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Leader (1850-1860), 23rd July 1853, Edition 1 of 1, Page 700, Untitled Article

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      are under the management of the Roman-catholic clergy . The national system , therefore , has now become a sham , when it is the fact that iu the immense majority of the schools the Koman- catholic religion , and the Roman-catholic religion . alone , is taught ; and , instead of ¦ being a . combined system , on the contrary it is a close and exclusive system of Roman-catholic education . " Let it be known to the public that large sums of public money are given to the Roman-catholic clergy of Ireland to diffuse a direct Roman-catholic education . " In support of mixing some religious education with the secular education , Lord Donoughmoro then quoted Lord John Russell , who had said at the meeting of the Bible Society : — " There are those who say that half a day on two days of the week , and the whole of the day on Sunday , may be given to religious teaching and instruction ; they thus , as it were , give up two days for religious instruction , while they leave four days of the week for that which is secular education only . I say this is a most unhappy and most unwise division j that neither in respect of time nor in that of the subject , is that an education which the future nation of England ought to receive . I say that secular and religious education should be mixed together ; that the instruction should be imparted to educate the body , the mind , and the soul together ; and when this task has been accomplished , then indeed you may be proud of your work . "

      Lord Aberdeen stated the circumstances and nature of the late alterations .- Dr . Whately and Dr . Murray had agreed on the use of the Scripture Extracts , a book of Sacred Poetry , and the Evidences of Christianity , for joint religious education in the schools . In the year 1849 , some of the Commissioners visiting a district school removed , at the request of some Roman-catholic parents , the Evidences of Christianity from the joint

      religious instruction , leaving it as one of the books to be used in the separate religious instruction . Dr . Whately objected to this , but it is clear that he has no tenable ground for his objection , as the Board have the power to withdraw any book from use in the schools . But Dr . Whately has not resigned . Respecting the opinion expressed by Lord John Russell , it is very true as regards England , but in Ireland the peculiar character of the population makes a different system

      necessary . " I do not know anything which has proved such a blessing to the people of Ireland as the national system of education ; and notwithstanding the differences which have occurred , I still trust that nothing will take place that will diminish the usefulness , or prevent even tho extension of a system winch has already achieved so much , good , and from which , wo may hope to derive so much , additional advantage . "

      In reply to questions afterwards set forth , Lord Aberdeen explained that recent regulations by the Board had enacted that books to which objections wero generally raised by Roman-catholics should be transferred from one part of the school instruction to another , and that in the case of a single parent objecting , the book objected to should still continue to be read by the school at large , and the one child should be allowed to withdraw . Some conversation then followed as to tho meaning of the lato rule . Lord Abeudeen said that instead of

      allowing the parent ' s objection to restrict the book to tho time of separate religious instruction , the child would be separated from the class , and tho combined religious instruction be allowed to continue . Lord Derby explained that this was the effect of Baron Greene ' s resolution proposed at the Board , but that that resolution had been negatived . Tho eighth rule , therefore , remains in force , and it . is to tho effect that tho Scripture Extracts shall not bo allowed to bo read in the national schools , in the event of an objection being made by the parent or guardian of any child attending the Hehool ; that the use of such books is to bo prohibited except at tho time set apart , for their reading , under

      certain restrictions , namely , that no child shall bo present at such reading whoso parents or gunrdians objected to tho same ; that a public notification of tho time to bo set apart for such reading shall bo announced in largo letters in the tables of the school ; that an interval shall elapse between the rending and tho other school duties , and that sufficient time shall elapse to allow any child , whoso parents or gunrdinns object to his remaining , to depart from the school . Lord Derby said it appeared to him that , according to that resolution , tho parent of any one child in a school has the power to extend his veto to the <; xolnsion of all scriptural instruction during tho hours of combined instruction .

      Tho nnbjcct then dropped , tho formal " motion for papers" being ngroed to .

