The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-14 00:00:00

THE NEW EDUCATIONAL CODE.

On Tuesday, the aminel meeting of the Worces-
tershire Union of the Educational Institutes was
held at Great Malvern. There was a morning meet.
ing for the transaction of business, a public dinner,
and an evening meeting.
At the evening meeting the chair was taken by
the Rev. G. Fisk, vicar of Malvern, and on the
platform were Lord Lyttelton, the Right Hon. Sir
J. Pakington, M.P., Hon. and Rev. W. H. Lyttel-
ton, Hon. and Rev. S. Best, Mr. E. Holland, M,P.,
Sir E. A. H. Lechmere, Sir H. Lambert, Mr. L.
Baker, and others. Lady Emily Foley and other
ladies were present.
After an address from the PRESIDENT,
Lord LYTTELTON moved the first resolution, as
follows :—"That mechanics' institutes are worthy of
every support, as aiding the cause of education, and
that their combination in local and central unions
greatly increases their efficiency." It had been
computed that about 800 speeches were made per
annum in mechanics'institutes ; he thought this was
a low estimate, for he believed there were as many
as 800 institutes in the country, and he thought
it a low estimate to give three or four speeches to
each. (Hear, hear.) After some allusions to the
report of the committee, the noble lord made a re-
mark or two on the new code—a subject which he
said had become so common a one for discussion
that it had begun to be spoken of almost as a part of
the alphabet, " R. C." standing now, not for "Roman
Catholic," but a very different thing, " Revised
Code." Any one who knew how this revised code
was likely to affect the interests of almost all the
schools in the country would not be surprised at the
interest which prevailed in regard to that subject.
A person who had gradually learnt to swim was not
considered in much danger when in the water; but if
a person who was floating upon two enormous blad-
ders had one or both of them suddenly removed from
under him, they would not be surprised at what
should become of him next. (Hear, hear.) That was
just the position in which they had been placed by

the revised code. If the Government had years ago
called on the country to do something in the way of
education, no doubt a good deal would have been
done in answer to that call ; but the Government
not having done that, but having given large pecu-
niary support to elementary education, considerable
alarm was naturally felt at the withdrawal of that
support. There was one particular point in this new
code which bore most directly on the interests of
mechanics' institutes, he meant that provision of
which the immediate effect would be to withdraw
children from the elementary schools at an earlier
age than they now were. This regulation had ex-
cited the greatest perplexity and surprise, and had
created a wider gulf than before between the period
when the children left the elementary school and the
period when they joined the mechanics' institute,
and it added one more difficulty in the way of keep-
ing children at school as long as they ought to be.
The Hon. and Rev. S. BEST seconded the reso-
lution.

Mr. E. HOLLAND, M.P., moved the next resolu-
tion :—" The meeting has heard with great satisfac-
tion the report of the Worcestershire Union of
Educational Institutes, and that the union
is worthy of continued encouragement and sup-
port." Mr. Holland spoke of the value of
night schools, as illustrated in his own parish of
Dumbleton.
Mr. LLOYD BAKER, in seconding the resolution,
apologised for not having taken any active part in
mechanics' institutions, and said that although he
had been so taken up with his one idea of reforma-
tory work, yet he felt a very strong wish for the
prosperity of education institutes generally.
Sir J. PAKINGTON moved the next resolution :

