The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-20 00:00:00

NATIONAL EDUCATION.

A reputation from the London Church Schoolmasteri
Association waited on Friday upon Earl De Grey and
Ripon, and the Right Hon. W. E. Forster, M.P., at the
Privy Council Office, to present a memorial, praying foi
an amendment of the existing code. The deputation was
accompanied by Mr. Powell, late M.P. for Cambridge
Mr. Chadwick, C.B. ; and Mr. Tufnel, Inspector
of Workhouse Schools. The memorial, which repre-
sented the opinions of upwards of a thousand
masters, having been presented, Earl De Grey and
Ripon expressed his deep regret that the Government
was unable to deal with the great question of education
during the present session. There was one question which
it was felt would overshadow all others, but though
delayed, this interesting and very important subject
would not be neglected by the Government. Mr. Chad-
wick bad instanced the example of France, and spoken
of the administrative advantages afforded by the system
of that country, but were a Minister of Education to be
appointed to-morrow, the measure could not have the
same results here as in France, because the educational
system of France was simply a State system. On the
other hand, we had to consider not only the question of
management, bat the interest and feelings of the different
religious sections of the community. Ile could say no more
at present beyond promising that when the time came for
dealing with the question in the form of a bill what the
deputation had urged should receive the fullest considera-
tion. Mr. Furster, adverting to a remark made by one of
the deputation, that certificated schoolmasters were shut
out from endowed schools, announced that a clause in the
bill which he had justintroduced into Parliament provided
that no one should be competent to fill the office who did
not hold a certificate granted under its provisions, or by
the Privy Council. He entertained great sympathy for
schoolmasters, and was fully alive to the importance of
the great work which they had in hand. He should,
therefore, at all times be pleased to accept suggestions
from them ; but the deputation appeared to view the ques-
tion of popular education in a somewhat different way to
himself. They were opposed to rating ; but the difficulty
to be solved was not the mere management of the existing
schools ; there was the larger problem of how to provide
schools for those parts of the country which possessed
none ; and here the rating question would have to
come up.

THE LICE'LYSING SYSTEN.-DEPETTATION
TO THE HOME SECRETABY.

-

Yesterday the deputation organised by the Beer-
nouse Licensing Amendment Association waited upon the
Home Secretary. Amongst those present were Colonel
Akroyd, M.P., Rev. W. Stanyer, M.A., hon. secretary
of the Association, Mr. SAwin - Ibbetson, M.P., Mr.
Darnton Lupton, Mr. George Candelet, Rev. Canon
Jenkins, M.A., Mr. Taylor, secretary Church of England
Temperance Society, Mr. Dale, vice-president of the
Church of England Temperance Society, Mr. J. T.
Hibbert, M.P., Mr. Jacob Bright, M.P., Mr. T. Baxley,
M . P., Mr. E. Baines, M. P., Mr. Gourley,
M.P., Mr. Whitwell, M.P., Mr. Candlish, M.P.,
Mr. Norwood, M.P., Sir Robert Clifton, M.P., Colonel
Brise, M.P., Mr. Johnstone, M.P., and Mr. Swan.
The deputation was introduced by Colonel Akroyd,
who said that the present was one of several
deputations which hoped to have the honour of
waiting upon the Home Secretary for the purpose of
urging an amendment of the existing licensing system,
especially by removing the power of granting beer
licenses from the hands of the Inland Revenue into
those of the magistracy. Colonel Akroyd read a letterfrom
the Archbishop of York, deeply approving the objects of
the movement urged by the deputation, and referred to
statistics to show that the number of cases proceeded
against in beerhouscs were much more numerous than
in public-houses. In answer to Mr. Bruce, Colonel
Akroyd said that the members of the deputation were by
no means ready to say that the proposed reform was the
most perfect that could be adopted ; but it was the readiest
remedy that suggested itself for a great evil.
The Rev. W. Stani-er, honorary secretary of the
association, Mr. Ibbetson, M.P., Mr. Lufton (who pre-
sented memorials from Leeds and the neighbourhood, and
asserted that the gigantic strides which evil
made in that borough was to be traced directly
to the many low bcershops which existed), Mr.
Baines, M.P., Mr. Candelet, the secretary of the Pro-
vincial Licensed Victuallers' Defence Association, Canon
Jenkins, vice-president of the United Kingdom Alliance,
and Mr. Taylor, secretary of the Church of England Tem-
perance Society, supported the prayer of the deputation.
Mr. BRUCE'S reply was exceedingly brief. The Home
Secretary said the deputation were aware that Mr. Glad-
stone had told the House of Commons that there were
many subjects of national importance, amongst others
that of education, with which the Government were at
present unable to deal. The question of the licensing
system would, no doubt, have been taken into
consideration had her Majesty's Ministers seen
any chance of being able to legislate on the matter in an
effectual and satisfactory manner. The proposal brought
forward by the deputation was one which asked that
the power of granting beer-house licences should
be vested in the hands of magistrates. It
would 1.);.) remembered that Mr. Villiers's committee
when it sat recommended that the jurisdiction over
licenses should be removed from the magistrates ; end
the bill introduced from Liverpool (a bill warmly
supported) fell in with this view. The opinions urgedby the deputation should have the best consideration
of her Majesty's Ministers ; but without consultation
with his colleagues, it was impossible to say how the
proposal for this modified legislation would be received.