      TUB SUBSTITUTE FOJt TItAN 81 » OBTATION . At present transportation implies three distinct Btagea of punishment , ; first , imprisonment undor tho aeparato ByHtom ; jjocondly , employment at vory sever ©

      labour on the public works for a certain portion of the sentence ; and , thirdly , transmission to the colonies generally with tickets of leave . The proposed alterations in this arrangement have been stated by the Lord Chanceixob with full explanation ; It is intended that the punishment in the first and second stages / by imprisonment and hard labour on-the public works for a certain period , shall be continued ; and if the parties be ill-conducted , the labour on the public works may be continued until the end of the sentence ; but as an inducement to the convicts to conduct themselves well , the Government propose to adopt a middle course

      between absolute pardon and the continuance of severe labour on the public works . If-we give a man a ticket of leave in this country , the great fear is that without some restriction he will return back to his old haunts , and become again iriy ' olved in crime . The great advantage of transportation was , that it afforded a place in which employment could be given to a person of damaged character , and labour being in great request he might not only obtain employment , but become a useful member of society . The only mode in which it is possible to supply the want that is created by the discontinuance of transportation , is to provide as it were

      a colony , or at least a place in our own country , where labourers damaged in their character may obtain employment . This is a very serious question to decide upon ; for , unless it be adopted with great safeguards , the labour market maybe . damaged .- There are now two places—Gosport , which is capable of receiving 400 or 500 workmen , and Portland Island , which is capable of receiving as many more , amounting to 1000 between them . Government , therefore , propose that before the convicts' terms are expired we should give them an opportunity , by granting theni tickets of leave , of being employed at harder work , worse terms , and

      lower wages than those at which other ^ persons are employed , but with the condition that they should not take that employment except within fifty miles of the place where they are engaged at hard labour- —either Gosport or Portland Island . It is best thus to define the limits ; and it cannot be said that we are throwing upon the inhabitants of the districts loose persons who can do nothing but plunder , because we willTiot do so without providing the means of giving them some work , and thereby remove from them the objection that they are obliged to steal . ( Hear . ) We may gradually make them fit to be received into other places where they are not under a sort of ban ; but great discretion should be left to the Secretary of State in dealing with them , and great hopes are entertained that os their characters

      become improved other persons will be wjlling to take them ; and if so , the tickets of leave will be so extended as to enable them to be employed by those persons . The great apprehension in dealing with criminals is , that if they were tnrned loose in the great metropolis they u'ould return back to their old haunts . We will guard against that by directing that they shall not come within a certain distance of the metropolis , and that they shall not be admitted to certain districts into which experience showed they should be restricted from entering . The great hope is that , after going through tho reformatory system in the prison , and in the next place the hard labour on the public works , they shall be qualified to work in an orderly manner on their tickets of leave , and shall become gradually absorbed into society as reformed characters .

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      inn THE LEADER . [ Satovbax ,

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      A CHUECH TAX IN EDINBURGH . In Edinburgh , tho town ministers are supported by a tax of six per cent , on the rental of house property . It exempts tho members of the College of Justicethat is , tho judges , advocates , writers of the signet , and all the solicitors of the superior courts ; and also exempts all beyond tho " ancient royalty , " and tho extended royalty of tho town . Tho collection of tho tax having canned some local strife an d heartburnin gs , Government has brought in a bill , purposing to reduce tho tax from six to three per cent ., to abolish tlio exemption of the College of Justice , to reduce tho number of members from eighteen to fifteen , to give each member 500 J . a-year , and to inorgo the tax and tho charge in tho Consolidated Fund . But it is not intended that tho charge should be placed on that fund . To incot tho deficiency anticipated by tho reduction of tho amount of tho tax , it ia proposed to appropriate tho salnrieH of tho Chapel Royal doanship , and of tho Professorship of Biblical Cri ticism , after tho decease of tho present holders of those offices . Tho bill was earnestly opposed by Mr . J . B . Smith . Ho condemned tho tax itself . Out of 1 G , OOOZ . collected for tho tnx , 10 , 000 / . is paid by persons who do not go to church . There aro now twenty-six Established churches in Edinburgh which are always empty , whilo thero iiro Hoventy-ibur other churches which aro nlways full There aro 5592 sittings still unlofc in tho eight city 3 hurchcs . Besides , thoro aro empty chapols of oado . JTot this bill provides that unothor church ( iu place

