The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-24 00:00:00

CONQI L IA 110 N HALL.—(From a Sketch by A. 0 DaiscoLO

coloured, by the partiality of friendship. The worst
fault in the work is its diffuseness—a fault of very
common occurrence with an unpractised writer.

EDUCATION and the DISSENTERS.

On Monday night the first public meeting of the
Dissenters of the metropolis was held at Craven chapel,
Carnaby-market ; C. Hindley, Esq., M.P. in the
Chair; for the purpose of supporting the resolutions
of the Congregational Union of 'England and Wales
for the promotion of general education. The chapel
was well filled, and the auditory evinced the greatest
interest in the proceedings.
The CHAIRMAN opened the proceedings by advert-
ing to the importance of general education in its
bearings upon the moral, social, and pOlitical condi-
tion of the country, and to the circumstances out of
which the relations of the,Cong,regational Union had
arisen. Upon the defeat of the obnoxious measure in-
troduced by Sir J. Graham, it had been very strongly
felt by the Dissenting bodies that they should give some
decisive evidence to the world that it was not to the
principle of general education that they objected, but to
the sectarian and obnoxious mode in which the Go•
vernment had attempted to carry it out. At the
autumnal meeting of the Congregational Churches
held at Leeds in the month of October last, the im-
portant question was taken up, and the resolutions
there adopted had led to the conference in London,
"at which it had been resolved to take up
uFon a scale commensurate with its importance, and

this was the first meeting hell in the metropolis for
the purpose of carrying out the resolutions of that
body. lie concluded by imploring them to give
such an example of the zeal and liberality of the
the
Disseennutnetrrsyoaft large.themetropolis as should operate upon
The Rev. J. JAMES stated the amount of the sub-
scriptions already received in support of the resolu-
tions. , The sum according to the last .• returns,
amounted to 22,750/., more than half of which had
been
4- c,o67notrli.bbuytedthebyminisltletersof a
metropolisv various
and no less
thano; u s
congrega-
tional churches. Amongst the subscriptions enume-
odthuon, originated
ecati project resolved
p
rates', were five of 1,000/, and ten of 500/.
The Rev. Dr. LEIFCIIILD moved the first resolu-
tion,
.which was—" That this meeting heartily ap-
proves anthlie rewilclepnun
t conference
en
by the Congiegational Union of Englande and Wales, to
raise at least 100,0001. bysubscription, payable within
five years, from the congregational churches of the In-
dependent body towards the education of the working
ccelrle scenmid
classes, and the rneeting is prompted to this approval
and determination not only by those•general humane
and religious considerations that have induced Pro-
testant Dissenters pre-eminently at all times to favour
education, but by considering further that the pretext
for of✓ legislative measures will be the less
colourable in the degree in ,which the advocates of the
voluntary principle are true to .themselycsi•anAprove
its sufficiency by its acts." In moving this resolution

the Rev. Gentleman repudiated the idea of making the
project a sectarian one. They would much have pre-
ferred a general system, to be carried out upon a prin-
ciple upon which all professing Christians could have
concurred, but that was now hopeless. The Government
measure having been defeated, the Established Church
had set the example of a denominational movement.
The Church would teach none but upon Church
principles ; then, the Wesleyans had resolved
that they would teach none but upon Wes-
leyan principles. What, then, remained, but
that the Congregationalists should teach upon
Congregational principles ? they abjured
every -thing of a sectarian- character. Their object
was not to promote Dissent, but to remove ignorance.
In the schools they established they would teach the
Bible, and if the reading of the Bible_made the chil-
dren of the working-classes Dissenters, why, they
would neither be surprised nor grieved.(Laughter.)
.The Rev. JOHN BURNETT seconded the resslution
in! an eloquent and impressive speech, and 'it was una•
nimonsly adopted.

'The Meeting was subsequently addressed by the
Rev. Dr. Read, the Rev. Mr. Jukes, and other gen-
tlemen ; and after a vote of thanks to the Chairman,
the meeting separated.

Goobwooo Pirc:—The Duke and !Duchess of
Richmond will have a succession of visitants until the meeting
of Parliament. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge
is ,expeetectto arrive Afrom Kew Palace,- on Monday next, and
afterwards proceed on a visit to Col. Wyndham, at Petworth.