ti)t VrnuiltrrE.

Lord John Russell has been spending part of his Easter leisure at un- leisurely Manchester. During his sojourn in Scotland last year, he accepted an invitation from Sir Benjamin Heywood to be his guestfor a few days at Claremont, near Manchester, and to see the sights of the great Northern labour-focus : accordingly, on Tuesday last, Lord John, with his lady and child, and two relations, started from Loudon on the visit. Sir Ben- jamin with his two sons received the party at the station, and took them to his seat. The Mayor of Manchester, and Mr. Nasmyth, the head of the famous firm of machinists, met the Premier at dinner that evening, for introduction against next day's explorations. Wednesday mornins was spent in viewing the prodigious feats of steam power performed in Messrs. Nasmyth and Gaskell's works ; especially those of the Aerial- hammer, in all its marvellous grades of effort, from the astounding smash which would break in the side of a man-of-war, to the delicate tap that cracked the shell of an egg in a wine-glass without the least danger to the glass. Great machines were seen in preparation for foreign requirement; some—and these, of course, "the largest in the world "—for the Emperor of Russia's Imperial wants ; others—and these, doubtless, the " cheapest in -the world "—for the practical necessities of our scheming relations on the -other side of the Atlantic. Casting operations were surveyed, in which -molten iron was poured out by the " ladlefull of three tons weight" ; and planing operations, in which shavings of hard iron an inch broad and a quarter of an inch thick wore as delicately turned off as if the material -Woe cheese and the tool an oyster-knife. Among the places visited in the afternoon, were the celebrated Mayfield Print-works, belonging to Alderman Nield's firm here Lady Fanny Russell was pleasantly ser- a:wised to find female artisans engraving patterns on the printing-cylinders, a- -a new experiment, the success of which is clue 'to this firm -alone. 'Lord John observed, questioned, and admired, with the scientific 'oilmen imd politic affability befitting a Premier. His visit seemed pleasant 'to himself and well taken by the manufacturing and artisan folk. - Part of Thursday was occupied in receiving addresses feom the *Cope- Julien of Salford and Manchester ; a ceremonial which courtesy wouldnot

In Salford, it is stated, Lord John was reeeived with calm respect, 'without demonstrations of applause ; in Manchester, with crowding Warmth, and constantly-mewed cheering.

