The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-25 00:00:00

assemblage.

The Statesman spoke on Friday in a tone emi-
nently dry, didactic, and deliberate—the Publisher,
in an argument as genial in spirit as in purport it
was really practical and straightforward the
Prelate in terms so thoroughly independent that
they tended simultaneously to rouse the ardour of his
supporters and sympathisers, and to irritate the op -
position of his antagonists.

The different receptions accorded to these three
very different speakers on F.ldAy evening at
Bradford, at Chorleywood and at Manchester con-
trasted as strikingly as the themes, the localities,
and the auditors. Lord JOHN in the midst of
his humane statistics is greeted with an occasional
" hear, hear," the philanthropists of Manchester.
Mr. LONGMAN is listened to with serious and lively
attention by the cottagers of Chorleywood. The
Bishop of OXFORD is perpetually interrupted at
Bradford by alternate or mingled cheers and hisses,
applause and disturbance—retaliating upon the
dissentients by referring to what the Right

Reverend SAMUEL WILBERFORCE calls " a few

nasty articles in newspapers," and (when greeted
upon this remark with more outcries of apposition)
with yet more irritating allusions to what the
Prelate hesitates not to designate in the heat of the
moment " a few nasty hisses from nasty mouths'
—a retort polite followed by blended cheers, hisses
and laughter.

Although the last-mentioned speech is of course
the most important of the three, by reason of the
superior dignity at once of the subject and of the
speaker—it is by many degrees, to ourselves, at
any rate, of all the three, the least interesting. We
turn with a sense of satisfaction from the stormy
and, at times, tumultuous assemblage at Bradford,
to the more orderly and sedate meetings, upon the
same day, here at Chorleywood, there at Man-
chester.

It is encouraging, moreover, to find such good
fruits growing abundantly out of the efforts made
—yonder, in behalf of the poorer classes of our
crowded cities—yonder in behalf of the labourers
in our rural population. The development of the
beneficent scheme of the Ragged Schools through-
out the United Kingdom is marked in a very signal
manner by the proceedings of Friday, at Ardwick-
green, Manchester. Those proceedings consisted
of nothing less than the public inauguration of the
Ragged and Industrial Schools of that particular
locality in that great metropolis of the manufac-
turing districts. The whole system of
these admirable establishments was explained
by Lord JOHN as lucidly as succinctly to
his attentive audience. It is interesting to note
in this way from authoritative lips the record of
" A Day," passed by these poor Ragged School
Children. At six in the morning the inmates
lodged and fed in the institution rise and prepare
the rooms for the reception of the poor out-of-door
children. At seven the little ragged urchins
from the streets have assembled. They wash and
breakfast at eight—then they have prayer, reli-
gious instruction and reading from the Scriptures.
From nine to twelve—three important hours—they
are taught reading, writing, arithmetic, and geo-
graphy. At half-past 12 they have dinner. From
1 to half-past they wash themselves (a rather
curious arrangement) and have recreation. From
half-past Ito a quarter past 4 they are busily em-
ployed in various industrial occupations—winding
bobbins, sorting bristles, making paper and canvas
bags for tea and coffee dealers, weaving, clogging,
tailoring, and shoemaking ; the • girls learning
needlework and housewifery. From half-past 4to
5 there are prayers, singing and oral in-
structions. At 6 all are assembled together
for family worship. Afterwards they have
tea and recreation. At 9 o'clock the indoor
scholars retire to rest, and the out-of-door scholars
are dismissed. Such is the wholesome system
regulating one of these north country Ragged
Schools. No less encouraging in its way is Mr.
LON G MAN'S account of the benefits already accruing
from the influence exercised upon the locality by the
Chorleywood association for the promotion of
industrious and provident habits among the labour-
ing classes in that part of the parish of Rickmans-
worth. The history of this association during the
last four years is illustrative anew, and that, more.
over, very happily, of the good resulting from the
once much controverted system of Allotments. It
signalises, in a remarkable manner, also the extra-
ordinary advantages arising from a cordial co-ope-
ration between landlord and tenant, employer and
employed, rich and poor, with aview to the amelio-
ration of the social condition of the latter—•namely,
the poor, employed, tenant population.