The Sun.
London, England, 1850-06-10 00:00:00

TO THE SECRETAftY OF THE
BRADFORD REFORM ASSOCIATION.
Sir,—On Wednesday the 6th, the Commons as-
sembled in the new House, and proceeded with the
adjourned debate on the Second Reading of the
Secular Education Bill. '
After a great deal of discussion, the case seems to
be this. The working classes, from whom is extracted
a large portion of the taxation of the country, are
particularly anxious that s part of that taxation
should be applied to securing their the opportunity
of giving their children what they deem a useful
education. In this they only act on the kind.
ple by which other men subscribing towards a gene.
ral fund, desire a just portion to be applied to the
benefit of themselves. Other classes also join in
fthe desire; but there is one point on which it has
always been found impossible for men to agree, and
therefore they wish to direct the education to the sub.
jects which men agree to desire, and not to that on
which they are determined to quarrel. They do
nothing like insisting, that teaching on this quar-
relsome point, shall be prohibited, but only that
it shall not be put forward in such a way as mani-
festly to hinder the attainment of the other. They
think that if a baker or a soda-water seller were to
insist on demanding the reception of certain kinds of
religious instruction, by all who used his shop,
he would greatly diminish his custom on the whole ;
and this diminution they want to avoid.
They are further conscious that the community of
which they are a fraction, sets apart, or has set, large
sums fur the support of religious teachers of various
kind', and that nothing is contemplated that is hostile
to their full operation in their several modes and di-
rections, provided only they mill exercise their mission
at periods appropriated for it, and not insist on mak-
ing a lodgment within the baker's shop or the soda-
water seller's, with the effect of throwing obstacles in
the way of secular operations there. Ansi in all this
it is difficult to say there is anything natisisonable.
And now to see, the reason advanced in Parliament
far refusing this request. For the grand use of Par-
liaments is that men by speaking may declare what
would otherwise be unknown.
The reason given, as collected from the most active
and energetic of the opponents, and supported by
loud cheers from the enemies of the education re-
quested, was rested on the celebrated decision
of a Lord Chancellor (Eldon) and revived within
the last week by a living Vice-Chancellor, by
which it was declared that any man might be de-
prived of the guardianship of his children, who held
heterodox opinions, which mean opinions hostile to
those of the party uppermost for the time being.
And if a man might be deprived of the right of
directing the education of his children for non-con-
formity, how much more evident was it that he had
no claim on education
.for his children except in the
manner which should be accordant with theinterehts of
the dominant sect.
The working classes, and everybody else, are
therefore answered for, the present. It was thus the
thing stood, in the-year of grace 1850. Sixty Mem-
bers against 289, composed the basis then existing.
The number is certainly not large ; but larger than
was expected. It is an egg that will require some
time to batch; but hatched it will be, as surely as
there are fowls in the air.
On a point connected with the new House, I want
to make a correction. On the first day of sitting
there, the recesses in face of the Speaker were oc-
cupied by ladies ; which naturally led to the conclusion
that this was the place a,signed them. On Wednesday
there were none there, but they were located pear the
roof, behind the Speaker. And the report made by
them was. that they heard well ; which they attri-
buted, among otter causer, to the faces of the debaters
being turned in their direction.
Ou Thursday the Factories Bill was considered in
Committee, without any alterations on the proposals
of the Government. Tne Metropolitan Interments
Bill was on the same evening proceeded with in Com-
init[ee. The Btll is of importance as being the pre-
cursor of much that must be dune in the same direc-
tion It is not sign of much energy, that after the
warning given by cholera in August last, there is only
one clear niontn lietWeCll this and August again, and
nothing done beyond a Bill got into Committee.
On Friday was a morning sitting in the new House
upon the Drainage Bill. A minority consisting of our
besides the tellers, prevented its going forth that the
principle, which is that of lending the public money
to the agricultural interest, was allowed to pass sub
siletitio. Why the minority should have counted no
more, is what it is not easy favourably to explain.
