The men of Manchester appear to be working out a
track which may lead to a manageable system of public education for the whole country. The conference with Sir John Pakington seems to have been really practical in its spirit as well as in its form : subsequent meetings have been held to revise the resolutions passed at that meeting, in order to strengthen their working effect, and to smooth away difficulties ; and the principles of a plan are now laid down in a manner likely to secure what is substantially wanted, and to avoid what is substantially imprac- ticable. The plan would be this,—there would be a general rate for education ; all schools would be entitled to aid out of the rate, provided the temporal instruction come up to a required standard;- all schools participating in the rate would be required to give their distinctive religious instruction at particular hours, to permit the withdrawal of all children during such hours, and to exclude no children on the ground of religious differences. This looks like the basis of a very sufficient system.
The principal point left untouched is the proportion of public support for each school. In America the whole support of the public school is derived from the public ; and the results are sa- tisfactory. But' at all events the Manchester resolutions afford a ground upon which the several great parties in the state may come together on the subject of education, as Sir John Peking- ton and Manchester have already done. What says Lord John ?
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