The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-11 00:00:00

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
nits DAY.—Morning, 9h. 33m.—Afternoon, 10h. sm.
ro-moßnow.-Morning, 10h. 40m.—Afternoon, 11h. 12m,,

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LONDON, THURSDAY, JULYII, 1867.

Having so far completed their labours with re-
spect to the momentous question of Parliamentary
Reform, the members of the Lower House have
reason to turn their attention to other subjects not

less important, if less immediately pleasing. Fore-
most among these comes the great problem of the
education of the people, a problem whose satis-
factory solution has perplexed our wisest social
philosophers, baffled our philanthropists, and
effectually puzzled our statesmen. It is ad-
mitted on all hands that the people should be
educated. The days have, happily, altogether

gone by when men of good position and
intelligence themselves were not ashamed to

declare that it was unnecessary and undesirable for
working men and women to know how to read and
write. If there are such prejudices lingering in a
few obsolete quarters, those who hold them do not

venture to urge them before the public. Experience

has effectually proved that the real danger of riots,
disaffection, and disturbance, arises from the igno-
rance of the mob, and their consequent blind ad-
herence to their chosen leaders, however rash or
reckless in their theories or practices. Men
of standing in these
_days are more sensible
of their responsibilities towards their poorer
fellows than were their predecessors, and on every

ground of reason, of right, and of common justice

,be claims of the children of the poor to a sound,

plain English education are universally admitted.
Without it they cannot be good citizens or good

subjects, and their obedience to the laws of GOD
and man will be rather the effect of custom than of
conviction. But when all parties have agreed on

the necessity and desirability of this general educa-
tion there remain very great obstacles in the way
of its diffusion. What with the indifference of

parents, their poverty, or their absence from home
at work, the natural inclination of children to play
truant if they have a chance, and the great demand
for youthful labour, the education of the poor has
little chance. We have not schools enough to sup-
ply the theoretical wants of the population when

statisticians sit down to reckon their figures, but

unfortunately we have more than are practically
filled by scholars. It has therefore been suggested
—and in many quarters the scheme has met
with great favour—that it should be compul-
sory upon parents to give their children the rudi-
ments of education as it is in some other countries
—Prussia, for example—where the general stan-
dard of education is higher than our own among
the masses. Such a method is contrary to our
usual principles of Government. We are averse to
anything like interference with parental rights or
private matters, and the idea of legislative inter-
meddling with the control of a family is not at
all congenial. At the same time it must be remem-
bered that, under the existing system, hundreds and
thousands of children are growing up absolutely
untaught, and that wicked or ignorant parents
are thus allowed to inflict a life-long injury upon
their children. The law restrains them from
crippling their limbs or hurting their bodies, but
it does not prevent them from diminishing their
mental powers and enjoyments throughout all their
lives. It should also be considered that those
parents who neglect to give their children any op-
portunity of learning from others are the very
ones who are least able or likely to teach them
themselves. The indifference of parents is, in fact,
the great obstacle to a wider extension of educa-
tion. Every one who has taken any trouble to
inquire into the subject must have arrived at this
conclusion, and the statistics furnished to the House
amply confirm it. The Education Aid Society of
Manchester issued more than 27,000 grants to
enable the children of poor people to go to school,
and only 45 per cent. of the number profited by
their assistance. Every similar experiment has
produced similar results, and hero lies the real diffi-
culty of the question, not in denominational differ-
ences, not in the manner of teaching, not in the cost
of the school. How is it to be met ? It destroys half
the good to be reaped from the promised extension of
the Factory Acts if the children are not to gain
mentally and morally as well as physically. Their
bodies indeed will rest, but their minds will run
riot. Mr. BRUCE'S measure, which last night occu-
pied the attention of the House of Commons, failed
to meet this difficulty. It provided for the main-
tenance of schools by a rating system, but the
great puzzle is that our schools are not filled. Can
Mr. BRUCE tell us of cases in which parents have
said, " I should like my children to go to school, and
am willing to pay for them, but no school near us
take them in—they are all full." If such complaints
were common and well grounded, and if voluntary
effort and assistance were lacking to supply the
want, there would be good reason for talking about
the rating system. But so long as there are schools
and teachers waiting to instruct children who will
not come, we must find some other means of curing
the acknowledged evil. Voluntary work is gene-
rally better done than that of mere routine,
and we apprehend the cause of education
would lose in the long run by the substitu-
tion of the rating for the voluntary system.
There would be the danger, too, which the Ameri-
cans tried unsuccessfully to avoid—that of making
popular education altogether secular. This would
be bad in any rank, but it would be especially so
among classes where the bulk of all instruction,
religious as well as secular, must be had at school.
Mr. BRUCE, indeed, disclaims any notion of inter-
fering with the denominational schools now in
existence, but experience has proved that the rat-
ing system is necessarily fatal to them. It re-
mains to be considered whether the difficulties
of the case cannot be better met under
the existing method, and we hope that a careful and
impartial survey of the whole question will assist
our legislators in arriving
g hetmbpelodyo n e
childrenby th employerseoryou young
g p
persons
olabour refusingo
cannot
to
at this conclusion. Much
might
read and write. The hope of
a good situation is a
powerful stimulus to adults as well as to infant
education. It would be a good • thing if a clause
could be inserted in the new Factory Acts, stipu-
lating that no child should be employed
in a fac-
tory that could not read and write. The
parents
in our large manufacturing towns would then be Bo
eager to get their children taught as now they are
indifferent. Again, in all public works the men
might be made to send their children to school as a
condition of their employment. By all these means
and others of similar nature we might greatly in-
crease the number taught, but there will still re-
main a lower stratum of ignorance and degrada-
tion which we apprehend can only be reached by
earnest and unwearying voluntary effort.

