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3. If by this proposition be meant, as it would seem,* that access only to the Bible shall be given to all children, but that it shall form no part of the school studies: and not only so, but that all books shall be carefully excluded, which convey any knowledge of the great and fundamental truths of religion, on which all Christians are agreed, I hear it with some surprise from the advocates for religious knowledge, and certainly should much regret to see it acquiesced in. His Majesty's Government are convinced that much of religious information may be acquired by the children during the hours of their common instruction, in a form to which no denomination of Christians can object:+ and their object has been, throughout, to impart to all persuasions as much of undisputed truth as they can be prevailed upon to accept in common; but to force upon none instruction, which they, or their parents for them, would be unwilling to receive.

4. It was deemed not only advantageous but necessary, that the Board, either collectively or through its several members, should exercise a veto upon all books, whether for the combined moral and literary, or for the separate religious instruction, which should be used within the national schools. It has already been explained, however, that this veto would not extend to the Holy Scriptures, nor to the standard works, recognised as such by the respective churches; and the Board will be willing to add, that in the case of Presbyterians, it shall not extend to works recommended and sanctioned by the Synod.

5. When the system shall have been so far established and extended, as to render such a course practicable, the question of four model schools instead of one (one for each province, and superintended by provincial committees) may be well worthy of consideration: at present such a proposal seems premature.

6. It is evident that the Board must exercise such a control over the masters, as to be able to put a veto upon their appointment, or to require their dismissal, inasmuch as the Board is responsible for their conduct: but in case of schools not built by Government aid, but to which the assistance should be only in the shape of salary, the local patrons, objecting to a dismissal, or insisting on an appointment, would have to withdraw from connexion with Government.

* We have often heard "there is much virtue in an if;" but a more virtuous "if" than this we have never encountered. The deputies pray that there may be "free and uninterrupted access to the Scriptures," "that all who choose it, may read the Scriptures in the national schools," and that "Government abstain from all farther interference with the religious instruction of children in the national schools," for the avoiding of any charge of "compulsory reading." How it could therefore be supposed that the Bible was to form "no part of school studies,” and yet a part of their voluntary reading, we confess we are unable to discover. No other good book was meant to be excluded; farther, "Government interference" alone was deprecated.

Mr. Stanley is a man of talents; what is more, we believe he is a Christian. We wish he would read attentively the Board's "Scripture lessons," and he must confess that it is a book to which every Christian should object. The first note contains a philological untruth, and a theological heresy of the most revolting character. That note alone is sufficient to condemn the Board as utterly unworthy of Protestant confidence.

7. This point has always been admitted to the fullest extent. The Board have never claimed the right of prescribing, but only of prohibiting, objectionable books. As books, however, are to be furnished by the Board at half-price, a discretion must necessarily be reserved to them upon the score of expense.

I have thus endeavoured to answer, seriatim, the propositions submitted to me; and it will afford me the greatest satisfaction, if the explanations which I have given are such as to remove any misconception which may have previously existed; and to convince the members of the Synod that the system proposed by his Majesty's Government is one which may be safely adopted, without compromise of Protestant principle or of Presby

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The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland were last year led to believe, from a public statement by the Solicitor-General, that a daily Bible class constituted an integral part of the Government system of education for Ireland. Under this impression, the Assembly forwarded a petition to Parliament, which, though it did not approve, was yet represented as approving the new system. The General Assembly having discovered the error into which they had been led, did, at their last meeting, adopt the following resolutions, which we feel great pleasure in recording. In vain did the SolicitorGeneral, with matchless effrontery, again endeavour to cajole or affright the Assembly. We rejoice that the Church of Scotland has spoken out, and we trust the legislature may listen to her opinions.

"1st. That the General Assembly being convinced that the only sure foundation of sound morality and useful knowledge is to be found in the revealed Word of God, are of opinion, that no countenance from the Government of this realm ought to be bestowed on any system of national education, of which instruction in the Holy Scriptures does not form an essential part.

"2dly. That they have observed, with much regret and disappointment, that a system of national education is still maintained in Ireland, in which no adequate provision is made for the daily reading of the entire Word of God, in the authorized version, without note or comment.

"3dly. That they feel it incumbent upon them, as representing a branch of the Protestant Church, to petition Parliament against any further countenance being given to such a system.”

The following correspondence will be read with interest, and will tend to throw light on the system of mystification adopted by the Board. The correspondence on the part of Mr. Allen does equal honor to his head and his heart. Mr. Kelly's style of “ explanation" is highly instructive. Lucus a non lucendo.

TO THOMAS F. KELLY, Esq., Secretary to the Board of Education, Dublin.

SIR,

THE business of the Shankey School, in the neighbourhood of Stewartstown is arranged and conducted on the following plan,

It opens at ten o'clock in winter, and nine in summer, and dismisses at three. Until two o'clock each day the scholars are employed in acquiring the usual literary education-spelling, reading, writing, arithmetic. The books in the school are only those which have been furnished by the Kildare-place Society, excepting dictionaries, and a few “elocution speakers." The last hour, from two until three o'clock, is devoted to reading and instruction in the Sacred Scriptures, by such of the scholars as are capable of reading in a Bible or Testament class, and whose parents desire them to engage in that exercise. Such scholars as cannot read, or are not permitted by their parents to take a part in the Scripture reading, either go home at two, or spend the hour in writing and arithmetic, as they please. At the known and fixed hour of reading the Scriptures, I occasionally attend to ascertain the progress of the scholars in the knowledge of the word of God, and to give them instruction suited to their capacities.