Vigorously continuing to 'push their movement in forme of a systetit of secular education supported by local rates, the Lancashire Public School Association held a great meeting at Manchester on Taster Monday ; at Which, after a warm debate with their opponents headed by the Rote- rend Hugh Stowell, their principles said were approved of by an immense majority. Some months since, 7, . Stowell and his panty ob- tained in public meeting a decision agaiest. What he termed the " irtm- ligious" ,system : the present meeting, called by the Mayor on the re.- euisition of a very large body of the most respectable citizens, and in it- self very numerous and influentially headed, may be deemed a competent tribunal to reverse that decision, and substitute its dictum as a fairer ex- position of the popular feeling in Manchester. The Mayor presided ; seve- ral Aldermen and Common Councillors, and a considerable number of clergymen of the borough and neighbourhood, Were on the platform. The general audience was far too numerous for the Town-hall; so that a still er meeting than the one inside the hall was held on its outside, the speakers at each passing from one to the other. Much disturbance Watt Created in the 'meeting 'within-dooms, by a body of illiterate Irishmen, who very early obtained entrance, formed a compact mass under the platform, and tied to hoot down the secular-education orators ; but the Mayor was judiciously patient, conciliating, and firm, and obtained a tolerable though not a perfect hearing for all. The Revel-mid J. F. Tucker craved a hearing for himself, and as fairly for all who might Succeed and oppose him, while he moved a petition in fa- vour of 'the secular system. It is admitted by all, that education and en- lightenment are at present deficient; and he supported this scheme as one Which Will do its work, not by tionding schools together in select parts of the town and leaving the most needy districts in utter destitution, but by bringing everywhere the supply home to the necessitous; which will retain the municipal element of our conetitntion, and instead of yielding the ma- nageraent to the whim id the Ministry or the Committee of Council of the day, will retain it in the hands of the people themselves. Rebutting the charge that the system is irreligious in the sense of being against religion, he contended that it is most favourable to religion. For himself, if igno- rance were the mother of devotion, then whatever he did with his ignorance he would -certainty give :rip his devotion altogether. He referred to the testimony of a man Worthy to be Mimed one of the lights of the age—Dr. Chalmers. A year or two before the death of Pt. Chalmers, there was great agitation in the religious body With 'which he was connected on this very subject; and almost the last Words he *rate contained a sentiment to this effect—that in consideration of all the difficulties of this much vexed ques- tion, the best way would be to go to Goverment for a secular scheme of education, and leave it to the religious denominations to supplement religion. None would say that this venerable man was indifferent to the in- terests of religion : his proposal is exactly that which the Lancashire Public School Society aim to carry into effect. The experience of New England is also conclusive in reply to the objections on the score of religiondf that new country across the water which ..am the name of the old, and where more than two centuries ago a band of men of Whine Old England was not worthy, took refuge from the intolerance of their ems hothe. Hardly had they cleared the soil around them, hardly had they provided food and *dieter for their children and theirposterity, before they erected a great scheme of free- school education, which has grown into magnificence through the two suc- ceeding centuries, and flourishes in full vigour at the present day. " A friend of n1 own last wring went over to New England, and I begged him to make inetarres among a great many religious Mee in Xew England as to the ac- cePtaece of what are there called common wheels.' He returned from America in the autumn, and this was his answer-s-' The common-school system has the general confidenee of religious men ; and as to its effects on the tone of -society and morals, this is all I have to say—raise Lancashire to the level* of Mustachuteette, and only raise Manchester to the level of Boston, and I think you do a most patriotic deed.' " "I wish," said Mr. Tucker, " to record it as my deliberate conviction, that the es- .tablishment of such a scheme as this would be favourable to the interefres of religion. Every Sunday-school teacher would have more intelligent pupils every minister of the gospel would have moreintelligeMhettrers ; every lover 'AIM souls of men would have a new stimulus to devoted action ; while every quack nostram-monger, whotrades on theignoranceef the people, would find that his market was gone and that his day was over." He moved the adoption of a petition to Parliament, attributing the large amount of intemperance, vice, and crime, to the prevalent ignorance, and to the cause of that ignorance, the insufficient and defective 'provision for popular education ; alleging, that from the various forms of opinion on reli- gion, and from the fact that a large number of persons anind aloof from ex- isting religious communities, freedom fromdenominational peculiarities ought to characterize new institutions; therefore praying for the establish- anent by law of "a system of education which, excluding all theological doctrines and sectarian influences, supported by local rates assessed on the baths of the poets-rate, and managed by local authorities especially elected for that purpose by the ratepayers, may afford to all, 'especially to the =- taught and neglected, opportunities flee of chair for a thorough training in useful Imowledge, good principles, and virtuous habits." Dr. John-James Taylor supported the resolution, with additional arguments in favour of the belief that the plans of the society would not only leave the existing means of providing religious instruction undiminished, but would add force to theta, and call new religious agencies into existence.

The Reverend liugh Stowell, M.A., a Canon of Manchester, rose amidst much clamour and interruption, raised in retaliation for the conduct of his supporters, and advocated an amendment, affirming that in order for educe- ti on to be of much avail it met be a Christian education, and expressing a , strong disapproval of the bill introduced by Mr. W. J. Fox in Parliament. "I am here' said he, "as the working man's Mend. (" Oh, oh !") have been his friend when oppressed in wages, and will no less be so when he is to be oppressed in his family." (Ironical interruption.) The scheme proposed reverses the proper rule : we have been taught to " seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness"—it seeks the secular first, and the eternal only afterwards. The glory and greatness of England, and still more the glory and greatness of Scotland, are her Scriptural schools, and that religions element which penetrates the instruction of the children of the poor. It is yet to be shown that a state ought to be a secular thing' but even in 'that view, a state has to do with the civil condition and moral behaviour of its subjects ; and on that lower ground, if a state be bound to educate at all, it is bound to educate in the best manner—to instil into the those sound principles which Will lead the mind to obey those laws width intellectual Mature enables it to understand. It is said, " Leave re- ligion to the *patent ; the state has to do with the secular only." But if the state is not bound to see to the religious tuition, no more is the parent ; and if the parent is bound, the same argumentsprove the obligation of the state : indeed, it it possible that the religions element has more need of support by the state than the secular element. As England and Scotland are Muslin- tMns in one direction, so infidel France is the touchstorie Of experience in the other. (" They have religious education.") The bitter fruits of an in- fidel system are a fearful amount of Socialism and Conninliesm—(" 0h, oh !")—and the upshot at last will be a fearful recoil on despotism. As to Atones "so long as Mr. Tucker's model state holds fast to the accursed slave slu'etem—( Uproar, and cries of "No ! ")—I retract the expression, then ; t I object to the Model, because New England IS a email state with a small and new populatien, and nobody can yet tell what will be the result of it." It is a libellous assumption, that if religion were eft out of the na- tional system the people would be educated as a matter of course if you poll 'the working men of Manchester, not a tenth would refuge to send'their children to school because the Bible is read there ; those of Lancashire would not send them to one where it is shut out. Include the whole Bible, and he Would not oppose themany longer. (Cheers, and cries of " What ver- sion ?") He should consider the proper one, that which he conscientiously thought the best. But if they excluded the Bible, let them not ask for money Out of his pocket to assist their aims; let them net ask a county-rate to support a system which ninety-nine in every hundred conscientiously op- pose.