" That the benefits of mechanics' institutes would

be greatly enhanced by the association with them
of night schools and evening classes." In speaking
to this resolution the right hon. baronet noticed the
fact that there had been a decline of evening classes
in connexion with the institutes associated in this
union. He quoted from the organising master's
report the following passage :—" The organising
master cannot allow this report to close without
expressing his conviction that, with the exception
of Dudley and Hanley Castle, not one institution
visited is fully alive to the importance of evening
classes." What he wanted to point out in reference
to this passage was the fact that, in the whole range
of the county of Worcester, if they desired to point
out two spots directly opposed to each other in re-
spect to population and occupation, those would be
Dudley and Hanley Castle, the former being a
densely populated Own, and the latter a thinly
populated rural village. He thought this report
showed that the town and rural population were
equally open to derive benefit from these evening
classes. After remarking on some other features in
the report, Sir John said it afforded him unusual
pleasure in being able to address that meeting in
terms of congratulation, because he was sorry to
say that the meetings which had taken place dur-
ing the present autumn in connexion with the
great question of education had not generally been
marked by anything like the language of congra-
tulation—(hear, hear)—but, on the contrary, they
assumed a desponding tone, and that was owing to
the It. C., which had already been alluded to, and
which for the benefit of the uninitiated he
would call the Revised Code. It arose from a
feeling of apprehension in the public mind that the
dir R. C." would not be so favourable to the spread
of educ ition as the " o.C."—he meant the old code.
This was a subject of the most pressing importance.
He had said on otherpublic occasions, and he would
repeat it now, that he desired to avoid committing
himself to any general opinion on the revised code
until he had heard, and for himself, he might say,
until he had taken part in those discussions in Par-
liament, to which, at an early period, it must inevi-
tably lead. (Hear.) He should be guilty of a breach
of public duty if he were now, before he had heard
the explanations of the Minister—if he were so far
to commit himself by expressing any opinion at
those meetings which might preclude him from ex-
ercising an impartial judgment, when as a member
of Parliament he should be called upon to express
his opinions in his place. (Applause.) But he did
not think that honourable adherence to that prin-
ciple precluded him from saying that so far as he
was able, without hearing the statement of the Mi-
nister, and without applying his own judgment to
what he saw in the House of Commons if he thought
proper—he had no hesitation in saying that he
shared largely in that adverse feeling and that feel-
ing of alarm which he felt to be general among the
friends of education in this country. (Hear.) When
he heard a speech or read in a newspaper statements
made by candid speakers that they entirely ap-
proved the principle of the revised code, they were
always accompanied with a reservation. "I approve
the principle," they would say, "but condemn the
details." Why, this was altogether a question of
details. It entirely turned on detail. There was not
a principle at issue. Let them test that by that
part of the new code which excited their disappro-
bation more than another—he meant the proposal
that hereafter assistance should be rendered to
schools according to results—the principle of pay-
ment by results, as it was called—assistance being
given to the merits of the schools as tested by exa-
mination. At first sight there appeared nothing ob•
jpeucbt ioli /lc afbulnedisn
gt
vi se
nprinciple; ep irto
ma popt
ieoanr eod
of
a right that
specific a
object should be given according to the success in
attaining that object. 'this was theoretically good,
and therefore the question
principle became
one of detail.
How did they apply their
vibn
And b l ere e
reserved the right of priVate judgment.
But if they
looked to the mode by which that principle was to
be applied it was to be applied in a manner which
had, o=4ol w3,iyert.al alarm, And for two reasons

—first, it was alleged that it would create a degree 1
of uncertainty such as to make it alir °it impossible
for any one to undertake the conduct of a school;
and it would also prevent inferior and district
schools from coming under its operation. The second
objection was that the scale of allowances was such
that the amounts now given would be greatly re-
duced, and he (Sir John) had the authority of Sir
James Kaye Shuttleworth (who had published a
pamphlet, in the shape of a letter to Earl Granville,
on the subject) for saying that the average reduc-
tion in amount of assistance rendered to the schools

