25 JANUARY 1851, Page 3

Cif rnttiurto.

At the Monmouthshire Anti-Papal meeting, on Thursday, the Earl of Pelvis moved the main resolution with a speech of vei7 guarded tone ; and 'the resolution itself expressed the desire of the meeting not to with- hold from her Majesty's Roman Catholic subjects the full participation of civil privileges which they enjoy. Lord Powis asked the meeting not to be too sanguine of the measures which the Minister would carry ; for the acts must apply to Ireland as well as England—there was the great diffi- culty. Lord Sudely moved an Anti-Tractarian amendment, and was se- conded by a Dissenting minister. The two Lords negotiated, but could not agree on a via media ; and the original resolution was carried by a large majority.

The proceedings at the annual meeting of the National Public Schools Association held in Manchester on Thursday, had an especial interest from their :elation to the emulative scheme lately propounded there by the Reverend Mr. Richson. The meeting was one of the most crowded and influential that this popular agitation has yet gathered in Manchester. Mr. Henry, M.P., the President, was in the chair; and Mr. Cobden and Mr. Milner Gibson were among the leading speakers. The Chairman made the encouraging statement, that the subscriptions during the past year have been nearly three times as large as last year ; men of influence Irons every party and sect were joining them ; numerous important towns had pronounced in their favour ; and noW, in Manchester itself, "another party, which he would not call a rival or opposition party, was paying homage to their scheme," by adopting its features of local rates and local management. Mr. Dyr, who moved a resolution could not help feeling delight at what he also characterized as" a somewhat unexpected homage from a party in Manchester who for a long time had been supposed, whether rightly or wrongly, to be hostile to popular education.' Mr. Salis Schwabe reechoed this tone of congratulation; but from personal friendship with many of the " party " thus alluded to, gave them the credit of the sincerest desire for the promotion of education. Mr. Cobden acknowledged the impetus which had been given to the general agitation by the recent movement of "gentlemen who have not hitherto taken a prominent part in the cause of national education" ; and from the very fact of the great public attention which has been given to this supplementary Manchester scheme, he led the meeting to infer how much the whole kingdom " looks to Manchester to solve these great and difficult public questions." He has always been so imbued with the difficulties of the question, that though the plan now propounded were coupled with conditions ten times as objectionab'e as those which distinguish it, yet if it gave inspieved educa- tion to the people he could hardly find it in his heart to offer any great objection to it. During fifteen years all his efforts for improved national education had been associated with the idea of coupling edu- cation with the existing religious communities ' • but he had found at last, after trying it in every possible shape, that the difficulties presented by re- ligious differences were insuperable ; and he had taken refuge in the secure haven of secular education only in despair of finding any other practicable system. He believed that a shorter experience would bring the advocates of the new plan into the same haven with himself. There is no novelty in that plan. It is merely a proposal to transfer to Manchester, as a theatre, the contest which has hitherto been going on in the House of Commons and the Government. It is a proposal by which everybody is to pay for the reli- gious teaching of everybody else. It contains precisely the same thing that has already been objected to by a great portion of this community, and that has prevented the present system (that administered through orders in Coun- cil) from being successful. The only novelty is, that for the first time a body of Churchmen acme forward and recommend that all denominations shall receive the public money for the teaching of each of their catechisms and creeds : and in this very novelty is the old leaven which has infected the question with its existing discords and difficulties; for is there the slightest hope that the Church party in Manchester will be willing to pay public rates for educating the eighty thousand Irish in Manchester as Roman Catholics? But he was not sure that he was dealing with the well-matured plan of a party—whether not simply with the proposal of an individual ; he was "not sure that any party in that city, or any religious body as a body, or any committee as a committee, have endorsed the proposal" submitted by Mr. Richson : at all events, he was sure they had not maturely considered all the bearings of the plan, and he repeated his conviction, that in a year they will perceive the hopelessness of the task in which it is proposed they should embark.

Mr. Cobden stated, that he has been paying a visit to many places—Bir- mingham, Leeds, Huddersfield, Bolton, &c.—and has sought private con- ferences with numerous bodies of gentlemen, who have assembled to meet him, and have discussed the question with the unreserved confidence of such reunions : he thought it better to have private, quiet, unrestricted confer- ences, rather than antagonistic discussions in the public arena. One of the objections most urged seemed to be the same which Mr. Richson seizes hold of and makes a basis of his scheme,—as if he also thought that in this re- spect he had caught the Association tripping,—the objection that the Asso- ciation proposes to supersede all the existing schools and to render the existing school-rooms valueless. Mr. Cobden does not conceal fret& himself, that if you establish good free schools all the schools which now call for 3d. or 4d. from the poor Will be superseded and closed : if it were not so, his schools would not be worthy of the name of " national " schools : but he has always considered that the existing school-rooms may be purchased, or, in the case of the Sunday school-rooms, be rented during the week and left' to denominational uses on the Sunday. Another point was that he met constant suggestions of compulsory educa- tion: these suggestions met him—he did not take them from Manchester, but now brought them to Manchester ; everywhere he heard it said—" There is pleuty.of school-room, but the people don't attend ; and until, you adept the principle of coercion, it is of no use building more schools.' He felt sure that the evil of non-attendance will be cured the moment you put good masters in the schools. With reference to the other point, he should not be very squeamish about " the liberty of the subject.," or anything of that sort. He would first of all seduce or bribe the people to send their children and if that did not do,. he would be willing to try a little compulsion. 'hie Swiss have as much liberty as we, and they punish parents who do not send their children to school.

