Guardian from London, Greater London, England • Page 13

THE GUARDIAN, FEBRUARY 5, 1896,. 205 of the Diocesan Education Society, especially those who had had offertories on behalf of the The present crisis in the history of voluntary schools (the letter continues) has now assumed a fresh and even more important aspect. Upon the united persevering and insistent demand of Churchmen, in the next few months, for liberal treatment of voluntary schools, may depend for many years to come the efficiency and even the existence of our Church schools in many places. The treatment which these schools will receive from her Majesty's Government will ultimately depend upon the sacrifices Churchmen are willing to make on behalf of the definite religious teaching. Under these circumstances, is it too much to ask that from every parish in the diocese there should come an where that is really impossible, even a portion of an behalf of the society, which for over half a Century has boon the nursing mother of Church schools in its diocese, and whose timely aid both in building and maintenance has carried so many parishes through periods of difficulty? The Archbishop has expressed his desire that in every parish the opportunity should be given yearly to the parishioners to join in this diocesan effort, by contributing, even If it be a Bmall offertory.

He has moreover suggested the Ember season of Lent for the purpose, and the First Sunday in Lent as School Sunday." We trust, that on that, or on some other occasion during the year, you will be able to have an offertory for the society and to plead its cause. The letter addressed to the Times by the Bishop of Southwark on the federation of voluntary schools (which was reproduced in the Guardian for January 22nd), having elicited much valuable suggestion, sent privately, the Bishop writes again to make public the results, put together in the shape of a proposal," as follows Tho Need of Powers of There is an agreement of opinion among my correspondents that power should be given by Act of Parlla- uient and stimulated by money -spending duties, by which the Individual schools shall be induced to take cognisance of one another and be grouped under centres for the advantage of co -operation, counsel, resistance to attack, provision of special instruction, training of pupil-teachers, and such like. When once the indifference of single schools is overcome by interest or pressure, and the first step in grouping is accomplished, there would be little difficulty in grouping these again, without legislation, into diocesan boards, and tho diocesan boards into national ones. therefore coutent myself with putting forward proposals for these first stops. that Government creates county or district "educa tlonal authorities" and intrusts those authorities with certain sums either by rate aid or by State-aid.

for the benefit of all schools alike, whether voluntary or board. Thon just as such motiey would. In the case of board schools, be spent by a board which had several schools under it; so let tho inouey which is destined for voluntary schools bo speut by bodies which may be called local central councils," formed by representation from the schools existing in an area similar to the school board area. Thus there would be created three stops in federation, all being money- one case there would bo tho county authority, school board, aud board school; in the other case the county authority, local central council, and voluntary school. And it should be noted that this latter trio might be of any single of England, Roman, Wesloyan, Jewish, or any other.

Formation of the Local Central as it is to act, on the one hand, as representative of tho schools federated to it, and, on tho other, on behalf of tho county or district educational authority, this couucil should be composed representatives of the managers olocted according to the size of their school; and (o) some small deputation from the couuty authority. In this way popular control could appear in an unobjectionable form. Tho principle of money-spending, too, would not bo new, for just as now public money is iutrustod to tho managers subject to audit, so hereafter some would be intrusted to representatives elected by thoBe managers aud fortified by a deputation from the county authority. central local councils should be permitted to spend the inouey on the schools within their sphere at their discretion, subject to appeal and within restrictions framed by the Act or by the Education Department, so as to enable the poverty of one school in the federated group to bo helped by the prosperity of another. For at present the disparity is very troublesome.

Some voluntary schools could do without an additional grant, whereas others may starve, even after future generous legislation. They should also be allowed to spend it on buildings when a demand is made by the Department, also to borrow for such building if necessary upon the grant, as boards do upon the rates. Safeguards of the Denominational it is true that these councils would depend in great degree on the county educational authority, which body woula, presumably, be elective and, therefore, must bo without religious test; yet, inasmuch as the smaller local councils roprosent denominational schools, the councils must be nised as denominational too, whatever that denomination may prove to bo; aud here it should again be remembered that this is no new principle, for it is actod on iu the caso of those already recognised mauagors of voluntary schools, whose representatives tho members of the local councils aio to be. Further much granted, complete federation would be oasy, for it would be simple to bring these councils by representation on to the diocesan boards, without legislation, and tho diocesan boards could elect a provincial or national one. Other religious bodies could, of course, do the same.

