The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-03-26 00:00:00

AMOUNDERNESS DIOCESAN EDUCATIONAL

SOCIETY.

it (From our own Reporter.)
A meeting of the friends of the Amounderness Diocesan
Educational Society, was held on Saturday last, in the Pres-
ton Court-house, and the interest excited by the proceedings
at the Warrington meeting a few weeks ago was very much
increased from the circumstance that it was expected that
the Right Hon. Lord Stanley and John Wilson Patten,
Esq. the members for the northern division of the county
were expected to be present on the occasion. The meeting
was fixed for eleven o'clock, and it having been made known
that Lord Stanley had arrived, considerable eagerness was
manifested to obtain admission to the Court-house. Shortly
after the time appointed, his lordship came upon the bench,
and was loudly cheered by the numerous and respectable
assembly, amongst whom there was a considerable number
of elegantly dressed ladies. Amongst the gentlemen on
the bench we observed John Paley, Esq. mayor of Preston,
Thomas Batty Addison, Esq. J. W. Patten, Esq., M.P., the
Rev. the Vicar of Preston, Rev. R. Harris the Hon. and
Rev. H. Powys, honorary secretary of the diocesan society,
the Rev. Richard Parkinson, Fellow of Christ's College,
Manchester, Rev. William Hornby, Vicar of St. Michael's
upon-Wyre, Rev. J. Hull, Vicar of Poulton, C. Swainson,
Esq., of Cooper Hill, R. T. W. France, Esq., of Rawcliffe
Hall, E. D. Salisbury, Esq. of Lancaster, &c. &c. In the
jury box we noticed several clergymen, but we regret that
we could not ascertain their names.
Upon the motion of the mayor, seconded by Mr. Swain-
son, the Rev. the Vicar of Preston, was called to the chair.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the business of the meeting,
alluded to the exertions made by the great and good Cran-
mer and Edward the Sixth, for rthe promotion of religious
and moral education. Within forty miles of Preston they
had the schools of Ledbeater and .Griggleswick, with those
of Eversham, Macclesfield, Manchester, and many more.
During the times of civil commotion it could not be expect-
ed that much could be done ; but in the year 1811 the Na-
tional School Society was formed ; in 1817 it was incorpo-
rated by royal charter ; and to such an extent had the society
extended the sphere of its operations, that it had now 17,000
schools under its care, and above 900,000 scholars. Having
read an extract from the tables published by Mr. Burgess,
respecting the number of children now educating in the
various respecting
from which it appeared that the number in
the schools, belonging to dissenters was 597,392, whilst those
in the schools belonging to the Church of England, is
1,583,428, being three-fourths of the number of children in
England, between the ages of seven and fourteen. The Rev.
Chairman concluded by,reading an extract from the charge
of the Right Rev. Bishop of Chester, on the occasion of his
last triennial visit to Preston.
The Rev. R. HARRIS moved the first resolution, which
was to the following effect —" That it is of great and pressing
importance to extend the means and improve the system of
education throughout the country, on the principles of the
Church of England."
THOMAS BATTY ADDISON, Esq. Recorder of Preston, se-
conded the resolution, which was then put, and carried una-
nimously.
The Hon. and Rev. HonAcE POWYS, rector of Warring-
ton, and honorary secretary of the Diocesan Society, moved,
" That the establishment of diooesan and deanery boards of
education, for the purpose of bringing all Church of England
schools into connection, and of establishing new ones where
they are required, has the cordial approbation of this meet-
ing." The rev. gentleman, in introducing this motion, took
the opportunity of answering a pamphlet which had been sent
to him, and which purposed to be a reply to certain mis-
representations of the Rev. Francis Close, of Cheltenham,
disputing the management and mode of education pursued at
Harp Alley ;" and also to certain alleged misrepresentations
which he (Mr. Powys) was also charged with having made
at the Warrington meeting. The rev. gentleman read several
passages from the evidence taken before the educational com-
mittee of the House of Commons, and concluded by shewing
the evils occasioned by the passing of the registration act, in
consequence of people neglecting to baptize their children.
