The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-02-09 00:00:00

Marquis Co opposition from such a source
.is inex-
cusable after the confession, in a subsequent pas:-

whilst he thus brought forward these
two powerful classes of objections, he was far from

sage, that

laying that such opinions were generally enter-

thought no person deservir

the n

f States-

nan could contemplate the establishment of a sy

,em of popular

ducation, in this country

basis of not admitting Religion in that system at
all, or who could have supposed it safe or expedient

that the great mass of the
on to enter the field of gen
they should be invited to travel there without the

people should be called

al know

light of 1

Entertaining such opinions,

his lordship would surely have done well io have
himself upon what he confesses to be the

l'rown

" general" feeling of the country
risked the apprehended. " difficulties, opposition,
apprehension, jealousies, and doubts," which, with
'such a general feeling existing in favour of a really
comprehensive national system, must speedily sub-
side as its usefulness manifested itself.
In behalf of such a course Lord Brougham ex-
pressed himself in decided terms ; and in a great

and to have

measure recognises the fact, left out of vie N-v by
most parties who have of late attempted.to deal
,•, ,•

of this Country are based upon an Established
Religion. After eulogising the past exertions of
the clergy in promoting education amongst the
people

, his lordship went on to
"The Church would not have

'stem which was

so comprehensive as not to allow of airy clerical inter-
ference ; the Dissenters would not haVe any system which
allowed the least interference on the part of the Church ;
and, therefore, unhappily, between the two, education
went more or less to the wall. It was impossible to have
such a system of supervision as would suit all Dissenters
so numerous were they ; and his belief was, that it would
be better to give the Church a proper superintendence,
and leave the Dissenters to take it or not, as they pleased."
There are few who, from his large opportunities,

enjoyed during many years of intimate con

with the Leaders of the dissenting pa.
able than his lordship to decide how far the outc
which has hitherto been directed by that party
against a system of education over- which the
church shall have a reasonable amount of superin-
tendence, is the outcry of the leaders merely, or is
cordially adopted by the masses whom they lead.
It is clear that he sets it down to the former; and
most justly he concludes—and experience warrants

', are better

him in doing so—that those. misses will not for

any lengt

of time be preval

upon to wi

themselves from a participation, upon merely ima-
ginary grounds, in the benefits of a sound educa-

tional system

With'respect to that portion of the government
plea for declining to establish such a system, on
the ground of anticipated objection from those
who argue that education, like religion, should be
left to voluntary efforts, we do not feel it necessary
to offer more than a remark. We have seen the
short-comings of the voluntary system thus far,J
even in providing means of instruction for the
children of parents predisposed by their religious
convictions to accept its aid. But that anything
abryr+ tre a na+inrial nan roanb +ha

of infant vice, resulting from ignorance, existing
amongst the neglected poor of our large towns,

will require great hardihood to maintain.
We regret most deeply that Lord John Russell
and his colleagues have, in the measure under
notice, shrunk from the performance of what is
now acknowledged to be, on the part of the state,
not only a great public duty, but one, also, which
can be justified on purely economical grounds.

No previous government has ever been placed in

such a favourable position tor tne settlement or
this question upon a comprehensive and efficient
scale. The church, we firmly believe, was not dis-
posed to throw obstacles in the way, but rather
willing to concede somewhat to obtain such a set-
tlement ; and their relations towards the various
dissenting sects' would have enabled the ministry
to do more towards appeasing any clamours, which
" have arisen from those sects, than a Con-
-meet to effect.

6ervative government . can ever ex
Whether an effort will bt

,de in the other house

at to procure an extension of the

ved in