The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-12 00:00:00

EDUCITION IN BIRMINGHAM.

A public meeting was held in the Town Hall,
Birmingham, on Tuesday evening, " to take into
c)nsideration the deplorable deficiency of the pro-
visions for education in this town, and the means
proposed by the Birmingham Education Society to
remedy the existing evils." The Mayor (Mr. T.
Avery) presided ; and letters of apology for absence
were read from the Earl of Lichfield, Lord Leigh,
Lord Lyttelton, the Bishop of Worcester, Sir John
Pakington, the Hon. C. G. Lyttelton, M.P., Mr.
George Dixon, M.P., &c. There was a large at-
tendance. His worship, in opening the proceedings,
said that it was evident the Educational Society
had undertaken a highly honourable but laborious,
difficult, and costly work. One of the first condi-
tions with which they commenced their organiza-
tion was to endeavour to obtain local rating powers.
The object to be achieved was so vast, and so purely
of national interest and importance iu its character,
that some power, either imperial or local, was
necessary to cope with a difficulty so long seated
and profound. But, as this power could not at pre-
sent be obtained, the society kad, with great energy
and resolution, commenced the work themselves.
They had first obtained some most valuable infor-
mation, from which it appeared that there were ill
Birmingham rather more than 45,000 children be-
tween the ages of three and fifteen. Roughly
speaking, at least half of those who were destined
hereafter to take an active part in the manufactur-
ing, social, and political duties were absolutely
without education of any kind, so far as could be
ascertained. Was not that a necessity, an evil
of the first magnitude, calling for all the energies
of benevolent, resolute, statesmanlike minds to
struggle with ? It further appeared that the
society, with laborious effort, had accumulated
funds by which up to the present time they bad
supplied gratuitous education to nearly 5,000
children ; and having, with so much success,
commenced this good and noble work, they then
desired to come before their constituents to give
an account of their stewardship, describe the
operations in which they were engaged, and appeal
for public sympathy, appreciation, and support.
He wished them most heartily God speed, and he
was persuaded that. both that meeting and the town
at large would liberally supply them with the con-
tributions which they required. The Rev. 1) r.
Wilkinson, the rector, moved "That the existing
provisions for the education of the people of Bir-
mingham were insufficient to meet the wants of the
community." He said the investigations which
had been carried on by the committee were
deeply important, and the results presented in their
annual report were highly interesting. At present
an expenditure was going on by the committee io
connection with that society at the rate of about
£2,000 a year that was, there were school orders
issued to parents of children which, if used, would
entail an expenditure on the society of that sum ;
and if additional subscriptions were not forthcoming,
the society would have to give notice—indeed, they
had already given notice—that the number of
orders must be diminished, the effect of which would
be that many of the children who were now receiv-
ing education would be sent back upon the streets.
The total number of those who had received orders
was 3,009 ; the total attendance, 214,416 ; and the
total possible attendance, 255,336. The sum ex-
pended by the society up to the time of the issue of
the report was £397 18s. 5J., of which there bad
been paid in respect to children attending Church
of England schools, £274 13s. Bd., and in respect
to children of schools of other denominations,
£123 2s. 9d. The parents themselves chose the
school to which the children should be sent. The
rev. gentleman made an earnest appeal for further
support to the society, which, if continued,
would be the means of making many a
child a credit to the town where otherwise
it would be a disgrace and a reproach. The Rev
R. W. Dale, Independent Minister, said that be-
tween the ages of three and six there were 15,000
children in Birmingham who were neither at school
nor at work. The society had put its hands upon
about 6,000 of these children, and there were about
4,000 actually attending school, and receiving in-
struction which was paid for by the society. Wee
any considerable number of these children to be
turned out of school into the streets ? The present
income of the society, for ordinary purposes,
amounted to rather more than £5OO a year, and in
order to carry on the work already in hand they re'
quired £2,000 a year. The parents were too poor
to provide the money. 300 cases were taken a
random, and it was found that the average income,
after deducting rent, was Is. 14d. per head per week.
300 other families were taken, and 80 of them were
found to be the families of widows, or of wouleu
whose husbands had forsaken them, and the average
income of these 80 families, after deducting rellt,!
was 100. per head per week. Where, then, were the
funds to be obtained ? Some said get a rate, and
believed in that, but they could not get a rate 014
year, nor next, nor perhaps the year after ; and
meanwhile what was to become of the children ~
He seconded the motion, Mr. Councillor Bald-
win suggested that till a rate could be obtaiuo
persons should rate themselves voluntarily at 1-ct
in the pound on the property they occupied'
which would raise quite sufficient if generally
paid. The motion was unanimously agreed to.
Archdeacon Sandford moved,--"That the Birraing;
ham Education Society, having been formed to nlee
this deficiency by raising funds to provide instruc:
tion for the poor, and by taking steps to obtain
rating powers on behalf of education, is worthy o,
the support of the town." Alderman Hawkes
se-
conded the proposition, and it was carried.
Rev. C. Clarke (Unitarian) moved—" That, !a
consequence of the large amount now being Pal
for the school fees of poor children, the expendite o
of the society is very much above its income, all
this meeting pledges itself to make efforts to seellro
such addition to its funds as shall enable the cow'
mittee to extend their operations, or at least eell:f
tinue them on the present scheme, so that none o,
the 5,000 poor children now at school may be u
missed back again into the streets." This wad ,e,
conded by the Rev. Canon Gover and unanimous,
agreed to. A vote of thanks to the Mayor ter
nated the proceedings.

MEETING OF ELECTORS IN Sr. PANCRAS.°:
Wednesday evening a number of the residents '-
Camden-town met at the Elephant Tavern, 224, g5l:,
street, to organise a branch of the Marylebone
lZaf
0$
League and Wade's Electoral Association. The Incet7,4l
was convened by bills announcing a public meeting, t 1
was well attended. A deputation from the cart
council was in attendance, and explained the object./ :0
the association, which wore much approved of 11-
and
audience. Messrs. Heuvrood, Laskey, Campbell, e°t
Spencer addressed the meeting, after which, a sufacio
number of members having joined, officers and con" cysts
were chosen, and the branch put in working order. M
ac
J. Dunn and R. Hedges were elected chairman and s. '°l3o
tary, and the branch will meet every Wednesday 00131
at eight o'clock, at the Elephant. gl
PRIMARY EDUCATION (IRELAND.).—The
Commission on Primary Education (Ireland) met ou
Sack"
nesday at the offices of the Commission, 46, Upper of
ville-street, Dublin. There were present—the Ear.'
Powis, the Earl of unraven, the Bishop of Meath, Su. .0,
Kane, Master Brooke, Rev. De. Wilson, Rev. B. Al•Cli.
Mr. Deasy, Mr. Gibson, Mr. Stokes, and Professor Su in
van. The secretaries, Messrs. May and Dunne, were
attendance. Wit
The prices of Horniman's Teas are greatly redued;
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oto
" Horniman ck C 0.," London. 300 Confectioners areMe
in Loudon and 2,200 Chemists in the Country.