The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-05-02 00:00:00

SECOND EDITION.

Standard-office, Twelve o'clock

FAC'FOILY EDUCATION BILL,

We take the following report of Sir lAMBS GRAHAM'S
speech last night from a third edition of the London Stan-
dard. published with our contemporary's usual considera-
tion for gratifying the desire of the public to become ac-
quainted with the details of this important measure :
Aphoerptarnocveisioefhtsheefbtiillle,
bill
respecting the establishment of schools, and contended that
After
en hrt called
ds a
attention to
the
to importance
the
right . •
so numerous were the checks provided, that, so far from the
bill, if passed, being likely to operate suddenly and simulta-
neously,hr some
areemea .
his firm belief was that those checks were of a nature
to make it very gradual and slow. He had enumerated the
checks with regard to new schools. He would now state the
checks with regard to existing schools under the management
of the Committee of National Education. The committee
of management must consent to the change, and there must
also be the consent of the Committee of the Privy Council.
Having disposed of
these preliminary points, he would now
address himself to the principal objections that had been
urged against the measure ; and if he were to seek the objec-
tions that had been most prominently put forward, he would
turn to the resolutions adopted by the Wesleyan body. He
was most certainly of opinion that the objections of the Dis-
senters generally were
entitled to consideration, but when he
considered the Wesleyan body, either as regarded their con-
duct on this subject of education, or the immense efforts
they had made, by the establishment of Sunday schools in
districts where education was most wanting, he would say
that the objections of that body were entitled to the greatest
respect and deference. Cone objection which had been very
generally urged, and which had met with great sympathy,
arose not so much from the intention of the clause relating
to Sunday schools as to the effect which had been described
()Peon-
es resulting from the wording of the clause. It had been de-
scribed as a clause directly infringing upon the rights
science, and that by its provisions children employed in fac-
tories were of necessity to use the schools under this act, to
the exclusion of any other Sunday schools. He begged to
state that it was his intention to exclude from clauses 57 and
58 all the words relating to Sunday schools; and also to
move that clause 60 be altogether omitted, and in lieu of
clause 60 to insert a clause which he should now read to the
house. The clause was to the following effect :—" Be it
enacted that the master and such other person as the clerical
trustee may appoint, at such time and under such regula-
gious instruction to the members of the
according to the doctrines and princi-
plessCtichniroh tchlaest r o
otehfaff Ed
thereof, f,otanrrnug and lsrateneledimay direct, shall open and attend such
shall give such instruction to every young
person who may wish to attend at these times, and every
child whose parents desire their attendance ; and such
master shall cause every young child who shall receive such
religious instruction to attend Divine worship, under the
care of the master, at such church or chapel, or such Sunday
school, as may be approved by the clerical trustee, and
wherein adequate acornmodation for children has been pro-
vide.d." The house would at once perceive what was the
effect of that alteration. The schools under the act would
on Sundays be open, and the master would attend on the
children of all such parents as might require them to be pre-
sent at religious instruction, given in the Catechism and
Church doctrine. But he stated on a former occasion, that
he recognised distinctly as a principle, that until the child
was emancipated the parent or guardian was the person hav-
ing legal custody of the child, and had a right to exercise a
control over its religious education and instruction. In
strict conformity with that principle, the clause, as he now
proposed it, would allow members of the Church of England,
whose children attended schools on week days to go if they
chose to any other Sunday school, and they would have per-
fect power and liberty to do so, and not to go to the school
under this act. (Hear.) If he had succeeded in stating to
the house the alterations he proposed with respect t 3 that
clause, he did hope and believe that every objection urged by
petitioners, in or out of doors, with respect to Sunday schools,
would be entirely done away with. He would now proceed
to the second point which related to certificates granted by
day schools, and on that point he would state to the house
that he proposed to introduce alterations in clauses 16, 17, 18 ;
and to omit entirely from the bill clauses 71, 72, 73, and 74.
He proposed to introduce a new provision which would en-
able all schools, without exception to grant certificates for
attendance, subject only to this condition—that all schools
granting certificates shall come under the cognisance of the
inspector, to be appointed by the committee of the Privy
Council, and he should insist further, that in any school
where Protestant children attended no religious instruction
should be given unless the authorised version of the Scrip-
tures were used; that it was intended to provide for the case
of Protestants attending factory schools, and to prevent the
master exercising any noWer he might possess to compel the
attendareeof Protestant children at factory schools, and
there instruct the cuituren in everything but the authorised
version of the scriptures. The books used in schools would
be approved of by the bishop of the diocese. In future it
will be sufficient for the parent to say that he objected to the
mode of education, taking every precaution to make the
measure as little objectionable as possible. It would be at
the pleasure of Dissenting parents to have their children
educated on Sunday in any school which they might prefer;
they would not be bound to any particular form, but have
the children educated as they thought best. It was well
known that Roman Catholics had conscientious objections
to the authorised copies of the Bible. He, however, pro-
posed
childrenas sages
.of e
nSdc rhi pet
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irde ,naent chi
es
laiye ivnegpo
ifs
st he
ne
tLe
rosr d;se
ePirdayeehr
jbe
ey thet te
gwhtithhereading
that schools should be opened with.the reading of
ttihleatsreergiputlearteiosna.ndTthhee
Lscehrodesl
pwroauylednalsToheislomsei
objec-
tionable to some Roman Catholics, he should therefore frame
a special enactment to exempt the children of Catholics from
being present at the opening of the schools.