The Sun.
London, England, 1820-11-23 00:00:00

THURSDAY, NOVEMI3EIt 23, 1820.

EDUCATIO N.

A LETTER to HENRY BROUGHAM, Esq. M.P. on certain
Clauses in the EDUCATION BILLS now before Parlia-
ment. By S. BuTLEtt,D.D. F.A.S. Head Master of Shrews-
' buy School.

(Concluded from THE SUN of yesterday.)

The third class of persons affected by this Bill is, that part
of the public which comprises the parents of boys entitled to
the benefits of these foundations, and their children. And
here, Sir, I cannot but wonder that a man of your unques-
tionable talents and comprehensive mind, should have ad-
mitted clauses so cumpletely at valiance with the rights and
interests:of this numerous body. That a turbulent dema-
gogue, a revolutionary empiric, or a blundering smatterer, in
his hunger and thirst fee. popularity. in his rage and phrenzy
for demolition and rears:4lnm, or his want of intellect and
capacity for the comprehension of enlarged and liberal views
of political Institutions, should legislate fur one part of the
people at the expence anti to the injury of all the rest, can
create no surprise; but that an enlightened Statesman; a
profound Lawyer, and an experienced Senator, should com-
mit this prime error in !Pities., this capital offence against
tit( "first prinsiples of Legislation, is one of those,extravagant
anifoittr;es, oliich we can account for on no other principles,
than the imperfection of out uature, and the occasional :0;1'4--
rations of the strongest inisids.
That by the Clauses to which I have so often alluded, you
legislate for one class of the public only, and that the lowest
is manifest. For by converting those Schools which were
founded as Grammar Schools into Schools fur teaching Eng-
lish reading, writing, and accounts, you reduce them in effect
to parish Schools. You confer no advantage on those classes
who arc themselves capable of teaching their children to
read and write, but only on that class which is incapable of
giving their children this instruction, and thus far you legis-
late partially ; but if you do this also to the injury of those
classes, you not only legislate partially but unjustly. • •
Now that this is the case, will appear. manifestly from the
considerations 1 am about to offer.
be object of Grammar SchoOls is not to give instruction
in spelling, but in literature—opt iu English reading and
accounts, but- in Grammar and the Learned Languages.
This is manifest not only Irons the general meaning and ac-
ceptation of the word, but, as I have shewn, from the con-
fession and acknowledgement of your own Clauses, and is
corroborated by a thousand incontrovertible facts. In
almost all cases where the funds were sufficient, the founders
of these Schools have annexed to them exhibitions, scholar.
ships, or fellowships, at the universities ; in several in-
stances they have declared what books shall be taught, which
consist entirely of books in the Learned Languages; fre-
quently they have pts.vidad that the masters shall be .gradu-
ates of certain standiog in one of our English universities;
in all these cases palming out, as plainly as actions and lan-
gunge could express, their. object and design to be, that these
Schools should be sennoaries of Sound learning and religious
education, should be nurseries for the universities, net Pa-
rish Schools, where the lowest class of children are taught to
read and spell. True it undoubtedly is, that the lowest per-
son who is privileged by the founder to give his childrc t the
benefit of the foundation„ has a most unquestionable right to
avail himself of it. But then he must do this according to
the founder's intention and design. lie must send his son
to learn GlatUillar and the Learned Languages, and if be
does that, no person npon" earth can reasonably object. I
have known several such cases in my own experience, and I
have always a peculiar pleasure and satisfaction when they
occur ; and even if the boy does not stay to
enough
his edu-
cation for the utiversity, yet if he gets enough learning to
qualify bins for -one of the liberal professions, a great advan-
tage is derived to his parents and himself. It seemed neces-
sary for me to say this, by *ay of guarding against being mis-
understood or rOisrepresented.
No doubt eViett nersony rich or pimr.lngh or low, Who an-
swers the contliticms ut the founder; in being burgess of such
a town, parishioner of such a parish, ~ative of such a coon,
ty,.inhabitant of such an hospital, or whatever his claim may
be, has an equal right to the benefits of the institution; ain't
I repeat this, because I ant fully sensible of the importance of
the declaration, But if these rights are equal to all the par-.
ties interested, it must militate +against every principle of
justice to make them unequal, by giving an advantage-10 one