The Right Hon. Lord STANLEY, M.P., then came forward
and was received with rapturous applause. His lordship,
when the cheering had subsided, spoke to the following ef-
fect :—Mr. Chairman, Ladies, and Gentlemen,—l thank you,
Sir, and I thank you all for giving me this gratifying proof
that in the town of Preston I need no introduction ; and when
I look around me, and consider in what scenes it has been
my lot formerly to have been engaged in this town, gratefully,
personally grateful in many instances, I cannot but feel most
forcibly how much higher and superior gratification I expe-
rience at this time, when we are engaged in a work from
which all political animosities must be excluded, which can
excite a party or political asperity ; but when all men, of all
persuasions of politics, may meet together; and I rejoice to
see, Sir, that they do meet together, for the promotion and
furtherance of a common object, an objecl which I deem to
be of vital interest to the happiness and prosperity of every
class of our fellow-countrymen—to disseminate through the
length and breadth of the land, a system of general and uni-
versal education, founded upon the principles of that com-
mon religion which we all profess, and directed by the mi-
nisters of that church which we all revere. (Cheers.) I
come forward, therefore, gladly upon this occasion, though
not a resident within the deanery, yet connected with it, and
also with its inhabitants, by too many ties of interest and of
regard, not to lead me cheerfully to give my feeble aid to-
wards the success of a plait, the general dissemination of
which I hold to be of paramount importance. And as from
this meeting must be excluded the consideration of all poli-
tical differences, so I would fain hope that we shall meet in
aid of our common cause, even many of those between whom
and ourselves, on minor subjects, there maybe shades of dif-
ference in religious opinion. (Cheers.) Ido not-think that,
upon the subject we profess, we can justly be chargeable with
religious intolerance, or with a zeal and a narrow-minded bi-
gotry. (Hear.) Zeal, Sir, and no man knows it better than
yourself, is not bigotry ; a fixed adherence to principle is not
exclusiveness. We come forward declaring that our main and
primary object is to promote the diffusion of religious know-
ledge,—and, I will not shrink from avowing it as a secon-
dary object, with an earnest desire to extend the influence of
the church to which we belong, and adding one more to those
numerous bonds which already link it to the affections of the
people. But we do it in no spirit of unfriendliness to others;
we desire not to interfere with others, who, according to
their own views, co-operate with us, I would venture to say,
in the diffusion of religious knowledge. The field is wide
enough for thehinpa..:nns of .01 • ;+- i too wide to
cOA- —4-
tions of all; and there islno ncra,
.:
one set of Christian .1... ad jar and Jost'. ag list another.
in the service of one common master. (Cheers.) 1 speak
with great respect, of the exertions that have been made by
the members of various dissenting communities. 1 acknow-
ledge that in the church we have many of them as fellow-
labourers in the great work of religious instruction ; and to
none do we owe a. larger debt, a more abundant debt
of gratitude, than to that sect which, 1 rejoice to say,
differs least widely from the established church, and which
has ever been the foremost in that noble work in which
she is engaged,—the promotion of religious education. I
need hardly say, that I refer to that most respectable—that
most influential body, the sect of Wesleyan Methodists.
