The Evening Star MONDAY, MAY 23, 1870.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2197, 23 May 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, MAY 23, 1870.

Everybody is anxious to see the telegraphic summary from Europe, and most after reading the last will have said, “ There is nothing in it.” We presume the term “ nothing ” really means “ nothing exciting.” Yet there are intimations, that the fuller revelations of the European journals confirm, of social struggles in which the world is concerned. Great Britain presents a curious sociological study just now. Men of the highest grade of natural and cultivated intellect are engaged in an endeavor to frame the laws of Ireland on so just a basis as to do away with causes of discontent. In England they are stx-iving to provide a system of education free from religious interference or meddling, and the Bill for securing purity of election by the adoption of the Ballot only awaits a report of the Elections Commissioners to become the subject for consideration by Parliament. To us, at a distance, there appears a good deal of faction in

the opposition raised against these necessary measures. Faction is not a stranger to us. We have plenty of it here—perhaps more now than we shall have in future ; for in time to come the young colonists will have received that education which so many of their fathers lack, and will not have the errors of a thousand years to correct. We too in the Colonics have experienced the benefit of the very plans that are so earnestly contended for at Home. But there are so many interested in retaining things as they are in the old country, that the most obviously useful laws require the labor of a generation before they can be passed and brought into operation. For thirty years Parliament has been engaged in devising schemes for national education. The Nonconformists and members of the Established Church opposed at first any education that did not provide for religious instruction j and as they could not agree upon the doctrines to be taught, no efficient system was adopted. In consequence of this of bigots, a generation has grown up without that sound general instruction which would have saved tens of thousands from degradation, crimpy and ruin ; the people of Great Britain, as a mass, are educationally behind the inhabitants of Germany and Prussia ; and now, ivith all this leeway to make up, the sound doctrine is at last acknowledged that the education that is needed is secular, and should not be mixed up Avith religious dogmas. Even yet the Bill is not safe. It has passed the second reading, but it has to go through Committee, and may be murdered there ; or should it pass that ordeal and still retain its usefulness, it has to undergo the sifting of aristocratic prejudice, jealous lest any system should grow up tending to interfere with the lordly orders. We are not uninterested in this matter, for Ave are looking to immigrants coming here to better themselves, and it is highly desirable that those Avho come should he of the better taught class, avlio can dignify labor by their intelligent prosecution of means to an end. But Avith regard to emigration, the old leaven peeps out. Mr Gladstone is afraid that if the Government assists it private aid Avill be withdrawn, and the natural ojieration of the labor market interfered with. This is, after all, mere claptrap. Why should the expense of assisting the destitute to reach lands where their labor is wanted, and will enable them to live in comfort, be thrown upon the benevolent ? If the country is interested in the matter, surely the expense should be paid out of the public funds. Precisely the same nonsense was talked with regard to education. Voluntaryism some twenty-five years ago was the doctrine of the day. Enthusiastic volunteers were to contribute hundreds of thousands, and the people were to be taught as no people were ever taught before. But voluntaryism has not been found to work well in education. There are insuperable objections to it. There have been men of noble hearts and generous impulses, avlio, in all ages, have given freely of their abundance tu alleviate human misery and ignorance. Perhaps at no period in the world’s history have they been more numerous or liberal than iioav, but that is no reason Avhy their open-handed philanthropy should be imposed upon. They came forward and do to their utmost, what is the duty of all; bj.it they bear but small proportion to the i population, and their giving does not exonerate other men from doing their share. Voluntaryism, in countries like England, has never fed the poor nor educated the people. It has aided, but it is not right that either should be left to means so precarious; and in like manner in appropriating a sum for emigration from the ample revenues of Great Britain, the Government would only be doing bare justice to a class avlio have groivn up in poverty caused by the misgovernment of the past, and perpetuated by still unremoved monopolies retained by the governing classes. We suppose in tAventy-five or thirty years this will be acknoAvledgcd true, unless the pressure of want and danger of rebellion force it sooner upon public policy. Our commissioners seem to be enjoying their trip to England, and to' basic in the soothing influence of Koyal favor. It is a very cheap way of getting rid of importunate Colonists, and fortunately it will suit the Colony quite as well—nay, even better than if wo obtained an ornamental regiment or tAvo to be paid for out of the Colonial revenues. Her Majesty might even go so far as to knight the Commissioners, and thus confer upon them titles that would commemorate the Avisdom of their mission. If they could send us out a contractor to construct the Clutha Railway, the cost of their recruiting expedition Avould not be grumbled at.