The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-14 00:00:00

THE MYSTERIOUS DISCOVERY AT
HACKNEY.

The police have been rather confounded than satisfied
.)37 the identification of the body of the man found on
Thursday last in the house in Elgin-place, Hackney Wick.
Dr. Ellis, who stated that the deceased was an escaped
lunatic, who had been for some time confined in the St.
Luke's Asylum, has now had his statement confirmed by
a relative of the missing lunatic. On Monday a Mr. Heas-

man, of Great Percy-street, Claremont-square, Penton-
ville, went to the mortuary and examined the body. He
is positive that it is that of his brother, who was confined
in St. Luke's Asylum. He states that the deceased was
possessed of a competence, and well connected. He was
extremely fond of athletic sports, was an admirable
runner, and great at swimming, being only second to the
champion swimmer of England. In October 1566, owing
to his having shewn symptoms of mental aberration, he
was confined in an asylum. On all points but one he was
perfectly sane. His delusion consisted in the extraordi-
nary belief that he had been poisoned and was dead. He
was a married man, and has left a widow and eight
children, the eldest being only fifteen years old.
But there are other claimants for the body. It has
already been made known that a lady had identified tha
body as that of her husband. This lady is stated to be
Mrs. Mary Ann Banks, of York-road, Kingsla,nd-road.
She declares that the deceased was her husband, that his
name was Ebenezer Clarke Banks, and that he was a com-
mercial traveller, employed by a spirit merchant. When
she first visited the mortuary, she described the body
very minutely before having seen it. Her description was
not only accurate ao to the general features, but she made
special mention of a peculiar mark upon one of the fingers;
and on the police-officer looking at the finger he was asto-
nished to find that peculiar mark on the finger of the de-
ceased. On Monday she visited the mortuary again, being
then accompanied by two sisters. As the post-mortem
examination had been commences, they were not per-
mit ted to examine the body for some time. They walked
about until the doctors had completed their work,
and then were permitted to enter. Mrs. Banks was again
positive about the body being that of her deceased hus-
band, and her sisters very strongly corroborated the
statements which she made.

The post-mortem examination was made by Mr. Gant,
pathological anatomist to the Royal Free Hospital, who
was ass;sted by Dr. Powells. Dr. Ellis and other medical
gentlemen were also present. The stomach was removed
and placed in a jar fcr purposes of analysis. No state-
ment has been made respecting the results of the post-
mortem examination. The bottle which was found in the
cupboard in which the body was discovered had a Knall
quantity of a yellowish liquid in it, which will be sub-
jected to analysis.

A lady has called at the Hackney Police-station and
sheaved a photographic portrait of a missing relative of hers,
which is said to bear a far more striking resemblance to the
deceased than did ei th er of two photographs which have been
produced by Mr. Heasman as portraits of his brother.
The lady was, however, assured that the body had been
already identified, and therefore could not be that of her
missing relative. No opportunity was afforded to her of
seeing the body. The deceased appears to have been about
35 or 40 years of age. His hair is dark ; it is, indeed,
almost black, the beard and moustache being slightly
tinged with grey.

The will, with one codicil, of Sir Richard Digby
N ease, Bart., late of Dagenham Palk, Essex, and No. 78,
F.ccleston-square, who died at the last-named place on the
10th ult., was proved on the oth inat„ at the Principal
Registry of her Majesty's Court of Probate, by Sir Arundel
Nea,ve, Bart., the son, the executor named in the will, and
Wyndham Slade, Esq., barrister-at-law, the son-in-law,
the executor namcdi is the codicil. The personal property
is sworn under 1-!5',000.

A letter has been published which Captain
Mackay wrote before he left Kilmainham Gaol. If an
expression of sorrow would gain his freedom to-morrow,
he " would not so violate his feelings as to express regret
for the performance of what be felt was a conscientious
duty." He admits that the Government had a right to
protect itself and uphold its power "by convicting and
imprisoning all who sought its overthrow," and, fate
having been against him, he "intends to adapt himself to
circumstances, and strictly to obey the rules of whatever
prison he may be in." The letter is exceedingly well
written.

THE HORRIET.r. DEATH AT WIGAN WORRHOTJSE.
—The death caused in this workhouse by the carelessness
of an imbecile named Catherine Dawber, in immersing
an infant in a tub of boiling water, has resulted in the
Poor-law Board sending down an inspector to report on
the case. That official says that the accommodation for
infants is smaller than it should be ; but he does not advo-
cate the appointment of a paid nurse so long as a proper
superintendence is exercised by the matron, The inspector
expressed his strong disapproval of the conduct of the late
matron in allowing an imbecile to have the care of an
infant, He is also of opinion that the medical officer
should give his advice in regard to the diet and clothing of
infanta, and as to the warmth aml yentilatAq4
the room
in which they are placed,

THE GOVERNMENT EDUCATION BILL.

