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solution as had been long offered by the Society's rules. It must be very gratifying to the friends of education that there were in the present session no less than five or six different bills on the subject, competing with each other for the support of the representatives of the people in Parliament. No opportunity of discussing educational principles should be lost, because he believed that the more they were discussed, the smaller those differences which separated the advocates of various schemes would appear. They would, indeed, be found to be differences in theory rather than of any great practical value, and such as might be overcome by the exercise of a little toleration and good sense on the part of the English people. It was a great mistake, for example, to suppose the secular party to be indifferent to religion. He knew many persons who set a very high value upon religious education, but considered the secular to be the only practicable plan, on account of the religious differences existing in the country. His objection to this scheme had more reference to practice than to theory. Its advocates seemed to forget, that we had to deal with a vast number of children whose parents and guardians were not in a position to give them that education which it was so difficult to impart in the school. The denominational or sectarian system, as it was sometimes called, would also be objectionable, and would leave a large part of the people uneducated; because, although the parents of the destitute classes might not have any strong religious opinions of their own, yet they belonged nominally, to a very large extent, to some church or other, and would resent and discountenance any system which imposed absolutely upon their children instruction in a particular form of faith to which they themselves did not belong. At the same time, it should always be remembered, that the denominational system was perfectly consistent with the larger and more liberal view that was being gradually taken by the great religious bodies interested in the education of the young; and he was not sure that it was not owing to the practical operations of this Society that such a pleasing advance was taking place. It was perfectly possible for the various churches to open their schools to the children of all denominations, and communicate secular instruction, with the option of religious in addition; and he believed that plan was now being very generally adopted. Many parents consequently sent their children to school who would not otherwise do so, and never took the trouble to put a veto upon their being taught religion. There was, however, a third mode, the one adopted by the British and Foreign School Society, and the only one, he thought, upon which secular and religious education could ever be practically joined together on a large scale that having for its basis the Scriptures, and the Scriptures alone. He was sure that those were in error who held that the Christian religion could not be taught by the Bible alone, but only in the form of catechisms and creeds; and any one who had heard the examination that morning must be convinced that such was not the fact. He thought, therefore, that the system of that Society was the only one that could possibly be made the basis of a great and general system of education; and he trusted that the good sense which had prescribed and carried out the original rules of the Society would be reflected in the two Houses of Parliament, so that before the close of another session some measure might be passed which would overtake the waste places of the country, and educate the poor in a scriptural and yet liberal manner.

The Report, which was read by Mr. Henry Dunn, the Secretary of the Society, commenced by alluding to the decease of four members of the Committee, viz., Mr. Nisbet, Mr. Vaizey, Mr. W. B. Gurney, and Mr. Richard Barrett. It also comprised the following particulars :

The average attendance at the Model Schools during the past year had been 977, affording employment to 32 pupil-teachers. The Normal College had been attended

by 148 young men and 157 young women. Certificates of merit had been awarded to 57 students, 55 new Queen's scholars had been admitted, and 140 schools had been supplied with teachers. In the agency department, 892 visits of inspection had been paid to schools, in 443 towns and villages; 96 public meetings had been held, and 41 new schools opened, affording education, it was supposed, to 4,000 additional children. Grants had been made to schools in the East and West Indies, Ceylon, New Zealand, and the South Seas, and correspondence maintained with the friends of education in Southern and Western Africa. Canada, Australia, Greece, and Syria. The total receipts of the year had been £17,358; of which, £5,425 consisted of legacies; the expenditure, including a repayment of loan, £15,691.

The Rev. WILLIAM CADMAN, M.A., Rector of St. George's, Southwark, rose and said:

My Lord, it is with great pleasure that I stand forward to move the adoption of the Report, an abstract of which has just been read. I do so not wholly without reluctance, however, because this is the first time of my appearing under this roof, and I feel that there are old friends of the Institution who might well have occupied the place which I now fill. At the same time, as I have been requested to take this duty, I will venture, by a very few brief considerations, to move,——

"That the Report, an abstract of which has just been read, be printed and circulated under the direction of the Committee, and that the ladies and gentlemen, whose names will be read, do form the Committee for the ensuing year."

