The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-23 00:00:00

rebirb 'Zbitton

,OSING PRICES.)
FUNDS.
Indian Stock — pm.
Ditto Bonds pm
Ditto Old Annuities
Ditto New Annuities
Ex. Bills, 1,0001. I%cl
..Ditto 500/
Ditto Small Pm.
Itank Stock for Acct 2OO
IConsols for Acct. 9e%
llndia Stock for Acct 294
4 FUNDS.
Austrian, 5 per Cent — Portuguese, 5 per Cent
Belgian, 5 per Cent — Ditto New Ditto
Brazilian Bonds
Buenos Ayres, 6 per Cent... ;Russian, 5 per Cent ll7
(hllian,l per Cent — Ditto, Metallic
Colombian, 6 per Cent
Ditto, 1824 Ditto, 3 per Cent
Cuba Bonds, 6 per Cent 93 'Ditto, Deferred
Danish, 3 per Cent
Greek, 16.5, 5 per Cent — ,Exchange —f.. --c.
Mexican, 5 per Cent ...... 30 French, 3 per Cent. —c.
Ditto, 6 per Cent., 18:i7 'Dutch, 2M per Cent 57%
Peruvian, 1825, 6 per Cent... 'Ditto, 5 per Cent lOl%

FUNDS-(C

BRITISH

Bank Stock
3 per Cent. Red
3 per Cent. Cons
3% per Cent. Re 1
New 3% per Cent 102%
New 5 per Cent. .......
Long Annuities to expire
Jan. 1860
Oct. 1859
Jan. 1860

- pm.
- pm.

#oREIG

SHARES.
Birmingham and Derby (100 paid) 62
Ditto Thirds (25 paid)
Ditto Eighths (I/. lOs. paid) 4
Chester and Holyhead ( 15 paid) 7
Eastern Counties (.23 paid) .... 11Y:
Ditto Registered (81 es Eki paid)
_134(4-::
Edinburgh and Glasgow (50 paid)
Gravesend, Rochester, and Chatham (234 paid) 2
Great North of England (lOOpaid) 10036
Great Western (75 paid)
Ditto Half Shares (50 paid) .. ....... ... ......
Lancaster and Carlisle ( 5 paid).... 7%
London and Brighton (50 lid)

—onion ati- ~,rit_ .(_ _ pal.__,
London and Birmingham (Stock)
Ditto New Quarters ( l paid) 28%
Ditto New Thirds (2 paid) 4O
London and Guildford Junction ( 5 pa;d)
London and South Western (aH. 6s. 10d. paid)
Ditto Eighths (15s. paid)
London and Croydon (Trunk) • .... ... 16%
Manchester and Birmingham 6%
Midland Counties (100 paid) —
Ditto Quarter Shares (15 paid) 2214
Northern and Eastern (41 paid)
Ditto Quartet' Shares (12% paid) 16%
North Midland (100 paid)
Ditto Half Shares (40 paid) 451
Di to Thirds (211. Lis 4d.) 29
Paris and Orleans (20 paid)
Paris and Rouen (20 paid) F6
Rouen and Havre ( ti paid)
South Eastern and Dover (50 paid) 35
Ditto Scrip (a-, paid) :302
York and North Midland (50 paid) —
Ditto New Shares (20 paid)
York and Scarborough Branch (.4)4 paid)

