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Leader (1850-1860), 21st September 1850, Edition Country of 1, Page 19

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      Langfobd On Scepticism. Religious Scepti...

      sure of the Scripture , that those who love God and work righteousness are children of the Lord , is in nowise allowed . All this may be moral , good , and praiseworthy , but , unless accompanied by a right doctrine , a correct orthodoxy , is of no avail for the salvation of their doer . In the pitiful language of the religious , they are the mere rags of righteousness . Opinion is the grand panacea . Believe this , and nothing but this , or you cannot be of the Church of Christ . * * * * * " There are subjects on which all agree as being Christian : here there is a common ground . The love of God , of man , charity , tending the sick , feeding the hungry , caring for the neglected , consoling the suffering ,

      aiding the necessitous , reclaiming the erring and the sinful;—these are acknowledged by all as of the firstfruits of the faith . The Catholic Church throughout the world , in all times , under every varied form of doctrine , has ever united in paying tribute to such Christian deeds . This , which has ever been tacitly allowed , should be made , conscientiously and avowedly , the mark of a Christian man , the bond of union . Not every one that saith unto me , Lord , Lord , shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven . ' JVothino : can more clearly show the basis

      of a Church as understood by Christ , than the above . Quotations without number might be given in confirmation of this statement . Every thoughtful reader of the New Testament will remember how frequently such passages occur . Nay , what is more to the purpose , the whole spirit of the Gospel is of the same nature . By their works shall they be known . Let this , then , which is tacitly allowed , be henceforth openly acknowledged as the great sign of a church of Christ . What united action would result from such an avowal being thoroughly acted upon !" On the whole we welcome this book as one of the " signs of the times ; " and , unless we are greatly deceived , its author will live to make his name known .

      Sept. 21, 1850.] Wfyt 3le&L!Et. 61&

      Sept . 21 , 1850 . ] Wfyt 3 Le & l ! et . 61 &

      The Lancashire School Association. Natio...

      THE LANCASHIRE SCHOOL ASSOCIATION . National Education not Necessarily Governmental , Sectarian , or Irreligious : shown in a Series of Papers read at the Meetings of the Lancashire 1 ' ublic School dissociation . C . Uilpiu { Second Notice . ) In the fourth of these papers Dr . Davidson examines and refutes the current objections against secular education , and his arguments in favour of the separation of secular from religious teaching , though , not always novel , have great weight coming from one whose profession would incline him to insist upon religion being inseparable from every system of public teaching . The lieverend Francis Tucker then points out the advantages to Sunday teachers of having an instructed instead of an ignorant people to deal with . Dr . Beard ably exposes the inconsistency of the practice and profession of those who insist upon the whole Bible being admitted into schools , showing that even in the church service only 29 chapters out of 170 are read ! and Mi ' . Stores Smith , in eloquent and pregnant pages , treats of education in connection with the future . There are other papers by Mr . F . Espinasse , Mr . Hylands , and Dr . Watts ; but our space must be given to extracts from the plan of the Lancashire Association , as to many readers this plan will be totally unknown . Every parish or township in the county , containing 2000 inhabitants , is to appoint an annual school committee to establish and support these four schools : — " FIRST—COMMON DAY SCHOOLS , " For cJtildrcn from five to fifteen years of age , In Avhich they shall be instructed in reading , grammar , writing , arithmetic , geography , and such other kinds of useful secular information as may be deemed advisable , or the growing intelligence of the people may demand . In addition to these , a sacred regard to truth . ; justice , kindness , and forbearance in our intercourse with our fellow-creatures ; temperance , frugality , industry , and all other virtues conducive to the right ordering of practical conduct in the affairs of life . And inasmuch as these virtues , together with reverence and love towards the Divine Being , are clearly taught and powerfully enforced in the Scriptures , a selection of examples and precepts inculcating them shall be made therefrom , and read and used in the said schools , but without reference to the peculiar theological tenets of any religious sect or denomination . " For the purpose of making this selection , a commission shall bo appointed by the county board , consisting of nine individuals , no two of whom shall be members of the same religious denomination ; and , in order that the peculiar tenets of no religious sect may bo favoured , the ¦ unanimous concurrence of the commission shall be required in the selection . " SF . COND—EVENING SCHOOLS , " For persons of the age often years and upwards . " Under the same regulations as the day school ? . " THIUD- —INFANT SCHOOLS , " Far children under six years of age . " POUllTII—INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS , For the purpose of affording food and shelter during the day to that portion of the juvenile population which has no apparent means of subsistence save by begging or crime ; of instructing them in the foregoing branches of education , and in some industrial occupation -which may lead them to prefer a life of useful activity to one of

