The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-08-28 00:00:00

oduced for the purpose of explaining and extolling
the 'liberal plan of education.' They have esta-
blished the• Central Society of Education, already al-
luded to, which embraces many members of Parlia-
ment and other public characters, and the publications
of which depreciate all descriptions of religious educa-
tion, and advocate the superiority of their own plan.
They have further laboured to instil their views into
.the public mind throughout England by popular lec-
tures and addresses at public meetings, and they have
elicited petitions—many of which, no doubt, have been
signed by persons little aware of the tendency of their
system, but which prove the progress that their doc-
trines are making in the country. They have there-
fore felt themselves, at length, sufficiently strong to
bring the question under the notice of both Houses of
Parliament in the present session. In the House of
Lords, a bill has been introduced by Lord Brougham,
Which, embodies the principles of this system, and pro-.
'poses its immediate establishment. In the House of
Commons Mr. Wyse has brought for Ward a motion,
which would introduce the system, by establishing
that which is one of its great features—a central board
of education nominated by Government. It must not
be forgotten, that both these proposals, pernicious as
their obvious tendency is, have received the general
apprObation, expresed in Parliament, of persons now
high in office; and that Mr. Wyse's motion was de-
feated by a majority of four only, in a house consisting
of 144 members. It is impossible, therefore, to deny
that these views have made formidable progress, and
that, if we would prevent their adoption in this coun-
try, we must forthwith awaken the public attention to
their dangerous and anti-Christian character."

They titen proceed to remark "that, if the tendency
of this system of education were properly understood,
it would receive no countenance from the majority of
the people. It would be found that, however anxious
they are that the means of instruction should be widely
extended, they would require that the education of the
poor. should be based on religion ; that it should corm
bine Christian instruction with useful knowledge;
and that Parliament should not impose on the mem-
bers. of the Church of England, who are the great ma-
„pray of the people, any system of education which
should not inculcate the doctrines of that church; any,
in short, which should not harmonize in all its parts
with the discipline and polity of that church and be
conducted under the superintending care of the paro-
chial clergy."

We feel equally assured that it is only necessary
that the real objects and ulterior views of these " li-
beral" advocates of national education should become
generally known, in order to be universally scouted
by the right-minded and moral people of England.
The advantages which have so long accrued from the
system of education carried on under the auspices of
the "National School Society," are too conspicuous
to be forgotten in the clamour of a few half-witted but
mischievous innovators, who want to remove the

" ancient landmarks" of our constitution, and to in-
'lttiduee into onr happy land the reign of civil anarchy.
The address of the " Lay Union " is, we fear,
'hie:effect in exculpating the "British and Foreign
School Society" from all participation in the schemes
of the " Central Society of Education." The com-
mittee of the "British and Foreign School Society"
-,(yrltieh is supported to a great extent by contributions
from members of the Church of England) have just
issued an address, which at once identifies them with
Mr. Wyse and his fellow-labourers. In this address

the committee have the modesty to make the following
" suggestions" :--41 It has been suggested that great
advantage would result if these commissioners (the
`CoMmissioners for General Education') were brought,
in the disposal of the public funds, into immediate
correspondence with the individual or local committee
sustaining each separate school, instead of acting
through the agency of any society or societies. This
point seems well worthy of consideration; but, how-
ever this may be decided, the committee would sug-
gest-Ist. That (excepting titles extinct, subsequently
maintained under this the head) this board should not
interfere, in any way, with the religious instructions
imparted in any school. 2dly. That it should not im-

pose any terms or restrictions, except such as might
be necessary in order to secure the efficient teaching,
and an adequate share of secular education. 3dly.
That the Holy Scriptures should be read and taught
in all the schools, such instruction to form part of the
usual order of occupation, in this school, and to be
communicated by the schoolmaster; but that the chil-
dren of 'Catholics and Jews might, if their parents
required it, be absent at such time; and that the chil-
dren of Dissenters shall not be compelled to learn any
religious formulary or catechism to ‘which their parents
objected."

Here we hare a full development of the scheme
which has been so long entertained by the political
Dissenters. They wish to have an opportunity of

inspecting all the' schools in connection with the
" National Society," that they may have the pleasure
4:4 denouncing them as inefficient, and of recommend-
ill the withdrawal of the parliamentary grant for
their support: The next step will be the establish-
ment of, schools on the principle of excluding all reli-
gious formularies and catechisms. A very modest
proposal, indeed, coming as it does from a class of
penple,who do not contribute one-fifth of the amount
of taxation..in- this country! We may well exclaim,
"What next ? 7 If they proceed at this rate, we shall
soon find them demanding the entire control of our
public schools and universities, and perhaps insisting
Upon haring our churches converted into lecturing-
roornh for the "diffusion of useful knowledge." We
are sorry to find that concession has been attended
with exactly the same result among both Papists and
Dissenters—it has only made them more clamorous
and unreasonable in their demands, more proud and
overbearing in their-demeanour, more insulting and
rapacious: in reference to the Established Church.
We must, therefore, stop short in the career of con-
cession. "No surrender" must be our motto in
future.

REGISTER ! REGISTER ! ! REGISTER ! ! !—We reite-
rate our advice to the Conservatives of Liverpool to
lose no time in placing their names on the list of mu-
nicipal voters. Unless all borough•rates are paid on
or before the 31st instant, no burgess will be qualified
to Vote at the ensuing election in November. The
liberals,.as they call themselves, or the radicals and
republicans, as we are justified in denominating them,
are up and stirring. They calculate upon the usual
apathy and want of exertion of the conservatives. Let
them find, for once, that they have " reckoned with-
out their host." Conservatives of Liverpool ! let us
have " a long pull, a strong pull, and. a pull.altoge-
ther,,, and the lossei of previous elections may be re-
trieved in November. Let not the radical faction tri-
umph in a single ward. Remember, that out of the
Sixteen councillors who retire in November, thirteen
are nicknamed reformers. Return your old and tried
friends once more into the Council, and send the sham
reformers "to the right about." It is of the greatest
inLPurtance that the conservatives should make a strong
euert at the next election, as eight of the aldermen
will then have to ".resign office." If we can succeed
in
"PPlying the vacancies in each and all of the
wards--and we see no obstacle in the way but the cul-
pable indifference too frequently manifested by the
conservatives—we shall then have a chance of seeing
.4 few conservative aldermen in the council. But be-
before we speculate upon the issue of the next muni-
cipal election, let u.s make the registry safe.
DR.

It. Ye SERMON BEFORE THE QUEEN.—We
have given the whole of this sermon in another part
of
editions
Tvatent impression. We perceive that five
hare already been sold off, and that the de-
rniand for this discourse continues unabated. We con-
rss that we see nothing whatever in the sermon itself
"inch could account for so large a demand. It is cer-
tuinir a well-digested narrative of facts; but those
facts are already perfectly familiar to every one who
has made ecclesiastical history his study. The style is
also forcible and dignified; but it does not strike us as
being Particularly eloquent. We believe that the cir-
cumstance which has contributed to render this sermon
!0 very Popular, is, the rumour that Dr. Hook has
been forbidden to preach before the Queen. The Age
758 the first to propagate this report; but the Leeds
ntelligencelt states that there is no foundation for it.
As the Intelligencer is published in Dr. Hook's own
Parish, we presume that the editor has been autho-
rised to contradict the report.
As to the intrinsic merits of the sermon itself we
have no room to-day to enter into any minute exami-
nation. On Friday we shall give a careful and dis-