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS,
FROM THE EVENING PAPERS OF THIS DAT.
GLOBE.—We have no means of affirming or denying
the following statement, which we copy from the Dublin
Evening Mail of Wednesday :—" The Premier himself
has addressed a letter to the Irish Executive upon the
subject of national education, in which he distinctly de-
clares that no future patronage is to be bestowed on
clergymen of the Established Church in Ireland, who
not only are not inimical to the system of
national education, but who will not undertake
to place all the schools in the parishes or
dioceses in which they may be promoted,
under the immediate management of Dr. Murray's
Board." The journal from which we quote describes
the statement as " resting upon such authority that
its truth admits neither of question nor of doubt." Whe-
ther it be founded on fact, or whether it be a mere fabri-
cation, is of comparatively little consequence for the
purposes of our argument. The statement has ob-
tained credence, and produced one of those outbursts
of Ultra-Protestant fury against Sir Robert Peel's
Government, which show how little that powerful party
in Ireland are disposed to trust his policy, and how
cordially they detest his Administration. If the
statement have its foundation in fact, this de-
cisive and well-directed movement in the right di-
rection may well provoke the bigots of the Pro-
testant Church to employ their vituperative powers
in stirring up strife within the ranks of the Govern-
ment supporters. Their efforts would, however, be neu-
tralised, and the confidence of the nation would be
strengthened in the Administration, by the assurance
which such a step would give of the settled purpose of
Ministers to support their own plans, and not longer allow
the only system of education which can benefit the people,
of Ireland to be thwarted and counteracted by those on
whom the Government patronage is bestowed. The
reproach which has been cast upon the Government
that fosters the opposition which it is doomed
to encounter, and thus renders itself ridiculous on
the one hand, while it provokes the Catholic
population of Ireland to resentment on the other,
would be rolled away. Ministers would, at least,
seem honest in their professed wish to extend the
means of educating the people by their Educational
Board. The system of education taught in the schools
founded and supported by the funds entrusted by Parlia-
ment to that Board, is professedly approved by the
Government. The schools are designated, " Govern-
ment scho3ls." Yet, with an inconsistency which has
rendered the honesty of the Government suspected, and
has contributed to the dislike with which its rule is re-
garded by the Irish people, the most inveterate oppo-
nents of the Government schools have
.been selected
to fill bishoprics, deaneries, and other dignified posts in
the Church, as they have become vacant ! The Govern-
ment has thus stultified its own plans, and contributed to
multipy its difficulties, and to deepen its own dis-
grace ! It will, therefore, .be politic in the Govern-
ment, and advantageous to the people of Ireland, if
the statement of the Dublin Mail be well founded.
But if the statement be an invention, it has, at all
events, been received as a truth by the Ultra-Protes-
tant party in Ireland. The leaders of that party have
evidently taken alarm. If the opposition of the High
Church clergy to the education of the people—except by
the exclusive system which they persist in opposing to
the system of the Government—should be checked, as
checked it would be by the declared intention of the Pre-
mier, " to appoint English clergymen to benefices or
bishoprics, as either may become vacant, should the
clergy of Ireland continue contumacious"—if such an
intimation has been communicated, clerical conversions
to the Government scheme of Irish education will be
thick "as leaves in Vallambrosa." Very little more
would be heard of resistance to the only system which
is worthy of being called " national." The schools
which the clergy have set up against those of the Go-
vernment would be given up ; and the clamour which
has been raised against the Government plan of edu-
cating the people would be heard no more.
STANDARD.—Lord Ashley's motion, to reduce to
ten working hours the period during which women and
children should be employed in factories, was rejected in
the House of Commons last night by a majority of 7-
188 to 181. Sir James Graham's proposition, to ex •
tend the number of working hours to twelve, was in
turn rejected by a majority of 3-186 to 183. In
this anomalous position the question stands at
present. But this is not the only anomaly in the
matter. The House determined on Monday that women
and children should be forbidden to work in factories
during the night, and that the word " night" should be
interpreted to mean the time included between six P.M.
and six A.M.; by this determination, still unrescinded, it
is impossible that women and children can be present in
the factory more than twelve hours; and, allowing the
pauses absolutely necessary for rest and food, that they
can work more than ten hours. Lord Ashley's purpose
is, therefore, virtually unaffected by last night's
decision, and must remain so until last Monday's
vote shall be directly and distinctly rescinded. Sir J.
Graham declared last night that he would on Monday
explain the course that he will pursue in this perplexed
condition of the question. Let us respectfully intimate
to him that there is but one course open which will
not involve the Government in inextricable dif-
ficulties, and a prolonged contest, and that is,
gracefully to yield to the expressed will of
the House of Commons on Monday night ; a will, the
expression of which was not, as we have intimated, re-
tracted last night. If, however, the House of Commons
had unequivocally retracted its steps, it would surely still
be a grave question, whether a statesman ought to join
in the retrogradation, supported by a majority of only
7, or 7 times 7. There is a great difference be-
tween withholding a promise and withdrawing a pro-
mise already made—the first may be regarded as
a wrong, but it cannot be considered an insult ; the
other is an insult as well as a wrong. Now, without the
testimony of Sir Robert Inglis, every one must
feel that the vote' of Monday would be re-
garded as a promise of restriction of the hours 9f
labour by the factory labourers ; but the statements in
the Honourable Member for Oxford's admirable
speech prove by facts what every one's own feeling
must have anticipated—the factory labourers believe ths!t
they have the House of Commons pledged to their
relief. And is it just, is it wise, to disappoint them,
relying upon the sic volumus of a majority of seven ?
It was truly said by Sir James Graham
that there
are experiments from which it is impossible to
retire ; but we think that the experiment of
a linlitation of the hours of labour is not
one of these experiments. We are convinced
that should the labourers in factories find the
effect of a ten hours law to be to reduce wages
and diminish employment, they would as earnestly pray
for the repeal of such a law, as they now pray for its
enactment. The promise of an experiment, from which
men expect great benefit, is, however, an engagement
from which, indeed, it is in no case courteous, just, or
safe to retire ; and such a promise the House of
Commons has given. But we will say no more
upon this view of the matter, becouse we
.adhere
to the hope that
.even yet the vote of Monday will be
faithfully followed out, even in the present session ; that
it will be law before another year we have no doubt
whatever. There was nothing new offered in the course