The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-02 00:00:00

atouse to do their utmost to rise to the height that

is their due."

Sir R. PALMER did well and wisely in urging
upon the children who would be instructed in these
schools to make the best use they could of their
advantage, and to profit by these precious oppor-
tunities, " which, if let slip in early youth, would
never come again ; which, if neglected now, they
would learn by bitter experience afterwards what
they had lost, and what, if rightly used, there was
nothing in the world that was not open before
them." No better advice can be given to the young
than thus to urge upon them the importance of im-
proving themselves, and the very fact of their being
under restraint tends to bring them up as rational
members of society, and wiser and happier in them-
selves, from knowing how to control their own pas-
sions and curb their own desires. Of course all
have not the same power of advancing themselves, 1
and some cannot possibly attain to any exalted de-
gree of excellence, but much may be gained by
most mediocre, and, as is truly said in this discourse,
they would become " good and happy citizens,
happy men and women, and fitted to enter here-
after into the more perfect state of a blessed immor-
tality."

Subsequently Sir R. PALMER made another speech
in proposing " Success to the Cause of Education,
and Prosperity to St. Thomas's Schools." He
touched upon the theme in an earnest and eloquent
manner, and many will agree with him in his opinion,
that of the many ways we have of doing good in our
day and generation, the one most effectual in its
great, unquestionable, and lasting" character, is
promoting education. He was against separating
religious and secular education, " as if one kind of
useful knowledge was of the earth, earthy, another
kind was of heaven, heavenly." This is true in a great
measure, because if religion is left out of a child's
:caching hours the great chance is that he is never
nstructed at all, or at best very superficially, in
,hose things which are paramount in importance and
As was correctly said, all good instruc-
tion must be based upon those "principles" for the
caching of which religion had been established by
GOD among men. Religion cannot be set apart in
the teaching of the young, but should imbue
all things ; and an apt illustration is thus
given, " Their religious duty was to do their
common work in their daily vocation, whatever it

interest.

might be, as well as they could ; religion embraced
every part of life, and those things which men called
secular were as necessary for the due discharge of
their religious duties as those which were called
essentially religious." Education that includes re-
ligion is, indeed, the best safeguard that the friends
of the young can bestow upon them, and though
we can never hope to see evil eradicated from among
men, it will train them, so far as human means can,
to be i❑ the world, and yet not of it.
Sir R. PALMER dwelt upon the fact that
those who had to conduct Reformatories spoke
confidently of the success which in a great measure
had attended their efforts in putting aside the in-

fluence of " moral evil, and by encouraging
healthy habits of energy." On the whole we may
consider that these remarks of Sir R. PALMER are
well calculated to serve the cause he has so much
at heart, and to incline all who can aid in the good
work of instruction to do their utmost, while they
encourage the others to rise above the sphere in
which they were born ; and, at any rate, if they
remain in it all their lives, to be elevated in their
class, and worthy citizens in the sight of GOD and