The reason why I venture to take this place to-day is because I desire to testify, from my own knowledge and experience, to the great benefits produced by this Institution in this immediate neighbourhood. If it were for this alone, I should feel that, occupying the position in which God has placed me, they must be very serious objections that would prevent my coming forward, on suitable occasions, to testify what I believe to be the truth. That there is a great necessity for education throughout the land has been stated by those-may I not call them?-fearful statistics that have been mentioned in the Report. I consider that those instances that have been given to show the great want of education throughout the land should, of themselves, tell such a tale as cannot be listened to or read by any sane Christian, without his immediately desiring to do what he can to remove the awful want that exists. But without going into facts that have reference to the whole country, it may, perhaps, be enough for me to take a more limited view, and to confine myself to this immediate neighbourhood. What are the facts, my Lord, that the late Census brings out with respect to the parish in which we are met? I speak now of only my own Church. Making allowance for all the education given by other denominational bodies, the account of that Census shows, that, at the time it was taken, there must have been between three and four thousand children who ought to have been, according to the calculation the enumeration makes, at Church schools alone, in this parish, supposing that other bodies were all doing their duty, and were giving the education which ought to be given in connexion with them. Some two or three years ago, then,-at which time I was introduced into this parish, I found that the state of education, notwithstanding a 1 the efforts that had been made for years, was lamentably deficient. I know not what must have been the case, if it had not been for the number of children educated in these schools; I only know that, in our own schools, speaking of the district connected with the parish church, in which there is a population of perhaps about 33,000, there were only from between 400 to 500 children. Since that time, perhaps, great efforts have been made to instruct the destitute population; and I have to acknowledge my obligations to this Institution for the assistance I have received in various Ragged Schools in this parish, the countenance that has been given, the advice which I have

received from those who have been experienced in the working of this Institution, the materials which I have been able to obtain at reduced prices, and other advantages of such a kind that I should be indeed ungrateful were I not to express my obligation for them. But having witnessed for myself the benefits that were being introduced and extended throughout this immediate neighbourhood by this school, I have had the pleasure, during the last two or three years, of sending, I think, three or four young persons to be trained by this Institution. I confess that before that I was connected, as might be naturally expected, with other Institutions; but, when I found the real work that was being done here, with a simple view of doing good, I felt that we had on the spot all that was wanted for the good and efficient training of those young persons to whom I refer. Seeing, therefore, that there is such a necessity for education existing around us, why should we not all, as Christians, endeavour to do what we can, without carrying further than is necessary those conflicting opinions to which reference has been made. Unfortunately there are conflicting opinions; but it is one excellence of this Institution that has been referred to in the Report, that, while people are talking, this Institution is working; and I shall ever consider that man is the greatest benefactor to society who does not occupy his time with theories and crotchets, but who gives himself to the discharging of the actual work which he has to do. What we have to deal with is, the present evil before us; and you have heard from the Report that such an Institution as this, going to the work it finds, and struggling to do it in the best way possible, meets with no difficulties, either in the way of interfering with liberty of conscience, or of leaving out the reverence for Divine truth which it endeavours to maintain; and that, in fact, it only requires additional support from the Christian public, in order that all the blessings which it has, through God, been instrumental in conferring upon the public at large, may be increased to a very large extent. Now, as practical men, living in a practical age, I think that all societies that are doing a practical work deserve our support. Why should we be divided because some of us are Churchmen and some of us may belong to various other bodies of Christians? Are there not certain grand principles on which we are all agreed? Do we not all acknowledge the same Saviour? Are we not all looking to the same heavenly home? Do we not desire to serve and to gain the approbation of the same common Father? And have we

not all a work to do? And is not that work so enormous that it is more than enough for us all to do? May we not take a lesson from political affairs? Ought not the children that profess to be children of light to strive, at least, to be as wise in their generation as the children of this world? France and England had long been separated, having mutual jealousies; and whenever they were found together, it was only for the purpose of engaging in bitter hostilities against each other; but now, in the presence of a common enemy, we are thankful to say that they are found side by side, and we trust with a united heart endeavouring to carry out their common object. Now, although we most deeply deplore the evils of war, yet when we find former enemies now acting as friends, will it not be a reproach to the Christian church, if the different bodies of which it is composed allow themselves, in the presence of their common enemy, with the strongholds of ignorance and vice, and prejudice and error before them, to be looking coldly upon each other, and not to be doing their work because they are suspecting each other's influence? Rather let us give honour to whom honour is due, and consider that that is the most honourable man who will work with us, and try to do the work in the most practical way. I trust we shall not live to see the day when, as Christians, we shall have to give in to any plan of secular education. I shall not go beyond the boundaries which the Report has laid down; I shall not give any opinions of my own as to what education ought to be; but I think that, speaking on the platform of this Institution, we may at least express a hope that members of the Christian church will be up to their duty; that there will be no necessity in this land for discussing much longer schemes

of secular education. I do not blame those who think that this scheme is a remedy for the evils which exist; but let us who are Christians show them that we can, without suspecting one another, really do the work of education, while we give all honour to the Word of God; and that, therefore, there is no necessity for banishing the Bible from our schools, because we are all engaged to honour the Bible, and are ready to avow that creeds and catechisms and religious formularies, however valuable they may be, or supposed to be, by those who adhere to them, are only valuable because of their agreement to the infallible Word of God; so that, if we have the Bible, and can inculcate its important and sanctifying truths, we are satisfied to let these find their proper place, believing that God's truth is enough to enlighten the understanding, and to make men wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. My Lord, I must be allowed to say, in conclusion, that I was very much struck to find that there are four at least of the worthy friends and supporters of this Institution who have been called to their rest. This is, indeed, a solemnising thought, and it may serve to remind us, that, with practical work before us, we ought not to be discussing theories, which prevent us working, for the simple reason that our opportunities are fast going away, and that while we are here and there, the children whom we ought to educate may either be gone into eternity, or steeped in vice and immorality; or we ourselves may be called to give in an account to Him who has given us opportunities to work while it is day, and who certainly will bless us as long as we use those opportunities with a reverence for His truth, and a desire for His glory.

