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house, and go home, to which they paid no attention whatever. I then went up stairs and found the deceased, who was covered with blood, laid upon a bed, speechless and motionless, but still breathing. Although I considered his recovery hopeless, I sent immediately for a man residing in the neighbourhood, to bleed him. This was between ten and eleven o'clock, and I understand that he expired about four in the morning. I then went down again into the kitchen which was much crowded as before. I told them that the man's death was certain, and that surely they would now disperse without committing further violence, but they still appeared little inclined to attend to any thing I said. Concluding it was useless as well as dangerous to stay any longer, I advanced towards the door, when my servant, who accompanied me, perceived a man taking up a jug and in the act of throwing it at me, from which he was, however, prevented by a person who stood near him. At the outside of the door, the second to whom I have already alluded, and who, I find, is one against whom a warrant has been issued, accosted me in such language as I think it improper in this place to repeat. I then returned home."

Such is the simple narrative of the clergyman of this parish; and after relating another fact connected with what he terms "this disgraceful and inhuman affair," and after telling us that he did not hear one person present express the least regret at the fatal sequel of what may be termed their Sunday amusements, he comes to this conclusion respecting Sunday wakes:-"I have frequently been annoyed by Sunday feasts here and elsewhere, and have long ago been aware of their pernicious tendency, and of the necessity of putting them down; but I never saw, and I trust I never shall again witness, such unfeeling, unrelenting, ruffian-like conduct as was there displayed. I sincerely hope that some means may be devised to prevent the repetition of such brutal and unchristian-like exhibitions. The feast of the same parish takes place on the Sunday after old Michaelmas day. I myself have visited the common and the hill, and Thomas ——'s grave in the church yard, and I have conversed with rich and poor in the parish on the above melancholy subject, and I do think that the people generally would rejoice at the suppression of the Sunday wake. There is much ignorance prevailing in the parish, which more or less will lead to brutality of disposition, and I can hardly suppose that the minds of the parishioners are much enlightened by the efforts of the ranting preachers who abound there." (To be continued.)

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On the Union of Diocesan Boards of Education, and District Societies and Schools, with the National Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church throughout England and Wales. THE general committee having taken into their consideration the measures which are now in progress throughout the country for the extension of education in connexion with the National Society, and the principles embodied in the society's charter, have agreed to the following resolutions:

I. That diocesan boards and district societies be received into union with the National Society on professing their adherence to its principles as set forth in the charter ;-their desire to promote its objects;-and their willingness to transmit to the society periodical reports on the state and progress of education in their respective districts.

II. That schools be united to the National Society on the managers signing the following declaration ;-viz.,

"Terms of union, to be subscribed by parties desirous of uniting their schools with the National Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor in

the principles of the established church throughout England and Wales, either immediately or mediately through the diocesan or district society in connexion with the same."

1. "The children are to be instructed in the holy scriptures and in the liturgy and catechism of the established church.

2." With respect to such instruction the schools are to be subject to the superintendence of the parochial clergymen."

3. "The children are to be regularly assembled for the purpose of attending divine service in the parish church, or other place of worship under the establishment, unless such reason be assigned for their non-attendance as is satisfactory to the managers of the school."

4. "The masters and the mistresses are to be members of the church of England."

5. "A report on the state and progress of the schools is to be made, at Christmas in every year, to the diocesan board, the district society, or the National Society; and the schools are, with the consent of the managers, to be periodically inspected by persons appointed either by the bishop of the diocese, the National Society, or the diocesan board of education."

6. "In case any difference should arise between the parochial clergy and the managers of the schools, with reference to the preceding rules, respecting the religious instruction of scholars, or any regulation connected therewith, an appeal is to be made to the bishop of the diocese, whose decision is to be final." III. That the following form of certificate be used in the case of infant schools:

"We the undersigned (being desirous of establishing &c.) an Infant School for the benefit of the poor of (the parish of)· do hereby certify that the education in such school is to be conducted on the principles of the established church, and by masters or mistresses who are members of the same; and we further declare that we shall be ready to report upon the state and progress of the school from time to time in the manner usually pursued by national schools."

IV. That middle or commercial schools may be received into connexion with the National Society or its diocesan boards, upon a declaration from the proprietors or managers, that religious instruction in conformity with the doctrine and discipline of the established church shall be given therein, and that the schools will be open to the occasional visitation of the parochial clergy.

