The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-20 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 20, 1869.

"at t'ges of learning." Legislation, as it at present
exists, does not force down education upon an
willing people ; it does far better—it stigmatises
ignorance as a social disqualification. In this
way it makes the parent and the State co-operate
together in seeking the education of the
child, instead of setting the parent and the State in
array against each other as foes. The case is diffe-
rent with the Arabs of the street, with the paupers
who come into our workhouses or receive relief from
the parish. These have been well called " the
children of the State," and the State being to them
in loco parentis, assumes the duties and the rights of
a parent and sends its children to school. But this
is done already, and there is no need of fresh
machinery for that purpose. The gravest
objections to the League scheme are that
.it
extinguishes voluntary effort, and leaves education in
the hands of persons in whom we, for one, have no
confidence. We have repeatedly pointed out how
disastrous it would be if education were left in the
hands of boards of guardians. Let us imagine, for
instance, what would be the state of S t. Pancras parish,
a parish whose population is probably equal to that
of Hull or Newcastle-upon-Tyne, if the guardians,
who are morally responsible for the deaths of scores
of children, were allowed to decide the amount of
money that should be spent in educating them.
These people not only do not value education, but
hate it. If we want a less extreme case, we have it
in those parts of the United States where the com-
pulsory system prevails, and where, as a rule, the
schools are conducted on the "cheap and nasty
principle." Moreover, it is unfair that parents who
can afford to pay for the education of their children
should not do so. It would be most lamentable if
the present voluntary system, which, what-
ever its defects, has done splendid work,
were to give place to an education rate raised
and administered by parochial magnates. It would,
moreover, be contrary to the whole tendency of public
feeling, the feeling, which has just disestablished the
National Church in Ireland, and which many persons
believe will, in the course of twenty years, disestablish
the National Church in England.
At the same time we admit that changes, impor-
tant changes are needed. We have already named
one, the extension of factory education-legislation to
agriculture, indeed, to all employments. Another
change which Mr. PORTMAN has pointed out in his re-
port to the Royal Commissioners on the Employment of
Children and Women in Agriculture, is that Govern-
ment aid shall not be, as at present, entirely condi-
tional upon voluntary effort, that education grants
shall no longer be administered solely on the prin-
ciple that to him who hath shall be given, and from
him who hath not shall be taken away, even that
which he hath. At present, wealthy parishes
which could well support their own schools, get any
amount of help from the Government, while poor
parishes which cannot afford to pay a certificated
master get none. If this very serious injustice were
rectified, the redress might be accompanied by the
stipulation that the Government shall have power to
enforce the establishment of schools in districts where
there are none, and that such schools shall be sup-
ported out of the rates, supplemented by a
Government grant. We have left till last
the religious difficulty. We do not believe
it to be a serious one. The probability is that there
will exist two classes of schools side by side in all
parishes large enough to support two, one denomi-
national, one secular. In the first, the master ought
to be free to teach religion, and, as the second would
be available for children of parents who objected to
the religious teaching, it might not be necessary to
insist upon the conscience clause in the first. But in
all parishes where there is only one school, that
school, as a condition of Government aid, ought to
have a conscience clause, which while it leaves the
teacher free to teach religion, leaves the pupils free
to absent themselves during the teaching. This is
not a clause to which the clergy or any minister of
religion need object. Colonel AKROYD, a well-known
Churchman, has just declared that in the case of
schools which he erected thirty years ago, there has
never been one instance of objection on the part of
parents with respect to the religious teaching of their
children. Altogether we have little doubt but that
the rivalry between the Union and the League will
lead to no serious consequences; will on the contrary
facilitate an investigation of the whole subject as
thorough as it ought to be before we revise the
system now in force.

1X177,622

2,027

18,801

THE CECUMENICAL COUNCIL.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

ROME, DECEMBER 12.

The first General Congregation of the Council took
place on Friday morning in the Aula in St. Peter's, under
the presidency of Cardinals Di Luca, Bizarri, Dilio, and
Capalti. Cardinalßeisali's illness prevented him frombeing
present. The entire body of fathers-750 in number—
took part in the deliberations, which were strictly secret.
Mgr. Vitellischi, Bishop of Osinio, celebrated the Mass of
the Holy Ghost before the Assembly, and Cardinal Di
Luca, as senior of the presiding cardinals, and representa-
tive d the Pope, recited the prayers destined by ancient
usage for cardinals, the fathers assisting standing. His
Eminence then addressed the Assembly in Latin, the
Orientals receiving the speech by means of sworn inter-
preters.

