Star.
London, England, 1820-06-29 00:00:00

education, the pioportion-of crimes was as one in 4200.
In the six Midland Counties, where there were means
of education only for one twenty-fourth Of the popu-
lation,
.and the proportion of poor one-tenth, that of
criminality was one to 2,100. 'ln the three Eastern
Counties, where the means of-education 'extended to
si twenty-first part, and the poor amounted to one-
eighth, the proportion of criminality was• one to
'1,600.. In Somerset and Wilts, education being fbe
a twenty-eighth, and the poor one-ninth, the propor-
tion of criminality was as one to 1,64. In this.
-statement, therefore, he thought he had a right to
my, at the least, that there was no argument against
his theory. Returning to the Northern Counties,
there could hardly be any deduction made for dame
or feu schools. In Westmoreland there was but
little difference between its present means of educa-
tion and what it enjoyed twenty years ago. Educa-
tion, no doubt, was a great blessing, and capable
of miraculous effects.. But no one ought to expect
that it could be possible to collect a parcel of pea-
sants together, and by means of education enlighten
and reform them all of a' sudden. It could not be
done, such a state of things must be the work of
time. Education must be Fong in use before such an
order of things could be produced. If then, where
it had been long planted, the effects of its influence
were so palpable as to make a people remarkable for
the generality df their morals and industry, he had
a right to speak of such a circumstance as a proof
in support of the theory, that morality and industry
could attend education, wherever it was propagated
(Near).—There was another point of view wider
which he would consider this -subject. Generally
speaking, the number of schools where payment was
received was the same as the number of the endowed
schools. In particular parts of England, however,
there was a great variety. In the four Northern
Counties, the number of paying scholars was 37,000.
In Westmoreland forty-eight scholars only belonged
to endowed schools, while 2,800 attended schools
where they paid. In the six Midland' Counties the
reverse of this state of things preyaiied-18,000
scholars paid, while 26,000 attended the endowed
schools.. In the three Eastern Counties,; 24,000 scho-
lars paid, and 30,000 attended endowed tchools. In
Scotland, however, all the, scholars paid. The poor
people of that part of the United Kingdom refused
to accept education as a charity. They were too
proud for such a bounty, and were too much ad-
dicted to the Wholesome habit of looking to them-
selves for the sources whence they were to derive-the
means of improvement. The Scotchman would. say,
" I pride myself on the consciousness of being in a
situation to refuse education, coming in the shape of
charity. I will rather stint myself in my sustenance,
and. give my child the means of acquiring a power
to read and writer' The people of England might
well envy such a coturpunity; and he did not hesi-.
tate .to say; that he wished to insinuate, that there
was no better method :of undoing the effects of the
Poor Laws, than by bringing about that condition of
the popular mind, which England . once had, and
which Scotland now had—but which Scotland would
net now have, if the Poor Laws were established
there—rWear:hear).—tie never in his' life read a
more interesting and affecting document, than the
Report drawn -np •by the Clergy of Scotland, upon
the state of education there. In this document might
be seen the national character of .the Scotch—their.
zeal for the education of their children-and their
independence, exemplified in a thousand different
ways. In some districts, the parenui. put their chil-
dren to work during a part' of 'the year, in order
that they might be enabled, by their earnings, to go
to school during another part. The parents of Scot-
land, unlike those of some parts of the country, that
he could name, did-not look to the labour of their
children as a source to support-their own vicious
idleness ; nor did they seek from their children's loss
of time, and sometimes loss of virtue, at a time of
life when, as the Roman poet 'said, ".Like wetted
clay they could be fashio,ped to any shape," the*
means of putting together a stock purse, whereby
they could be enabled to indulge themselves in the
gratification of their depraved habits. The Scotch
made their children work in order that, they might
be enabled by their earnings, to acquire the blessings
of an education. There was among them no senti-
ment, no philosophic visions, no idle speculations ;
and though it was much the practice to talk of them
as a metaphysical people, still he believed there was
no race in the world that had a greater contempt for
what did not immediately tend to their oven advan-
tage-4A lairgh).—But his praise of -Scotland was
this, that the people-there always knew what was
their real advantage—(lfeer,hear).—For instance,
they thought idleness a great disadvantage, because
they learned from the Book to which happily they
were so attached, that sloth Iva& the parent of vice.
