A HARD PINCH AT BRITISH EDUCATION.

New Zealander, Volume 6, Issue 442, 10 July 1850, Page 3

A HARD PINCH AT BRITISH EDUCATION.

A recent number of the London Punch extracts the fol'owin r P.dice report from the columns of the Lon« don Times:—" George Ruby, a boy aged 14, was put into the bos to be sworn, and the. Testament wjs put into his hand. He looked quite astonished on taking hold of the book : . Alderman Humphrey— Well, da you know what you are abont ? Dj you know what an oath is r" Boy — IVo. Alderman— Do you know what a Testim-nit h ? Boy— No. Alderman— Can you read ? Boy— No. Aldernun— Do you ever say your prayers? Boy — No, never. Alderman— Do yon know what players are ? Boy—No. <Uderman— Do you know what God is ? Boy— No. Aideirran— Do you know what (he Drvil is ? Boy — I've heard of the Devrl, but I dont know him. Alderrmn— What do you know, my poor boy ? Boy— l knows how to sweep the crossing. Alderman — And tint's all ? Boy — That's all ; I sweeps the crossing. The Alderman said he, of course, could not take the | evidence of a creatuie who knew nothing whatever of the obligation to tell thd truth.' 1 This is a text which stirs up the gill of Punch, and he lets out in the stiongi>st language the sting of which reuse be felt. We copy a couple of paragraphs, which appear very like Dickens' htvle : " lleie is the raw material of a citizen—a boy well hilf way to manhood, who Knows neither oath, nor book, nor prayer, nor God ; hag but heard of tha Devil, even; and whoie sum und substance of knowledge is, " how to s\vee,i the ciossing — that's all." A crossing -sweeping machine tins, with a superfluous soul in it, apparently— that no uoan, or set of men, his thought it woith while to wake-i, a tongue that the law tie3— a soit of brute^biped in the eyes of all, who, introduced to a worthy Alderman and a Police couit, suddenly hc<in> of the oddest things, oath* and books, and pi<iyor, and God, and Dcvil — ideas winch hid not developed t'lemselvea m crossing- sweeping. "It any punuei of oui new Hous.s of Parliament wants an allegory for out Gieut Britain, we give h.ui tl.i.:— "Let him paint a giea 1 ; tree wHi a woim nr the loot, wiih healthy bows and with led j with fine fruit and bickly ; beie blosiom and iheio blight, ami Lsenevolence, and Piety, and {statesmanship careluliy nipping a scabby truit oil' this bow, nt>d a< carefully nursing a dwa'fi-d flo«er on that; and the cro»vd round about clapping their hands and apjJ'iid'nv* the mighty work ot improvement ; and all the while, a new scabby fruit and a new defective flnver, nppcatiug fo' ojch that is ni)psd off, or nursed into sickly comeliness, :ind a few poor timid spec ators hinting ihat 'AM this nmk about fruic and bloasoni is v v, whi'e something must be wronu with ihe rouis,' and nobody listening to them — and me woni wni.un^ towirds the heart ot the tier, and 'very g-netul hiUuiacUoti wi h our pro^picti..' "" — ■ Alia (adjurniu

Wksle\an Mission.' — On Monday evening, (he Annual Mi;'tiir;oJ the New X nij-fctreet Cn ijiel branch n'uS held ; James WiUoa, IS«q., presiding. The Rev. Dr. Ethei cLe, from fi.-is'ol, the Rev. 11' my Che merlon, and tho Rev. Mi. Cuswordi, took pint in th.j piocetdiags. The Ituv. George Kevern, late "Missionary to Ihe Friendly Islands, give u spit iteiJ nin.nne of the progress of the Missionary c u->e in tliodo Islands, shewi'ig the tX'iaoidinary change elheted in tho*!* savage tiibi'S. The weather was unfavourable, but the collection wns in advance o' tht) lait year's amount. — Bath Gazeltc, January 30 ill. O 1 Tussday a deputation hid an interview with the Gen "nil Bjaid of Heulth, to represf.it the sanitary evil-> r suiting fiOin the wind^W'tax nnd biick duties. A military fracas hu, ucciilly taUen place not moio tlnui a day's sail from -> luihu-iijiton, bL-tween th<> commund.n; oflicer of a di-i o and a captain, iTspeslnißf the ouler of the formei lo: the latter lo icside in b.nlacLs; anil oihis tefiibal, a coirespondencc f>nsut"l, which fiom ifc-> ton-* and chuacti'i, h.j umicabli 1 rc-u't could be anticipited, and the wuole aiF.ur ha« been forwaidtd fur the contideialiou of (be Cumin in-Jer-ia-Chief. It is expected that the coiiiQiandin; r oflioer will retiie fiom the regina -nt. — United Service Guz Vntiui: RitWAUDUD — i'huie is a man up couutiy who always pajs t«-v his paper in ad vane. He has never had a sicli day in his lile; never had, any corns or tooth-ache ; his potatoes never rot; the weevil never eats his wheat ; the frost n vsr Kills his corn or banns ; his babies never cry in the night, and his wile never scolds. — American Paper. Honesty its own Uisavaru. — An American paper says — "The man who lost his eyesight by leading a borrowed papsr, has rccoveied it smce he became a subset iber."