As dealing only with federation, the Bishop purposoly avoids tho questions of tho source of supposed grants und their special application. A public meeting, convened by the National Edncation JS Committee and the National Education League of the Evangelical Free Churches, was hold last Thursday in the Queen's Flail, Langhnm-place, to protest against tho demands being made for additional assistance to denominational schools. Among tho letters of apology read was one from the Master of Balliol, who wrote 1 regret that I cannot bo prosent at your meeting. Let me express my very great sympathy with Its object. 1 think it would bo a calamity for tho nation if tho school board system wore disturbed with tho substitution of private for public management of the schools.

I think also that iu tho interest of the religious education of tho children it is vory undesirable that special sectarian teaching should bo allowed to tako the place of tho kind of Instruction at present given in the schools of our nation." Mr. Asquith, who filled the chair, said their object was not to attack the oduoational policy of her Majesty's Government, for the simple reason that they had not the faintest idea what that policy was. Their attitude was simply ono of defence, for they were perfectly content to abide by the settlement of 1870. He would also disclaim any spirit of hostility to the voluntary schools, which formed a large majority of tho elementary schools of the country, and nad in attendance within their walls a majority, though not a large one, of the children They havo been erected and maintained at a vory considerable oxponse of money and by a large devotion of time and zeal for no tribute of gratitude and of praise could be too high. (Choers.) Tho educational work that has been done, aud that is being done to-day, by our voluntary schools Is work with which it is almost impossible for us as a nation to dispense.

I will say further that this is not, iu our view, in the least degree a sectarian question. It is not a question between Church and chapel; It is not a question between the Established Church on the one side and of Nonconformists on the other. yes it is," and laughter.) For myself, and I believe for most of you, I entirely repudiate any such representation. (Cheers.) The main question was the demand which was now put forward, if concoded, lead to a raising or lowering of tho standard of educational efficiency in this country? Would the grant of this now subsidy to the denominational schools, resulting, as it must, not only in the maintenance, but in the extension of the system, and freed as it was proposed to be freed from any further safeguards in the way either of central or local the grant of this new subsidy tend to the best interests of our educational system? Examining the statement that an intolerable strain was put, under the present system, upon the voluntary schools, Mr. Asquith said- Out of nearly 20,000 elementary schools in England and Wales 14,000 are What are called voluntary or denominational schools.

Their average attendance is nearly 2,500,000 children, aud their annual income is 4.760.000J. i and of the annual Income, If you lncludo the fee grant, no less than S.flOO.OOOJ. comos from public sources. In other words, the annual cost of those schools which are exposed to an intolerable strain cOmos in the proportion of three to one out of the inouey raised from the general taxation of tho country. That is the existing state of things; and now lot me ask you to compare it for a moment with the state of things which existed before 1870, when the Elementary Education Act was passed.

I take tho year 1W19 as the last year under the old system; more than the whole of the extra annual cost of educating the children of these schools has been met out of the funds contributed by the taxpayers of this country. (Cheers.) Mr. Forster, the author or the great Act of 1870, was often quoted as having said that school boards were to supplement and not to supplant the voluntary system. He did say so, and, to give effect to his words, he allowed the voluntary schools a year of year during which they were enabled, as far as their resources allowed, and with a very considerable subvention from Imperial funds towards the building expenses, to put up as many schools as they liked. But the earners of the Act never contemplated and never intended, after that year of grace had expired, an indefinite extension of the voluntary system in the future.

Two essential requirements, he (the speaker) thought, must be complied with as the condition of any further help from the State to the denominational schools. In the first place, there must be satisfactory guarantees given that the money contributed waB to be spent, not in relieving subscribers, but in improving the educational standard, that it was to be spent in the levelling up of the teaching denominational schools, and not with the indirect object, by illegitimate competition, of levelling down the standard of the board sohools. So far they had not received the slenderest assurances on that point. A second condition of further pecuniary support from the State must be the recognition of the prinoiple of local control. In conclusion, Mr.

Asquith said he acknowledged the inalienable right, and indeed the duty, of every English parent to have his children brought up in the faith he professed. What he could not admit was the right of the parent to have this duty discharged for him at the public cost, nor did he believe such a claim would commend itself to the common sense of the English people. A resolution in accordance with the objects of the meeting was duly carried on the motion of Dr. Clifford, seconded by Mr. Chinning, M.P., who took occasion to say he had a great admiration for the Duke of Devonshire, and until it was proved he would refuse to believe that the man who successfully championed the principles of sohool board education in 1876 was going to be the betrayer of those principles in the present year.