      idleness , rescue them from destitution and misery , and give them an opportunity of becoming honest and respectable members of the community . " right of admission to the schools . " All children shall have the right of free admission , at the ages before mentioned , to the day , evening , or infant schools of the parish , township , or school union in which they reside ; except such as do not possess the faculties of hearing , speech , or sight , such as are of unsound mind , afflicted with any contagious disorder , or convicted of crime . * * * * " 1 . Nothing sliall be taught in any of the schools which favours the peculiar tenets of any religious sect ; and in order that perfect security may be afforded , any ratepayer shall have the right to complain to the school committee of the conduct of any teacher in this respect ; and in case of dissatisfaction with the decision of the school committee , he shall have the right of appeal to the committee of the hundred ; and , if dissatisfied with their decision , to the county board of education ; and from the decision of the county board to the courts of law and equity . " 2 . No clergyman of the Church of England , nor any dissenting minister , nor any ecclesiastic of the Catholic Church , shall be capable of holding any salaried office in connection with the schools . " 3 . No master or teacher shall be appointed to any school who has not received a certificate of his qualification from the examiners appointed by the county board , so long as there is a candidate for the vacancy who has received a certificate ; unless the county board , on special cause shown to it , shall authorize the school committee to dispense with the certificate . " 4 . No book shall be admitted into any school which has not first received the sanction of the county board . ' * 5 . The course of education recommended by the county board shall be pursued in all the public schools in the county . As it is of the first necessity to create in the minds of the people a desire for education , and a just estimate of its benefits , it shall be the duty of the committees to endeavour to create this desire by communicating personally , or by means of agents , with the parents and guardians of those children who are receiving no education . " Each school committee shall furnish to the county board an annual report of the schools under its management , and shall at all times furnish such information as may be required by the board . " Each school committee shall annually publish in a cheap form , for the use of the ratepayers , a statement of all monies received and expended by them , and present a copy of the same to the committee of the hundred and to the county board . " School committees shall have power , in special cases , to relax the rule excluding children convicted of crime from the day , evening , or infant schools , and to expel any child for gross insubordination or misconduct . " School committees shall have power to appoint a clerk with a salary . " A county board of education is to be established , consisting of twelve persons , and not more than three of these to be members of any one religious denomination . " DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE COUNTY BOARD . " 1 . The board shall appoint annually a secretary , at a salary of not less than five hundred nor more than eight hundred pounds per annum ; and two inspectors at salaries of at least two hundred pounds each , per annum . The concurrence of two-thirds of the members present shall be necessary in the appointment of the secretary and inspectors . " 2 . It shall be necessary for the board to sanction all books before they are admitted into any of the schools ; and no book shall receive the sanction of the board which favours the peculiar tenets of any religious sect . Objections made in writing by any three members of the board to any book , on the ground that it favours the peculiar tenets of any religious sect , shall prevent such book from being introduced into any of the schools . " 3 . The members of the board , or their secretary , or inspectors , shall have power to enter the public schools at all times , to examine into the progress made by the scholars , into the course of instruction pursued , and into all matters relating to the management of the schools . " 4 . It shall be the duty of the board to admonish or dismiss for the first offence , and for the second offence to dismiss , any teacher whose conduct shall be brought under its notice by appeal , and who shall appear to it to have favoured in his teaching any peculiar theological opinions . " ft . If any township , parish , or school union shall neglect to establish and support schools , and if the committee of the hundred in which such parish , township , or school union is situated , shall neglect to use the power given to supply the deficiency , it shall be the duty of the county board to establish schools , to levy rates on such parish , township , or school union , for their establishment and support , and to appoint a committee to manage them . " G . The county board shall draw up such a plan of education as it shall deem best suited to the four descriptions of public schools , which it shall recommend to the school committees , and it shall be the duty of the board to enforce its adoption . " 7 . The board shall obtain from the school committees whatever information it may require relating to the condition and management of the schools , and present annually to the two Houses of Tarliamont , and to every school committee , a detailed report of the state of education in Lancashire . " 8 . The board shall procure as much information as possible of the state of education in this kingdom , on the Continent of Europe , and in America , and convey

