The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-03-16 00:00:00

NATIONAL EDUCATION.

At a meeting of the clergy of the diocese of Kilmore, on the
Ist instant, the following petition was unanimously adopted.
" To the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in this present Parlia-
ment assembled—the bumble petition of the Bishop and
Clergy of the Diocese of Kilmore,
" Humbly sbeweth,
" That your petitioners are members and ministers of the
sEirsotaubslitsohepdroCmhuotre thchien
elxretleannsido,nsoodi
true religion and sound
as such,
are sincerely de-
knowledge amongst the ignorant and indigent youth of the
country. That it is our hearty desire to be enabled to extend
the blessings of religious instruction to all without respect of
tiersons ; and, for the sake of accomplishing that important ob-
ject, there is no labour which we would decline, and no sacri-
tices which we would not make, consistently with our duty as
clergymen and as christians. That, as ministers of the Gospel
of Christ, we cannot but shrink from the responsibility of with-
holding, or of couutenancing any system of education which
withholds from any class of Christian children that blessed
Book, by which life and immortality are brought to light, it
being our bounden duty to assert for all their inalienable right
to read and to hear the holy Word of God. That your peti-
tioners are fully convinced that an Education Board, based
upon the truths revealed in Holy Scripture, is the only educa-
tion which can lead to that righteousness which exalteth a na-
tion ; and they are, therefore, constrained to declare, that in
the schools which they are desirous of being enabled to estab-
lish, the reading of the Holy Scriptures by all children of a
suitable proficiency, should be a rule without exceptions. That
in all schools such as we contemplate, it would be indispensable
that the master should be an individual in whom well grounded
confidence may be placed—as one who would not abuse his op-
portunities to the disparagement of the Holy Scriptures, and
the perversion of the youthful minds committed to his charge;
and such confidence we do not feel with respect to the great
body of the masters who are now administering the System of
National Education in Ireland. That the modifications of the
National System of Education, lately put forth by the Board of
Commissioners, do not at all remove our objections to the prac-
tical working of that system, but rather increase them, by af-
fording additional facilities for the propagation of erroneous
doctrines, and by the increased exposure of Protestant
children to insidious designs upon their faith. That as a
body of men in immediate connection with the religion
of the State, we feel it not unreasonable to expect from
the Legislature the aid necessary to enable us to be use-
ful in promoting the knowledge and practice of our Di-
vine religion, and even justified in complaining, which we
do with feelings of a profound and poignant sorrow, that the
public revenues of a country, predominantly protestant, should
he allocated to the maintenance of a system which has been
proved by evidence before committees of parliament, to be sub-
servient to the aggrandisement of the Church of Rome. That
while we are desirous to abstain on the one hand from any
aggression that could, in the remotest degree, deserve the
name of persecution, we are bound also on the other, to abstain
from aiding or confederating in the maintenance of ought that
we know to be opposed to the Word of God and, as the pre-
sent system of' national education has a tendency not only to
make light of that Blessed Word, but to foster and encourage
errors that are contrary thereto—while such continues to be its
character, it can never meet with our approbation. 'That the
board of commissioners, as we understand them, are themselves
are not satisfied with the vast privileges already conceded to
them, but meditate aggressions upon other established institu-
tions for education in Ireland, and aspire even to the power of
taxing the people, and of interfering in behalf of their system
of education, with the rights of the protestant proprietary of
Ireland ; and that the furtherance of such views by the legis-
lature, we should deplore as a great public calamity. That it
is our fixed belief, founded upon long experience, that scrip-
tural schools, under our own auspices, would be largely attended
by children of every denomination, and that if there was secu-
red for them that countenance from thestate, to which, for every
reason, human and divine, they are entitled, a very short time
would witness the rapid disappearance of prejudices which
would never have risen to its present height, but for a persua-
sion sedulously propagated by the enemies of the national reli-
gion, that both with respect to its rights, and with respect to its
principles, the Established Church in Ireland does not meet
that support from men in power, which it is their duty to a fro! ri
it. That in now coming forward to pray for aid to extend the
blessings of scriptural education, and to offer this our solemn
protest against a system by which the laws of God and true re-
ligion are injurinusly compromised, we conceive that we are
only acting in conformity with that character of guardians of
the public morals and spiritual guides of the nation, with which
the clergy of the established church are publicly invested ; and
that if we were to hesitate or withhold our warning voice from
the high councils of the realm, on this momentious subject, we
might he justly' chargeable with the reproach of unfaithfulness
in the discharge of our bounden duty. That your petitioners„
therefore, pray your honourable house to take the premises into
your favourable consideration, and to devise such measures as
in your wisdom may seem fit, to enable them to offer a scrip-
tor;il and literary education to the poor of their parishes, upon
principles consistent with the laws of God and with their own
ordination vows, and the inviolable obligations of their con-
science. . .

" And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray," &c.

CONSERVATIVE FESTIVAL IN SOROPSOIRE.—Busy prepara-
tions are making in Oswestry for the approaching great conser-
vative festival, under the superintendence -a a committee of
the rtco.c,,hhouring and resident gentry. All the truly loyal and
worthily liberal members of Shropshire. the adjoining counties
of Denbigh and Montgomery, and others in any way connected
!herewith, with several noblemen of unflinching. well-tried con-
servative principles, are expected to honour the meeting with
their Company.—Ten Towns Messenger,

ANNUAL MEETING AT THE MECHANICS'

INSTITUTION.