The Bishop of Chester asks in a letter to tho Times Are not Mr. Asquith and those who think with him doing less than justice to tho service rendered to the nation by undenominationalism in simplifying and bringing into manageable compass the religious difficulty In education, at all events, the State has now no longer to deal witli a multitude of denominations each conscientiously bent on religious instruction in accordance with Its own distinctive tenets. Our English Christianity has now marshalled itself in three main Church of England, the Roman Catholics, and the comprehensive Beet of uudeuomi- nationalists. oncurrent recognition of these three bodies on fair and equal terms is a comparatively easy thing. The amalgamated undenomlna- tlouallsts are so well pleased with their creedloss creed that they not only welcome it for themselves, but are anxious to "press their cheese upon a thankless town force undenomlnatlonalisni down the reluctant throats of Churchmen and Roman Catholics.

This is, no doubt, going a little too far. But we can meet their enthusiasm half-way by frankly acknowledging that, though undenominationalism has brought out more conspicuously than ever the self-sacrificing tenacity with which Anglican and Roman citizens, parents and ratepayers, cling to their distinctive conditions, it has also provided common ground for all the other Christian bodies and presented them to tho State incompact and convenient shape for educational purposes. Peoplo can now no longer talk of all the isms having to be taught. Only three Christian Isms are left to be recognised in our Bchools. and those who care for education more than for sectarianism in politics or religion will unite in demanding evenhanded justice for all three.

That the promoters of undenominationalism intended thus to smooth the way for concurrent recognition by the State I am not prepared to maintain. Hut, wittingly or unwittingly, thoy have done the thing, aud for this the nation owes them a debt of gratitude. A correspondence is published between Lord Salisbury and Mr. Bernhard Whishaw, touchinga request made by nearly fifty memorialists, "claiming to speak on behalf of large national and educational interests," that his lordship would receive, before the meeting of Parliament, a deputation with reference to the educational settlement of 1870, which has been challenged in the interests of denominationalism." Among the signatories of the memorial are the Master of Balliol, Mr Percy Bunting, Dr. Clifford, Principal Pairbairn, Sir James Kitson, tho Rev.

E. F. M. MaoCarthy, Dr. Martineau, Lord Morpeth, Mr.

Mundolla, Dr. Guinness Rogers, Mr. C. Roundell, Mr. Lyulph Stanley, and Sir James Stansfold.

In reply to the first letter and memorial the Prime Minister say ho has already received two deputations on the subject, and regrets that his engagements before the meeting of Parliament will not admit of his receiving any moro. Mr. Whishaw, for the memorialists, thereupon expresses regrot that Lord Salisbury should refuse them a hearing. As ho has received deputations representing denominational interests, thoy consider that ho should also hoar the views of thoso who wish the existing lega" settlement to bo maintained. Lord Salisbury, answer demurs to the assertion that ho has refused tho anti-denomi nationalists a hearing, and refers to tho deputation he received in which such views were repreEeuted by Sir Henry Fowler, Dr.

Rigg, and the Rev. Hugh Price It appears to me (tho Premier continues) that when I have received a deputation upon each side of a question, conducted by meu who adequately ropresont it, I havo discharged my duty in that behalf. 1 have declined to receive another deputation hostile to the policy of tho London School Board, and I have also declined to receive the deputation pronosed by your friends. I havo done so, not because either sido is undeserving of an attentive hearing, but because It seems to me that there must bo some limit to the number of In a final letter Mr. Whishaw I am instructed to say that your applicants cannot recognise a deputation from a denomination which has always supported denominational schools, and which contained among its leading members persons prominently associated with the defence and extension of the denominational system, as authorised exponents of those who wish to treat the education question from a municipal aud national, aud not from an ecclesiastical point of view.

The Rev. W. W. Dennett, rector of Twywell, has been appointed hy the Bishop of Peterborough a voluntary inspector, to assist in the inspection of the Northampton sohools and elsewhere. The annual returns" of tho Education Department for 1894 -5 show that the voluntary contributions towards the maintenance of Church sohools during 1894 amounted to It is frequently assumed by the opponents of Church schools that this sum represents the full amount of the contribution of Churchmen towards the support of their schools.