      whatever may appear needful to the different school committees . " 9 . As an incitement to diligence and good conduct on the part of the pupils in the local schools , the county board shall have power to expend two thousand pounds annually in maintaining at the normal school a number of such pupils as shall be reported by the school committees to be deserving of such reward , and shall pass through such a course of examin ation by the public examiners as

      shall be decided on by the county board . . " 10 . The expenses incurred by the board shall be defrayed by the parishes , townships , and unions , in proportion to their population . " 11 . The board shall form a corporation , in which shall be vested the property belonging to the normal schools , and in which may be vested any other property conveyed or bequeathed for the establishment or support of normal schools , colleges , libraries , or for any other educational purposes for the use of the county generally .

      " EXAMINATION OF TEACHERS . " 1 . The county board shall appoint three competent persons to examine candidates for the office of master or teacher . " 2 . The examiners shall have power to decide on the qualification of candidates , and to grant or refuse certificates accordingly . " 3 . In order to insure impartiality in the decisions , the same test of fitness shall be applied to all applicants for certificates in the same branches of knowledge , and the course of examination shall be laid down by the county board .

      " 4 . The time and place at which examiners shall meet for the purpose of examining candidates shall be ap » pointed by the county board , and at least a month ' s notice , previous to any examination , shall be given by advertisement in the principal county papers . " 5 . The county board shall have power to fix the salaries of the examiners at a sum not exceeding pounds each per annum : and every applicant for a certificate shall pay to the board a fee of on registering his

      name . " 6 . The certificate shall be the property of the person to whom it is granted , and if delivered up by him to any of the school committees , it shall be returned to him on demand . " 7 . If any applicant is dissatisfied with the decision of the examiners , he shall have the power of appeal to the county board , which may then grant him a certificate if it think fit . " normal schools . " 1 . The county board shall establish and support one or more normal schools for the training of teachers . It shall have power to engage and dismiss teachers , to decide on the course of instruction to be pursued , and on all matters relating to the management of the normal schools .

      " 2 . Nothing shall be taught in the normal schools which favours the peculiar tenets of any religious sect . " 3 . The county board shall have power to draw from the townships , parishes , and school unions , in proportion to their population , the sums necessary for the erection of buildings for the normal schools . The current expenses shall be defrayed by the pupils , or by the townships , parishes , or school unions for whom the pupils are in training . " 4 . It shall be optional with the school committees whether they engage teachers who have been educated in the normal schools or not . "

      Notes And Extracts. Education And Social...

      NOTES AND EXTRACTS . Education and Socialism . —The opinion is entertained by the working classes themselves , that great things are to be looked for from socialism , communism , and the association of labour . I have some faith in the associated principle , but I believe that education is connected with them all . Say that they are all fallacies , as many believe them to be , still the working class are bent upon realizing them , and have faith in them . If you wish to show them to be fallacies you can only do so by improving their education till they see them to be

      fallacies ; and if you do not succeed , your education is well expended , for it is better surely for an educated people to endeavour to realize these startling projects than for a rude and untutored one . Dissatisfied with their present condition the great working class stand at the entrance of several dark caverns ; is it good that they should explore them in the dark , blindfold ? "Would it not be better for them to enter upon their search with the brilliances of the luminent flambeaux of education and of knowledge ?—Mr . J . S . Smith in the Lancashire School Association Essays .

      Italian Coolness . —The people in whose house my three invalid fellow-passengers and I live , No . 818 , Via Grande , are amazingly honest ; and yet they thought nothing of cutting open my bed-package ( which was well sewed up ) , and making use of my bedding , without telling me one word of their proceedings . This came out when I complained of cold , and asked for another blanket . The landlady said she had no more . I desired her to bring my packet , and I would provide myself with one from my own store . She then acknowledged that she had plucod one of my blankets on one bed , one on

      another , and the bedcover on a third ; and that my fellow-travellers must suffer if I reclaimed my own . The curious part of the affair was that , when I told her that I should have expected at least to have been consulted before she opened my sewed package , and appropriated its contents to her own purposes , she made a long harangue of astonishment at my feeling cold ; then she fell into a towering passion with me for being cold ; and ended by expressing her surprise at my being so unreasonable as to complain , because she had used the blankets for the comfort of my friends \—From tho Life of Andrew Combe ,

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 21, 1850, page 19, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_21091850/page/19/