of England would not be less than two-fifths of that
which they had hitherto received. (Hear). He
could not give a higher authority than this, for no
man had so good a right to criticise the operation
of this change as Sir James Kaye Shuttleworth.
(Hear.) Then there was another question, which
undoubtedly would have to be explained in the
House of Commons. He (Sir John) had himself
heard the Minister of Education explain in his place
in Parliament what the effect of this revised code
was to be, and he had heard him say that it would
be merely a change in the mode of assistance. Per-
haps he might be going too far if he were to say
that this statement, coming from the lips of a Minis-
ter speaking in his official position—perhaps he
should be going too far if he said it came on his part
as a pledge; but he (Sir John) did not go too far—
and he thought any person of common understand-
ing would confirm his impression when he said he
did not go too far—in saying that England had no
right to expect after this explanation that, instead of
the change being merely a change in the mode of as-
sistance, practically it would be a reduction of two-
fifths of the amount of assistance hitherto afforded to
the schools. If he were to go into any extended obser-
vations on these propositionshe should far exceed the
limits which it would be fair for him to confine himself
to on the present occasion ; but one of the proposed
changes bore on the resolution in his hand ; he al-
luded to the extraordinary proposal—extraordinary
in the absende of explanation—that no assistance
would be given for any boy after he was 11 years
old. They would really suppose from this that the
great practical difficulty in educating the people
had been to prevent boys staying too long at school,
instead of the reverse. He knew the friends of
education would feel that it would be the pressing
duty of Parliament when it met to ask what this
change really meant—whether it was meant as a
bona fide improvement, or as an economical contri-
vance ; whether it was an attempt to make educa-
tion more efficient, or whether the object was to
enable the'Chancellor of the Exchequer to go to
Parliament and say he only wanted so much less
money than before for educational purposes. (Hear,
and cheers.) Was it a confession that the Privy
Council system had broken down, that it was too
costly and too centralised, and that it could not
carry out the great work it had commenced ? Those
were questions which would have to be considered
by Parliament, and which justified him (Sir John)
in saying that the present moment was avery anxi-
ous one for the friends of education. (Hear.) They
must remember that their work was not half done ;
they had 7,090 assisted schools, but 16,000 unas-
sisted, and they had it stated that those unassisted
schools were of so inferior a character that they
hardly deserved to be considered as part of the edu-
cational institutions of the country. He hoped, and
he believed, that this eountry would not submit to
or tolerate any retrograde action on this great sub-
ject. (Hear.) He believed that to be the univer-
sal feeling of the country ; but he also believed he
was speaking the sense of the nation when he said
that he wanted no extravagant expenditure, nor
did he desire to relieve altogether individuals
from the duties which devolved upon them in this
respect; and, at all events, he did want that they
should have some system of education kept on
foot which should reach every corner of the coun-
try and benefit every class of the people. (Hear,
hear.) That was no more than they had a right to
expect should be done, and he could not believe that
public feeling would submit to the arrest of that
progress which had taken place in the education of
the people. He would not touch on the question
whether the means that had been adopted to the
end were the best that could be devised ; but, no
doubt, they had made great progress, and public
opinion would not tolerate that that progress should
be arrested. There was a time, which most of them
mast remember, when some people were afraid of
education. He had no doubt that they might find
at this moment here and there an elderly lady—ho
begged pardon, gentleman—(a laugh)—who was
afraid of it, and who exclaimed, " Where is this
education nonsense to end P Every little girl now
expects to be a lady, and every boy to be a gentle-
man, and we can get no servants." (A laugh.) But
if any of these elderly gentlemen were present, he
would ask the question of them whether they really
thought that it was a part of the design of a bene-
ficient Creator that one-half of the people of the
country should be kept in ignorance and in dark-
ness in order that the other half might have good
servants. (Hear.) Then he would also ask such
persons this question—lf they were in want of a
servant and had two applicants for the situation,
the one ignorant and uninstructed, and the other
well-bred and proportionately intelligent, which
would they take. (Hear, hear.) He thought the
answer would settle the question, but he was happy
to say that day was gone by when any such ques-
tion could be raised. The only question now left
was, which was the best mode of accomplishing the
object which the country had unanimously in view?
That problem had still to be decided. Let them all
hope that it would be decided with wisdom and
calmnesss, and that there might be no more com-
plaint that the rich districts had assistance while
the poor districts were unable to obtain it.
Alluding to the fact that juvenile population
were removed early from school, in order that
they might betake themselves to profitable in-
dustry, the right hon. baronet said they had in
this fact an unanswerable argument in
favour :of these mechanics' institutes. It was
their duty to do all they could to promote the suc-
cess of those institutes, which offered the best
sustitute for continuous education, and the best se-
curity that in afterlife their working population
would not find that the early training they had
received had became useless and forgotten. (Cheers.)
The Rev. W. WALTERS seconded the resolution.
Other resolutions were moved and seconded by
Sir E. Lechmere, the Hon. and Rev. W. Lyttel-
ton, the Rev. Canon Melville, and other speakers,
and the proceedings closed after 10 o'clock.

A HUNTER, AND HO TV TO CHOOSE

In looking for an average hunter, you will have
to disregard many points which were of vital im-
portance in your hack, but will be of only secon-
dary consideration here. Amongst these may be
enumerated elegance of shape and gaudy action.
A head need not be particularly small, so that it be
put on in the right form, and the countenance in-
telligent and indicative of good temper. A good
goer is always acceptable, and in a hunter is desir-
able, as you must have many a weary mile of road
work after the business of the day is done ; but the
action is of a different kind, nearer the ground,
less nervous, and more for use than show. It
is perfectly true that a hunter must be, for his
special purpose, quite as well shaped as a hack ;
but he need not be so adapted to catch the general
eye. His shoulders must be unexceptionable, his
quarters muscular and lengthy; his back should,
therefore, be short for his size, and his girth deep.
If depth and thickness go together, so much the
better; but depth alone will carry weight, when
aided by other circumstances. Short legs are the
natural result of such formation. The hocks
should be large and flat, with as little fleshy
excrescence upon them as possible. "No foot, no
horse," is an old saying. Manners in a hunter is
the sine qua non ; you ride him in a crowd ; you
must stop him at his fences and in gateways ; you
must pull him up in the height of excitement ;
you must hold him when you come to grief; and
must walk over one place, and gallop at another ;
you must blow your nose; wait for your friends;
cut down your enemies; catch gates on the swing ;
turn a hound; and avoid turning them over when
an unexpected check finds you right in their wake.
A soupgou of warmth in a hack is the pleasantest
thing alive • you feel that you are up to the mark.
Such a qualification in a hunter negatives all his
good qualities, and only makes him the more
disagreeable. A hunter is essentially different
from a hack ; and you may, in a few words,
substitute length for roundness, power for
elegance, and steady business for show.—From
Hacks and Bunters in "Baily's Magazine of Sports
and ,pastimes," for November.