      of Trinity Church ) shall be built at a cost of 10 , 000 ? . for a congregation of nineteen members . The old Grey Friar ' s Church , which was burned down , it is proposed also to build , though the congregation amount only to thirty-five , and the minister receives 6001 . a-year . There is , not a single minister in the old town—the ^ e reverend shepherds not choosing to Jive ; among their " flocks , though they take 6001 . a-year from theiiu There is no dissenting minister either , for they object to paj the tax , and they do not want to be sent to prison . This is the system the bill purposes to perpetuate . The income of the Chapel Royal deaneries , which it proposes to appropriate is not ecclesiastical property ; it ^ js property leased to the Crown . The only equitable mode of dealing with this question is to repeal the Act of 1808 . This would create adequate funds for six ministers , who would be quite sufficient to discharge all the required duties . A speech from Mr . Macatjxay enlivened the debate . ¦ . _ He argnedagainst the tax , but supported the bill as the only possible modification ; declaring that he had acted on the same principle in voting for the measure regarding the Irish bishoprics , in 1833 . He showed , that in Edinburgh this annuity tax is very oppressive . In Montrose , the cost of the clergy is but 450 & a-year on 17 , 000 inhabitants ; while in Edinburgh , it is 10 , 000 Z . a-year on 66 , 000 inhabitants . And the exemption of the College of Justice—^ forming the aristocracy of Edinburgh , the most opulent of the community , is a glaring injustice . Edinburgh complains , first , that the State has laid on it the charge of a too great Church Establishment ; secondly , that the State has exempted from the expense of that establishment the people best able to pay ; and , thirdly , that the State has taken away , and appropriated to its own purposes , the ancient Church lands which ought to have borne the burden of the clergy . The bill now under consideration respecting all vested interests , and affirming all existing rights , provides prospectively for fixing the stipend of the clergymen at 5507 . a-year , and for reducing the number of ministers from eighteen to fifteen . Mr . Macaulay proceeded to show bow useless were the deaneries of the Chapel Royal , proposed to be abolished ; and concluded his speech with some striking remarks on Church Establishments : — - " Once again let me call the attention of the House to what are the principles of this bill . Those principles , which have already received the sanction of three successive Governments , are—a reduction in the number of ministers , abolition of the exemption enjoyed by the College of Justice , and application of the revenues of the deaneries of the Chapel Boyal to the purpose of abolishing this tax . TheBe changes have been recommended by a select committee of this House , and have found favour with three successive Governments . There has been up to this point a perfect unanimity as to principle of the remedies to be applied , the only difference being as to the precise quantum of each respective remedy . For the sake of tho peace of England , for the sake of the peace of Scotland , for tho sake of the Ecclesiastical Establishment , in the name of justice , and for the dear interests of religion , most earnestly , most ; solemnly do I implore the House not to reject this bill . I need not remind you what miserable and disastrous events have taken plaoe in consequence of this tax . I need not say in presence of bucIi an assembly aa I now have the honour to address , that nothing can be more painful to the feelings of any man who lovea and reverences religion than to see its ministers calling out the army to enable them to exact from their flocks tho means of subsistence . Remember that unpopularity in the case of a Church Establishment ia a different thing from unpopularity in tho case of any other institution . The army may bo unpopular , and yet it may efficiently guard your shores from tho invasion of foreign foes—the police may ho unpopular , and yot it may preserve social order , and facilitate tho operations of civil government—your coast guard may be unpopular , yot it may keep out tho smuggler and dofend your revenue ; but tho mission of a church is to conciliate affection , and to spread peace and goodwill amongst men , and tho church which has ceased to be popular has ceased to bo useful . ( Loud cheers . ) Tho church which ia not boloved had bettor bo abolished . Tho object of her oxistonco is to inspire foolings of respect , love , and vonoration , and if nho fails of accomplishing that object she had bettor not oxist at all . ( Continued applauso . ) Most earnestly , theroforo , and most solomnly , must 1 imploro tho Houao not to support an institution which is worao than useless if it can only bo supported by means which can only cause it to bo hated . " ( Vehement nppluuso . ) v Lord Seymouii thought tho bill a bad one , and could not conscientiously support it . He , objected to tho proposition of rondel-ing tho Consolidated Fund of this country liable for tho muintennnco of tho Scotch clorgy . Wero tho people of Scotland so poor that they could not support their own clergy ? If tho people of Edinburgh wero once to bo allowed to insert their fingers into tho public purso it would bo a more difficult ; matter than aomo honourable gentlemen seemed to anticipate to imluco thorn to draw tttem out again . ( Cheers . ) Mr . Edward Eraion and Mr . Miam opposed tho bill as burbhening the publio purae , and aa a compromiso that pefctled nothing . ;

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), July 23, 1853, page 700, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1996/page/4/