The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-01-31 00:00:00

RAGGED SCHOOL UNION.

THE sixth annual Liverpool Ragged School Union was
held, on Thursday evening, in the Clayton-hall. The chair
was occupied by his Worship the Mayor; and on the plat-
form were—Mr. W. Brown, M.P., the Rev. Dr. Hanle, the
Revs. W, F. Taylor, T. Carter (chaplain of the gaol), .rid
Alex. Cromar, J. Kelly ; Mr. J. Cropper, Mr. E. Heath,
Mr. J. B. Broughton, Mr. R. Ratcliffe, Mr. J. King, Mr.
T. Matheson, Dr. R. H. Taylor, &c., &c. The body of the

hall was numerously filled.
The proceedings of the meeting were initiated by &-
prayer from the key. Dr. Hume.
The MAYOB, in opening the business, alluded to the-
great meeting held that morning in relation to the abate-
ment of juvenile delinquency ; and said he looked on ragged
schools as a great means of restraining that blot on our
social condition. He concluded by calling upon Mr. Burt,

_ -
the secretary, to read the annual report.
Mr. BURT then read a letter from Lord Stanley, who
had been invited to attend, but who regretted his inability
to be present. He also stated that the Mayor had received
a letter, apologising for unavoidable absence, from Mr.
Horsfall, M.P. He then read the report of the society's
proceedings from May, 1852, to December 1853, from
which it appeared that the schools connected with the
union continue to be conducted with energy and efficiency,
and the number of children in attendance bad increased
nearly 800, chiefly caused by the opening of 8 new schools.
The total average number of children in attendance in the
ragged schools in this town is 3411, of which 2832 attend
the evening and 402 the infant schools, whilst the re-
mainder enjoy the superior instruction of industrial schools,
which are open every day and all day long. At the three
industrial schools the average attendance was 177; the
number that can read is 157 ; 99 have obtained situations;
158 attend places of worship ; and 14 have been drafted to
higher class schools. The average attendance at:the 24.
evening and.day schools is 2,832, of whom 1,800 can:read;
134 have obtained situations ; 357 attend places of worship;
and 120 have been drafted into higher class schools. The
average attendance at the five infant schools is 402, of
whom 97 can read ; 40 attend places of worship, and 26
have been drafted to higher class schools. The report
mentions that, though so many have been brought within
the reach of instruction, it has been computed that there
are 67,000 children, between the ages of 3 and 12, dame('
as poor, either receiving or requiring assistance from the
richer part of the community for their education. The
, accommodation provided for these is not adequate for more
1 than 39,500, leaving a residue of 27,600, from which it is
only fair to deduct one-fifth, or 5,500 who are unable to
attend, leaving the large number of 22,000 children for -
whom no school accommodation is provided. The report
concluded by congratulating the subscribers to the society
on the deepening and widening interest which has been
latterly manifested on the subject of the education of the
poorer children of the community, as evidenced by the
recent conferences in Birmingham, as well as the meeting
in Liverpool that morning, from which this subject pro-
mised soon to be one of the leading questions of the day;
and the committee expressed a hope that the increasing
liberality of their fellow-townsmen would enable them to
extend their efforts still more than they had hitherto done.
Mr. RITCRIfi, the treasurer, read the statement of ac-
counts ; and, before doing so, he said that they did not
interfere with the efforts of those ragged schools which
supported themselves. The union was only intended to
aid those schools which could not wholly support them-
selves. The whole amount placed at his disposal during
the year had been £l9B as. 10d. In conclusion, he; said it
was a great fact that from 20,000 to 22,000 children, in
Liverpool and the neighbourhood, were growing up without
: education ; and, unless they were subdued by education,
they would subdue society.
The Rev. Mr. Ronizisox moved the adoption of the re-
port, and the re-apppointment of the committee of the
Ragged School Union for the ensuing year.
Mr.WM. BROWN, M.P., seconded the motion, and, in
doing so, said that when he saw the rules of the Ragged
School Union he was surprised to find that the 6th appeared
to him to exclude all but evangelical Christians from the
union. On reading that he immediately wrote :to Mr.
Heath, who had invited him to be present, stating that he
could not countenance the society unless it embraced the
children of all denominations, whether Roman Catholics or
Jews, or whatever they might be, who choose to come toI
receive instruction. On receiving that note, Mr. Ilea
explained to him that it was never intended to exclnde,ilG
li!
class of children, and that, in fact, many Bac' m" Cadtonuub t,
children attended the schools ; but, to remove
he stated that the rule would be altered, to the tl'
rdecoototmhait
.
the union did not exclude the co-operation oftiani was put
nation of Christians. (Cl)eers.) The resolu
and carried unanimously.
The Rev. Mr. CIIO3IAR moved the next
0 ....-1, e
acknowledged, with thankfulness t kr.-
had attended the efforts of the L.
and the benefits which, by its, ins
diffused over those poor districts in thresolution, which
success which
irerpuol Ragged School,
entality, had been
this town in which
they had been established.
the resolution, which was carried
Mr. HEATH seconded
unanimously. then made in aid of the object of the
A collection was
meeting. icx,r,v moved the next resolution, to the
The Rev.,3
tfiri.e
earn' g being of opinion that' ragged
effect that
muinc_tedgardin the spirit of evangelical truth, and
to the condition of the children, were
schools,
with a careful re
the deficiency with the means of
well calculated to supply.,
educating the really poor in our large towns,
and have it
direct tendency to lessen the amount of juvenile delin-
quency; strongly recommends them to the support of the
public.'
The Rev. Mr. TIYI.OII seconded the motion, which was
carried unanimously.
Mr. J. CROPPER moved a vote of thanks to the Mayor
for presiding, Which was seconded by Mr. Bilows. ALP-,
and unanimously agreed to.
His Wonsnir acknowledged the compliment; and thC
Prcatdipilti terminated shortly before tea o'clock.