The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-23 00:00:00

TEE LAST DRUNKEN DRAMA.

Leyman, a Sheffield grinder, said to be a very
intelligent man, got drunk on Thursday night, and
lay in bed on Friday to sleep off his debauch. His
wife sent him up a cup of tea by the hands of their
youngest child, a boy four years old. A few
minutes later the drunkard came down stairs, and
saying "Go and look at Harry—he is dead," went
out of the house. The wife rushed up stairs and
found the child, a few minutes before well and happy,
weltering in his blood, and quite dead. His father
had all but severed his head from the body.
This tale moves even the not very susceptible Daily
Telegraph to ask, "When will human creatures cease
to put an enemy
their brains ? " into their mouths to steal away
The answer is Never, so long as the
publican is allowed to make men drunk ; never, so
long as
.the freedom of this traffic is considered of
more importance than the lives of the 50,000 persons
who are ev
indirectly, by
ery Year slain in this country, directly or
drink. After all, the chief victim in
this case is the best off. For him one innocent life
has been exchanged for another. For the murderer-
fatheri there is the gallows ; for the doubly-bereaved
mother and wife life-long anguish and shame.

MR. FROIIDE ON ;10DERN EDUCATION.
Mr. Froude's installation speech at St. Andrew's
University was
education now an eloquent attack on the system of
pursued in the schools and the univer-
sities. Deploring that poverty and education no longer
went hand in hand that
that the universities were rather
institutions for training in luxury than places where
the young were taught to bear poverty, he went on
to shew that the whole university system was
rotten at the core. Children are taught
when young mechanically, are given mere facts
instead of ideas. When they become older
they are expected to learn everything. But general
information is equivalent to nothing whatever.
Learn a special fact, and learn that well. "You
cannot learn everything," said he; "the objects of
knowledge have multiplied beyond the powers of the
strongest mind to keep pace with them all. You
must choose among them, and the only reasonable
guide to choice in such matters is utility." And so
lawyers were told to leave Greek to the dogs, and to
grasp Latin, IN'orman French and Scotch law;
doctors were told to confine themselves to French,
German, and the subjects of their own profession, &c.
Mr. Fronde is undoubtedly a great authority on such
matters ; but is there not a danger lest such a course
of study would lead to contracted minds ? A. doctor
who is a doctor et preeterea nail is not the highest
idea of a man. Mr. Froude's special subject, history,
embraces and requires a smattering of all the sciences
and a knowledge of many languages. However, it
is not so with all professions.
THE SCOTCH EDUCATION BILL.

As a whole, the Commission of the General
Assembly of the Scotch Free Church seem to be
well satisfied with the Scotch Education Bill. There
are several objections raised to it however. It has
been unanimously resolved, for instance, " 1. That
the proposals of the bill with reference to the
parochial schools are far from satisfactory. 2.
That while the institution of a Scotch board is good
in preference to a management in London, that,
with the view of commanding the confidence of the
country, the constitution ought to be considerably
modified, and that the meetings of the board should
be public. 3. That the provision which requires the
consent of the Central Board to the branches of
education, resolved upon by the local parties, is
objectionable, unless it be carefully guarded, espe-
cially as regards the teaching of religion, according
to the use and wont of Scotland. 4. That it
is essential to the right Working of the bill, with
reference to adopted schools, that the central
authority of such a body as the Free Church be
effectively recognised. 5. That it is also essential to
the right working of the bill that the proposed power
of the board to require managers of adopted schools
to repair and enlarge their schools at their own
expense should not be vested in the board. O.
That the provisions in regard to testing the qualifi-
cations of teachers, and other matters affecting their
interests, are not satisfactory," We have yet to learn
the opinions of the General Assembly of the Esta-
blished Church,