In conclusion, Mr. Cobden suggested a conference with the originators of the new movement, and offered to be one of the deputation. "Show no op- position to anybody" said he, "but pursue your own course. I believe you have got hold of the right principle ; and when you get hold of the right principle, I know of old that you are the right men to succeed in it."

Lord John Manners has been popularizing his Conservatism by the delivery of a lecture on the Colonial Church, to the Literary Institution of Colchester, the agricultural borough which he represents in Parlia- ment. From an epitome in editorial style in the columns of the sib-ming Post, it would appear that the discourse was as classical and political as religious and literary. Lord John "brought into strong contrast" the piety of /Eneas, when as a first duty he saved his household gods from immolation in the midst of blazing Troy, with the "opposite policy" of our professedly Christian Legislature in its vast Colonial operations ; tracing the loss of the United States to the long neglect of episcopal in- stitutions, and foreseeing through the "present baneful domination of &spu- rious Liberalism" the consummating loss of our remaining North Ame- rican Colonies. In India, a commercial and money-making Company rejects evangelizing measures as inconsistent with its duty to the natives • and in the West Indies, the axe has been laid to the root of the Chunchhy

the baneful principle of cheapness and economy." In the midst of all, however, he saw a cheering prospect from the influence of that great fea- ture of modern colonization the Canterbury Settlement- " Centuries may yet have to pass away before the second advent ; civiliza- tion pass through fresh phases, and establish her throne among the jungles of India or the sand-hills of New Zealand ; pirates may ones more lord it over the depopulated fields of England, and the Vatican and Lambeth be alike in ruins : yet when all is accomplished, and the gospel has been preached to every nation—when

The holy words diffusing balm, The message of the sacrifice, Are heard within the caves of ice, And preached beneath the cocoa

then will the Church of England have her part in those beatific triumphs, and be said to have done somewhat to hasten the fulfilment of the Redeemer's kingdom."

The Seamen of the Tyne and the Wear are combining in a strike for higher wages. On Wednesday, three large meetings of seamen were held in Shields. About noon, two thousand of the seamen of Sunderland came in procession into the town to induce the meetings to agree to the higher terms they claim for labour in the coal-trade. They ask for the London voyage, during the period between October and April, 41. 108.; during the period from April to October, 3k 10s. ; and for the American and ]3a1- tic voyages, 31. a week, and small stores. The speakers declaimed against the Mercantile Marine Bill, as "ticketing them off like so many galley-slaves." In the evening it was understood that the Shields men had resolved to join those of Sunderland in the strike for higher wages, and in an agi- tation against the Mercantile Marine Bill, as "unnecessary in the North- ern ports, and as enforcing a tax on labour which will impose both dis- grace and misery on the class of seamen." The proceedings caused immense local excitement ; but the men are said to have conducted themselves with praiseworthy decorum and order. An association, called the Seamen's Friendly Association, for the purpose of maintaining those on strike, has been formed in Sunderland ; and companies of seamen watch the vessels in the Wear, to dissuade peaceably any man from entering them at the low scale of wages.

Communications had been sent to the seamen of Hartlepool and other ports advising them to strike. Letters were received in Shields on Wed- nesday, stating that the seamen of Lynn there were also on strike.

The Oxford Town-Council is divided in opinion whether to set about large sanatory measures by itself, or to invoke the Board of Health. The Committee lately asked Mr. Cubitt the engineer to recommend a fit person to inquire into the sanatory condition of the city. Mr. Cu- bitt has recommended Mr. M'Dongal Smith, who has been employed on engineering operations in Ireland and Belgium. Mr. Smith will make a local inspection, and will in public sitting receive evidence from all who choose to give it on the subject of his inquiry ; he will report on effective measures ; and then the Corporation will be in condition, to judge whether it can and shall itself undertake the work of purification, or must call in the aid of the Board of Health to overrule local jealousies, and accomplish the difficult duty by Metropolitan officers and a central organization.

The Uckfield burglars were again examined on Saturday. Mise Susan Farncombe and Miss Emily Farncombe, two of the four maiden ladies who are the owners of Downlands, were examined, and they identified much of the property ; but from terror at the time of the burglary, they took but little notice of the carriage or general appearance of the masked burglars, and on Saturday they were in such a state of nervous dread while in court that they studiously avoided looking towards the prisoners. It seems likely that in this case, as in the Frimley burglary, there will be an approver. William Brooks, "who is said to have been captain of the gang, and to have given important evidence to the Police," was brought up in custody with the other prisoners. His companions noted his appearance with angry sur- prise; he was removed without being questioned ; as he passed within their range, one of them, Hillyer, stepped forward and gave him a desperate kick on the leg. Throughout the inquiry, the prisoners were recklessly vio- lent to the witnesses and disrespectful to the bench. They were committed for trial for the burglary at Downlands.

Evidence was then given of burglaries of recent date at four other places —Hartfield, Arlington, Frensham, and Chailey—with all of which the pri- soners have been circumstantially connected. They were committed for trial on these additional charges.