The inhabitants of the Ward of Cripplegate, with Sir Matthew
Wood fortheirchairman,.adopted an address to the Queen on Tuesday. The citizens of Cripplegate "testified" that her Majesty had " nobly with- otood the despotic attempt of the Tories to deprive her of her un- doubted right to choose her associates and domestics."
The Pitt Club, not yet defunct, devoured their annual viands, and discharged the customary quantity of speech, at the London Tavern, on Saturday last. The leading Tories, of course, were not there ; but in the list of company we read the distinguished names of Kenyon, Eldon, Skelmersdale, and Farnham ; then follow Neales, Joneses, Smiths, Sounds, 8(c, The members and friends of the National Society met at Willis's Booms on Tuesday. The Archbishop of Canterbury in the chair. The assembly was very numerous, and " highly respectable." A large proportion of those present were ladies ; but the list of gentlemen,
comprising members of both Houses of Parliament, Whig as well as Tory, fills half a column of the Times. The principal speakers were the Earl of Chichester, the Bishop of London, Lord Abinger, the
'Bishop of Salisbury, and Dr. Hook, We select a few extracts from the speeches, to exhibit the feeling and temper of the assembly. Lord
Chichester said—
There were many admirable and Christian schools which did not enjoy the adrantages bestowed on the schools attached to the Established Church ; hut
he was satisfied that the snore experience they had of a good system of educa- tion—by which he meant, the effective application of such means as it was the hope of that society to be in a condition to afford, by supplying., able teachers and a god system of instruction—the more satisfied they would heroine of the importance of a pastoral plan of education. He had never dreamt that the advantages of such a system could have formed the subject of discussion in a country like England. For in a count7 like theirs, where the majority of the population were of the Protestant faith, it was of the highest importance that the nurse of education should he based on the principles of that Inithi. It was a matter of great policy that the clergy of the Established Church should be looked up to as the most responsible, and therefore as the safest, teachers of re- ligion in their schools.
The Bishop of London strangely misrepresented the Government scheme.
• Entirely to separate religious instructhm—that was, instruction in the Bible a it was understood by the Church, from instruction in every other branch of knowledge, and to make the latter the main business of education, the subject ((common interest, while the former was thrust into places and corners, and vas either taught with a vagueness and generality which destroyed its specific qualities as an instrument ot truth and sanctification, or was committed to the casual and desultory inculcation of teachers not concerned with the main pro- ms of education at large,—what was that, he would ask, but to degrade re- ligion from its just supremacy, to debase and disparage the pearl of greak pricv, Indio accustom those who were the objects of instruction to regard the best instruction of all, that of religion, with Indifference and contempt ?
Lord Abinger spoke like a bigoted Churchman-
! If religion were an essential part of education, it must necessarily follow that in every Christian community religion ought to form a part of that educa- tion. If they spoke of national education, what was it, he would ask, sinless is:unbined with national religion? He had no objection to any man, be his religion what it might, educating his children, whether Methodists or tillers, in any manner they thought proper, and without molestation or the keit prevention; but when they spoke of a nation administering the means of education upon principles not in unison with the Church of -England, then they were called upon to assist in endeavouring to reject any other than that of the combined religion of the country. It appeared to him, therefore—and he took that opportunity of saying it—that a nation which fostered and went out of its way to inculcate knowledge to those who dissented from the Esta- blished religion, did not wisely expend its means. Be did not conceive it to he a necessary part of toleration that they should expend the public funds for educating the enemies of our Established Church.
The Bishop of Salisbury stated some of the results of the National Society's exertions— That Society, since its first establishment, bad been the means of calling into existence nearly 7,000 schools, in which there were in immediate con- nexion with itself nearly 600,000 scholars. And in stating that, he was statism.. only a small portion of what it was enabled to effect. The results were elteeteil mainly through the agencies which land been put into operation by the Society. It had set a good example ; for there was at that moment in existence, founded on the same principles, and carrying into effect with equal efficiency and with the same end, 17,341 schools, giving a religious and Christian education in con- formity with the principles of the EstabliShed Church to upwards of 1,000,000 childrea of our poorer brethren. [The llitruing Chronicle is sceptical as to these numbers— his asserted that the Society. educates in its own schools nearly 600,000 children, and that on the same principles, and under the same control, educa- tion is also extended to above one million. Now the total number of children tzEngland anti Wales, from eight to twelve years of age, is estimated by Mr. nidayson at only 1,350,000. And this number includes all ranks in society, I denominations in religion, and all diversities of locality. The National l'ociety has, therefore, rather overshot the mark : it must reckon infants and embryos in its calculation." The Reverend Mr. Burgess of Chelsea, at a recent public meeting, aide up the million with 400,000 Sunday scholars.] Dr. Hook, Archdeacon Bather, Lord Barrington, and Baron Alder- son, were the other speakers ; but their orations do not require par- ticular notice.
The parishioners of St. Mary's, Newington, in public meeting on Wednesday, passed resolutions expressing • peculiar satisfaction" that treaters had resolved "to propose a system of national education in accordance with the sacred rights of conscience."
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