' Jtittioual (Bstwshm Stnimt. AUTHORISED REPORT EDUCATIONAL CONGRESS, HELD IN THE Town Hall, Manchester, WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY, Nov. 3rd & 4th-, 18G9. Price Two Shilling?, Post Free. Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer, London. Cornish : Birmingham and Manchester. National Education Union Offices, City Buildings, Corporation Street, Manchester. 1809. The various Papers contained in this Volume ake printed in Pamphlet Fobm for wide Circulation. Friends of the cause may obtain them in quantities from the g-eneeal Secretary. Ladies and Gentlemen Desirous of Assisting the Cause by Circulating this Report may have Copies (not less than twelve) at a Reduced Price on Application to the General Secretary. Rev. W. Stanyer, M.A., General Secretary. 116, Cheetham Hill, Manchester, December 16, 1869. Maticwal education Union;. AUTHORISED REPORT ' n * HELD IN THE Town Hall, Manchester, WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY, Nov. 3rd & 4th, 1869. Peice Two Shillings, Post Fbee. \ Longmans, Green, Reader, and Ryder, London. Cornish: Birmingham and Manchester. National Education Union Offices, City Buildings. Corporation Street, Manchester. 18 6 9. The Object op the National Education Union is to Secure the Primary Education op every Child by judiciously Supplementing the present Denominational System op National Education. — CONTENTS. Session 5. :— President The Right Hon. the EARL' OF HARROWBY, K.G. Inaugural Address The Right Hon. the Earl of Harrowby, K.G. Report Rev. W. Stanyer, M.A., Gen. Sec. Paper—" What is Education ? comparison between Secular and Denominational Education" Lord Robert Montagu, M.P. Speech , Lord Edward Howard. " Paper—" Religious Liberty in Education Rev. Dr. Barry. Speech Rev. Prebendary Meyrick, M.A. — " Paper " Results of Present System ... W. Romaine Callender, Tun., J.P., D.L. Paper — " Maintenance of the Present System in reference to our Actual Needs and Circumstances" T. W. Allies, Esq. Paper "A Plea for Denominational Edu- cation " Rev. W. J. Kennedy, M.A. Speech Rev. Canon Cromwell, M.A. Speech Rev. Dr. Rigg. Session M. President :—HUGH BIRLEY, Esq., M.P Opening Address Hugh Birley, Esq., M.P. Paper— " The Conscience Clause " Rev. Canon Norris, M.A. Speech Charles Buxton, Esq., M.P. Paper— " The Conscience Clause" Very Rev. Canon Toole. (R.C.) Speech Right Hon. W. F. Cowper, M.P. Paper—" Denominational Education regu- " lated by a just Conscience Clause ... Ven. Archdeacon Allen, M.A. Speech The Right Rev. the Bishop of Colombo. Speech Very Rev. the Dean of Durham. Paper—" On the Exact Limits of Neces- " sary Reform in Education Rev. C. Sewell, M.A. (H.M.I.) Speech Rev. Canon Melville, M.A. Speecli Rev. G. Butler, M.A. Speech Rev. Prebendary Meyrick, M.A. Speech ... The Right Hon. the Earl of Harrowby, K.G. Scsawn EEL President :—The Hon. ALGERNON F. EGERTON, M.P. Opening Address The Hon. Algernon F. Eger- ton, M.P. Paper—" Practical Results of the Factory System of Education and its Extension " as a basis of National Education Col. Akroyd, M.T. Speech F. S. Powell, Esq. Paper— "Extension of Half Time System" Alexander Redgrave, Esq. Speech Rev. Canon Norris, M.A. Paper—" On Compulsory Education " Rev. Dr. Rigg. Paper— "The Industrial Schools Act and Children's Agents" C. R. Ford, Esq. Speech Jas. Cropper, Esq. J.P. Paper—"The weak points in the working of our present system considered " ... .•. Rev. W. R. Morrison, M.A. Speech The Right Hon. the Earl of Harrowby, K.G. Speech Rev. Dr. Bell. Speech Rev. J. P. Pitcairn, M.A. Session IF. President :—The Right Hon. W. F. COWPER, M.P. Opening Address Paper— "Recent Misstatements on the Question" Speech Paper— "Arguments against a Scheme of Rates for the establishment and main- tenance of Schools for the Children of the Poor generally " Speech Paper—" Popular Fallacies with regard to Recent Proposals " Speech Paper—"Experience of Various Countries as to Secular, Mixed, and Denominational Education" Paper— " On the Introduction of Instruction in the Rudiments of Science into Primary Schools" Speech Speech Speech f Moved by \ Seconded by I Moved by \ Seconded by f Moved by I Seconded by Officers and Amounts Promised ved Resolution IV. (?° //^ I Seconded by NATIONAL EDUCATION UNION. EDUCATIONAL CONGRESS, TOWN HALL, MANCHESTER. Session & Wednesday, November 3rd.