V. That copies of the resolutions now agreed to be transmitted to the diocesan boards and district societies; and that the secretary be directed, in communicating the same, to state that, although the exclusive use of the religious tracts on the catalogue of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge be no longer required as a condition of union, the general committee will continue to supply, with their annual report, a list of the educational works upon such catalogue, and the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge will continue to afford to schools in union the accustomed facilities for obtaining them. JOSEPH C. WIGRAM, Secretary to the National Society.

Central School, Westminster, Feb. 19th, 1839.

METROPOLITAN COMMERCIAL SCHOOLS INSTITUTION.

Terms upon

which local schools will be taken into union.

I. THE masters shall be members of the church of England.

II. Instruction in the liturgy and catechism of the established church shall be given in every school taken into union; and the reading and explanation of VOL. XV.-April, 1839.

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the holy scriptures shall form part of the daily business, which shall commence and terminate with prayer; the form of such prayer to be approved by the patron and presidents.

III. The school shall be open to the occasional visitation of the incumbent or curate of the parish, and to examiners appointed either by the bishop of the diocese or by the committee.

IV. A report of the state and progress of the school shall be made annually to the committee.

V. No school shall be admitted into union until the committee shall be satisfied with the qualifications of the master, either by testimonials or by personal communication.

VI. That the committee shall be at liberty to dissolve the union whenever they think fit, upon giving three months' notice.

EXTRACT FROM THE SPEECH OF THE REV. DR. HOOK,

At the public meeting held at Leeds, "to form a Board of Education, on the principles of the church of England, for the parish of Leeds."

As the prejudice against education died away, our means of promoting education, of course, increased, and of those means I will now shew you that the church has not been slow to avail herself. In 1811 the National Society was established for the purpose of educating the poor, and by schools in connexion with that society 514,450 children are educated. But I will enter into more minute details, that you may see what the church is actually doing. Omitting all notice of infant schools, for reasons which will hereafter be given, and taking for our guide the educational statistics of Mr. Burgess, we find that there are of

Daily scholars, above the age of seven, in dissenting schools -
Sunday scholars in dissenting schools

Total of all ranks and descriptions (dissenters)

47,287 550,107

597,394

Now, we are ready to admit that all this is highly creditable to the zeal of the dissenters, and that for their exertions they deserve the praise of those who advocate their cause. We wish not to detract from their merits; but it unfortunately happens that we find persons, when eulogizing them, forgetting to state what the church has also done, and therefore this is a subject on which they ought to be reminded. Now, it so happens, that of—

Daily scholars, more or less in connexion with, or under the super-
intendence of, the church, in colleges, boarding schools, gram-
mar schools, of the upper and middle classes, there are -
In National schools

Total daily scholars

Sunday scholars only-in church schools

Total of all ranks and descriptions of church schools

603,428 514,450

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By Mr. Burgess's calculations, which, being based on the Russian statistical returns, may be considered as an approximation to the truth, it appears that the number of children in England, between the ages of seven and fourteen, amounts to 2,262,857.

We may, then, fairly assert that we have the education of the people in our hands, and why should it be taken away from us? We have received no favour from government; whatever money has been voted by parliament for

educational purposes has been offered to the dissenters equally with ourselves. But the people flock to our schools, shall we not have a right, then, to complain, if an attempt shall be made to take the education of the people out of our hands, when the people shew how willing they are to receive our instructions? Have we not a right to say, if you will not aid us, at least forbear to oppose us, while we are endeavouring to improve and perfect our system, while we are prepared to advance with the advancement of the age? We cannot better prove the superiority of our zeal and the greater popularity of our schools, than by a bare reference to the parliamentary returns with respect to the parliamentary grants for education. Five years ago, it was proposed by Lord Althorp, and the House of Commons assented to the proposal, that £20,000 should be voted for the purposes of education, and this sum has been annually voted ever since. And the two societies, the National Society on the part of the church, the British and Foreign Society on the part of the dissenters, were selected as the administrators of the fund. The grant was to be distributed to these two societies on a principle of perfect fairness. This was hailed as a boon by the British and Foreign School Society, and at first it seemed likely to operate in favour of dissent, people judging by the representation of the enemies of the church with respect to the popularity of dissent; but it has so happened that the National Society has been able to avail itself of the grant nearly to double the amount of the British and Foreign School Society. The returns are as follows of the applications made by the two societies:

1838

National Society

.....