There was a sitting the same afternoon at five in the
old House, in which the Interments Bill occupied the
whole of the night. The great debate was on clause 30for
making compensation to the Church. On this point
the only question justly debateable, appears to be
whether the compensation proposed by the Govern-
ment is at a fair rate. The proposal is to give to the
incumbents in the present parishes the sum of six
and twopence for each burial according to the ritual of
the Church of England proceeding from the. perish
to the new cemeteries, minus the amount of what
may be determined from time to time to be necessary
ec o
for providing decent payment to the clergy who shall
service.tiThe is
dn a u
ogtooe
dd.
as r
The honest principle appears to be, that the Church is
daceatulalolyf perform o
e stsh the
inboreal
the
opposition
osion
justified in claiming compensation at a moderate rate,
for all she could preserve to herself by preventing the
passage of the present Bill ; or if her power of pre-
vention is imperfect, then she is bound to lower the
terms in some proportion to her want of power. This is
the way congresses of belligerents are brought to a
conclusion in other instances. The debate on the
'
question of compensation to future incumbents, was
till twelve o clock on Tuesday.
1 am, Sir, your obedient servant,
AN OLD REFORMER.
Lohdon, June 10 1850.

Stileinli oN THE SOUTH•WESTERN RA.ILWAT.
Oa Saturday afternoon last the passengers travelling by the
two r.m. up•train from Southampton were most painfully
excited in consequence of the following
occurrence :—lt ap-
pears that the instant the train in question was nearing the
NVimbledon-cross gates a man was perceived by one of the
guards to emerge from behind a tree, and, having .run upon
the line, he stood in front of the train, evidently ter the put.
,
pose of committing suicide. The moment the engine-driver
noticed the unfortunate persOn he sounded the whistle and
shut off the steam and at the same
the breaks most 'vigorously, and did all that was possible to
stop the train in time to save the life of the man, but without
effect; before it could be brought to a stand-still it dashed
against the poor fellow, breaking in his skull, and threw, him
time thaguards'applied
across the metals, when the wheels of the numneroliunagctahrreimagiens
and trucks passed over 11;s. legs and body, !
travelling by the
a most awful manner. Mr. Young:
dents of the Waterloo terminus, with
ne to be backed, and
train, at once gave orders for one
sofnathge superinten-
dents
arched for the purpose of
t that
the hiscoronnaemee
the_clothing of the deceasednwaa .
his pockets a number of printed
finding out who he was. I
the mangled remains to be gathtebsereedeup, which being done,
to the
to a coal agent in the
pptoosiatwio:
was Kemp, and that he was a
the ligeware-road. . d The body was zed
moved of
moved to Garrett-lane, ,
bills were found, which,laadatswtohret:
inquest.
.:EIE
I lIOETICULTUItAL EXPOSITION AT CHELTEN-
,
—The great flower show which we noticed last week ie
iciatu'ling a still increasing interest us the period approaches.
The central situation Cheltenham is
of particularly advan-
tageous
to gardeners from each direction, and it Is evident
that the great opportunity for the display of floriculture now
of to them will be eagerly taken advantage of. Already
the principal London growers, and others from Exeter, Bris-
tol, Birmingham, Manchester, &e., Tal,ve signified their in-
teution of exhibiting, and from the combined contributions
of gentlemen noted in the cultivation of the several classes of
plants contained in the schedule, the exhibition will be un-
usually perfect. The show of geraniums, stove and green-
house plants, and rosee, will be the must wile/ rke. Nor
while the Slow gives promise of such excellence, does the
prospect of a brilliant attendance diminish. The Influx of
visitors is daily increasing, and it may reasonably be ex-
pected should, in addition, the ever-varying elements prove
propitious, that the company will fall little short of twenty
thousand persons. The season has, perhaps, never been
gayer than at present, which may, without doubt, be attri-
buted to the spirit infused into the management ot the Royal
Sea. The drinking or- the mineral waters is apparently
again becoming fashionable, and especiallfat this season of
the year attracts the largest numbers of votaries to the foun-
tam of health. The musical :arrangements, which are very
complete at the Royal Spa, will at the chow be under the
direct ion of Mr. Waddell, the bandmaster of the First Life
Guards, and will comprise an orchestra of seventy or eighty
performers. Thomas Ingram, Esq., Windsor ; Robert Glen-
dinning, Esq., Chiswick ; and Charles-Turner, Esq., Slough;
are the judges of the flower department.
DBatic =or A VLTERAN.—Died at Appleby, on the
2.6 th talL Richard Hodgson, Chelsea Pensioner, familiarly
knewn as a Old Dickey," at the advanced age of ninety
years and three months. Re WAS born at Lowther in the
Tear 1760.