The Reverend Charles Hayden, a Wesleyan minister, supported the amend- ment; _urging that the scheme is a novelty, denying that Lancashire is so far behind as to require additional means of education, and supporting the present system as one which works well.

The Reverend William M`Kerrow commenced with some broad and effect- ive statistics in reply to Mr. Haydon's denial that additional means are re- . It is unquestionably true that there are at the present time 750,000 children, between the ages of 5 and 124 years, that are receiving no instruc- tion whatever, neither secular nor religious ; and it is'equally true that every ten years we east out upon society somewhere about a million and a quarter of souls that have received no education, no secular instruction no religious and moral training. Although our population has notdoubled since the com- mencement of the present century, yet crime has increased fivefold. We pay 2,000,0001. for the prosecution of criminals, 'endive lose by public theft some- where about 3,000,0001. a year.

He proceeded to the rehgious bearings. The minutes of Council are epa- prcsaive to conscience. "They introduce religious principles ; they pension and endow all sects and parties; nd it is to me a marvel that men profess- ing to be interested in particular religious principles can hear advocated the continuance of a system which endows Roman Catholic, and teitatian, and Presbyterian, and Episcopalian, and Methodist all alike. I leee my Bible as de- voutly and sincerely as Mr. Stowell or any of his friends can do; but I advo- cate the rights of conscience. I maintain that every man should think for himself with regard to religious opinions ; that these are matters which lie between conscience and God - i and unless Idr. Stowell can work some miracle on behalf of those evangelical sentiments that he and I hold together, and unless he can give some sign from Heaven that he and I know better than our- ne*hbours what is the truth, I weitena we must allow freedom of opinion, and let every man stand Or fall to his °via master. We haNte, for example,. Jewish subjects. Are we to introduce `the whole Bible' into our public

schools, contrary to their wishes and right to judge for themselves. They reject the New Tethament. Well, I ask if we are to have the Bible, which version of it are we to have? I see no right we have to exclude the Douay version, and to insist on the authorized one ; and therefore, finding we cannot agree about this, I say, let us have simply a scheme of secular and moral in- Selection and education. I tidld 'that a philosopher is better than a savage and that an educated mum is less likely to become a vicious man and a dis- turber Of the public than the man who has been trained hi ignorance and

vice. I hold it absurd to maintain that we are 'to glee no enlightenment to a people unless we can give religious knowledge andepinions along with it. In India, we have niillions of 'Endow and Mohammedans who will not receive our religion is it to be said that we are not to communicate to them secular knowledge, and endeaVour to civilize, elevate, and improve them, until we- are able to force our religious .apirtions upon them ?" If the secular and the religious murk be so interivoven, why is not the re- ligious control of the press also claimed'? But even in the schools the claim

is but inmerteCtly made. Why in our universities, grammar schools, and classical schools, have we so little of religious education ? why is there none in our mechanics institutions ? none in our British Museum, teaching

men to look through Nature up to Nature's God? "The conclusion of the whole matter is this, that our opponents will do nothing because they can- not do everything ; that they refuse to make men good citizens because they cannot in a particular way make them good Christians; that they close every book to their fellow men, because they cannot introduce the Bible, and open it in particular schools and at certain hours in the day. They may oppose this great movement, but they will oppose it in vain. As soon may they command that sun to retire from its course, as command the onward move-

ment of mind to cease. The people crying for light, and light they must have ; and they are crying for liberty, and liberty they must have; they are crying for knowledge and morals, and knowledge and morals they shall have, through the instrumentality of this system of ours, which will interfere with no rights of conscience, and will increase the means of spreading reli- gion over the land." Mr. Peter Rylands of Warrington put it to the Wesley-ens, whilst the total of their day-school children throughout the land were under 30,000, whether they could consistently say, looking to the strength of their body, that the people were now sufficiently taught. 1)r. John Watts reminded Mr. Stowell, that the national education of France was under the priesthood up to the time of the great Revolution. The debate concluded, after a stormy endurance for five hours. The amendment was put, and negatived by a considerable majority ; and then the original motion was affirmed, by a large majority. The larger meeting outside the hall affirmed the original motion, by " at least ten to one "—" almost unanimously."