Owing to the Parliamentary turmoil and the
disturbance in the public mind, consequent on
the declaration of opinion on the part of so
large a majority in the House of Commons
as to the existence of the Irish Establish-
ment, the momentous question of national
education is for a while put on one side.
But the interests involved in the maintenance
of denominational education are too grave not
to receive, even during the present agitated
session, considerable attention. It is not at
all unlikely that on the character of national
education a party warfare may also arise. For
educational schemes are closely connected with
the politico-religious principles which will form
the staple of discussion during the remainder
of the session, and which will have to be fought
out on the hu.stings. It is to be feared that
the supporters of secular education will aim at
postponing a present settlement of this ques-
tion, in the hope of strengthening their position
and of increasing their influence in the new
House of Commons. The Government Educa-
tion Bill, introduced by the Duke of Marl-
borough, is a great improvement upon Mr.
Bruce's Bill—a rival scheme enjoying the
support in the House of Commons, although
it does not humour them to the top of their
bent, of the secularist party. The following
are the chief points of the Duke of Marl-
, borough's Bill :—" The building grants are to
be restored to the original slim of four shillings
per square foot ; aid is to be given to purely
secular schools ; schools under uncertificated
teachers, satisfying certain conditions, are to
participate in the Government grants to the
extent of two shillings and eightpence per
head for each subject, reading, writing, and
arithmetic; a new Secretary of State is to be
appointed as a Minister of Education, and an
alteration is to be made in the existing Con-
science Clause."
The denominational character of education
is to be preserved, for the proposed Conscience
Clause enacts that " all questions connected
with the nature, amount, and character of the

religious instruction to be given in any school,
towards the erection of which a building grant
has been made, shall be decided exclusively by
the person or persons who may be invested
with authority in that behalf by the clauses
in the trust-deed relating to the management
thereof, and nothing in this act contained
shall authorize the Secretary of State or any
other person to interfere therewith." Then
follows a provision, under which only the Con-
science Clause comes into operation—namely,
if the school be the only public elementary
school available for the education of poor chil-
dren residing within a convenient distance.
In that case it enacts that—"No child residing
within the assigned limits shall be excluded
from the school or deprived of any of its bene-
fits or privileges on account of the religious
persuasion of the child or of his parents and
guardians, or on account of the withdrawal
of such child from any part of the instruction
or worship of the school. No such child shall
be compelled to attend any Sunday school or
place of worship as a condition of week-day
instruction, and any parent or guardian may
withdraw such child from any lesson, form of
worship or religious service, upon giving
notice in writing to the principal teacher that
he objects thereto on religious grounds."
Such a Conscience Clause as this, which
does not restrict as to time, or limit the amount
of religious instruction to be given in denomi-
national schools, is an improvement, but still
it carries with it the vice of a compromise. Its
effect is to encourage secular education, so far
at least as regards the minority frequenting
the school under the protection of the Con-
science Clause. Why should the State, to whom
the religious education of all its subjects
ought to be a matter of the highest moment,
act so as to encourage an education void of
religious instruction as far as the minority
dissenting from the religion taught in the
only available school within reach is concerned?
This minority is entitled to receive a denomi-
national education. But by offering to the dis-
sidents an education secular as far as they are
concerned, the Government practically destroys
the denominational principle. It does more.
It entices parents to make light of denomina-
tional instruction. It plats temptation in
their way to sacrifice religious conviction to
temporal advantage. The Conscience Clause
then, however modified, is an encouragement
to religious indifferentism. In every parish,
therefore, where only one school is available,
Secularism under shelter of the Conscience
Clause is triumphant. Were, however, purely
denominational schools alone supported by
Government aid, a spur would be given to reli-
gious zeal, and increased efforts would be made
on the part of minorities to establish schools of
their own. It is another question which we
cannot now enter upon, how far the State in
its educational provisions ought not to extend
itsnti
ue
ms a ibwde
hrs
oo ae
ocis
iconsiderablynfdt ona,l) est se shpeoonos
school
possessing
accordinghe
to the present standard, are deprived of Govern-
ment aid.

We again take this opportunity of recom-
mending to our readers a pamphlet, recently
published by the Rev. Dr. Vaughan, in which
the various theories concerning popular educa-
tion in England are treated with fulness, and
with singular clearness and precision.
The question of national education, like the
question of the Irish Church, will bring out
many conflicting opinions. Both are questions
involving grave principles, and in such ques-
tions, compromise, superficial agreement, the
raising of false issues, are unspeakably mis-
chievous. Such methods produce disunion
where union is most necessary, and weakness,
where strength is most wanted to meet the
enemy "at the gate."—Westminster Gazette.