(Cheers.) Sir, others may speak as they think fit, but from
my lips the name of John Wesley shall never be pronounced
in terms other than those of the utmost respeet and reve-
rence. (Cheers.) lam satisfied that although we have
cause to regret the schism amongst the followers, that caused
the separation of a large and most pious, and most important
body from the communion of the Church of England, yet
by his zeal, his energy, by his pious exertion, John Wesley
at a time when our church was more supine and less active
than she ought to have been, roused her dormant energies, to
show a not dishonourable rivalry ; and although in latter days
he dissented from the church, of which he had been a most ac-
tive member, yet he has added largely and most abundantly
not only to the number of those who give a large amount of
religious knowledge, but by kindling the ardour of the church
itself, has added largely to the efficiency of the church estab-
lishment; and I am confident of this as I am of any thing,
that had John Wesley lived in these days, and in this state of
our (church, he would have been with us as zealous a co-
operator in our object. I do not despair, that among the Wes-
leyan methodists we may have some who will feel inclined to
give us all the support that they can. I feel confident that
we shall have many who will be glat that their children shall
profit by the success of their endeavours ; but whether we are
to regard them as friendly rivals stimulating our energies, or
to look upon them in the most pleasing light as fellow-la-
bourers in the same cause, of this I am confident, that there
never was a time when it was more necessary for the friends
of true religion to put themselves forward for the purpose of
supporting the broad, plain principle, that education is
valuable and important as combined with religion, but
more than worthless if it be separated from religion.—
(Loud cheers.) In coming for .:ard on the present occa-
sion, knowing that union is strength, knowing the import-
ance of acting on system, in concert, and in unison, we come
forward to invite the members of the church in every portion
of this land, to unite in one common effort, not more for the
purpose of extending the number, than of improving the
quality of the existing means of instruction amongst the
people. The schools of whatever denomination, there is
little doubt are all lamentably insufficient in point of number
for the education of the people ; and the amount of educa-
tion, and the nature of the education given in these schools,
is yet more lamentably deficient in every valuable ingredient
which gives to education the real merit. I need hardly point
—I would not weary you by referring you to figures or state-
ments—there is no person who has had any acquaint-
ance with the proceedings of any one of our large
commercial and manufacturing towns,—there is no
one who is acquainted with the populous rural dis-
tricts in this country, who does not know what a large
population of the people day by day grows up under his
own eyes in profound ignorance, which causes him to grieve
for the country to which he belongs. But, as my friend
pointed out, if you are to have an education which is to de-
serve the name, how essential is it that the person in whose
hands the educating of youth is to be placed,-should be en-
tirely competent to execute the task that has devolved upon
them. What is the condition of the bulk of those who carry
on this work of what is miscalled education ? What are the
teachers in your smaller schools ? What qualifications have
they for that difficult task which they have undertaken—my
reverend friend has stated. I state it too, that the reason
why they have undertaken to teach is, that all other modes
of livelihood have failed. There are very few of them who
are sensible that the art of teaching is in itself a science—a
science one of the most difficult that man can set himself to
learn. Yet' of those who are set to teach in our schools,
there is not one in a hundred—perhaps not one in a thouscnd.
who, applying to the study of that science, has the least idea
that it is a science at all, or has had the least practice in in-
structing. We desire to introduce better and more sound
views with reference to this question ; and as a first step we
desire, in every diocese, to introduce one model school, not
only for the education of the children, but for training the
teachers. It is asked, will you invite every school connected
with the Church of England, or every school conducted by
persons who are well-wishers of the Church of England, to
come into .union with our society; "what, (it is asked,) do
you mean to interfere with our local arrangements ? do you
mean to controul the management of our schools? do you
mean to supersede and set back all that which has already
been done? do you mean to place everything on one uniform
plan, from which there is to be no deviation?" We desire to
use no authority whatever. So far from desiring to put every
school on the same system we find it to be of the greatest
possible advantage, that the inspector appointed by the soci-
ety should have a practical opportunity of observing the dif-
ferent plans that are brought into operation in the different
schools. We grant you, that it is of at least equal import-
ance, that the managers of each school should not be confin-
ed in their own views, to that which is done in their own
school ; but that they should learn from the inspectors, at
their public visits, what are the plans that have been found
most generally beneficial ;—what is a useful mode in this sys-
tem ;—and what is a useful mode under another system :
that every improvement which is made known in our mo-
dern practice, should be made known by the inspector in the
humblest school in every county, and remotest diocese in the
kingdom. And we hold, that of the means of obtaining in-
formation of that which is practicable, this is the truest, the
surest, and most certain to be without offence to any body
else, (viz.) the introducing improvement in every part of the
respective diocese. But my reverend friend just now said
that very few masters were properly qualified for the task
they have undertaken. No man can look upon the one or
two instances that have been mentioned by my reverend
friend without seeing that there are very few of them who
are sensible of their own deficiencies ; and the first step to
improvement, is, to impress upon them a sense of their own
deficiencies; the first thing should be, to press upon the
mind of the master how much he has to learn still.—The
more sensible man, the more intelligent,' the better qualified
a school-master is for his office, the more he will be sensible
of his deficiencies for the performance of his duty ; the more
grateful he will be for the opportunity thus afforded him of
learning what is practicable of a better system, and profitable
for the improvement of his own school. This is the model-
school for training, for masters. We desire to have a train-