The sad fate of MAXIMILIAN still continues to
engross a large share of attention ; and sympathy
for the afflicted fatally and friends of the unfortu-
nate Emperor mingle with natural feelings of indig-
nation and contempt for the cruel act of his perse-

cutor. The Emperor NAPOLEON has addressed a
letter of condolence to the Emperor of AUSTRIA,
which fully expresses his feelings on the painful
occasion. After the usual formulary is gone
through, he says that his grief is the more lively
because he feels the responsibility of the pain-
ful part he had had in the misfortune. " But," he
adds, " GoD, who penetrates our hearts, knows that
I never had any other object than to extend to
those distant places the influence of our civilisation.
In doing this, I have found no nobler or more
worthy intercessor than your Majesty's unfortunate
brother." This letter is worthy of the writer, and
of him to whom it refers. This Mexican affair has
been a bad business throughout, and, indeed, the
only failure of the Emperor NAPOLEON'S brilliant
career of success ; it has, indeed, ended in dark-
ness, and no one can more deeply deplore the result
than the EMPEROR. The French feel very grieved
at the misfortune, because they are in some degree
mixed up in the matter ; and we feel convinced that
nothing was more ardently desired by theEMPEROR
and his subjects than that relief should be sent out
to MAXIMILIAN and to his brave supporters. The
hard dictates of political prudence were against the
prosecution of their plans, and they were found to
succumb to it 3 decrees. Additional interest is thus
imparted to all intelligence that reaches us from
France concerning the mannel in which this news
has been received. In the sitting of the Legislative
Body of yesterday, M. BONTIER made a few re-
marks of an impressive character. lie said that
the object of the Mexican expedition was to obtain
reparation for the wrongs endured by our country-
men ; and, pursuing his theme, he said—" Attack
us, criticise us, but do not say that we did not act
in good faith ; that the Legislature did not know
the truth ; that it was unable to exercise its con-
trol. The argument that the Government acted in
a covert manner is neither true nor just; you will
repel it ; we should continue in misfortune as in
prosperity to make common cause. The Govern-
ment consulted public opinion, and resigned itself
to giving the order for the evacuation of Mexico."
This is strictly true, for the general opinion was
that it was desirable to do so. The Mexican expe-
dition was never popular in France, though sym-
pathy for a brave man, and a scrupulous regard
for their own honour, induced the French
to wish to continue their support. We agree
with M. ROITHER, that it is not fitting at this
juncture to indulge in animadversions, and to
criticise great acts too closely. Let them unite in
condemning the guilty perpetrators of this crime,
and in sympathising with the friends of the
departed. MAXIMILIAN has left behind him a
name that will live long in renowned recollection ;
he was brave in all the vicissitudes of fortune ; he
was constant in danger, and stedfast in trial, and
additional years could not have added to his re-
putation.

