New-York tribune., 1895-10-13

recognized legal right he maintains that 'us,'ce
should be meted out to all schools aiiKe' al. '""
religion should cease to be bar to eaua"'y VI
treatment A. nresen. there are the two classes
OF elementary schools-the Board Schools "''h
new buildings and improved appliances supporter
en- tirely from the rates: and the voluntary OF ue
nomnational schools. with old buildings anu ue
fective plant which are maintained NANNY ny
private subscriptions and church coNecuons'
Cardinal Vaughan invites all patrons OF deho"-
national education whether they are roman
Catholics Wesleyans or English Churchihe'' 40
meet in conference and to decide whether 'ne.
cannot support scheme OF legisia"o" s'ou"ue'
upon equality in expense Of maintenance charse-
able either 70 the rates or the Imperial treasury
cu1-RcuMEN TO TAKE HAND.
The publication Of this highly significant le''er
has been followed by the announcement tha' '"e
Archbishop of Canterbury has summoned a coh-
ference of leading Churchmen VINO are ac"NeS
interested in religious education In voluntary
schools 1t will meet next week TO cons'uer '"e
possibility Of the adoption OF compre"e"s'
policy by which those schools may De reheNeu
by legislation from unfair pressure anu ""'u''
determinations Cardinal Vaughan SPEAKS WIN
out reserve for the Roman Catholics IN Eneianu'
the Archbishop's conference will not be equa"s
representative Of public opinion In the Ehsi'si
Church but its acceptance OF the Carui''ai
fundamental principle OF equality IN maintenance
at public expense of voluntary and Board schoo''
NAV open the way for legislation.
The Nonconformist bodies apparently remain
as unalterably opposed 10 state ala 10 sec'aiia''
ecboo,s as they were twenty-five years ago, when
they denounced Mr.. Forster as traitor 20 MS
principles and broke away from Mr.. Gladstones
Government in the struggle over the Euu'a'ioi'
ac, The Executive Nonconformist Council OF
London has protested this week against all pio-
nosals 10 increase the grants Of public money to
schools under exclusively denominatlonai 'hah-
agement The Congregational Union at Brighton
Will probab bly, follow in the same track. Mr. Hugh
Price Hughes an influential Wesleyan. has been
advocating the transfer Of all voluntary schools
IN q National Educational Board empowered 10
introduce the facts Of common Christianity as the
sis Of religious teaching; but his success Is not
conspicuous in demonstrating that there Is be-
tween the extremes Of secular education ana sec
tartan education ample room for Christian sys-
tenn which would command nearly universal SYM
pathv and support The Concordat. which he has
proposed has not been received with much faVor
in anv quarter The Wesleyans seem at present
more likely TO side with the Congregationalists
and other Nonconformist bodies in advocating
the secuarizaton Of all schools receiving aid from
the State than they are TO make terms with the
English hierarchy and the Roman Cardinal.
THE DENOMINATIONAL POSITION.
The position which the friends Of the voiun-
tary schools take is that they are ALREADY re-
ceiving State aid In a limited degree. but that
they do not get enough assistance to enaDie lheni
TO compete with the Board schools which are
rtaJa I tloa
payers They are not certain whether additional
helm should come from the Imperial Treasury or
from local taxation, but they insist that 1t must
be furnished from some public source ana AT
the same time that the management Of the sec
tartan schools should not be disturbed. Ten
shillings for each child is the sum usually named
in these demands since that measures the ex-
cess Of expenditures for maintenance In Board
schools in compariso with voluntary Schools
They assert that Mr.. FOrsters famous comprom-
ise has operated in the long run to the dsad-
vantage Of denominatonal schools; and that the
system with its thousands Of buildings and
trained corps of instructors is well worth pre-
| serving especially when there Is a strong pub
| lie preference in nearly every community III
favor Of some kind OF definite religious instruc-
! ton which is not supplied by the Board schools
! Lord Salisbury can hardly be expected to take
up this question unless the Churchmen, Roman
! Catholics and Wesleyans can agree upon some
! principle Of action. Cardinal Vaughan has done
much to reduce the problem to Its simplest
| terms The Archbishop Of Canterbury may
second his efforts by proposing similar pro-
/ gramme; but the sessions OF the Church Con-
! gress next week are almost certain to disclose
! radical differences Of opinion OF this sub)ec'
| among English Churchmen. II is question
which nearly wrecked strong Ministry twenty
| five years ago, and II may prove equally haras-
sing and dangerous for the Government which is
| now in power 1t VIII be as difficult now as
| Mr. Forster found IT thtn TO answer the argu-
ment that 10 Roman Catholic should be taxed
! for the support Of Protestant school, nor a
| Nonconformist be levied upon TO meet the ex-
| penscs Of the Church Of England nstruction, nor
| Jew be forced to contritut~ to Christian edu-
! cation. Yet the dual system as II Is now known
! In practical operation in England is not working
! satisfactorily. 1t needs to be either ended or
mended. l. ~. r