The Sun.
London, England, 1857-06-24 00:00:00

N, -t;:-NisaA,,s PAPS ii,
.:. 4
\--,
;,,,,_
—Lital, 16,042; giving' instr ' wk.,
2,144,378 •scholars,; of whom I 0 ~(12.
public schools, and 721,396 tot tipa
q
# A
The rate of pregress is forth Oase ~'
statistics which show that in 181.8 -roiiOritroh ''
da .. scholars to the population was` 110 14-1 in sg ,
1833, lin 11 ; and in 1851, 1 in 8.-`l'hefeThre"' '
great results, although I hops they may only be
received as instalments of what has yet to_be done.
But what must be your feelings when you refit ct
upon the fact, the inquiry into which has brougi t
us together, that this great boon thus obtained for
the mass of the people, and which is freely offered
to them, should have been only partially accepted,
and, upon the whole, so insufficiently applied as to
render its use almost valueless ? (Hear.) We aro
told that the total population in England and
Wales of children between tlie agea of 3 and 15
being estimated at 4,908,696, only 2,046,848 attend
school at all, while 2,861,848 receive no instruction
whatever. At the same time an analysis of the
scholars with reference to the length of time
allowed for their school tuition shows that
42 per cent, of them have beer at school less than
one year, 22 per cent. during one year, 15 per cent.
during two years, 9 per cent, during three y( ars, 5
per cent. during 4 years, and 4 per cent. during five
years. Therefore, out of two millions of scholai 0
alluded to more than one million and a half re= in
only two years at school. I it to you to judgo
what the results of such an education can be. I find
further that of these two millions of child'', n at-
tending school only about 600,000 are above the
age of nine. Gentlemen, these are startling facts,
which render it evident that no extension of the
means of education will be of any avail unless this
evil, which lies at the root of the whole question,
be removed, and that it is high time that the coun-
try should become thoroughly awake to its
existence and prepared to meet it energetically. To
impress this upon the public mind is the object
of our conference. Public opinion is the powerful
lever which in these days moves a people for good
and for evil, and to public opinion we must there-
fore appeal if we would achieve any lasting and be-
neficial result. You, gentlemen, will richly add to
the services which you have already rendered to the
noble cause if you will prepare public opinion by
your inquiry into this state of things, and by dis-
cussing in your sections the causes of it as well as
the remedies which may lie within our reach. This
will be no easy matter; but even if your labours
should not result in the adoption of any immediate
practical steps, you will have done great good in
preparing for them. It will probably happen. that,
in this instance as in most others, the cause which
produces the evil will be more easily detected than
its remedy, and yet a just appreciation of the former
must ever be the first and essentiarcondition for
the discovery of the latter. You will, probably
trace the cause of our social condition to a state of
ignorance and lethargic indifference on the subject
among the parents generally ; but the root of the
evil will, I suspect, also be found to extend into
that field on which the political economist exer-
cises his activity—l mean the labour market—
demand and supply. (Hear.) To dissipate that
ignorance and rouse from that lethargy may be
difficult, but with the united and earnest efforts of
all who are the friends of the working classes it
*tight, after all,lo be only a question of time. What
measures can be brought to boar upon the other
root of the evil is a more delicate question, and
will require the nicest care in handling, for there
you cut into the very quick of the working man's
condition. His children are not only his offspring,
to be reared for a future independent position, but
they constitute part of his productive power, and
work with him for the staff of life ; the daughters
especially are the handmaids of the house, the as-
sistants of the mother, the nurses of the younger
children, the aged, and the sick. To deprive the
labouring family of their help would be almost to
piralyze its domestic existence. (Cheers.) On the
other band, carefully collected statisticsreYeal to us
the fact that while about 600,000 children between
the ages of 3 and 15 are absent from school, but
known to be employed, no less than 2,200,000 are
not at school, whose absence cannot be traced to
any ascertained employment or other legitimate
cause. You will have to work, then, upon the minds
and hearts of the parents, to place before them
the irreparable mischief which they inflict upon
those who are entrusted to their care by keeping
them from the light of knowledge, to bring home
to their conviction that it is their duty to exert
themselves for their children's education, be sting
in mind at the same time that it is not only their
most sacred duty, but also their highest privilege.
Unless they work with you, your work, our work,
will be vain ; but you will not fail, I feel sure, in
obtaining their co-operation if you remind them
of their duty to their God and Creator. (Cheers.)
Our Heavenly Father, in his boundless goodness,
has made his creatures that they should be happy,
and in his wisdom has fitted his means to his ends,
giving them all different qualities and faculties
in using and developing which they fulfil their
destiny, and running their uniform course accord-
ing to his prescription, they find that happiness
which he has intended for them. Man alone is born
into this world with faculties far nobler than the
other creatures, reflecting the image of Him •
who has willed that there should be beings
on earth to kneev and worship Him, but
endowed with the power of self-determina-
tion, having reason given him for his guide.
He can develops his faculties, place himself in har-
mony with his divine prototype, and attain that
happiness which is offered to him on earth, to be
completed hereafter in entire union with Rim
through the mercy of Christ. But he can also
leave these faculties unimproved, and miss his mis-
sion on earth. He will then sink to the level of
the lower animals, forfeit happiness, and separate
from his God, whom he did not know how to find.
(Much cheering.) Gentleman, I say man has no
right to do this, he has no right to throw off the
task which is laid upon him for his happiness ; it is
his duty to fulfil his mission to the utmost of his
power • but it is our duty, the duty of those whom
Providence has removed from this awful struggle
and placed beyond this fearful danger, manfully,
unceasingly, and untiringly to aid by advice, assist-
ance, and example, the great bulk of the people, who,
without such aid, must almost inevitably succumb
to the difficulty of their task. They will not
cast from them the aiding hand, and the Al-
mighty will bless the labours of those who work in
his cause. (His Royal Highness concluded amid
continued and enthusiastic cheering.)
The Secretary then read the report, which re-
capitulatelthe various points of interest dwelt
upon in the speech of the Prince Consort, and
stated that since 1839 2,000,0001. had been ex-
pended in the erection of school buildings, thus
affording the means of education to more than
500,000 children, while a sum exceeding 1,250,000/.
was annually expended for the support of schools
for the children of Working classes.
Lord Brougham, the Bishop of Oxford, and the
Rev. Canon Moseley next addressed the meeting.
His Royal Highness then formally declared the
Educational Conference opened,dayrat.d adjourned the
proceedings till 12 o'clock next