The National Society shows, in a recent leaflet, that this is far from the truth. The following figures give the approximate amount of the voluntary contributions or Churchmen to their schools and colleges in tho year Voluntary contributions for maintenance of schools £022,034 Income from "other sources" for Church schools, not including pence or other public moneys 40,321 Maintenance, of Church training colleges 14,000 Cost of diocesan inspection of schools 15,000 Cost of examination and inspection of Church training colleges (religious knowledge) 1,187 Grants paid in 1894 by the National Society towards building and Improving Church schools 11,070 Local contributions to meet the grants voted by tho least twelve times the amount of the grants 143,712 Expenditure in 1801 on building and improving schools in cases where it was not necessary to apply for help to the National Society was probably at least 120,000 Conservatives and two Radicals. Two Conservatives, including the Rev. Ebenezer Jones, vicar of Llanbadarn, headed the poll. At the recent triennial election of nine members'of the Mar gat e- United District School Board the Church party gained a decisive victory.

The old board, owing to a so-called compromise in 1893, had consisted of five Progressives and four Moderates. On this occasion there were thirteen candidates- six Churchmen, five Nonconformists, and two Independent Churchmen. In the result the six Church were at the head of the poll, followed by an Independent Churchman, and then by two Progressives. The total votes polled for the Moderates, including the two Independent Churchmen, (1,691 and 898), for the Progressives, 3,924. The Education Department have issued an order (in pursuance of an order made under the Local Government Act, 1894) for the election of one person by the part of the parish of Overstrand, Norfolk, added to the parish of Cromer, to sit on the School Board for Cromer.

The Department has also issued an order making the parish of Ipsley, Warwickshire, contributory to the school board district of FecJeenham, Worcestershire, and for the election of two persons to represent the parish on the Feckenham Board. BIB.THS.—SONS. DA VIES 26, the Elms, Hounslow, the wife of Rev. R. H.

Davies, Rector of Barnston. HABVBY 23, at the Grove, Queen -street, Sydney, N.S.W., the wife of John MuBgrave Harvey. ST. CLARK HILL 17, the Chaplain's House, Blind School, Southward the wife of Rev. J.

W. St. Clare Hill. DATJGHTEBS. 20, Toddlngton Rectory, Dunstable, the wife of Rev.

F. A. Adams, M. A. 1, Fontmell Rectory, ShafteBbury, the wife of the Rev.

F. Glyn. JUDKINS 27, St. Denys Vicarage, Southampton, the wife of Rev. B.

Judkins, M.A. MARRIAGES. the 28th at Christ Church, Mayfair, by tho Rev. Edgar Sheppard, Sub -Dean of the Chapels Royal, Claud, only son of Major-General Sir Claud Alexander, to Rachel Belasyse, youngest daughter of the Rev. Henry Holden, D.D., Rector of South Luffenham, Rutland.

28. St. Peter's, Streatham, by the Rev. J. Beeby, Vicar of All Saints', West Dulwich, assisted by the Rev.

W. Edwards. Rector of St. Olave's, Southwark, and tho Rev. W.

R. Hervey. Vicar of Hi ratal 1, brother of tho bridegroom, the Rev. G. Al Horvey, Vicar of St.

Anne's, Southowram, Halifax, son of the late Rev. G. Hervey, first Vicar of St. Augustine's, Haggerston, to Grace, eldest daughter of Frederick and Helena Gann, of 149, Croxted-road, West bulwlcb. SCOURFIKLD-LEA 29, Far Foro9t, Sir O.

H. P. Scourfleld, to Frances Kathariua Harriet, eldost daughter of the Rev. J. T.

Lea. 28, 8t. Paul 's, Leamington, by thb Rev. J. Griffiths, Oxon, Vicar of Old Coldwyn, the Rev.

W. Venables-Williams, Oxon, Vicar of Llandrillo, Colwyu Bay, to Alice Harriet, elder daughter of tho late J. Armitage, Woodville Hall, Forest-hill, London. DEATHS. ADAMS 81.

Gainos, William Alexander Adams, J.P., of county Herefordshire, aged 74. ASIIMORE 29, at 69, Westbourne -terrace, the Rev. Paul Ashinore, aged 1)1. BIDDER 1, Queen Anne's Mansions, Westminster, from the effects of an accident, George Parker Bidder, Q.C., O.C., J.P., of Ravensbury Park, Mitcham, aged 69. BROUNCKER 27, at 8, Paragon-buildings, Cheltenham, Frances Rainier, the younger and only surviving daughter of the late J.

Brouncker, of Batheastou, aged 90. BRYDOHS 29, Weston-super -Mare, Major-General George Brydges, late ll.M.A.,aged04. CACHKMAILLK 27, Leo, Margaret, widow of the Rev. J. L.