THE GREAT ROBBERY OF SILL'

Yesterday James Hunter, late proprietor of the
Red Deer public-house in Cambridge-heath-road,
Bethnal-green, surrendered on bail at the Thames
Police-court, to answer a charge of being concerned,
with many others, in stealing 10 bales of silk, the
property of the St, Katharine Dock Company, in
March last.

Mr. Humphreys, jun., of the firm of Humphreys,
Son, and Morgan, Newgate-street, solicitors, con-
ducted the prosecution ; Mr. Leech, solicitor, of
Derby, defended the accused.
The examination of additional witnesses was pro•
ceeded with for several hours. No clue has yet been
obtained to the actual perpetrators of one of the
most daring robberies committed in the annals of
crime. At the various investigations which took
place at this court, in April and May last, it
was not stated whether the silk was stolen
from the barge Dorville on its way from the West
India Dock to the St. Katharine Dock, in the last-
named dock, or in its transit from the St. Katha-
rine Dock to the company's warehouses in New-
street, Bishopsgate.
Thr -it- 'esterday stated that on

le witnesses examined y___ y
the opening of the hatches of the barge Dorville, in
the St. Katharine Dock, on the 14th of March,
there was a vacancy in the cargo in the shape of
the letter T, and ten bales of silk were missing.
Instead of 411 bales, the quantity delivered into the
barge in the West India Dock, there were only 401
bales.

It was elicited by Mr. Leecb, in cross-examina-
tion, that the Crown locks and other fastenings
were on the barge Dorville on its arrival in the St.
Katharine Dock, and they did not appear to have
been tampered with.
The evidence of the witness Barker, the brother-
in-law, now under sentence of 18 months' impri-
sonment for being concerned in the robbery, was
read over, and he was again examined.
The object of Mr. Humphreys was to show that
Hunter was in Derby at the time Debock was there
negotiating for the sale of the stolen silk to John
Newton, the silk throwster.

Barker persisted in his denial that he had seen
Hunter in Derby on the occasion alluded to. He
went down to Derby by the night train on the 18th
of March, at the solicitation of Debock, merely to
have a ride. He was in company with Debock
when that person was apprehended by the Derby
police with three £lOO notes in his possession. The
notes were a portion of the money paid by Newton
for the silk.

Mr. Mumford, the Superintendent of the St.
Katharine Dock Police, said that on Wednesday the
6th instant, the day Hunter surrendered, the pri-
soner said to him, in the clerk's office of the Thames
Police Court, " I was a fool or a stupid —(the
exact words he could not remember)—to go
down to Derby. Barker saw me there, and came
up and shook hands with me, and said I knew his
father."

William Crane, a porter in the employ of Messrs.
Drakeford and Co., silk merchants, Old Broad-
street, London, said he knew a person named Agg,
who was for many years in the service of Messrs.
Drakeford. Agg left their service three years ago.
He knew Hunter by sight, nothing more. He did
not know of any business transactions between Agg
and Hunter. The witness then said he had been
tried at the Central Criminal Court for being con-
cerned in the robbery of the silk, and acquitted.
Mr. Humphreys—Did you give to Mr. Hudson,
your attorney, a—
Mr. Leech—l object to that question.
Mr. Humphreys—Well, if I am to be pat down
by popular clamour, I may as well sit down.
Mr. Leech—Any communications between an
attorney and his client is confidential, and cannot
be put in evidence.
Mr. Woolrych reminded Mr. Leech that he had
not allowed Mr. Humphreys to finish his question.
Mr. Humphreys said that Mr. Hudson, an attor-
ney, who defended Crane on the many investiga-
tions that took place in April and May, had sent to
him the statement which Crane made to him. He

proposed to put in the statement, and to ask the
witness whether his signature to it was not in his
handwriting. The statement had been furnished
to him for a particular purpose, and the confidence
between the attorney and client had ceased.
Mr. Leech argued in a forcible manner that the
statement was a confidential communication by a
client to his attorney, and was not admissible in
evidence.

