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

class only, who can be better and more essentially benefited •
by instruction given them in schools appropriated for that
purpose. Consider, Sir, what. a numerous body of Gentry,
Lawyers, Medical Men, Merchants, Naval and Military Gilts
cers, respectable Tradesmen, and innumerable other descrip-
tions of persons there are. in the middle classe,a-of life, •
to whom these institutions, at present afford the
only meaos of giving their children educatious suit- •
able to their situation in life : all, or at least by-far
the greater part of whom, vei!l be compelled to forego these
benefits, if Grammar Schools ace converted into schools for
ravish patteurs. Above all, consider that large class of men
of whom you have been pleased yourself to speak in We'll
tin Ins of approbation in the Ileuse of Commons-1 mean the
Clergy of the Established Church. What a great proportion
of this body have been educated at these schools, and look to
these schools for the education of their children ! And thus
far I. have spoken only of those who have a right to the bene-
fits of these foundations; but if we add those, who by usage
and general consent have been in Ilse habit of sending their
children to such schools, paying a moderate sum fur their
education, and who, if these clauses pass, must place -them
elsewhere, probably at a greater expence and with less ad-
,vantages of cotopetent instruction—the injury which must re-
sult from the measure will appear indeed enormous.
Let me, therefore, beseech you, Sir, in the name of all that
is venerable in the institutions of past ages ; by the gratitude
due to the founders; by the sacred rescsence due to testa-
mentary disposition's ;• by the justice due to the present and
future generations Muth of the instructoi,sand instructed; by
any respect that you may eotertain for trarniag; by all the re-
gard that you have for equity; by all the solicitude that you
feel for the faithful discharge of you' duty;-to abandon these
daagerous inaovations. If the wills of founders of Schools
may be Altered us set aside, any other wills .may ;- and if this
principle be once admitted, ncr man's estate or property is se-
cure to lout fur an hour.
You profess, Sir, that your labonmare directed for the pub-,
lie good. Iby no means qaestion' it. I repeat what I have
already said, that I think they' have already produced some
good, and may, with roper modifications, produce more. Do •
not defeat their object by measures which. must ultimately
tend to the public injury. If Schools arc still necessary for
the education of the lower classes in Etsglish reading, writing,
and accounts, let them be fouhded aecordingly ; it is a na-..
tional concern, and •t he nation' ought to undertake it; but do
not divert those already established for different purposes, to
a design fur which they were nut iutended.
You will tell me, perhaps, that Grammar Schools should not
be made sinecures. 1 perfectly agree with you o—and 22 rears'
hard labour in the School of which I am master, will bear
strong attestation of my sentiments on this score. But is it
often that they are sinecures ? If a master resides in his school
house, and is ready and willing to teach any brtys who are sent,
to hint conformably withs.the founder's diseetions, he can
hardly be said to hold a sinecure, even if he has not a single
boy in his School ; for he cannot compel parents to seed their
children, though they may compel him, when they du send, to
teach them. But will you allow me, Sir, with due respect
and deference, to tell you how I think the evil, if it exists,
may be both legally and effeetnally remedied.
Let a Bill he passed, enabling trustees to obtain a short
and easy
.mode of terminating litigated cases. I could.
mention an instance of a School, Sir, _ where .a ruinous
and expensive lawsuit has been :serried on front genera-
tion to generation, where the trustees have in vain pro-
posed to come to an accommodation, and have in vain tried
tin obtain a hearing in Court., and where s the lawyers
assert that the trustees cannot drop the suit, even if they
were willing to sacrifice their claim to avoid tire ruinous ex-
peaces of the law's delay. Let, I say, such a Bill be passed;
and let another Clause give the master a right of access
to the accounts of the trustees, in order to see that justice is
done to the estates and to himself, and sonur ary means of re-
dress on au appeal, by tine .and removal of tire trustee abusing
Isis trust. Let another Clause give the trustees a power of
compelling the- master to do Isis duty, by enabling them to
suspend his salary, or withhold it, 'in case of negligence,
which shall he proved to the satisfaction of the bench of ma-
gistrates at the Quarter sessions. And farther, 'o remove
him altogether, in case of a second offence, by application to
the Lord Chancellor for an order to that effect. Lastly, let
the trustees he empowered, or even required, to be peseta
at a public examination of the boys once a year,and to distri-
bute prizes in books, or otherwise as they shall think fit, to
the boss
.who appear best to deserve it' Such a bill would
put the revenues of Endowed Schools, wherever they were
decayed, in an immediate state of renovation; would secure
the !setter fuliiiing the intentions of the founder, by emu-
mlling the master to do his ditty or resign; would secure
the rights of the master, by preventing corrupt or negligent
administration of the funds on the hart of the trustees ; and
would encourage diligence and emulation aniong the scho-
lars. The consequence would be, that those Schools would
flourish which are now decayed, because under such encou-
ragement able masters would be found to undertake them,
and negligent or incompetent masters could not continue
in
them; and even in those few places where there are at pre-
sent no inhabitants who may wish their children to have the
benefits of the foundations, boys Would come from the neigh,
booting district, to be under the care of a good master ; and
thus considerable benefit would accrue to• the place. For it
scents to me hardly fair, even in those few places which have
a Grammar School, but which can supply no scholars, to per-
vert the intention of the foondee to other purposes. If
causes have led to their decay, other causes'may lead to their
restoration, and few are more likely than tire establishment
of a Grammar School lit them, which may induce persons of
respectability in life to result there. Both narrow and Rug 7
by afford illustrations of this case, the prosperity of which
places is intimately connected with tire flourishing state of
their respective Schools.
1 have said much more . than I. intended, but Pll/01 IeSS
thou I wish to say. if I have spoken its terms of condemna-
tion of the measures you have proposed, I must once more
beg leave to request yon will not apply those terms person-
ally to yourself. You have declared your motives to he good,
and I beg leave to disclaim all attempt to arraign them. I
have felt it my duty to come forward, though amidst cootirtual
interruptions, and the business and fatigue of my profession-
al duties, I am aware that I trace not been able to do justice
lo my cause. It will be enough for are, however, ifl cart.succeea in drawing tire attention of any Members of th.e Le-
gislature, and of my professional brethren, to the subject.—
The .discussion I must leave to abler heads and abler pens,
although there is one topic connected with these Bills, which,
on other grounds, may •lering me again before the public.—
For the present% hoWever, I respectfully take my leave,
And am, Sir,
Your very obedivat'Sereant,
Shrewsbury, Oct. 19, 1820. • S. BUTLER.

For the first time in the memory of man, a
shoal of herrings has, for several days past, made
their apprarance as high up the River Thames as
G rave send. • _ _ _ _

A Priest has been arrested at Mons for hav-
ing, in a fit of passion, struck his clerk for some;
trifling neglect, with such violence as .0o lay him
dead at the foot of the altar.
On the 3d inst. a woman. at Lyons, in the ab-
sence of her husband, poisoned her tWodaugh-
.ters, one aged 7, and the other 24 years. She
then attempted to pOison her,son;.aged
.13 years.
and finished by destroying herself. The crime is
attributed to insanity.
The operation for .Aneurism of the carotid
artery was performed in the Royal .Infirmary,
Glasgow, on Tuesday evening, by Dr. PERRY,
the attendant surgeon. The patient is'doing
This is the more remarkable, inasmuch as he had
been reduced,almost to the point of death by loss
of blood from the burst-artery. We learn that
this is the first time this important operation has
been resorted to in this part
.of the country.
Not many years ago it was thought impractica-
"ble.--(GlasgOw Paper.)