V. Cachemaille, late Vicar of tho Island of Sark, Guernsey, aged 02. CKICITESTER 28, Pilton House, Barnstable, Major-General Hugh Chichestor, late It.A., aged 69. Jan. 29, ate, St.

George'a-placo, 8.W., the Right Hon. Hugh Culling Eardley Chllders. agod 08. DALK 29, Torquay, Martha Seacome, widow of the late P. Dale, of Liverpool and Montevideo, aged 92.

DRUIIY 3, Brisbane, Queensland, Colonel Edward Robert Drury, GOCLDEN Benjamin Goulden, Vicar of St. Alphege, Southwark, fell asleep in Jesus on February 3rd. The funeral service will take place on Saturday, at ten o'clock precisely. In St. Alphege Church.

Priests will please bring cassock and surplice. Interment at Woking. Hrr Jan. 24, at Emory Down, Lyndhurst, Hants, James Turner Hill, late Bo. Staff Corps, aud formerly of the 14th Bo.

N.I., aged (17, HOWLKTT 2 (1. at 6, Wollswood Park, Torquay, the Rov. William Howlett, M.A., aged HO. LAWRENCE 23, Biarritz, Genoral R. C.

Lawrenco, C.B., aged 77. LKOIIMKIIK 28, Tcignuiouth, Alice, wife of Sir E. A. Lechinere, of Sovernend, Hauley Castle, aged 80. MCALL 31, Heath Cottage, Brlghstone, Isle of Wight, Elizabeth, widow of tho Rev.

E. McAll, formerly Rector of Brlghstone and Rural Doau, agod 90. Mc MURRAY the 2nd Wandle. House, Wandsworth, 8.W.. James Reld McMurray, in his 83rd year.

Friends will kindly accept this, tho only intimation. MOLKSWOKTH 27. Konwith. Bldoford, Hickman Thomas worth, Major-Gouoral lato R. (Madras) Artillery, agod 76.

PETERS 24, Harellold, Devonshire, William Henry Peters, J.P., D.L., aged 82. Pinpi Jan. 27, at 27, Eaton-square, tho Hon. and Rev. Canon Augustus Fredorick Phlpps, youngest and only surviving sou of the First Karl of Mulgravo, agod HO.

SCOTT tho 1st at tho Villa, Bude, Cornwall, Mary Emelyno Scott, widow of tho late Colonel William Scott, Bo. Staff Corps. iv, between one-third and one-quarter of the cost of oducatiug the child. What is tho state of thlugs now, after twenty-flvo years of intolerable strain Tho cost of the child has risen from 2fls. to 38s.

aud tho subscription has fallen from 7s. toCs. Od. Iu other words, the extra cost pr education has risen nearly 60 per while the voluntary contributions of the supporters of thoso schools havo diminished about 8 per cent. What is the luferenceV To any one who understands figures it is in 18D4 at least one million of monoy.

BOARD SCHOOLS. Tho polling for the eleotion of the (Aberystwith) School Board, which consists took placo yesterday week, and resulted in £008,230 No account is takon in the foregoing statement of tho income of schools from endowments nor of the cost of maintaining the various central and local organisations for the support and improvement of Churoh schools and colleges. Whon evory- and at that time the annual average cost of educating a child in the i thinir is taken into account, it in hnlnw rafhwr thnn nhnvo voluntary school was 26s. and the voluntary subscriptions of the 1 supporters of that school amounted on an average to about is to la i 0hu oh monspent on their schools and collegos in I A. a Innaf till Llanbadarn Fawr of seven members, tho return of llvo Last week the rate of mortality in thirty-three large English towoB averaged 184per 1,000 (London.

17'8). In London 2,401 blrthB and l.fllO deaths wore registered, the former being 428 and the latter 343 below the average in the corresponding weeks of the last ten years. The 1,516 deaths Included 60 from measles, 19 scarlet fever. 01 diphtheria, 01 whooping -cough, 12 enteric fever, 14 diarrhoea and dysentery, and not one death from smallpox, typhus, ill-defined form of continued fever, or choleras thus 220 deathB were referred to these diseases, being: 27 above the corrected average weekly number. The deaths attributed directly to Influenza numbered 18, having been 18,10, aud 9 in the preceding three weeks.

At Greenwich the mean temperature of the air wtf 40'0 deg. beiug 0'4 deg. above the average In the fifty yeani 1841-80. Tho lowest night temperature was 302 deg. on Thursday, and tho highest day temperature in the shade was 49 "1 deg.

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