On Wednesday evening, at seven o'clock, the annual meet_
ing of the members of the Mechanics' Institution was held at the
institution, in Mount-street. The meeting this year presented
a different feature to the meetings of former occasions, being
held in the theatre of the splendid new institution in Mount-
street. William Wallace Currie, Esq.. the president, took the
chair. He was surrounded by a number of the gentlemen of
the town, supporters of the institution, amongst whom we
noticed Mr. Joshua Walmsley, Mr. King, Mr. Richard
Shiel, Mr. Mnsgrove, &c., &e. The gallery of the theatre was
hung round with drawings and designs, the works of the various
pupils of the institution ; and on the table before the president
were several models, also the work of pupils and artizans con-
nected with the institution. One, the model of a flight of
steps, in stone, erected without support, on the principles of
geotiletrical proportion was very beautiful.
The PRESIDENT, in opening the business of the meeting.
said, owing to an accident, two years ago, he had the honour or
• being elected president of that institution; and an accident it
was of a graver nature which, the last year, prevented his suc-
cessor being appointed. It was his great good fortune now to
be called on to address them under circumstances very different
indeed. The last time he had seen them was six or seven
months ago, when they had met to clear the house preparatory
to a removal, whbn their prospects were'far different to wha
they are at present. A circumstance had occurred which was
sufficient to damp the feelings of the most enthusiastic. Now
their prospect was changed. Few institutions had ever arrived
at a position which promised so much for the future. Beyond
the honourable and honorary office which he then held he could
not claim to himself any credit for the circumstances which hat!
led to the present result, and therefore what he was going to say
must be considered as distinctly to apply to the committee, and
not as a praise of himself, for he deserved nothing. He con-
sidered it a very great honour to be elected to preside on that
occasion. It would not be necessary for him to enter into any
detail on the progress of the institution, as their excellent
secretary would read the report, in which all information on
that head would be embodied; but he did say this, that, ton_
sidering, the happy circumstances by which they had been
enabled to secure the services of the professors and masters
whom they had the honour of having among them, and the
further support which the public seemed inclined to give, he
thought they might look forward to bright days indeed for the
institution. He should now request the secretary to read the
repot t, after which he should distribute the prizes to the pupils,
and afterwards take the, opportunity of saying a few words on
the occasion.

Mr. 11AncLIFF, the secretary, then read the following
report :
The Directors to whom you confided the management of this
Institution, in laying before you a report of their proceedings
for the last six months, feel no ordinary degree of pleasure in
being able to congratulate you, not only on the progress which
the Institution has made, but also on the high estimation in
which it is now held by the public. They feel confident, that
after an impartial review has been taken of their proceedings,
the difficulties which have been surmounted, and the increased
efficiency which has been communicated to every department
of the Institution, it will be admitted that they have not proved
unworthy of the confidence you reposed in them, and that the
Institution is deserving of a still higher degree of public support
than it has yet experienced.
In the last six months 1119 new members have been ad-
mitted, whilst only 113 have cease'l to pay their subscriptions,
leai-ing an increase of 1336 members. The number of mein-
bets belonging to the Institution are as follows :-
470 Members for life,
877 Annual subscribers of 21s. each.
210 Quarterly subscribers.,
366 Sons of members.
168 Apprentices.
195 Ladies.

Total ..2286

The following brief abstract of the accounts of the Institu-
tion will show its receipts and expenditure ; the detailed ac-
counts will be printed with the report as usual.
Amount received in subscriptions, &c £1532 11 1
Donation from James Muspratt, Esq 2OO 0 0

£1732 11 I
Amount due to the Treasurer in Sep-
tember
Amount expended in Teachers' sala-
ries and the general expenses of
the Estatolishinent llO7 1 6 1263 5 2

Balance in the Treasurer's hands £469 5 11
The Directors are happy in being able to state, that in con-
sequence of the great influx of life members during the last six
months, a large sum has been obtained, which they have de-
voted to the discharge of the debt on the building. The
balance remaining unpaid, and which includes the expense of
fitting up the schools, and rendering every part of the Institu-
tion complete, does not exceed £l5OO.
Judging from the past, the Directors hope they will not be
considered too sanguine in stating, that they expect the same
source will, (in three months) supply a sufficient amount to
leave the building free from incumbrance. When that period
arrives, they earnestly recommend to their successors the pro-
priety of advancing the sum necessary to constitute a life
member to Twenty one pounds, the present subscription of Ten
guineas being, in their opinion, too small a sum for the pri-
vileges which a life membership much confers.
With regard to the building land, the corporation has signi-
fied its readiness to affix its seal to the deed of gift, which will
therefore be perfected as soon as a majority of the life members
have affixed their signatures to it. A few names are still
wanted to make up the number required by the act of parlia-
ment. It is expected they will he obtained in a few days.
The Evening Schools are divided into nine departments, and
consist of 465 pupils, under the superintendance of 13 teachers,
as follows.