Saturday is set apart entirely for religious instruction, when I attend to catechise the children of my own church, and give religious instruction to all who choose to be present. The teacher being an intelligent Presbyterian, assists me in the work of catechising.

The school requires aid. Without pecuniary assistance, enabling the committee to reduce the charge for scholars to a penny per week, many of the poor around cannot educate their children. I am therefore anxious to know if the Government Board of Education will receive the Shankey School, constituted and conducted as stated above, into connexion with it, and grant to it such aid as may be deemed proper to bestow,

You will please, Sir, to lay this communication before his Majesty's Commissioners, at their first stated meeting, and transmit to me their reply as soon as convenient. I have only to add, that I am a Minister of the Presbyterian Church.

Jan. 17th, 1883.

t

Lam, &c.,

ROBERT ALLEN.

OFFICE OF EDUCATION, MERRION-STREET,
January 21, 1833.

SIR,
I HAD the honor of receiving your letter of the 17th inst., in
which you desire to know whether the Commissioners will receive the
Shankey School, constituted and conducted as stated by you. In reply,
I am directed to transmit to you, which I do by this post, a copy of those
rules and regulations, in strict conformity with which, the Commission-

ers of Education require all schools to be constituted and conducted which may receive aid from them; and to state, that if you can suit the discipline and arrangements of the Shankey School to such rules, every attention and consideration shall be bestowed upon your application. Should any explanation of these rules be desired by you, I shall feel most happy in affording it,

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I am, Sir,

Your most obedient Servant,

THOS. F. KELLY,
Secretary.

January 23, 1883.

SIR,

I AVAIL myself of your promise to afford me explanation, and trouble you with another letter.

I had learned from a source which I regarded as almost official, that it was not the design of Government absolutely to prohibit the reading of the Scriptures in their schools, but merely to make it a purely voluntary thing; so that no inconvenience would attach to the not reading them, nor any additional advantage (except the instruction derived) attend the reading of them that the distinction of "in school-hours" and "out of school-hours" was given up as unnecessary, if not injudicious-and that there might be a Testament or Bible class at a known and fixed hour, which would not inconvenience those who did not enter into it. I had also learned from Mr. Stanley's letter to the Synod's Committee, that the control over the books for religious instruction, to be used by the children of Presbyterian parents, which was vested in Mr. Carlisle, was or would be transferred to the Synod.

As the above modifications of the third and fourth rules would, I apprehend, prove in general satisfactory to the Presbyterian and other Protestant churches, by removing from the system principles so generally offensive to them, I had hoped they were true, and that the Board practically adopted them, and acted on them, in admitting schools to the benefit of a connexion with it. Assuming them as true, I supposed that the Shankey School, as now constituted and conducted, did accord with the views and practice of the Commissioners, and with the intentions of his Majesty's Government, in establishing the present system of education. You will therefore be so good as to let me know if I have been misinformed upon the subject-and whether it be the fact, that Bibles or Testaments must not be read at any time in the schools by any of the scholars and whether the Presbyterian member of the Board has still a veto over the books used by the children of the Presbyterian Church.

I am quite aware that the exercise of this power is a mere nullity, because I have only to collect the children whom I instruct in any other place than the school-house, and teach them what I please. But I believe, that in subscribing to the fourth regulation, I would concede a right and power is inconsistent with Presbyterian parity; and, therefore, without some such modification as Mr. Stanley proposed on that point, could not connect myself with the Board,

I am, &c. &c.

ROBT. ALLEN.

SIR,

OFFICE OF EDUCATION, MERRION-STREET,
January 28, 1833.

I HAD the honor of receiving your letter of the 23d inst., in which you state that you have heard, from a source which you regarded as almost official, that it was not the design of Government absolutely to prohibit the reading of the Scriptures in their schools, but merely to make it a purely voluntary thing; and also that you had learned from Mr. Stanley's letter to the Synod's Committee, that the control over the books of religious instruction to be used by the Presbyterian children, was or was not to be transferred from the Presbyterian members of the Board to the Synod, and desiring to know whether you have been misinformed on the subject. In reply, I beg to forward, as the fullest and truest guide for your information upon these subjects, a copy of those rules and regulations, which are the only ones, in accordance with which, the Commissioners of Education act, in dispensing aid, and to which they require the schools seeking aid to conform.

Any information from any other source, or any interpretation of any letter not emanating from this office, it is not for me to pronounce any opinion upon; but I give in their place authorised information, from which, I trust, you will gain the required satisfaction,

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

Your very obedient Servant,

THOMAS F. KELLY,
Secretary,

To Rev. ROBERT ALLEN,

We consider the Secretary's replies important and instructive documents. Mr. Allen makes a plain, manly, and Christian statement respecting a school, and wishes to know if, as constituted, it can receive the support of the Board. He is answered by a copy of the delphic regulation, and promised explanation, if required. Mr. Allen requests this explanation; and lo! the Secretary of the Board transmits him a second copy of the regulations, and very cooly expresses his trust, that they will give him the "required satisfaction." We can tell the Board this cavalier reply has given much dissatisfaction, and clearly established the fact, that hitherto an avowed Scripture school cannot receive assistance from the public funds.

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The Committee of the Brown-street School, Belfast, have likewise been twice in communication with the Board, having been led to expect such modification of the system as would enable them, with a good conscience, as Protestants, to obtain Government aid for the numerous poor children under their care. But we understand they have twice adopted the conclusion, that they did not see cause to recommend putting their school under the Board.

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