1834 1835 1836 11,081 .. 13,002.. 17,130.. British and Foreign... 9,796 .. 7,168 .. 5,281 ..

1837

11,456 .. 17,041

5,810 .. 6,090

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This ought, at least, to shew that the members of the church are not wanting in liberality, and that the people of England have confidence in the church as the instructress of her people.

REPORT OF TITHE COMMISSIONERS.

Tithe Commission, Feb. 28.

MY LORD, It is our duty to report to your Lordship the general progress of the commutation since May 1, 1838. We have now in the office 3498 agreements, of which 2362 are confirmed. If it is assumed that those not confirmed comprise, on the average, tithe equal in amount to the average tithe in those which have been confirmed, then tithe to the amount of 1,312,1027. 17s. 4d. has been agreed to be computed by voluntary arrangement. The commencement of the operation of our compulsory powers has brought us necessarily into contact with more reluctant parties, and with difficulties which did not affect our previous operations. We are of opinion, however, that we have on the whole made a satisfactory commencement of the enforcement of these powers. Districts in which tithes have generally been taken in kind, or let on annual valuations, contain elements of struggle and irritation from which the rest of the country is free. Those districts are comparatively small; and, after a few cases in each have been patiently heard and carefully decided, we see ground for hoping that voluntary agreements will, even in those districts, effect the greatest part of the work of commutation. Our experience has been sufficient to prove that while voluntary agreements are made at the rate at which they are now coming into use, the processes of apportionment consequent on these agreements create at least as

much, perhaps more, employment than can be proceeded with at once by such mappers and apportioners as have the confidence of the country. No exertions on our part will be wanting to hasten the completion of these apportionments; but still, under these circumstances, we think it prudent, unless the progress of voluntary commutation should slacken, to confine our compulsory interference to four classes of selected cases, and we append to this report the circular in which we have described these classes. The returns already presented to parliament contain the statistical details of our progress so fully that we do not think it necessary to repeat them here. We have the honour to be your Lordship's most obedient and faithful servants,

WM. BLAMIRE,
T. W. BULLER,
R. JONES.

To the Right Hon. Lord John Russell.

66

THE OXFORD PETITION FOR CHURCH EXTENSION.

TO THE HONOURABLE THE COMMONS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED:

"The humble Petition of the Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars of the University of Oxford,

“SHEWETH, That the church of England has been the instrument, under divine Providence, of countless blessings to the people of this country.

"That it belongs to the very essence of a national church that her spiritual ministrations should be co-extensive with the spiritual wants of the whole community offered freely to all men, though not enforced upon any one.

“That it is at present notorious, and has been admitted in public and authentic documents, that the population of England and Wales, having of late increased with a vast and unwonted rapidity, has outgrown the resources of the national church; and a large proportion of the people are altogether excluded, with their consent or fault, from her public worship, religious instruction, and pastoral superintendence.

"That this spiritual destitution, which is ever least regarded by those to whom it is most pernicious, has chiefly befallen districts the least capable, even if they felt the want, of supplying the remedy. That its immediate consequences, not to advert to future and higher interests, are ignorance, vice, and disunion; and the partial and inadequate, however laudable, endeavours of other religious communities to supply the deficiencies of the established church, even whilst they restrain demoralization, tend to multiply and perpetuate our unhappy divisions.

"That the only effectual remedy for these evils is the extension of the national church, and nothing has hitherto been accomplished in order to this great end in any degree commensurate with its magnitude and importance.

"That your petitioners do not overlook the benevolent exertions of individuals and societies, who have laboured, even beyond their means, to supply the national want; and they are deeply grateful to the legislature and to your honourable house for the encouragement and facilities extended to these endeavours; and more especially for that enlightened policy which dictated the Acts for Building and Enlarging Churches, and for the liberal grants in futherance of these objects in the sessions of 1818 and 1823. But these supplies, admitted at the time to be inadequate to the occasion, have been exhausted; private munificence and the public bounty have only palliated the evil; and the spiritual destitution of the country, notwithstanding these exertions, has increased, and is still increasing.

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