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of the rule as far as regards capital itself. Smith, as is well known, went so far as to approve of the Usury laws, although Bentham has since most satisfactorily erased this chapter from the catalogue of excepted cases; but the Navigation Law of England, and indeed of Holland, has never been allowed to be absolutely founded on false principles, although it be by far the widest deviation from the general rule ever made, and in a matter of the greatest importance. The excuse given for it by Dr Smith seems still to be admitted, that there are other things which deserve our care beside the increase of wealth, and that defence is more important than riches. This seems to satisfy men's minds that the Navigation Law was beneficial at the time, although unquestionably we have adhered to it long after it had ceased to do any thing but mischief in every way.

But who ever dreamt of carrying the principle so far as the persons do with whom we are at present contending? They might as well talk of leaving the settlement of disputes between individuals, to the private settlement, the domestic forum, of arbitration. They might contend that the demand for justice, like every thing else, would produce a sufficient supply of the article; that all the useless machinery of civil courts might thus be dispensed with, its attendant patronage taken from the government, and its heavy expense saved to the people; and that the only necessary interference here, would be by compulsory process to compel appearance and execution. Then, why the crowds of lawyers that blacken the gates of Themis's temples? Why degrees in the Civil, and Canon, and Common law? Why not let every man conduct causes before the arbitrators-as there is no fear of suitors employing bad counsel, any more than unskilful and unjust referees.

An hundred such instances might be added: But upon this matter of education let Adam Smith be heard for himself. In his Fifth Book, he expressly devotes one Part of the three into which the Chapter upon the Expenses of the State is divided, to the subject of Public Works and Institutions; the other two discuss the defence of the nation and administration of justice; and of the third Part, one article, and a very leading one, is, Of the Expense of Institutions for the Education of Youth." In handling this subject, he displays great learning, and his accustomed sound sense. He shows very clearly how the work of education has often been marred by the mismanagement of the Government, and how many branches of learning might be better taught by private encouragement. But this remark is only applicable to those accomplishments for which the wealthy furnish the chief demand. He never for a moment supposes that the poor could be expected either to seek

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or to find the means of instruction in the mere elements of knowledge, without any aid from the State. Nay, he goes further, and proposes that a national education should not only be provided by the State, but that means should be taken for compelling the people to take advantage of it. For a very small expense, (says he,) the public can facilitate-can encourage' and can even impose upon almost the whole body of the people the necessity of acquiring those most essential parts of educa tion,' (namely reading, writing, and accounts.)-Wealth of Nations, Book V. Chap. I. Part 3. Art. 2. He then recommends the means which he thinks best adapted to these ends; the establishment of parochial schools, with part of the expenses paid by the public, and part by the scholars; and the exclusion of such as cannot read and write and cipher, from corporate rights, and the freedom of setting up any trade either in a village or town corporate.' We question, after this, if the authority of Adam Smith will be with much confidence appealed to a second time upon the present occasion.

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But it will be said, that authority ought not to usurp the place of reason; and the opinion of Smith may be combated, by his more rigid followers affirming that they preserve the faith in more absolute purity, nay, that they correct the backslidings of the master, and are destined to be the Benthams of this chapter, for the purpose of making him throughout consistent with himself. We fear this is not precisely the destiny to which they are called; for reason seems to put them down quite as triumphantly as authority. The principle of non-interferenceof leaving things to themselves-applies not to the case of education, unless where the thing to be taught can be learnt in private, or by a very small number of pupils; that is to say, unless the question regards only the education of the rich. The moment a numerous school is required, the principle fails; and fails more or less completely in proportion as the district is less or more populous. No man thinks that every farmer or tradesman, still less every poor labourer or mechanic, can have a private tutor for his children. To be taught at all, they must go to a school, where so many children attend, that each can be taken at a low rate of school wages, fees or quarter pence. In populous places, it may not be difficult to find masters who will make a trade in opening such schools for profit; but, in villages or country districts, where the whole neighbourhood afford no more than twenty or thirty children, how is such a thing to be expected? Sixpence a week is a high price for such a school; it is more than the original price of the High School of Edinburgh, where the persons of the highest rank in Scotland educate their children in Latin, Greek, and Geography. Yet that

high rate of quarter pence would not maintain a master of a decent description in such a situation as we are supposing. It would take twice as much. Yet thirty children of the years for› going to school, exclusive of nine or ten whose parents may prefer educating them at home, and especially girls, answers to a population of above four hundred inhabitants;-and it is needless to say how many districts there are in England and Wales, where not above four hundred persons live. If, however, we suppose a moderate rate of quarter pence only to be paid, then the lowest number of inhabitants who could afford to maintain a school must be above 800; and this is about the average population of the parishes all England over, including cities and towns, as well as country districts and villages. Supposing, again, that we separate the parishes into two classes, those of cities or great towns, and country ones; we can reckon the average of the latter at little more than 600-which is evidently far too thin a population to maintain a school, by trusting to the voluntary supply following the demand.

