The Sun.
London, England, 1835-05-22 00:00:00

• a.ey not be wanted for teaching grammar, in providing the means t
of eelemon and approved education to the people at large.
11. That it is further expedient to give such Board a power, ,
enbj •ct as aforesaid, with consent of the Trustees, and consent to
app tl in Parliament, to apply a portion of the funds intrusted to
they in such manner as to produce a more general benefit, and at
a cheaper rate, in the education of the people at large, where the
particular employment of the funds directed by the founder has be-
con-e difficult from want of objects, or prejudicial from the employ-
= t pointed out, being no longer beneficial to the community.
12. That it is further expedient to give such Board the power,
in e 2rjunetion with the Trustees, of imposing conditions upon the
tna ,21" S of endowed schools in respect of taking boarders, and other-
wise conducting themselves, and of removing them with consent of
the Trustees, in case of breach of such conditions.
" 13. That it is further expedient to give such Board the power
of e -Ming, from time to time, for accounts of the management of
enei,wed schools, both from the Trustees and from the teachers.
14. That it is expedient to require all Trustees of Charities
• urcted with education, to deliver yearly to his Majesty's Princi-
pal e' (wet ary of State an account of a 0 sums of money received and
ex :tided by them in the execution of their trust."
ale question having been put,
Lord MELBOURNE said—l rise, my Lords, for the pur-
r- -.e of expressing my entire approbation as to the course
wleeh my Noble and Learned Friend has liAopted ; and my
• : re, complete, and cordial concurrence in the views which
be has taken on this most important subject.— (i f are hear.)
I assure you, my Lords, that his Majesty's Government are
deeply impressed with a desire of promoting the education of
tl, • people; and I am perfectly convinced that the repression
of ,rime and the propagation of virtue, peace, general tranquil-
lity, and order, are objects inseparably connected with a well-
cc nsidered and well-directed system of education.—( Hear,
bear.) All the objections which have hitherto been urged
against diffusing education throughout the community (and
&Lee of the arguments urged against it are not without force)
b-ve been applicable to schemes of education ill-considered
a:-41 ill-directed—to the abuses and evils resulting from a bad
seeorn, and do not at all bear upon such a plan as would en-
ailee the poor to receive instruction and information, and in-
duce habits of industry, prudence, and frugality.—( Hear,
be Ir.) T have only to say, in reference to the resolutions of
env Noble end Learned Friend, that as the Government are
called upon by them to interfere with long existing privileges,
and to interpose its authority in matters of vital importance to
tl.e community, the course taken by the Noble and Learned
Lord, which admits of deliberation and caution, is a wise and
predent one, the advantage of which shall not be lost sight of
by his Majesty's Government, who will, I am satisfied, give
toe closest and most anxious attention to the propositions
Lich have been submitted to your Lordships' decision.
The Bishop of GLOUCESTER expressed his concur-
rence in most of the views taken by the Noble and Learned
Lied in his able and eloquent speech. He particularly ap-
/ roved of that part of it in which the Noble and Learned Lord
refuted the assertion that crime bore a proportionate increase
t the spread of education.—( Hear, hear.) There was one
topic, however, which arose out of the Noble and Learned
Lord's resolutions, on which he was most anxious to say a
tord—he meant that the religious instruction of the people
should not be neglected, and that their minds should be
enlightened, not merely by a knowledge of writing, reading,
iid arithmetic, but that they should be provided with that edu-
cation which would " make them wise unto salvation."—
( Hear.) He did not, however, intend to insinuate, that be-
cause the Noble and Learned Lord bad refrained from touching
pon this part of the subject himself, he was desirous to ex-
clude others from its consideration. Of the wonderful pro-
Tess which education had of late years made in this country,
lie had an opportunity of witnessing a few days ago, when he
attended an examination at the Central National School, where
extraordinary instances of proficiency in writing, reading, and
arithmetic, were exhibited on the part of children of nine and
ten years of age. In reference to the resolutions before their
Lordships, he should at present say no more than that it must
form a subject for their calm and serious consideration, whether
the religious institution authorized by the Church of England
should be connected with any system of education on which
they might determine.
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY observed that in the
far greater part of the eloquent and instructive speech of the
Noble and Learned Lord he entirely concurred. He should,
an accordance with that desire for promoting the education of
the people which he and his brethren had always exhibited,
give the resolutions of the Noble and Learned Lord all the
onsideration which their importance demanded.—( Hear. )
For the, whole period that he had had the honour of a seat
in that House, being for the last twenty-one years, the prin-
cipal object of his care and attention had been the education
of the poorer classes. In various ways he had endeavoured
to attain that end, being convinced that the education of the
people was the most effectual means of diminishing crime.
There was one point on which he had invariably and clearly
announced his opinions, and that was with reference to the
question alluded to by his Right Reverend Friend. He had
always proclaimed it as his conviction, feeling that it was a
duty which he owed to the public, that, in order to make
education real and useful, it must be founded on the basis of
religion.
Lord DENMAN said that as allusion had been made
tnade to the effect which education produced upon the pro-
ceedings of criminal justice, he might, he trusted, be per-
mitted to address a very few observations to their Lordships.
Ile was persuaded that the evils resulting from the commis-
sion of crime would be lessened, as the offences themselves
would be diminished by the establishment of a well-directed
system of education ; and he confessed he had, after reflec-
tion upon the question—not as a subject for rhetorical decla-
mation, but as one demanding grave attention, doubted how
far the State was justified in inflicting punishment for an
offence against the commission of which it had taken no pains
to guard. If the Government, in a case of serious offence
shared any portion of the guilt which was pronounced against
the offender, they certainly incurred severer responsibility
v:hen they suffered the young and comparatively unsophis-
ticated mind to be contaminated, on the commission of a trivial
transgression, by the example and practice of inmates of a
prison.---(Hear, hear.) How vast a proportion of the offences
which disgrace society were occasioned by the immoral conta-
gion of vicious habits which infested our prisons 1—( Hear,
Lear.) With the general views of the Noble Lord he entirely
agreed, and expressed a hope that the object for which he had
eo long struggled was on the point of being accomplished.
Lord BROUGHAM replied, and said, in answer to the
Right Rev. Prelates who had addressed their Lordships, that
be was not unaware of the difficulties which surrounded this
question on the subject of religion ; but lie thought he should
et a future time, be enabled to lay before them a plan by which
the objections which had been urged would be obviated.
The House then adjourned.