Now the people of Scotland would pot-stiffer their
children-to be idle, and made them work in iummer,
'when they might be able to gather 20s. and with it
'.pay for going to school in the winter. In the large
parishes, fifteeu miles by sixteen perhaps, where there
was but one clergyman and one schoolmaster, the
poor people had devised means -of wresting, as it
were. the means of education out of the stinginess
of the Legislature. They contrived to have 'the
schoolmaster week abaft tn;eath place, giving him
such food as they could afford, and thlts:M. was sent,
round thewhole• circuit of the parish; It Was curi-
ous to see how similar circumstances produced simi-
lar effects in different parts 'of the world. The Re-
port of the French Commission stated precisely a si-
milar contrivance US have been used, in a geitain wild
district of the' Pyrennees, adding, "thatit wail
happy for hint whowas a schoolmaster in the rugged
Pyrentwes; for he was sure never to die of hunger."
Such was the hungering and thirsting of the Scotch
after educationZ that the Clergy had said." For the
loveof Gen, foe the love of that religion which ii
preached to the Scotch, and whiCh cannot be preached
to thenr if you do not give theT Hon. andeam,--clo Learnednotlep
your purse strings tight." n-
'Gentleman next, proceededt•statithis plan, and be
believed, that whatevesimere ite;nteritsrhe bad suf-
ficiently sham his respect for the House by reserving
it for a year sad a half, &Wag which time he re-

. .
paits'of it over and over again—by
- the repeated revisions of his Hon.
introducing 'anything which was
by the digest before the Houir. The
of &dr brinchei. the first related to
of schools; the second rslated to &e
_...enranct removal -of *the Maiter ; the third
...ad to die admission of the scholars and their
tuition there; and 11% fourth related to the improve..
ment .of old education endowments. He proposed
tocosi-fidedie power of potting in motion the autho-
rity for erecting these schools to the hands of four
classes of persons. The first class of thew consisted
of the Grand Jury, whO. might, it the Easter Quar.
ter Sessions, either by finding s4.biil, .or by present-
mint declare the ChapelrY, or Parish, as deficient in
theNneans of education. The second class consisted
of the resident incumbent of the Parish ; the third, o
.two Justices of Peace, acting for the division
the deficiency existed ; and fourthly, of five resicki:
.householders. All these classes should have the.
.power of making a complaint at the Quarter Sessions
for Easter, to be triable at the ensuing Sessions. la
all these complaints, it must be stated whether or not
there be any school in the adjoining parish or dis-
trict, or whether there be only one or two schools,
but that the power of complaint shall not be exer-
cised in any case where there-have been three
school's, as that number must be deemed fully
sufficient for the purposes of educating the inha-
bitants who have the right to make use of them.—
.The next section under this head embraced the, pro-
-Gess of preferring the complaint, &c. It defined the
salary of the schoolmaster at a sum not less than
£2O, and not more than RM. Though some might
deem this ton small, it would be found enough when
it was considered that the policy of the mwsure was
to give the master an interest- in earning some en.