—10 a.m. to 1 p.m. INAUGURAL ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT, THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF HARROWBY. THE Right Hon. the EARL OF HARROWBY, in opening tlie first Session, said : Before I proceed to the proper business of the morning, perhaps you will allow me to explain, in a few words, how it is that I come to be placed in this situation. My connection with Lancashire was at one time tolerably intimate, but it is not inherent, and has ceased for some time. Why do I come in the middle of such a community as this, to present myself before you on so important a question? The answer is simply this. You are all aware that a considerable movement has taken place in Birmingham upon the subject of National Education, one of the highest, the most important, and the most vital interests of the country. A number of those who were interested in this important question, residing in Birmingham and its neighbourhood, thought that the ground upon which that movement rested was neither sound nor safe for the country. (Hear.) They organised themselves in consequence, to show that even Birmingham itself was not unanimous upon that point. They did me the honour to ask me to preside over them, and your committee in Manchester, as an evidence of the community of feeling between themselves and that great town upon this important question, invited me as President of that Association to take the first step in regard to your own Union. It is upon that ground only that I can pretend to come before you in so prominent a position. I wish, at the — — 2 First Session. same time, that I could recall the days, some thirty-five years past, when there were two Lancashire men whose voices may still echo in the ears of the older men among you, who took a prominent, a decided and an effective part upon this question I allude to the late Earl of Derby and the late Canon StoAvell — (applause) —names which will ever inspire senti- ments of regard, affection, and respect in every class of the community within this Palatinate. I recollect the electrical effect of their appeal to the great meetings in Lancashire upon this very question; for the question in fact is now just what it was then " are you to have the education of the country without religion ? " That is the real issue of the question. Now, gentlemen, Ave differ no little from those who have taken the lead upon this question—the National League—in the first place, as to the extent of the evil ; next, as to the nature of the evil; and in the third place, and most strongly, as to the remedies proposed. No doubt we shall all admit that a good deal more ought to be done. We have been proceeding tentatively for thirty odd years past, and though a great deal has been done, a good deal remains to do. At the same time, we do not think it right to exaggerate the extent of the evil that does exist. We have no faith in the statistics which have been placed before the public, and which we believe to be utterly fallacious as to the extent of the evil. (Hear.) In Manchester, where the battle of religious education has been xought, you know well what statements have been put forth, and you know how those statements have been blown to the winds ; you will hear, in the course of this Congress, the matter treated in detail, and you will find that the exaggerations are of the most absurd and most ridiculous nature. You know that they proceed upon the principle which expects that every poor man's child in this country shall be from nine to twelve years at school. Is that compatible with the existence of society, Avith the existence of labour and the proper training of the labourer's children to assist in the maintenance of their families, and their ultimate maintenance of themselves ? No doubt a deficiency does exist, but where does it most exist ? It exists, as to quantity, in some very small parishes. The investigations lately made by the National Society prove that it is limited, in regard to country parishes, to very few, Avith a very small number of inhabitants, where it is difficult, no doubt, to provide and maintain a school. It exists also, no doubt, in a good number of large towns. That is the evil we have to remedy, as to quantity. Noav to meet this evil, so exaggerated as it has been, we are requested to supersede practically that which has nearly covered the whole surface of Inaugueal Addeess. 3 tlie country. I know that this is not the language of many of those who propose this new scheme ; but by those who have worked it out it is admitted that in attempting to supplement it practically supersedes. (Hear.) What is their scheme ? Free schools, no payment to be exacted from the parents; schools maintained by the rates; no subscriptions, the schools to be what is called " unsectarian/' meaning, in other words, the absence of religion. We object to all these three grounds. (Hear.) We say that free schools are not valued by the parents or the children. I do not go into the proof of these points. The papers that are to follow will go into such points in detail. But I am telling you the grounds of our objection. We hold that free schools are not valued by the parents or by the children.