MAHKET NEWS.—(This Day.)

CORN EXCHANGE.

A very limited supply of English wheat was on sale
here, to-day, coastwise and by land carriage. For all kinds,
we had a steaiy d.emand, at fully Monday's currency. Tho
business doing, however, was only moderate. Foreign
wheat—the imports of which aro 5,300 quarters—was in-
quired for; but the high rates demanded by the holders
checked business. In prices. no change took place. There
was a steady demand for barley, at full quotations. Malt,
however, moved off slowly, at late rates.
There was a good demand for oats, at full quotations.
Beans and peas changed hands steadily, at previous
rates.
Flour was firm, and Norfolk qualities were held as high
as 50s. per 280 lbs.

ARRIVALS TUTS WEEK.
'Wheat. Barley. Malt. 1 Oats, I Flour.
,1750
". 1%350 490 1,080

English
Irish,

Foreign,

5,300 1 220

5 '
290
1200 sacks

BOROUGH HOP.
The plantation accounts are rather more favourable.
Most kinds of hops moved off slowly, at late rates.

NTHITECHAPEL.
Deaf, from 2a lea to 4a 24 ; mutton, 2s 10d to 4s 4d ;
lamb, 4a Sd to 5a 10d ; Veal, :33 Gel to 4s 3d ; pork, 3, Ca
to 4s 84 per 81bs, by the carcase. Trade dull.

THE CARRIAGEACCIDe IN PIMLIOO.—VERDICT OP
MANSLAIIGHTER.—The adjourned inquest 011 the body
----NT
of the youth who was run over and killed near the
Queen's mews Pimlico, was resumed ybsterday, at St.
George's Hospital. Inspector Compile, of the B division,
stated that the coachman ;who bad drin over
athe
deceased could not be found. stable-yard Every te d
mews iu the metropolis had been
visited by police,
but in vain. The juryaverdiot of " Man'
returns
orders to the police
.
slaughter," and the
coronerbrigaveng the offender to justice.
MEMORIAL TO exertion
to
CUM—A. meeting was
to use every i
held
W. illia's Rooms, St. James's-street, to cele-
bratey e s tertdhaey
anniversary of the battle of Plassy, and
of erectin a memorial to the great Lord
for the purPusc tookthe
Lord Ilill
Clive. Lor
Cleveland, Earl Stanhope, Viscount Dun-
the 140tOth
Duke of
Newport,
s
, , Viscount a. James Hogg, Arch-
deacon Allen, the Rev. Dr. Kennedy, Jo. Lord Hill
apologised for taking the chair, he baying no connexion
with Indian affairs. The services of Lord Clive were
well known, and every day proved the extraordinary
power of his mind. He hoped the memorial which vas
intended to be erected to his memory would be consi-
dered in some degree a redemption of the duty which had
long been owing to that great man. Resolutions in
accordance with objects of the meeting were unani-
mously agreed to, and a committee appointed for carry-
ing them into effect.