His Royal Highness the Prince of WALES had
yesterday an interesting task to perform in inaugu-
rating the Loudon College, which is under the
auspices of the International Education Society.
The ceremony was witnessed by a number of per-

sons, and the spot fixed upon is a beautiful one in the
neighbourhood of Isle worth. The arrangemen ts of this
College appear to be excellent. There are four esta-

blishments in England, France, Germany, and Italy,

and the pupils are to be sent from one of these to the
other at the end of each year, and then, when a
year in the lower classes in each establishment, they
will spend another twelvemonth in the higher ones.
The building is finished in a handsome manner, and
several interesting names are found among the in-
scriptions. Mr. PAULTON, the treasurer of the iu-

stitution, was in the chair at the dejeuncr, and
delivered an appropriate address to the Prince on
the subject of that institution he had so kindly in-

augurated. Mr. COBDEN was connected with it,
he said, and he had sketched this project after the
French Treaty of 1860. lie thought that this
institution was the nucleus of a system which would
bring
many blessings to mankind, and largely con-
dc to the peace of the world. The Prince of
1 A ES, in reply, declared that he sbared entirely
eL
in the feelings of gratification that had been ex-
pressed, and in touching upon the main object of
the work before them he said that he was not
going just then to discuss the claims of dead or
living languages, but he would state that it was
most " important that modern languages should
form one of the principal subjects of study, on
grounds of public utility."

Prince ALBERT and the late Mr. COBDEN fully
agreed in this opinion, and it indeed is one in
which all reflective minds must agree, for the
advantages at the present time cannot be
overrated of possessing an intimate acquaintance
with the chief tongues of Europe, and this can only
be done to any degree of perfection in the same
country where they are spoken. His Royal High-
ness was able to speak from personal experience
when he said that "he had travelled a great deal on
the continent, and he could assure them that he
would have found his stay there far less pleasant if
he had not possessed a considerable knowledge of
the vernacular of the people." Dr. ScRMITZ made
a few observations, in which he said that he had
devoted his life to letters, but he thought that, at
the same time, the modern Continental tongues
and the natural sciences should not be neg-
lected or have their claims ignored, because
they materially advanced the civilisation and
progress of the world. The speeches at
this affair were unquestionably of a higher charac-
ter than those that are generally delivered on such
occasions, for they referred to subjects of interest
and importance, and touched upon points that have
often of late been made the subject of controversy.
These seemed, however, to have been treated in a very
fitting manner yesterday, for there was no invidiou
distinction made, but the advantages of both ancient
and modern languages were fully recognised. This
is the true way of settling the dispute. No one who
aspires to learn a complete education can afford to
neglect either, while the benefits conferred by
studying the chief languages of Europe are quite
sufficiently discernible to render it a great boon to
society that this Institution should have been
established.

DEATH FROM HYDROPHOBIA: SINGULAR CASE.—
The Liverpool coroner on Saturday held an inquest
upon the body of Thomas Barton, aged 16. About two
and a half years ago the deceased was bitten by a dog
upon one of his wrists. As the animal was not mad, and
the wound speedily healed, no serious results were appre-
hended, and the matter was almost forgotten. On Thurs-
day week, whilst at his work, the same wrist was injured
by a plank falling upon it. A few days previously the
hand was hurt by a ball whilst ho was playing at cricket
in a field in Kensington. On Sunday he was taken ill, and
the terrible symptoms of hydrophobia were manifested
soon afterwards. On Thursday evening the poor lad died
in fearsefpilao.sraaydoginmnotnogabydiaotitfdneonatg.he Southern Hospital. Mr. Wollaston
ttwtbhhoiieteihhehdaeoeruse-surgeon, who was called as a witness, stated,
dprevalenttohlsef
rcaeo
person
rel
adr ss notionoran a
dangerhk
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dpu otoohn
of hydrophobia
possiblethe
is f
o subject,rtdu infdifference
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set-
tingnh be
eet
in at any time during that person's lifetime. The
verdict was "Died from hydrophobia."

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