The Congregation then passed to the Secret Voting
for the election of the Five Fathers, who, according to the
immemorial usage of (Ecumenical Councils, compose the
Commission of Judges of Disputes and Controversies.
The second Congregation will be held on Tuesday morn-

ing, and important business will probably be transacted,
but as the sessions are now strictly secret, and all the
assistants sworn to silence, it is impossible that our infor-
mation can extend beyond that given by the authorities.
A meeting of the definisseurs, or those favour-
able to the definition of the dogma of Papal Infalli-
bility, took place the evening previous to the Council, at
St. Louis du Fraulais, under the presidency of Cardinal
de Bonnechose, Archbishop of Rouen. It was very nume-
rously attended by the bishops of the French language, as
well as by most of the English and American bishops. A
meeting of those unfavourable was held the same day at
the Casa della Missione, but the attendance was small.
Mgr. Dupanloup was not present. A meeting of definis-
seurs of the Spanish language was held at Cardinal Yareno's,

the Archbishop of Valladollid, and was very well attended,
embracing all the Spanish and South American bishops,
and those of Mexico, Costarica, and Honduras. At
present it seems that the great majority of the Episcopate
are in favour of a definition. Mgr. Dupanloup has sent a
message of submission to the decision of the Council of
the Pope, and so has Mgr. Darboy, while even Mgr. Maret,
the day before the Council, begged a friend to express to
his Holiness the extreme regret with which he saw his book
seized on by persons without the Church as an adhesion to
certain principles, and of his full repudiation of everything
everything that might lead to a scandal or revolt
against the Church. The Pope replied, through
Cardinal Antonelli, that Mgr. Maret's work would
go before the Council and be judged by his
brother bishops. His Holiness was confident that
Mgr. Maret was too good a Catholic not to accept their
verdict as that which he had himself invoked.

The English and American bishops are mostly favour-
able. P.e opposition lies in Germany and Bohemia.
The Empress of Austria paid her official visit to the
Vatican on Thursday, and from the report of persons pre-
sent, the Pope's welcome was very cordial. The relations
between the empire and the Holy See are pretty good just
now.

The review which was to have taken place to-day has
been put off to the Greek Kalends, in consequence of the
continued downpour of rain. The Tiber is overflowing the
Ripetta Ghetto, and the emporium of Marliess, near
the Axentien, is completely under water to-day. The
Papal commission of archeology has decided on examining
that side of the Palatine in possession of the Pontifical
Government, and the Commendatore Visconti initiated the
excavations last week in the part of the Palatine which
overlooks the Circus Maximus. Discoveries of grea t
interest are expected there.

The very extensive Distillery now being erected.
at Belfast, with all recent improvements for the mailifacture of
Irish whisky, by Messrs. DUNVILLE dr Co., who have gained
a world-wide celebrity for their fine old Irish whisky, is to be
called "The Royal Irish Distillery."

LA TV INTELLIGENCE—(This Day.)

JUDGES' CHAMBERS.

Two very important questions respecting the
winding up of the Albert Assurance Company were
this morning referred by the Chief Clerk in Vice-
Chancellor's Chambers to Court. In the first the
question was whether the case of a joint insurance,
the death of one of the insured prior to the wind-
ing-up order would render the company liable to
pay the claim in full, and the second point raised
was whether policyholders, whom other officcs
would not reinsure, were entitled to claim on a
different scale to other creditors.

A motion by the Crown to change the venue in
the case of the Queen v. Peter Barrett, charged
with the late attempted assassination in Galway,
was fixed to be heard in the Court of Queen's
Bench, Dublin, on Saturday, but owing to new
affidavits having been filed on behalf of the pri-
soner which required answering, it was adjourned
until the second day of term.

POLICE IN] ELLIG ENCE.-11as Day.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

SAVAGE. ASSAULT. —Henry Smith, a hawker, was charged
before Mr. Tyrwhitt with the following assault:—

Mr. Henry Martin, proprietor of the White Hart tavern,
Market-street, Oxford-street, said that on Saturday night
the prisoner came into his housa with a box containing
small hampers of scents, and offered them for sale. The
prisoner was several times told that none wore wanted,
and he then took out a small roulette box from his pocket
and wanted some customers to gamble with him. As he
persisted in annoying his customers his potman put him
out and returned to the house. The prisoner then made a
rush to get into the house again, and on his (Mr. Martin)
seizing him by the arms to prevent him and to hold
him till he could obtain a constable, he fell, and then
jumped up and seized his whiskers, and pulled out a
quantity of them, and struck him several times in the
face.

Mr. Martin hero exhibited a quantity of his whiskers
which the prisoner had torn out.

The prisoner said he did not know that Mr. Martin
was the landlord of the house, or why he interfered with
him.

Mr. Martin said he told the prisoner that he should
detain him until the police came. His face was very sore,
and he considered it a vary savage assault upon him.
Mr Tyrwhitt—Tho prisoner had no reason whatever for
treating Mr. Martin in such a cruel manner, and fined him
40s. or 14 days.

THAMES.

THE COMMERCIAL GAS COMPANY AND BROKEN LIMPS.

—Eldon Arthur Fitch, 12, of 42, Edward-street, Salmon-
lane, Limebouse, was brought before Mr. Benson charged
with breaking a gas lamp.
A detective, named John Cook, saw the prisoner pick
up a stone and shy it at a as lamp close to a railway arch
in Limehonse, He missed the lamp, but struck a news-
paper placard on the arch. He picked tip the stone and
aimed at a lamp a second time, breaking one of tho squares
of glass.

