The National Public School Association held a first meeting yesterday,
at Manchester, the place of its birth as a provincial body, and Mr. Cobden made a speech of missionary energy in promotion of its extended aims. A particular feature of his speech was the correction which he made of a statement by another speaker, that by the plan of this society the Bible would be excluded from the schools—
His understanding of the plan is, that it will not compel the scholars to read the Bible when doing so would be opposed to the conscientious con- victions of their parents ; but where all parties are desirous of having it read —as in rural parishes, where there is not a single Dissenter—he would not be a party to excluding the Bible from the schools. This religious feature he much insisted on : he desired to identify the Association with the New Eng- land system of education, and to say, "'We want this" ; because, whatever test you go by, New England is par excellence a religious community—a more religious community than any Protestant community in Europe.
At the annual meeting of the Somcrsetshire County Protectionist and Conservative Association, "held this week," Mr. V. Miles and Sir Alexander Hood sent up some political balloons of discovery for their party.
Mr. Miles recalled the words of his lamented friend Lord George Ben- tinck, addressed to him a year after the passing of the act abolishing pro- tective duties : "He stated what he supposed to be the hopelessness of again looking forward to a return of protective duties ; but at the same time he thought, the support which, after a period had elapsed, import-duties for the sake of a revenue would gain throughout the country, would be very great." Mr. Miles asked his farmer hearers to look the thing in the face for a mo- ment, and see, for instance, what 6s. duty on wheat would do : a move must be made in Parliament next year of sonic kind or other' and if he saw no power of regaining protection, he was for gaining, as well as they could, re- duction of taxation. His own opinion, however, was put forward without any consultation with Lord Stanley.
Sir Alexander Hood admitted that what the landlord is losing the manu- facturer is gaining in diminution of pauperism and crime. He advised them to attack the Ministry in a vulnerable point, by requiring a reduction of their salaries and those of their ambassadors.
Several speakers advised exclusive dealing with towns which return Protectionist Members. Votes of confidence in the Members present— Mr. Miles, Sir A. Hood, and Mr. Moody—were passed.
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