesterday
morning, when the Rev. Canon Girdlestone preached an
exceedingly original sermon, in which he pointed out the
harmony existing between the teachings inculcated by
Christ when upon earth, and the objects sought to be
attained through the medium of social science.
Two objects of special interest have engaged the
attention of the Congress to-day. The one was the Land
Question, and the other the Condition of the Agricultural
Labourer. The latter carried off the palm, and attracted
a large number of members and associates to the Economy
and Trade Department, where it was discussed.

At the soirée this evening in the Victoria Rooms, an
address will be delivered by Miss Carpenter on Female
Education in India.

Those who are curious to hear Professor Newman will
have an opportunity of doing so to-night, as he is announced
to take part in a meeting organised by the advocates of the
Permissive Bill, at which several of the other members of
the Congress will speak, the Yen. Archdeacon of Coventry
presiding. . _

It being found impossible to ensure a return from the
Chepstow Castle and Tintern Abbey excursion in time for
the visitors here to avail themselves of their return tickets
which are of use only up to Thursday, an alteration has
been made in the original programme. The excursion will
come off on Wednesday, the concluding meeting of mem-
bers and associates being held at half-past four to-morrow
afternoon.

By a clerical error, a paper on emigration, read on Fri-
day, was ascribed to Mr McCullagh Torrens, instead of to
Mr. Robert TorrensiTM,P., who presided over the Economy
and Trade Department.

1712. Prior to the passing of the Act of 1868, 44 per
cent. per annum of men in the Royal Navy suffered
from contagious diseases and the returns for twelve
months ending March 31, 1866, including not only men
in the navy, but the army and marines showed a percentage
of 19.529 only. The return of the past twelve months end-
ing June 1869 show that out of an average strength for the
year of 10,650 men, the admissions to the hospital of men
affected were 13-00 per cent. ; and out of this
only 916 per cent. contracted the disease in Devon-
port ; and, in comparison with Portsmouth, Aldershot, and
Chatham, Devonport stands much the lowest. As the
disease has decreased among men in the garrison, so the
vacant beds at . the Royal Albert Hospital have
increased. These results, though good, are capable
of improvement, as the periodical examination of
women was as yet carried out very defectively.
There are 770 known prostitutes in Devonport,:and deduct-
ing thd 120 in the hospital, there should be 325 brought up
every week for their fortnightly examination ; but from
the returns it seems that only 182 attended for examina-
tion on an average per week. Referring to the supervision
of the police, Mr. Swain thought that if the Act was ex-
tended to civil towns a visiting surgeon would be the
best controller. It is sought to vest in the surgeon at
Devonport the power to interfere with the treatment of a
woman after entering the hospital ; but against this the
writer of the paper strongly protests, as it would confer on
the surgeon the office of prosecutor, judge, and jailer. As
to the effect of the Act on the women, Mr. Swain thinks it
has rendered them more orderly and quiet in their de-
meanour, and the hospital has a humanising effect upon a
woman's mind. From April Ist to September 30th, this
year, 19 have been sent to reformatories, 12 have gone to
their homes, 1 has been married ; total, 32 reclaimed.
A discussion, from which ladies were excluded, took
place on the question whether the provisions of the Con-
tagious Diseases' Act should be applied to the civil popu-
lation. Several advocates were heard on each side.

TIM AGRICULTURAL LABOURER
The Economy and Trade Department proved very attrac-
tive, for there the question, How may the condition of the
agricultural labourer be improved? was made the subject
of discussion. The ball was opened by Canon Girdlestone,
who recommended, as an immediate though only tempo-
rary measure of relief, migration from parts of the country
where wages were low to those where they were high, and
emigration to the colonies. He had himself proved the
success of this on a considerable scale. It would be well