Mr. Valon, inspector in the service of the Commercia
Gas Company to whom the broken lamp belongs, said thel
damage in this case was only is. 6d., but the company
were put to an expense of £BOO par annum by the repairs
and making good the loss of broken lamps, and the
damage was chiefly caused by idle and mischievous boys.
Mr. Gomm, for the prisoner, said the boy was throwing
a piece of turnip at the lamp merely to test his powers and
try the strength of his arm.

Mr. Benson said it was perfectly monstrous that a re-
spectable company who supplied the public with gas
should be put to the expense of £BOO by the mad pranks
and monkey-like propensities of wicked boys. If the
nuisance was not abated it would be necessary to Inflict
heavy fines, and send the offenders, whether boys or men,
to prison. A few days' incarceration in a gaol and solitary
imprisonment would do the prisoner good. He fined him
ss. and 2s. 6d. damage, which his father paid.

TT yj UST ANGER.

The Liverpool Irish Volunteers aft., It seems, angry at
being, as they suppose, specially singled out by the War
Office to be the first to send in their arras to the Tower.
They say it is distrust of their loyalty which has induced
the authorities to call on them first. It appears, however,
the reason why Lancashire corps are ordered to forward
their weapons first is because that county has the greatest
proportion of efficients to enrolled members in all the
volunteer districts, and is, therefore, to have the chance of
exchanging worn-out weapons for the best of the militia
Enfield rifles now being called in. Instead of an insult,
therefore, the Lancashire volunteers have received a com-
pliment.

4 WARTVICKSTIII?E LANDLORD ON THE
GAME LAWS.

The Eirminglum Post publishes what it designates as an
important circular on the game laws, addressed by Mr. G.
F. Muntz to the Warwickshire Chamber of Agriculture.
As a landowner in the county, Mr. Muntz has been led to
consider the operation of the game laws. The result of the
consideration he has given to the subject is that Mr.
Muntz has devised a plan by which, in his judgment, equal
justice may be done to landlord and tenant. The great
source of grievance, Mr. Muntz remarks, arises from
the quantity of game preserved after the commencement
of a tenancy. A fair arrangement may be made at the
outset, but by a change of system, or a change of owner-
ship, the conditions of the agreement may be varied or
abrogated in practice. To meet this, Mr. Muntz proposes
that " the food to be provided for feeding game by the
tenant, and the cost of the damage done by it to his crops,
which he agrees to bear, should be clearly defined in value,
and stated in the lease or agreement of tenancy."

APPREHENSION OF A SUPPOSED FENIAN
HEAD CENTRE.

A man who is supposed to have been in sonic way con-
nected with the outrage at Manchester which resulted in
the murder of Sergeant Brett is now in the hands of the
Liverpool police, but so far the grounds forthis supposition
are very slender indeed. The Liverpool Courier says
He is also alleged to be a head centre of the Fenian
Brotherhood, but the evidence of this seems to be of the
flimsiest character: However, we presume the Liverpool
police will make the most of it. Meanwhile the alleged
Fenian is under remand on a charge of not loin able to
give a satisfactory account of his possession of
some revolvers. There seems to be a good deal
of mystery about the affair. The prisoner had four six-
shooters in a carpet bag and another in one of his pockets,
the fifth being loaded. On seeing a detective the prisoner
tore up a letter which he had been reading, but the officer
secured the pieces; and we suppose that it is these frag-
ments of paper which have given rise to the surmises indi-
cated above.

RISING OF CONVICTS IN AN INDIAN

GAOL.

The Rangoon Times gives an account of a very painful
affair, which occurred in the Central Gaol at Rangoon on
the 15th November. A gang of eight Burmese convicts
was employed in bringing broken stone from one of the
wards to the wicket gate for stowage in the yard. These
men had planned to effect their escape, and the leading
man, when putting down his basket, struck the warder on
sentry with a stick, and rushing to the police sentry,
who stood near, seized his musket unawares, and took
it from him. The seven other convicts rushed
to the support of their leader, and the deputy gaoler who
came up to interfere, was roughly handled, but succeeded
in getting outside the gaol. The leader of the mutiny then
entered the guardroom presenting his musket at the police-
man on guard, who retreated, and the convicts got possession
of the arms and ammunition. The superintendent of the
gaol, Dr. ➢lanigay, hurried in to the prison on hearing of
the disturbance, and was shot dead. Mr. Hewett, the
head gaoler, came up to the prison, and was begged by seve-
ral Hindoo prisoners not to go in as the convicts were armed.
He persisted, and pushed them aside; but one poor fellow
ran forward in front of him, and received the bullet in-
tended for the gaoler. Mr. Hewett then called all the
Europeans in the gaol to come to his assistance, and
the Englishmen, who are never wanting in courage, imme-
diately responded to the call. Another convict was shot
in helping to suppress the revolt. Eight convicts got out-
side and were chased, two being firedat and falling. Fortu-
nately, the whole were captured and brought back. The con-
spiracy was not widespread as there were 1,200 convicts in
the gaol at the time of the rising, and though others joined
when they saw a chance cf escape, only eight got outside.
Four persons were killed and nine wounded in this tragic
affair. The cowardice of the police has been severely cen-
sured, and general regret expressed for the death of Dr.
Manigay, who was known as a botanist of very great ability
and research.