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

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—total, 40,042; -giving instruction. in. -al -strla -1.2
{
2,144,378 scholars • of whom 1,422,932 be stii‘ -;
public schools, and 721,396 to the private scle - -.7
Ile \rate of . progress is further illust a'srolfsjsk,,...- e,
statistics which show. that in 1818 the propOrperii4sefi44),
day scholars tosthe population was 1 irli 4,7.-i-iirt\ r '''-'12";
1833, linll ; and in 1851, 1 in 8. T14e450461_71
,c,
great results, although I hope they may ohlr be
received as instalments of what has yet to be donJ Si S
But what must be your feelings when you reflE at
upon the fact, the inquiry into which has brou,,so 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 are
told that the total population in England and
Wales of children between the ages 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 been at school less than
one year, 22 per cent. during one year, 15 per cent.
during two years, 9 per cent. during three years, 5
per cent. during 4 years, and 4 per cent. during five
years. Therefore, out of two millions of scholar
alluded to more than one million and a half remain
only two years at school. I leave it to you to judge
what the results of such an education can be. I find
further that of these two millions of children 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 wenn'
the remedies which may lie within our reach. This
will be no easy matter ; but even if your laboura
should not result in the adoption of any immediate
practical steps, you will have done great good in
preparing for ;hem. 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 essential condition 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
ought, after all, .to be only a 'question of time. What
measures can be brought to bear 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 p irt 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
paralyze its domestic existence. (Cheers.) On the
other band, carefully collected statistics reveal 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 lees than 2,203,000 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 _parent', 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, bearing
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 fit'ed 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 accerd-
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 develope his faculties, place himself in har-
mony with his diviue prototype, and attain that
happiness which is offered to him on earth, to be
completed hereafter in entire union with Him
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-
capitulated the 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 1,250,0001.
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, and adjourned the
proceedings till 12 o'clock next day.

MARKET NEWS.—(tliis 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 steady demand, at fully Monday's currency. The
business doing, however, was only moderate. Foreign
wheat—the imports of which are 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 aa high
as 505, per 280 lbs.

ARRIVALS THIS WEEK.
Wheat. Barley. Malt. Oats. Flour.
,t 750 1.350 f 490 1,080

English
Irish

Foreign.....

5,300 1 220

5,2nn 11,250br1s
'" 1200 sacks

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

WHITECHAPEL.

Beef, from 2s 10d to 4s 2cl; mutton, 25 10d to 4s 44 ;
lamb, 8d
dr IbtBossB, blOyk t; veal, 33 6d to 4s ; pork, 3s 64
4s he carcase. Trade dull.
s4ds
per

THE CARRIAGE ACCIDENT IN PIMLICO.—VERDIOT or
MANSLAUGHTER.—The adjourned inquest on the body
of the youth who was run over and killed near the
Queen's mews, Pimlico, was resumed yesterday, at St.
George's Hospital. Inspector Camplin, of the B division,
stated that the coachman who had driven over
and
deceased could not be found. Every stable;yearndo..ood.
mews in the metropolis bad been visited by
01; ,i
but in vain. The jury returned A al
ideerre to the polio.
"Man-
slaughter," and the coroner g
' to use every exertion to brinirttiro
offender to justice.
meeting was held
MEMORIAL TO LORD CLlVslei.--1
James's-street, to cele-
brate at Willis's Ro
for the purpose of
era
the chair, and was supported by
brate the 100th annivezo
anm
rgys
,
aonif tehmeobraiattltenottePglaressayt,Laonrda
Sstiarn h
joapme ,e
EIV
Ili s coogugn, t
Arch-
deacon Clive. Lord Hill tookd
the DukeofC
Bannon,
the Rev. Dr. Kennedy, &c. Lord Hill
deacon Allen,_ Viscountlevehl
w,
pEoarrtl,
an
taking the chair, he having no connexion
glinaaddian affairs. The services of Lord Clive were
awpiothlo
well known, and every day proved the extraordinary
power of his mind. He hoped the memorial which was
intended to be erected to his memory would be consi-
dered been some degree a redemption of the duty which Inyi
aloonogordance
Owl it
with gt
hleonthjeacttsgarfeatthemanlne.otinßgeswooluretionnneantin.
' imngoutshlyemagirneteo ffdetoe,nznd a committee appointed for carry-
-1