A NEW FORM OF ASSURANCE.—A novel form
of mutual life assurance has been proposed among the
persons employed in the banking establishments of New
York. All may join, irrespective of health or age, and
the subscription is to be a dollar. When a member dies
the whole of the money in hand is to go to his family, and
a new subscription-of a dollar is to be made, to go in like
manner to the heirs of the next deceased. The inequality
of the benefit, from the fact that the best lives would be
taxed to insure the feeble and infirm, would give the plan
a charitable rather than an economical character, but in
that shape it would, of course, relieve many cases of tem-
porary distress.

COURTS OF ARBITRITION.—A movement is on
foot in Leeds to form a Board of Conciliation and Arbitra-
tion between masters and workmen, similar to that which
has been formed at Nottingham. Conferences have been
heldunder the auspices of the Leeds Chamber of Commerce,
which were attended by members of that body and by
members of the Leeds Chambers of Industry and Leeds
Trade Council ; and at a meeting of the parties on Wed-
nesday evening last an interesting discussion resulted
in reference to the most practicable plan to form a board
in Leeds. There was no difference of opinion as to the
beneficial character of such an institution, the only point
at issue being the composition of a board most likely
to secure the best results. The unanimous feeling
of those present seemed to be that it would not be
wise to attempt too much at once ; that a general
hoard should be first formed, in order that a means
should be in existence to arbitrate on any question
or dispute that might be referred to it ; while the
establishment of boards in each individual trade
should be encouraged, as a natural outgrowth of the
adoption of the principle in the general board. But as
neither side had authority either to propose or decide as
to the character or extent of the proposed board, the
meeting was adjourned for one month, in order that the
representatives of the Chamber of Commerce should lay
the matter before the council at its next meeting, and
that the Chamber of Industry and the Leeds Trades
Council should ascertain the opinion of the different trades
, in the town.

governor
or INtlhAes sA
Statec H
Ps Er irs To
as So 'lf
ATIEasPs
anchi suoseNti s
Charleston,
T a ia c
k
near Boston) has forwarded to Mr. William
To.hte
secretary of the Howard Association, London, some
interesting reports of the institution (up to
1869), which are well worth the attention of the
mat
on this side the Atlantic, as proving the reforuaa
effects of remunerative prison labour. The Massachu-
setts Prison contains 533 convicts, under the care of Mr.
"Gideon Haynes. - These are confined at night in separate
cells; but are employed during the day in silent congre-
gate labour. The prison foundry occupies 92 of the
inmates, whip-making GS, the lamp factory 58, the iron-
bedstead shop 49, brush-making 32, and so on. The
governor reports, financially, as follows :—Total prison
expenses in 1868, L'21,798 ; total receipts from prison
labour, £27,128 ; receipts from other sources, km) ;
clear profit during 1568, £5,529 (27,646 dollars) ;
profit during 1867, £4,469. Hence a clear profit of
£lO,OOO in cash has accrued to Massachusetts, in two
years, from the prison, after paying all costs and sala-
ries. Mr. Haynes states:
." This result has not been
obtained by a. change in the .quantity or quality of food
or clothing, or reduction of caws (their number and
pay having both been increased), or a relaxation of the
discipline, for an examination will show a marked im-
provement in each department." Yet pecuniary profit
is not the primary object, but rather reformation and
' the prevention of crime after leaving the prison ; for, as
Mr. Haynes remarks, "It is certainly desirable that the
institution should pay its expenses ; but that should be a
secondary consideration, and ought not to interfere with
the safety of the officers or the reformation of the convicts
—matters of more importance than dollars and cents."
English
sad
only earn £2 each, 9r about 11d, per day, -