if penny London and provincial papers and other
periodicals would from time to time publish rates
of wages in different counties and the colonies, or
if a labourer's monthly paper could be established, giving
this and all other useful information to the peasantry.
Secondly, the Rev. Canon recommended as a more per-
manent means of improvement, education in state-inspected
schools to the extent of reading with facility, and fluency,
and intelligently ; writing not merely his own name but a
tidy letter to his relations ; and as much accounts as would
enable him to make out a bill ; in short, the acquisition
of the power of self-improvement before he is set to work
in the fields. He advocated education not only for
boys, but for girls as the future mothers of families,
and a measure of either direct or indirect compulsion.
Thirdly, he mentioned a better administration of the Poor
Law, and said that if there had been no Poor Law, there
would have been less pauperism. A constitution of boards
of guardians of such a sort as would not, as now, practically
leave in rural districts the chief power in the hands of
farmers, who were always inclined to supplement wages
out of poor rate. The choice of relieving officers, masters
and matrons of workhouses, and the like, should be left
with a central or county, rather than, as now, with a local
board, and that there should be a better classification of
paupers. Parish doctors should be fairly paid for their
attendance on paupers, and all drugs and other
appliances should be provided by the parish or union.
Good cottages and gardens, and an allotment for a cow in
some instances, should be given as a special encourage-
ment to the most deserving labourers on the farms,
and a present of milk daily to every labourer
in proportion to the size of his family. Now
that waste lands and commons were enclosed, that
most valuable article of food was not to be had upon any
terms. Wages should no longer be paid partly in beer or
cider ; the rate of remuneration should be graduated, instead
of uniform as at present, and piece-work should be carried
out as far as possible. Co-operative stores would be
valuable as a means of rescuing the labourer from shops.
Rents might be advantageously lowered where too high.
Canon Girdlestone proved that, even on money grounds,
it was better for the farmer to have his labourers like his
horses, in good condition. It was quite true that town
populations were often in a most miserable state ; but
surely that was no reason why those connected with the
agricultural labourer should shirk their responsibilities.
The paper of Sir Baldwin Leighton, on the same sub-
ject, commenced by stating that the writer had examined the
register of the inmates of a union in a part of Devonshire,
in which he was at one time resident. The population
amounted to about 6,000, one-half urban and the other
half rural. To his surprise, he found, out- of 100 adult
males, 34 only had been agriculturists, and of those, three
had held farms, while 48 had been inhabitants of the
towns. The remainder were deaf and dumb, imbeciles,
and young men disabled by sickness or accident.
That return, it was argued, proved that in a
county where the wages of the agricultural
labourer were low, the rural population did not
appear to be in such a pauperised condition as the
dwellers in towns. Another case of a union in the Midland
district was cited. In June 1869 there were forty male
adults in the workhouse, and about the same number
reciving out-relief, or, in other words, the male adult pan-
peiism was about 4 per 1,000 of the population. This was
a striking contrast to the condition of things in the unions of
the metropolis. The author then proceeded to ask how it
was that, if the condition of the agricultural labourer was
as wretched as some would argue, the annual death rate in
most of the large towns varied from twenty to thirty
per 1,000, while, with few exceptions, in rural districts it
was under twenty per 1,000. This proved that the health
of the labourer was superior to that of townsmen. Sir Bald-
win, to improve the condition, of the labourer, would first of
all give him the opportunity of renting a good cottage.
Great improvement had taken place in that respect in most
parts of the country, and it would, it was suggested, assist
much as an inducement to good conduct and the well-being
of the labourer, if on every considerable estate there were
some cottages with land attached sufficient for the keep of
one or two cows, say from three to six acres
according to the quality of the land, In two parishes with
which the writer of the paper was acquainted out of 100
cottagers forty-three kept cows, which formed a source of
considerable profit. It was also urged that it was very
desirable for the improvement of the agricultural labourer
that there should be a certain fixture of tenure on a pro-
perty, that as long as a labourer conducted himself well,
brought up his family properly, paid his rent regularly,
and kept his place tidy, he should be nearly
sure that he might, if he liked, remain as a
tenant for life, and might look forward to one
of his children succeeding him. The advantages of
education, clothing clubs, coal clubs, and similar institu-
tions were then discussed, and the fact that a great im-
provement in the condition of the agricultural labourer of
late years having been insisted upon, the paper concluded
by saying that the actual tilling of the soil would always
be one of the employments which in England would re-
ceive the lowest amount of remuneration, and would, there-
fore, be reserved for the lower classes. There was no reason
however, why the members of that class conducting them-
selves well should not enjoy as large an amount of happi-
ness—if, indeed, not a larger amount—than the dwellers
in towns. There was a third paper by Sir Edward
Strachey, which specially insisted on better education for
the agricultural labourer.
An animated discussion followed the reading of these
papers. Mr. Botley argued that the land should bear a due
share of the expense of the education which was so needful
for the improvement of the agricultural labourer. His
position ought also to be ameliorated by good
dwellings and by enabling him to acquire an interest in
the land. Farmers should be compelled to provide good
cottages and gardens. Mr. Pepper, a tenant farmer from
the East of England, disputed the accuracy of Canon
Girdlestone's statements. The average amount earned for
the support of families in the eastern counties was 17s.
per weok. He insisted that Canon Girdlestone ought not
to have represented to the working men's meeting that
the condition of the agricultural labourer was
so bad. Mr. Pepper was indulging in some strong
remarks on the rev. gentleman when he was called
to order by one of the audience. He then suggested that
the half-time system should be adopted in rural districts for
boys under fourteen, and recommended that a chance
of acquiring land be afforded to the labourer..—Dr.Rigg was
convinced that the only way to improve the condition
of the farm servant was to give him a chance of
acquiring land. Mr. Saunders, recorder of Bath, said that the
simple remedy was for farmers to pay better wages. If
they could not do this with their present rents these
must be lowered. Sir John Bowring bore testimony
to the diligence of Canon Girdlestone's researches and the
accuracy of his statements.
The discussion on this subject was broken off in order to
hear a paper by Miss Florence Hill on the difference between
the farming out and boarding out of workhouse children.
REMEDIES FOR INTEMPERANCE.

