The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-10-01 00:00:00

t. In 1

ent scriptural system, in
1849 1850
460 522-

greater under

result 'occurs under

ve been conceived,

3e an opposite state

ar in which fever was rife

be school lost a hundred

cholera amongst them-

selves or their parents. Another circumstance
which has retarded their further increase is the
large number of working men who have left the
district, through the stoppage of the operations of
such concerns as Messrs. Bury's foundry, the re-
moval of Messrs. Wilson's and Vernon's shipbuild-
ing yards. and many of the soaperies and alkali
works formerly carried on in the neighbourhood.
But for these retarding influences, the Council
would, before this, have been called upon to enlarge
the boys' school. This was originally built to ac-
commodate only three hundred boys; and al-
though, about three years ago, an addition was
made to it of space for one hundred and fifty more,
it is much too small. In estimating the value of
the schools in the eyes of the working classes by
the number of children attending them, allowance
so to be made fcr the numbers who have
Church of England

by the vi

been est

lished during the

This point we think we have sufficiently proved,
that the number of children receiving an education
rcater than it was

inder the preser

at systeem is
x

nder the

liberal" system

Ye come next then

estion—what is the kind of education
given ? It is assumed by the opponents of the
present system that in a religious education, secular
knowledge is either excluded altogether, or neg-
lected ; that we cannot combine the teaching of
that knowledge, which is good for men's souls,
with the inculcation of the arts and the acquire-
ments most useful to them in the daily walks of
life. The assumption is preposterous. it leads to
the inference that the truths of religion are anta-
gonistic to the growth of human intellect, and the
teachings of God's Holy Word are not useful
and required to be followedin our dealings and our
conduct in life. To form a valuable member of
society, is it more important that a child should be
perfect in the multiplication table, the rule of three,
and vulgar fractions, than that he should have im-
pressed upon his heart the commands "thou shalt
not steal," "thou shalt not hear false witness ?"
We do not think that Mr. George Holt, or any of
his supporters, would as willingly entrust their
property in the hands of a merely secularly-edu-
cated man as in the hands of one who, along with
the knowledge thus imparted, has been trained
from his youth upwards to feel that he is account-
able
to his Maker for every action of his life and
for every talent bestowed upon him. But it is not
true that useful knowledge is neglected in these
schools, or that scripture teaching is the all in all
regarded. They afford a knowledge of grammar,
arithmetic, history sacred and profane, geography,
and every branch of information required by youths
in an humble sphere of life. They have done even
more than this in many cases. Several of the boys
educated in the Corporation Schools are now oc-
cupying positions of high responsibility, to which
they have advanced themselves by excellent con-
duct, and by following out in life the principles, and

to the q

using aright the gifts, here implanted early in their

minds

Let us see what it is which Mr. Holt would
change in a system producing such results. His

and regulations for conducting the
Corporation Schools be so framed as to secure equal ad-
vantages to all, excluding none, and that, in order to
carry out this principle, the Muster Roll be not called
over in the morning until the religious services are con-

" That the rule:

eluded, and that, in the evening, the children of those pa-
rents who may conscientiously object, shall be at liberty
to retire before their commencement. That the use of

make an objection thereto, and that a Committee favour-
able to this view of the subject be appointed to carry the

foregoing resolutions into effect.'

. .
a man of Mr. Holt's intelligence ought to be
ashamed. It bears absurdity on the face of it.
"Equal advantages to all !" How is a system
which can effect this to be devised ? The granting
of Mr. Holt's proposals entire would certainly not
effect it. It is certainly not an advantage to the
poor Roman Catholic child that, whilst others are

Nyorshipping their maker, he should be bit

mg in

the streets i or that, whilst Protestant children—are
being taught the history of their creation and

should sit aloof, pointed at by his

Agot, or an un

noottellows as a stiff-necked _
ver ; and that the knowledge most important of
3 a human being should be left to he imparted
znorant, or omitted altogether by dissolute,
Mr. Holt requires that a portion of the

dren should not be required to read the autho-
rised version of the Bible. He provides no other,
however. Is such a system, by which from these