couragemene.fiom the parents. . The third- section
related-to die-execution of die order of Quarter Ses-
siOns. The salary of ;the Master, it was intended,
should be paid by the district whets hesresided; but
the expense of erecting the 'Mouse, &c. was
to be defrayeZbythe Iteceiiiroc.diecoonty Land
Tax, which was to:be
sreplacecritit .oLthe Consoli-
dated Fund, to any amount not excmling):2oo for
each particular building.... The_sCho. were not to
and

be large, but small epiemoctrous. . :The master
might be capable of pursuing any_other lucrative
employment, soil as would pot, injure his attention
to his scholars. The fitst''seCtin;
,ofthe nest head
related-to the qualificatiOnt.g the Master. This per-
son should have a .certifi-cmtelf.sgood conduct and
capability from the clergymk and three .household-
ers of the parish wherehe mil* for twelvemonths
before—that-he should be between the ages of Y 4,
and 40 years—be a' member •of
.the -Established
Church; and have taken. the Sacrament in testimony
of the same within a month, at least, before the
period of his entering dtuatiteu -Again, the
plan proposed would make -it V..C.sllVefent fbr the
parish clerk to be a mastercantire beheyed that the
union of the- two offices woulithave the effect. of
producingeabetter Cast:armed than those wino now
filled the-patt of -parish clerk. in our churches. The
election was t 9 take place by stAiijority of the house-
haiders isvinit.iled, the parish officer (who should, in
all cases, have a casting voce) weakling. He was
of _opinion; that the **stem ought to be under die im-
mediate sanction of'4hcaehurch of Eriglafid. He said
'this, because diere was a time when was not dis-
posed to go quite so l'i----(lteariliear).—He bad_at
that time dreaded giving any cause:of *Same to the
Disienters,--who might. perhaps think that his propo-
sition,wourX:go to...plant •'a second parson among
them in the person of z schoolmaster. But when
he considered the important advantages which the
system must derive from the zealous superintendence
of a pious English Clergyman, and also the dura-
bility which it would acquire by being so intimately
connected, ash, now proposed it should be, with the
Established Church, he was fully prepared to retract
all his former opinions which did not then lead hini
to make such an avowal. There were only two
other considerationi connected -with this- part of the
. .
1:27:n, anckthose he should advert to With
1-" the House. The first referred to religious
edbcation--a•mnst essential poirit—(Hear, hear)., -
In ibe.appointment of the schoolmaster, it was pro-
, vided that the Parson might reject the candidate after
examination, shoulthe not find him qualified, and
then. issue an order for a new election. _ In fact, the
Parson was allowed a Neto in this.particulir.. It was
righetbat he shosild_ baie such a veto, as Win the
best enabled to judge, -whether the: applicant- was oe
was not wines gds irr likratartt' -Upon the ques
don with respect to visitation, the. Hon. Member oh-
served, that the visitors were to include four Clare%
men of different dignities in the Church, ec t of
Minim couldxemove the schoolmaster, but that.**
appeal might lie against the decision of theundllo
visitor, which, 'however, was not to. be of apubrre
but of a private nature. The visitor might-direct
the superannuation of_ the schoolmaster, on apension
not exceeding two-thirds of his salary. The return;
in all cases, were to be made nudes the 441 d of the
late King. He next reale to.cansider the-question
with regard to the admission of the scholar:, and this
he knew involved some very serious .conslderations, as
the•prejudices of.the sects were concerned... *Accord-
jog to Mis system, however, the most scrupOlons
seater could not object to send his child tethe srbool.
he must be only one cif the most squeamish
Dissenters, whom that systemwould .stag-
ier.W Parson was to fix therateof admission for
each child, and he proposed-that it should be not less
.than two-pence, or Mare than three-penee per week.
;This at the year's end would produce a sum, which-
would render it worth- the master's' while to attend
to his duty; it would,._according to his calculation,
produce an increase to his salary of £5O ailear
that it would be for him to •'consider, whether he
should prefer being an industrious. schoolmaster at
£7O a-year, or an idle schoolinaster at Ego a-year.—
He'stipulated the small's= OE:Ant-pence a iveeYe
because he wished to excludc the principle of paw.
perism altogether. He would have as black line
drawn across the floor, nor would be have any
taunts used, that there_wtre children in the school
who-were paupers, and-as
_such paid nothing for
their education. He wished that his system should
raise,- not depress the human mind-qt./car, heart).
He knew welt the great anxiety that exiiied for .the
education of the poor, and some considered that the
schools proposed to be established, would be a greater
advantage W the natio'', than if the national debt was

•
of edviitios 1,020,00Gr0 1411tb: criaies, *theory would be found as applicable still: 'Vised all the pi
le lotion, beingjso less than 200 090 Reboil-before hill.* return of then nWser'ef.. cow- submitting it to
ore• an the means;of education in 18'1 .initinents for the laal lan years, and Writ op.' Friends—by riot
At Ole latter period, there were schools minted that the avdoge for the general population Sus Warranted by
ing no More thai 866,01111 Children; or rWAS one in 1400. In .the four Northern Counties, plan Consisted of
be population, leaving France quite as bad, however, proving the justness of the theory, where the fo'inidadon of
the means of edeeetsen,;es the county of ..there were the greatest ptupOrtide of the menus of appcfiutsueurand