Mr. Thomas Beggs read a paper on the remedies for
intemperance which lie within the range of voluntary
effort, mentioning some of the evils which result from
intemperance, and in particular the enormous waste of
money—£3o,ooo,ooo a year in intoxicating drinks. Mr.
Beggs said it was a common fallacy that a community
could not be impoverished by an expenditure going on
amongst themselves. All expenditure is unprofitable which
Isms no tangible and valuable result, as large armaments
encourage labour, but lead to general impoverishment.
The expenditure on intoxicating drinks produces pauperism
and crime, which must add at least £10,000,000
per annum to the debit • side of the account.
In treating of intoxicating drinks, we have an exceptional
article. Alcohol commits the same devastation in the
Western world that opium inflicts in the East, and must
be ranked with that deadly drug. The essential danger of
alcoholic drinks is that they have' a tendency to feed the
appetite they gratify, and all drunkards recollect a time
when a small quantity would satisfy, but they scarcely
remember how a strict moderation grew to excess.
The question we must ask ourselves is this—Can the
liquor which is capable of producing drunkenness
be a suitable article for daily use ? Drunkenness must be
regarded as a disease rather than a vice, and with our
present knowledge on the subject of intemperance, it
would seem as reasonable to expect to preach away typhus
or cholera as to preach away drunkenness. In the one
case we must clear our pestilential districts, and in the
other we must teach the people the true nature of intoxi-
cating drinks, and remove the facilities for indulgence.
111-health is the enemy of morals, as foul air
is the enemy of health. Attention to intempe-
rance is by no means all that is wanted in the
great work of social reform; but it is that without which
all our other efforts will be in vain. It is with the drink
that we have in the first place to deal. A sound knowledge
as to the properties of intoxicating drinks would correct
the mischievous practice of medical men in prescribing
alcoholic stimulants, and it would suggest to all classes
that it would be better to dissociate meetings for business or
amusement from the use of intoxicants. It would strengthen
the effort to lessen the number of public-houses and to
restrict those which are left. The disuse by the educated
and religious classes of strong drinks as an article of enter-
tainment would be more effectual than anything in subduing
our national intemperance. Its evils are so firmly rooted
that no indirect action will suffice. It would be desirable
that an inquiry should be conducted by a body of scientific
men upon the nature and properties of intoxicating liquors.
In order to realise the subject fully it is necessary to
explore the under-currents of society, where so much vice
and misery exist, and to reflect that those evils are descend-
ing to unborn generations by the operation of
nets a law
in their which
is as unfailing as that which keeps the pla
course.
This paper, which Wag ivaa a subdivision of the Trade
in
and Economy Department?vivol the subject a a brief dis-

cession. To-morrow will, however, witness the great debate
on the drink traffic. Professor Newman will read a
paper.

REFORMATORY AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS.

The results of the Industrial Schools and Reformatory
Schools Acts was the subject under discussion in the
Reformatory and Repression of Crime Sections. A paper
by Miss Carpenter gave an account of the Red Lodge
Reformatory, which was the first for girls certified in
the kingdom. " The girls admitted to the Institution
must be under 14 years of age, and are classified in different
dormitories according to age. They are also arranged in
two divisions—the schoolroom and the laundry and house
girls. Of whatever age, they are all first put into the
schoolroom, being generally in a state of extreme ignorance.
Here they have the ordinary course of instruction of a good
day school, and are taught needlework and knitting, and
some house-work ; they have also active out-door exercise.
The elder girls have separate instruction, and spend most
of the day at washing, cooking, and other housework.
Records are kept of the conduct of each, and her character
watched ; but in order to fit and test each for the greater
liberty she will have on entering the world, a small house
adjoining is provided, where ten girls at a time are placed
under a matron, with additional privileges and more
liberty. If the girl's conduct here is satisfactory she is
put out to service on license, kind watchfulness being still
kept over her. The Government requires an annual report
of each girl for three years after her discharge." It was en-
couraging to find that out of seventy girls discharged in the
four years ending 1865 only one had been again in prison, and
sixty were maintaining themselves in respectability. Some
were married. " Public opinion is changing, and where it
formerly was extremely difficult to place our girls out at
service, there has now been for some years a greater demand
for them as servants than we could supply. Again, the
nature of juvenile crime is changed; at the beginning of
the reformatory work we frequently had girls who had been
four, five, or even eight times in prison, and thus became
hardened with punishment. It is now, however, rare to
have a girl sent on even a second conviction."