The Rev. W. ARTHUR, in seconding the resolution, said :

Your Grace, I feel called upon to congratulate the friends of this Society on the very happy position they find themselves in to-day, with regard to their finances. In a year such as that through which they have just passed, and with prospects such as those that are now before the nation, any public society may take it as a sign of God's good care over them, that their resources are stronger now than they are at ordinary times. Permit me, also, your Grace, to congratulate them upon what I may, I think, without hesitation call the perfect success and the perfectly satisfactory character of that examination which I had the pleasure to attend. With regard to more points than one of that examination, but particularly the mental arithmetic, I certainly congratulated myself very strongly that I was in the position of hearing the questions, instead of being called upon to answer them. I do not know whether those self-congratulations were shared by any others; but certainly, if I had been required with equal despatch to produce answers to those questions, I should have found myself very much at a loss. The designation and the sphere of this Society, as the British and Foreign School Society, leads one at its anniversary naturally to revert to the movement of education all round the world, or at least more particularly all over our own empire during the lapse of twelve months. I feel very little hesitation in saying-in fact, none at all-that since the last anniversary of this Society an educational measure has been taken up by our Government, which I believe has had no parallel in the history of educational legislation, certainly none in this country, and I doubt whether in any country, as to the range of its influence and the number of human beings whose educational prospects it most directly affects. I mean the measure of Sir Charles Wood, when at the head of the Indian Government. Mr. Arthur then entered into considerable detail respecting the history and prospects of education in India, and described the Government measure as one which having prescribed a certain standard of general education, says, "Any school coming up to this standard shall have our aid and support. We take no cognisance whatever," say the Government, "of the religion of the school; we want to have India an educated country; we want to

have the people of the villages able to measure their own lands, and decide whether they are cheated or not in the assessment of the taxes; we want the people to develop; we want the Hindoos brought to a level, as far as possible, with the people of Europe, in the knowledge of their own resources and their own capabilities; therefore, we give our countenance to every school, under whatever influence, that would give the people a proper education. You missionaries are at liberty to go, with all your Christianity, and to teach what you will, if you will only give the people at the same time the proper knowledge that we call secular education." That plan you have adopted, your Grace. Against it many and mighty objections have been brought-objections which I have carefully weighed, and which I should be the last man in the world to think were trivial; but, on the whole, the question comes before me, "Is this Government-with a power which God has invested nowhere else -a power to lift up the minds of all these nations, and to give them a new spring and a new direction-to stand still and leave these tens of millions of minds to be perpetually overridden by these idle superstitions, and perpetually lying down in this miserable neglect?" I am inclined to think, your Grace, that the course which has been taken is, in many respects, not an objectionable one, but which, under the circumstances, is, I must say, a most promising one. Any village school will now be taken under the eye of the Government; not that they will pay the master, and that they will exempt the children from payment-the payment must be found upon the spot; but they will respect and reward the diligent master; they will bring up any promising boy out of the village school to a central school in a country town; they will give him there a superior education; they will then open normal schools all over the country, for the training of masters; they will originate a society for the creation of proper school-books for diffusing knowledge; and thus there will be disseminated throughout the country something like educational movement. The first result of that movement will be, to discredit the native schoolbooks. Your Grace, I do not know how you would lay the foundations of a national revolution deeper than by at once totally changing the national school-books. That is the effect of this measure. Only school-books teaching sound knowledge will now be authorised. That one circumstance will at once assert all over India the inferiority of the native books, and the superiority of English knowledge; and will teach the mind of India generally to bow to the Christian societies and to the brightest light of all books, around which all other books shine. The next effect will be, that it will divorce science from superstition. We speak in this country of secular knowledge; but in India, everything that we call secular knowledge is sacred science. Grammar is not secular-it is taught upon in-pired authority; and so with every other science. Geography is as much sacred science in India as theology; so is medicine, so is logic, so are mathematics, so is any other science whatever; and every science, resting upon the one foundation of the sacred books, is taken to be a support of those books. Now, one simple effect of this will be, to teach every man in India to disconnect science from superstition. Another effect will be, to give all the villagers a self-acting energy. They will feel that they are called upon to pay for the education of their children, and to attend to it. Another effect will be, to create a demand for books; and that effect is already beginning to be very extraordinarily felt.

The Chairman put the resolution, which was passed unanimously.

The Rev. JOHN ALDIS proposed the second resolution :—

"That this meeting, deeply impressed with the conviction that the amount of popular ignorance still prevailing in this country is lamentably great, would entreat the friends of education to renew and extend their efforts for the scriptural instruction of the people."

The necessity for education is admitted on all hands. I sometimes think, that if here were a little more opposition, and a few more opponents, and even greater diffi

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