At a public meeting on the Ten-hours Act, in Wakefield, on Tuesday, —attended by the Curate of Wakefield, several other clergymen, and some leading manufacturers,—resolutions were adopted in furtherance of the agitation for obtaining an affective Ten-hours Act ; and in compliment to Lord Ashley, as "a nobleman of God's own making," for his support of the cause.

John Johnson and William Johnson, brothers, the defaulting actuary and assistant actuary of the St. Helen's Savings-bank, were tried at Liver- pool last week, for embezzling and illegally making a profit of the Savings- bank deposits. Both the brothers appeared overwhelmed with shame and grief at their position. Many .spectators were present at the trial, and gene- rally sympathized with the prisoners, both from their social position and the general good esteem in which they are still held. They had pleaded "Guil- ty to both the charges, but when placed at the bar this plea was with- drawn as to the embezzlement, and only retained in respect of the illegal dealings with the deposits. The counsel for the prosecution stated, that no person now believes the prisoners intended to keep the monies they used ; so he the more readily assented to a verdict " Not guilty" on the charge of embezzlement, which he should find it hard to maintain. Verdicts were taken accordingly ; and on Monday, Baron Alderson sentenced both brothers on the charge of illegally using the deposits for their own profit. Each

i was awarded six months' imprisonment m Lancaster Gaol, among the first class of misdemeanants. The elder brother has already been imprisoned two months.

The Reverend John Seton Karr, Vicar of Berkeley in Gloucestershire, brought an action of slander against one Ruther, a person who had been in his employ as a labourer, for saying to more than one person that the Vicar had seduced his housekeeper, Sarah Knight, and afterwards administered medicine to her to prevent an exposure. The defendant endeavoured to show that from all the circumstances that came under his notice he was justified in thinking that what he said was true,—a circumstance for the Jury to consider in fixing the damages. The Jury gave the plaintiff a ver- dict with one sbilling damages.

Henry New, a respectable-looking person of some thirty years old, yet who could read and write but imperfectly, was convicted at Monmouth Assizes, last week, of uttering a ten-pound note of the Bank of England, and was sentenced to be transported for life. With confederates, New passed in Mon- mouth and its vicinity last spring, upwards of 2,0001. of the notes of the Old Abergavenny and Monmouth Bank.

Henry Wilkins was convicted, at Monmouth, of a burglary in the house of Mary Jenkins, at Usk. As Simeon Trotman was watching a timber-yard at three o'clock in the morning, be found Wilkins in an orchard with a table before him, the drawer of which was open under his inspection with a quan- tity of silver plate in it. The two grappled and struggled long :

was much the stronger, and dragged Trotman out of the orchard for some distance along the road; but the faithful watchman hung on like a bull-dog, and never let go, though he was terribly beaten and nearly strangled, tall help came. In the struggle he bit one of Wilkins's fingers clean off. The burglar was sentenced to ten years' transportation • and Mr. Justice Pattison ordered a reward of 51. to Trotman for his gallantry.

Mary Reeder, who was convicted last week, with her brother-in-law Lucas, of murdering Lucas's wife, and now awaits the infliction of the capital sen- tence at Cambridge, has made a confession. She has admitted to her father and to the matron of the gaol that she put the arsenic into the food of Mrs. Lucas ; the motive, an illicit connexion with her brother-in-law. His guilty knowledge of the crime she implies, but she does not directly accuse him. Lucas declares that he was not cognizant of the murder.

Mr. Lowndes, Judge of the Liverpool County Court, met with his death on Sunday night, under distressing circumstances. He was awaiting with his son the arrival of the Seacombe steamer ; and as it neared the landing- stage, he moved as if to step on board ; but missed his footing and fell into the rapidly flowing tide. His son rushing forward, was seized by the skirts, but ho tore away instantly and dived after his father, without success. The son was rescued a long distance down the stream.