Mr. Woolrych allowed the objection taken by
Mr. Leech. He certainly would not receive as
evidence what took place between an attorney and
his client.

Crane was then examined at great length by Mr.
Humphreys, who repeatedly cautioned him, which
as frequently brought forth an observation from
Mr. Leech that his friend was cross-examininglais
own witness. Mr. Humphreys justified the course
he was taking on the ground that Crane was an
adverse witness. Crane gave the answer to the
questions put to him hesitatingly and indistinctly.
He said—l did not know Agg and Hunter as
partners. I never said they were partners. Agg
never stated to me that he was in partnership with
Hunter. I have never said that Agg told me so.
I have no recollection at all about it. I saw Hunter
twelve months ago. That was the only time.
Mr. Humphreys—On your solemn oath, sir, have
you not seen them together frequently ?
Crane—lt must have been twelve months ago. I
have seen Agg and Hunter together once ; that is
twelve months ago. I cannot say that I recollect
seeing them together on the 17th of March. Agg
and Debock called upon me on that day. It was a
Sunday. I have no recollection of seeing Hunter
there in a chaise. I did not see Hunter, Debock,
and Agg leave my house together. Agg went first
and closed the door after him. I know John New-
ton, of Derby, who was tried at the Central Crimi-
nal Court for receiving the stolen silk, and
acquitted. He has had legitimate transactions with
Messrs. Drakeford's house before that event. I went
to Barker's house, No. 2, Hope-street, Bethnal-
green, on the 18th of March, with ten wrappers,
some string and a needle. It was in consequence
of the interview with Agg that I went to Barker's
house on the Monday. I saw Debock there. Mrs.
Barker came in afterwards. I packed ten bales of
silk alone, without assistance. 1 did not open the
bales. I supposed they contained silk. They were
ready for packing. I marked each bale A in a
diamond, and marked them one to ten, and other
figures besides.
Some cotton wrappers were here produced, and
the witness identified them as being those in which
he packed the bales of silk. He wrote out a deli-
very order, which he gave to one of Pickford's car-
men with certain instructions. He saw the 10 bales
of silk put into one of Pickford's vans, which was
in charge of a carman named Tooth. Debock was
present. He only made out one paper—that was
the delivery note. Debock gave him a shilling for
the carman.
In cross-examination by Mr. Leech the witness
said he did not believe Hunter had any connection
with the transaction relating to the 10 bales of silk.
He did not see Hunter engaged in the affair from
first to last. I will take my oath of it. I was de-
fended at the expense of Messrs. Drakeford an 3
Co. I have been in their service 18 years. lam in
their service now. The firm re-engaged me the day
after 1 was honestly acquitted at the Old Bailey.
Agg is a nephew of Mrs. Drakeford. I don't know
where he is at present.
Henry Jackson, a detective on the Eastern Coun-
ties Railway, stated that he saw Hunter and De-
bock at the bar of a publie-house in Bishopsgate-
street about the middle of March.
Mr. Humphreys—That is as far as I can go to-
day, and I ask for another remand.
Mr. Leech—l have no objection to a remand. I
hope you will take the same bail as before, Sir ?
Mr. Woolrych—Certainly I will.
Mr. Humphreys—l feel bound to oppose the pri-
soner being bailed.
Mr. Leech—He has surrendered, and here are the
same gentlemen ready to bail him to any reasonable

amount.
Mr. Woolrych-4 at present advised, I shall
accept of bail, the prisoner in £5OO, and two sure-
ties of £250 each.
Mr. Humphreys—Then I will call another wit-
ness, and when you have heard him I think your
views on the subject of bail will be materially
altered.
Mr. George Hilton, the Superintendent of the
Borough of Derby Police, was sworn.
Mr. Humphreys—l am bound to tell you. sir,
that the evidence of this witness will occupy two
hours.
Mr. Woolrych—Then I must stop the case.
Bail was immediately tendered and accepted for
the prisoner's appearance on Thursday next.

A private letter from Belleville, in the Beau-
jolais, of the 7th inst., states that the wine-growers in that
district, to the number of 150, are to meet this week to make
arrangements for sending samples of their produce to the
London Exhibition next year. They have deputed the
managers and agents of the English wine company esta-
blished in the Beaujolais to represent them on the occasion.
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