' class w,hich is not given to the rest. You will, 1 have no
doubt, Sir, readily acknowledge,that it would be unjust to
insert a clause which should benefit only the highest, or only
the intermediate class of persons who have a right to the he-
t nefit of these foundations ; but if so, it is equa'lly unjust to
enact a clause to the advantage of the lowest alone. It is as
unjust to makc'a law, the consequences of which must neces-
sarile exclude the children of all the better and more decent
part of society, asit would be to enact one which should ex-
clude the lowest only. At present both have equal rights ;
hut if your clauses pass, though you way attempt to say that
the rights are still equal, the exercise of those rights will
soon become very unequal.
Tfie intentions of the founders of Grammar Schools ap-
pears to have been to diffuse as widely as posSible the attain-
ment of learning, by affordieg in must cases gratuitous, or
at least cheap means of instruction in those languages,
a knowledge 'of which is indispensable foi academic edu-
eatiou and the liberal professions. While the proba-
bility was, OA what are generally called the middle classes
of society, would chiefly take' advantage of these institu-
tions, there was no exclusion either of the highest or
lowest. But common sense evidently points out, that
the lowest classes would not wish in many cases to
bring up their children to liberal professions; and, if
they had this laudable ambition, would not be able, in many
instances, even whets their children had completed their school
education, to support them at the Universities, or place them
but in liberal professions in life. It is equally obvious that
the very highest classes would, from motives of pride, or even
of conscience, generally decline to take advautage ut eleemo-
synary
.foundations.---The probability, therefore, was, and
has been confirmed by the experience of all ages since these
institutions have been established, that the middle classes of
society would principally be benefited by them. Frew hence
we are supplied with our Clergy, our Lawyers, our Physicians;
and here by far the greatest part of the ordinary, acid some
of the highest order of the Gentry of the Realm receive their
own education, and, as .they advance in lift, send the it chil-
dren to receive the same benefits. (I am not now speaking of
buys who are educated at these schools Without participating
in thu benefits of the foundation, but of those who claim and
receive the, provision. made for them by the Founder.) Now,
Sir, as long as the decencies of life are kept up (which I sup-
pose they writ be, till they are levelled by the radical besoin
of destruction, which would sweep away both them and every
thing that inculcates them, comprising, of course, in the very
focus of the-desolation, all learning and institutions connect-
ed therewith) ; as long, Sir, I say, as these decencies are kept
up, parents will have some feelings about the associates of
their children. They will not care it the son of a person greatly
their inferior receives the same benefits of a learned educa-
tion with their own children—if they have common libera,
lity, they will foster and encourage such a buy, it be is mo-
dest and deserving, well knowing that from such education,
in such institutions, has c arisen many of the brightest orna
ments of theirconotry both in Church and State. But they
will feel and apprehend a great deal, and justly too, if Gram-
mar Schools are to be made schools for teaching English read-
ing, wilting, and acconnts—in other words, Parish Schools.
The-y.will know and feel, without the least or disre-
spect to the lowest order of society, that-their children can
learn no improvements in manners or morals by associating
with all the lowest boys of the parish, and they will feel it
necessary and inevitabie, to tot ego one of these two advanta-
ges, either the- preservation of their. children's minds from
the contagion of vulgar example, or the benefits of MI insti-
tution which they cannot enjoy without exposing them to so
great a risk. Now, Sir, do you think that any setisible and
affectionate parent willthesitate a moment which of these two
be should chose ? Do you think that any pecuniary consi-
derations would be sit fficient to tempt him to sacrifice the
mot als and future respectability of his child ? Would he not,
if obliged-to chuse.one of these alternatives, as )undoubtedly
he must, rather forego the benefits of the foundation, than re-
ceive them at the risk of his child's moral habits becomitig
'corrupted ?. If so, Sir, 1 beseech you to consider how great
and valuable a portion of society you deprive of benefits, of
which they have themselves participated, and which they
'have a right to expect fur their children, for the sake of vise