This seems to settle the matter as to country districts; but even in the towns where the poor might more easily supply themselves with education, a difficulty occurs well deserving of attention. The supply of articles of prime necessity in every country, may safely be left to be regulated by the demand; and there is no risk of any class of persons being long in want of them who can afford to pay a fair price for the acquisition; because all pretty nearly stand equally in need of them. But it is far otherwise with education. The poor are apt to undervalue it, or at least to postpone it to more sensible objects; and if there are many, or even several persons in any district who seek it not, their negligence puts it out of the reach of those who desire it, because it reduces the number of scholars below that which can maintain a master. It would indeed be a fair position to lay down, that the whole of the poor in any country care considerably less for instruction than they ought; and that their wish for it is never strong and steady enough to command a regular and secure supply. Bad times come, and the quarter pence are grudged; the school is broke up. The distress, passes away, and the poor next year are anxious for instruction but a long time must now elapse before another school will be ventured upon in that quarter where it had so lately failed. From a consideration of this circumstance, it seems reasonable to conclude, that they are right who maintain the principle of bringing Education to the door as it were of the poor man, both in towns and country districts, by extraordinary encouragements to the establishment of schools, which requires a Р

VOL. XXXIV. No. 67.

certain zeal and a certain combination to effect it, and may therefore most strictly be placed on the same footing with the erection of publick works.

The evidence contained in the Digest signally confirms this view of the subject in every particular. It may be seen, no doubt, that the average number of children attending the unendowed Day schools (exclusive of Dame schools) is only thirtyone; but then the Tables also show, that a considerable proportion of these are educated by charitable contributions. Indeed, of the 478,000 children educated at unendowed Day schools, 168,000 are maintained by subscription, or other charity. Almost the whole of the Sunday schools, too, are free schools; and of the 165,000 educated at endowed schools, only about 20,000 pay quarter pence. It thus appears, that nearly all the Sunday schools, and one half of the Day schools in England, are supported by charity.

But another ground is taken upon this point by the objectors. Seeing the impossibility of trusting to the poor themselves, they tell us, nevertheless, that we may trust to private beneficence. But this is a most fallacious argument, and is liable to be refuted by the very considerations to which its supporters appeal. The exertions which charitable persons have made in England for promoting Education, as well as for all other benevolent purposes, are far above our praise. Nevertheless, such efforts must have their limits; and we suspect those limits have of late years been reached. The fact, that the British and Foreign School Society never has at any time had an income of 1500l. a year, even on paper, speaks volumes on this head. It is equally true, that the more individuals have exerted themselves in such efforts, the more likely they are now to be exhausted; and it is a known truth, that the difficulty of obtaining subscriptions for new charities, has of late become almost insurmountable. Besides, such resources are fluctuating and uncertain in their nature; and nothing can be more obvious, than that such a variable supply is ill adapted to meet a demand which either is or ought to be made constant and regular. The charitable labours of good and enlightened men for educating the Poor, are necessarily confined to populous places. There only can great meetings be held, and large contributions obtained. Accordingly we find, that the two great Societies for promoting Education, the National, and the British and Foreign School Society, only, plant schools upon the new plan; and this plan, from its nature, must be confined to towns of considerable size. We are aware, that mere private munificence has furnished many supplies to the same good cause; but that is a still more uncertain

supply. Alms may be asked; and therefore, there is far better ground for trusting to individual charity for supporting the poor. But how long would it take before individuals should bethink them of planting schools for the thousands of poor children who have now no means of instruction? Let it be recollected, too, that private charity is not always very judiciously bestowed. A desire to do too much for a few children, is far more prevalent among the humane, than a wise disposition to do somewhat for a greater number; and the truth is undeniable, that many wellintentioned men have founded establishments of a kind really hurtful to society, at a great cost, when a tenth of the funds would, if well applied, have proved really beneficial.

But we are desired to look at the result; and the vast progress made of late years in Educating the poor, is cited as a convincing proof how much may be expected from this source. We join willingly in this appeal to facts; for we know that it must at once decide the whole question. From the Digest it appears, that there are about 145,000 children taught at the new Day schools, exclusive of those taught at Sunday schools,-which ought in this question to be kept apart, both because almost all of them attend Day schools also, and because the tuition at Sunday schools, without any other, is extremely imperfect. Now, from the numbers taught at these New schools, no one can doubt that a large deduction must be made for those educated before their establishment either at the same school previous to its being newmodelled, or at some neighbouring seminary, given up since the larger one was set on foot. Perhaps 100,000 is not too small a number for the whole addition made in the means of Education by those new schools during the last fifteen years; and at this rate, nearly forty years would be required to afford the means still wanting, even if we supposed private charity to make the same exertions during the next half century that it has dur ing the last few years; whereas no man can pretend to expect such a thing; and, indeed, every one knows that those exertions are almost wholly confined to large towns.

But the Digest likewise shows how many institutions of this description are languishing for want of funds, and how many unendowed schools of all kinds have been discontinued everywhere from the same cause. The necessity of some less precarious supply being provided of an article of such primary necessity as elementary education, is, indeed, proved in almost every page of these volumes.

The result of the Tables may now be shortly referred to, as establishing beyond all controversy the want of education which now exists. The Endowed Schools in England teach about

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