The idea is preposterous

us to it

qual advantage to
and when he asks

r that, having g

anted the concessions
which he proposes, we shall be permitted to stop
there, no one knows better than himself that it
impossibl
It is in

capable of of

ect to it, could have cl

lemon
e, and

sent moment for making such a proposition. What
is the system laid down in Mr. Holt's motion but

an appl

cation to the Corporation Schools of the

very prir

theß:omisti bier

ist been condemned b
I as proposed to b

rchy of Irel

" The Romisi

clergy here could no

system, and must, in con

anctio

and in deference

to their
children from the school

he Roman C

hulk of the Prot

chiLirer

.ould secede, thu

depriving both of the education which t

present receivin

from them

lorious achiev

ment th
If M

their attention to the foil

in a r

f the I

tilitv

n Catholi

in the United States. There the communications
of friend to friend, or merchant to merchant, tra-
verse on the wires of the telegraph vast forests, but
a few years ago untrodden by the foot of civilized
man, through mountains and over rivers, at a cost
thought reasonable even in a land of boasted cheap-
ness. To exchange such communications by this
medium has become, in America, a habit—a neces-
sity. Every journal which we receive from any
port in that country brings us news of the events
which have occurred, up to the hour of the vessels
sailing, in every quarter of a vast continent ; and
we have even such news transmitted up to two or
three days after a steamer starts on her voyage
across the Atlantic, as well as anticipated in Ame-
rica two or three days before her arrival from Eu-
rope. How is it that in the limitcd area of these
islands the telegraph is not thus freely used ? Be-
cause it is costly. Because we have allowed it to
become a virtual monopoly in the hands of a com-
pany, which has the private advantage of its_ own
shareholders, and we may add, friends, solely in

view.
We have not taken up this subject, important as
it is, altogether with a view of exposing the ineffi-
. .

ciency of the electric telegraph as at present worked.
The circumstance which has chiefly directed our
attention to the subject is an announcement in the
article of the Times, of a movement, by which
government hope to repair the consequence of their
past errors, and, at the same time, to confer an
"incalculable benefit" upon Ireland ! We quote
our contemporary's remarks in extenso:—
" The constantly increasing commerce with America,
and our growing relations, social as well as commercial,
with her people, render a rapid communication with the
American continent of increasing importance. This ne-
cessity of trade and society may be made the means of a
great improvement in one part of our country, which cer-
tainly much needs enlightenment and assistance—we mean
Ireland ; and her geographical position may be turned to
use not simply to increase the rapidity of our correspond-
ence with America, but to her own good. From the west
coast of Ireland to America a voyage by steam might be
performed in so short a time as to be measured rather by
hours than days. If packets were to sail regularly between
the nearest harbour on the western coast and Halifax or
New York, and there were direct telegraphic communica-
tion between that Irish harbour and London, news might
be transmitted from the borders of the Mississippi, and
ultimately from the western coast of America, to every
part of Great Britain and Ireland in less than a week. If,
in addition to this telegraphic communication, a railroad
were carried across Ireland from east to west, all who pre-
fer travelling by land would take their final departure
from the Irish port, rather than incur the inconvenience
and annoyance of the longer sea voyage which is necessary
if the voyager start either from an English or a Scotch
port. The fastest liners would in that case not be those
which sail between Liverpool and America, but Irish ves-
sels would enjoy that distinction and advantage, and the
moral benefit to Ireland resulting from such constant con-
tact with men of other countries would be incalculable.
In such a state of things we should little dread the influ.

or look with anxiety upon
of Dr. Cullen. The electric
would soon put to flight the

.nee of the Synod of Thurles,

tronotnical teaching

h end the railroi

emnity by the whole Catholic

Our c

must excuse our being a little