The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-06-09 00:00:00

CONTEMPORARY PRESS.

NATIONAL EDUCATION.
(From the Staffordshire Gazette.)
We regret to perceive the tone taken by the Times
newspaper on this important subject, and the more so
because of its vast influence, and of our general ac-
cordance with its principles. The Times observes, with
reference to the grant of £30,000 last year carried in
the Commons, by a majority of two, that, "a condition
was attached to it that ministers should appoint in-
spectors to attest the proper employment of the grant;
and never was a more foolish or petulant thing done than
the refusing of this grant, or their share of it, by the
members of the Church of England, which refusal left
government the power of lavishing it without restraint
on the school establishments of the political dissenters;
whereas, had the church members grasped their
of what had in a great degree come from their
own pockets in the shape of taxes, there would not
have been one dissenting school in five which would
have been found to have performed the conditions of
the grant, nor one in . five of the Church of England
schools that had neglected them." Now this is not
stating the case fairly : the members of the Church of
England did not refuse to accept their share of the
giant simply because inspectors were to be appointed,
but on account of other conditions stipulated for, which
involved their conscience and consistency—they must
either have admitted a mutilated Bible and popish and
socinian inspectors, men of all creeds and men of no
creeds, to dictate the course of instruction in their '
schools, or reject a grant to which such impudent con-
ditions were attached. The best supply, however, to
the mistakes of the Times, has been very seasonably
supplied by that excellent nobleman, the Earl of Win-
chilsea. At a meeting of the Protestant Association,
on Wednesday, assembled to discuss this subject, his
lordship delivered his sentiments as follows, ands in
which we heartily coincide :—" We are assembled,"
said his lordship, " upon this occasion to protest
against the further continuance of that unscriptural
scheme of national education, against which we raised
our voices last year, and in favour of which only the
miserable majority of TWO could be obtained in the
lower house of parliament, while in the upper house an
immense majority of M. opposed it, adopting an ad-
dress to the Throne, praying her Majesty to withhold
her royal assent to the measure. But notwithstanding
this declaration against that scheme of education by so
large a majority of the hereditary advisers of the
Crown, an incompetent and daring ministry have
dared, being compelled by their Popish masters, in
direct violation of the best feelings of the people,
to advise their Sovereign to force that scheme
upon the country at large. We are assembled to sup-
port our opinion, which is founded on the whole
authority of Scripture, that no system of national edu-
cation can or ought to be acceptable to a Christian
country that does not take the Bible, and the whole
Bible, for its foundation, and all those religious prin-
ciples which the Bible inculcates. It is that religion
which can alone be of any service to man, and afford
him the slightest benefit in this life ; it is that religion
alone which can elevate the man and bring his heart
and life into subjection to the Almighty. Such a re-
ligion as that, indeed, is the only religion worth pos-
sessing ; it is a religion which makes a man happy
in himself and a blessing to the community to which
he belongs. The system of national education which
we stand forward to advocate is one which should re-
ceive the support of every Christian ruler ; for it has
for its object the moral improvement of the popula-
tion, the formation of upright character, and the in-
culcation of Christian conduct ; a system which will
be the best security of the public tranquility,
and the on!y safeguard of the peace of any coun-
try, a system which alone can maintain undis-
turbed and unpolluted the Throne and the Altar.
The true Christian is the true and genuine patriot ;
amidst the sneers and scorns he meets with from the
thoughtless and carelesss world, through evil and
through good report, lie continues his even. consistent
' course, his will ever regulated by the laws of God,
r and his every action in unison with the motto, " Fear
. God and honour the Sovereign." The true Christian
- in his relative duties as a father, a husband, a son, a
. brother, and a neighbour, as a master or a servant, as
aiilaenrdorh(amseustbjeecotn,rsie,
is invariably found
an inflpnuerisieueind by.
those just
those religious principles supported
hich he draws from the
' aßnidbler,esaildetwloilfehtheeacnnmalmonnenietntitl,erhii,simistoththe
the
es t e
religion,m
and these are the principles which, if generally taught
and diffused throughout the world, would convert this
earth, which sin and misery make a very hell, into a
very paradise. We are met to oppose that system of
national education, which whatever may be the declared
opinions of many who support it, we well knowand to was
concocted at Rome, fraudulently to try to deprive Eng-
lishmen of the ri.ghtofreadi
reading the
of the
for-
ward the ever-cherished design to bring
this country under the domination of the Church of
Rome again.

A very l oblong cluster of dark spots are now to be
seen traversing t
not far from the sun's centre.
They present a most arge
the solar
and elegant appearance through
•
be
a telescope.
e disc,
da l
Ting WEATHER.----011 Sunday and Mon d Mon
but ast, the
at about
atmosphere was extremely sultry and close,.
ted flashes of
midnight on Monday brilliant and oft-repea
lightnin,, broke over the town, and were shortly afterwards
succeededb by heavy showers of rain. About two o'clock on
Tuesday morning, the lightning was extremely vivid, and
was accompanied by awful peals of thunder, almost resem-
bling the report of a park of artillery. The storm ceased
before four o'clock, and the weather has since been tine and
dry, but somewhat cold. On Thursday night there was a
slight shower.—Leeds Intelligencer.
Mt./ORE.—The origin of Lalla Rookh was an application
made to Moore, by Messrs. Longman and Co., to write for
them an epic poem, in which there should be no allusion to
the ancient classical authors; they being responsible for the
highest sum ever given for an epic poem. Mr. Perry, it was
agreed, should decide the amount, which was fixed at 3,000
guineas.—Literary World.
We regret to state that Mr. Ilorsman has been returned
for Cockermouth. This result has been occasioned, as we
learn from a person on the spot, by the fact of General
Wyndham having declined, when lie took possession of his
property at Cockermouth, to comply with the urgent request
then made to him to become a candidate for the representa-
tion of the borough on the first vacancy. In consequence of
this refusal many of the electors, who would otherwise have
supported General Wyndham, became committed; but this
difficulty will not operate on a future occasion, so that we
may confidently add Cockermouth to the list of places which,
at a general election, will be rescued from the whig grasp._
Brighton Gazette.