The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-07-13 00:00:00

CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCHOOL SOCIETY.

The second annual meeting of the Church of England
School Society was held in the South School, Cornwallis-
st►eet, on Wednesday; the Rev. A Campbell in the chair.
The meeting having been opened with prayer.
The Rev. CHA IRMAN commenced by stating, that it had
not been deemed expedient to hold a public meeting in the
Amphitheatre, as the chief purpose of the annual meeting
was to transact the business of the society and elect the offi-
cers for the ensuing year; and as the society, by the blessing
of God, seemed to be now so firmly established that it was not
necessary, to stimulate .the sympathy of the public this year
by any public appeal appeal; adding, that it would be neces-
sary, however, in his judgment,, to have a public meeting at
some future period, previous to the next session of parliament
in order that the sense of the public might be taken, and em-
bodied in a petition to the legislatureupon the most important
subject of national education, based upon the doctrines, as
well as precepts of the Bible, and in which the established
clergy, should have their legitimate influence and share. He
then read the

"REPORT

,••••••
"In presenting their second report, the committee of the
Liverpool Church of England School Society rejoice that
they are able to announce to the Subscribers its increased
success in promoting the objects for which it was instituted,
and to call upon them to return their humble thanks to Al-
mighty God for the favour with which he has been pleased to
crown their efforts in furthering the cause of scriptural educa-
tion in the principles of the protestant trinitarian faith. The
South Schools, in Cornwallis-street, were opened on the sth
of December, 1837, and on the 26th of December the whole
number of children was 793. On the 26th of March, 1838, it
had increased to 926, and the return for the last quarter, June
25, was 1089—showing an increase of 296 since the schools
were open in December. The committee have succeeded in
procuring, they hope, a very efficient master for the infant
school, and when that department is set fully in action they
expect that the whole number of children in the South
Schools will amount to 1200—beyond which itwill not be ex-
pedient to go. The relative numbers in the South Schools
are as follow:

Boys (full)
Gitls
Infants

Total
The numbers in the North Schools are as follows :
Boys
Girls
Infants

Total
" In December last the numbers in the North Schools
were 953. There is, therefore, a diminution in this esta-
blishment--a diminution rendered expedient by the crowded
stale of the boys' school. By enforcing greater regularity
of attendance and conduct, the disorderly boys have been
got rid of, and the numbers beneficially diminished. The
grand total in both establishments this year is 2001; last
year it was 1683, showing an increase of 214. This increase
is highly gratifying, but it is no proof of the efficacy of the
system unless the numbers admitted are brought up in the
nurture and admonition of the Lord, and the committee felt
it their duty to appoint an inspecting sub-committee, in order
to enforce stricter discipline and regular attendance on the
week days, and more especially on the Sundays, so that the
increased desire for scriptural education which is evidenced
by the parents, may be made really profitable to the tempo-
ral interests of their children in this life, and their far more
important interests in the life to come.
" The committee regret very much that they have not,
with all their diligence, been able to find an eligible site for
a central school, and earnestly press this most important in-
,uiry upon the attention of the committee for the ensuing
.. When this school is built it will be more than ever
,ecessary to increase the subscriptions, as the expenditure
last year exceeded £lOOO, and the subscriptions very little
exceeded £7OO, thus leaving a deficiency of £3OO. Part of
this expenditure, however, was in extras, and will, no doubt,
be reduced in the following year.
"The committee conclude their report by humbly commit-
ting the interests of the society to that Almighty Being
without whom no design can prosper, and earnestly recom-
mending it to the personal exertions of those who are his
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, who,
as Christians, are commanded to 'show their faith by their
works, and to work out their own salvation with fear and
trembling, through him that worketh in them to will and to
do of his good pleasure; remembering that he who soweth
sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he who soweth plen-
tifully shall reap also plentifully;' and that, therefore, if they
expect to reap the fruits of the gospel, they must sow the
word of God, the bead of the gospel, plentifully in the hearts
of the rising generations of labouring poor;—convinced that
secular education cannot stand instead of reigious education,
and that religious education must be communicated after
some specific form of sound doctrine; that mere intellectual
cultivation will aggravate rather than corrupt the natural
corruption of the human heart; that mere worldly wisdom
will not teach men to know God; that no education can be
good for the labouring classes that is not based upon and
interwoven with the religious doctrines, as well as the moral
precepts, of the Bible; and finally, that no education ought
to be encouraged by the members of the church of England,
but such as is in conformity with the doctrines and formu-
laries of the church of England."
The treasurer's accounts were read and passed, and the
committee for the present year appointed.