New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-06-13
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markable among its fellows-tbe Workingmens
College, situated in Red Lion-square, London.
Nearly two years ago the Rev. Professor Maurce
was elected by the Council of Kings College,
London, from his chair of Theology and Eccle-
siastical History on account of the heterodoxy
Of his opinions. That heteredoxy consisted in
his rejection of the philanthropic dogma OF
"eternsl damnation "a dogms which Maurice
admitted to be part of what he called
the popular theology" but which he did not
deem worthy of a place in his own eclectic
creed Professor Maurice, being OF an earnest
and enthusiastic turn of mind and determined
not to be idle, thought of making direct ap-
peal to the workingmen of London. With this
view he delivered in the Metropolis series Of
free lectures on Popular Education and its re-
auirements, and at the termination of the
course announced his intention of endeayoring
to found popular Academy which should cone
I'D to his idea of what such an Institution
should be. Associating with himselfa number of
accomplished volunteers as teachers, the affair
was set on foot about a year ago. The
third term is just ended. The council of
teachers numbers twelve graduates OF the Uni
versity of Cambridge, eight of Oxford aud sew
eral members of Lincolb's Inn. The knowledge
of the first four rules Of arithmetic, reading and
writing is the only condition of admittince.
The entrance fee is 1885, for sixpence week
student can pursue any one Of the following
courses: Drawing, French, Geometry, Algebra,
English Grammar and Structure and Derivation
Of English Words, Latin, English Literature,
European Politics (the Sixteenth Century,,
History and Geography of England, Structure
and Functions of the Human Body, Law Club
and Tenant Law, Physical Geography aud
Political Economy. The most attractive OF
these classes have been Drawing, French. &C.
ometry, Latin and English Grammar and ETY.
mology; the least attractive, Physiology and
Political Economy. The number of students
amounts to 200. From an abstract of their sit
uations in life we gather tina. there have attend
ed, of the building trades "a, csbinet-makers
and uphosterers %, printers and compositors
20, tailors and bootmakers Is, photographers and
draughtsmen Is, engineers 10, watchmskers and
jewellers 10, miscellaneous trades 81, warehouse
men, shopmen and tradesmen 80, clerks, law
writer's and accountants 67, teachers 6, profess
sional men Qawyers. doctors, clergy, universe
ty-men and architects)22 This Metropolitan
Institute hopes to be the parent Of many similar
schools in the provinces. One has already been
projected in the learned town Of Cambridge.
Eighteen Fellows of that University have vel
unteered their services for different depart
ments, with the Rev. Harvey Goodwin, the
Hulsean Lecturer, as Principal. The Cam
bridge College will open for the commonalty OF
that town iu October next. 1t is anticipated
that even monkly Oxford will follow the exam
pie of the Wing University. The Peoples Col
lege in Sheffield is another institution born Of
the aspirations of the people after higher order
of knowledge, and their own spontaneous efforts
to realize their ambition 1t has less pretentious
corps of teachers than that in London, butts bet
ter established and answers its purpose fully as
well. 1t was initiated in 1912, but did not become
self.supporting ard self governing till November,
l64S In 1854 it educated less than 55i persons,
of whom 472 were males and 81 females; and this
was done at the trfing annual expense OF ego
1t. terms are six shillings quarter in addition
to a small entrance fee. DIR. Lyon Payfair
takes great interest in its progress and exer-
cises certain influence over it. Similar at
tempts we're made at Norwich and Nottingham,
but they were not loug-lived.
Let not those who are now looking for ex-
citing political developments from England
despise these humber details. The universal
parallelism between educational progress and
political reform exists nowhere more closely
than in England. 1t was the growth of intelli
gence among the mass of the community that
formed the central argument for Lord Grey's
Reform bill of 1892; it was the growth of intel
ligence that laid the foundation for Lord John
Russells Supplemental Reform bills Of 1851 and
1853; and it is the same fact which proves the
seasonableness and gives hopes of the success Of
that current for administrative reform which
has just set in with so much impetuosity.
Recurring for moment to ourselves, we ask,
is the provision for the tuition of the mass of our
adult civic population (our mechanics, clerks
and teschers) what it ought to be considering
material resources and our facile habits of CO.
operation eDgendered by the absence of the castles
and social barriers of the Old World The two
leading desiderata are that the instruction Of
fered should be cheap and near at hand to suit
the convenience Of the daily drudges of city life.
In the splendidly endowed Cooper Institute this
City at least will have an accessible institution
for popular education in the highest degree
worthy of The Metropolis Of the New World and
admirably situated for the supply of our great
intellectual wants; but it is not every city