169

Manchester. At a public meeting held in the Town Hall, on the 14th of March, 1867, a series of resolutions were passed with that object. Mr. Dixon was elected President of the new society, and Mr. Jesse Collings its Honorary Secretary. Its constitution was wholly independent of party politics or sectarian bias. On the Committee were the names of many who took part on opposite sides in the subsequent agitation. (1)

The Society undertook, as a part of their duty, to thoroughly investigate the educational condition of the town, and to prepare statistics on the subject. A house to house canvass was undertaken for this purpose, and it brought out some remarkable results; demonstrating the inability of many parents to pay school fees, the absence of proper provision, and the necesity of compulsion to secure attendance. The figures were compiled with great care and tested in a variety of ways. Their accuracy was impeached by Lord Robert Montagu in the House of Commons, who suggested that they had been exaggerated by agents whose interests depended on making out a harrowing case in order to get subscriptions. When challenged, however, to support his accusations, he altogether failed to do so. The observation and experience of the members of the Society convinced the majority of them that only stringent legislation could put the education of the town upon a satisfactory basis.

In the general election of 1868 the question was widely discussed. In Birmingham it was prominently put forward by Mr. Bright, Mr. Dixon, Mr. Collings, and by the Liberal press.

1 The Hon. and Rev. Grantham Yorke and Mr. R. W. Dale were VicePresidents. The first committee consisted of Mr. J. Thackray Bunce, Rev. Dr. Burges, Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, Mr. R. L. Chance, Rev. Charles Clarke, Mr. J. A. Cooper, Mr. George Dawson, Rev. Charles Evans, Mr. Sebastian Evans, Rev. Canon Gover, Mr. William Harris, Mr. Hawkes, Rev. Micaiah Hill, Mr. J. S. Hopkins, Mr. John Jaffray, Mr. T. C. S. Kynnersley, Mr. William Kenrick, Mr. Alderman Manton, Rev. Canon O'Sullivan, Mr. Alderman Ryland, Mr. W. L. Sargant, Mr. Sam. Timmins, Rev. Charles Vince, Rev. A. Ward, and Rev. Dr. Wilkinson,

The League had its origin in a conversation between Mr. Dixon and Mr. Collings, when it was resolved to call a private meeting to consider the advisibility of organising a National Association for the purpose of agitation. Α meeting was held at Mr. Dixon's house early in 1869. There were present, Mr. Dixon, Mr. Chamberlain, Mr. Collings, Mr. Bunce, Mr. Harris, and many others, who afterwards joined the Provisional Committee.

All these gentlemen took an active share in the struggle which followed, and many of them during the succeeding eight years devoted themselves, without reserve of time or energy, to secure the objects of the Society.

A circular was shortly issued inviting adhesions to the League on the following basis:

OBJECT.

The establishment of a system which shall secure the education of every child in the country.

MEANS.

1.-Local authorities shall be compelled by law to see that sufficient school accommodation is provided for every child in their district.

2. The cost of founding and maintaining such schools as may be required, shall be provided out of local rates, supplemented by Government grants.

3. All schools aided by local rates shall be under the management of local authorities, and subject to Government inspection.

4. All schools aided by local rates shall be unsectarian.

5. To all schools aided by local rates admission shall be free.

6. School accommodation being provided, the State, or the local authorities, shall have power to compel the attendance of children of suitable age not otherwise receiving education,

This was, with slight alteration, the basis which had been proposed by Mr. Collings in his review of the American common school system.

The response to the circular proved that public opinion was ripe for the movement, and that there was a deep-seated conviction on the subject throughout society, which was only waiting to be led. In a few months, and before any public demonstration had been made, 2,500 persons, including many of the best known politicians, thinkers, and writers in England had joined the League. A provisional committee was appointed to make arrangements for a general conference of members, and to transact the preliminary business of the organisation. Mr. Dixon was elected chairman, Mr. Chamberlain, vice-chairman; Mr. Collings, honorary secretary; and Mr. Jaffray, treasurer. At a somewhat later period the author was appointed secretary, a post which he held until the dissolution of the League. (1)

The movement was embraced with great avidity in all the large towns, and in the autumn local committees were formed in London, Manchester, Bradford, Bristol, Leicester, Sheffield, Liverpool, Leeds, Huddersfield, Exeter, Bath, Warrington, Devonport, Carlisle, Merthyr Tydvil, and Wednesbury. From this time the agitation rapidly increased in influence, and the first meeting was looked forward to with great interest and enthusiasm from all parts of the country.

The programme for the general meeting included the formal constitution of the League; the discussion of Parliamentary procedure, and of the general principles advocated

1 The members of the first Committee were-Henry Holland (Mayor); Aldermen Hawkes, Osborne, Ryland, and Wiggin; Councillors George Baker and William Harris; the Revs. Charles Clarke, Charles Vince, and H. W. Crosskey; Messrs. W. J. Beale, J. Thackray Bunce, J. H. Chamberlain, R. L. Chance, George Dawson, A. Field, T. P. Heslop, W. Holliday, G. J. Johnson, T. Kenrick, J. A. Kenrick, G. B. Lloyd, C. E. Mathews, W. Middlemore, Follett Osler, Wm. Ryland, S. Timmins, a J. S. Wright.

as the basis of the agitation; a soiree to the members by the Mayor, and a demonstration in the Town Hall.

Mr. Dixon took the chair at the Exchange Assembly Rooms on the 12th October. The report of the provisional committee, stating the origin and purpose of the League, was read by Mr. Collings. Archdeacon Sandford moved that the report should be adopted, and in doing so he warned the members that they must be prepared for opposition. He said, "I am quite satisfied that very many severe things will be said of your platform. We shall be told no doubt that it is a godless scheme; that it is a revolutionary scheme; that it is a scheme utterly unsuited to the taste and feeling of the British people; that it cannot succeed; and that if carried out it will flood the land with atheists and infidels." He strongly opposed, as leading to perpetual divisions and dissensions, the scheme of concurrent denominational education, to support which a conference had been held at Willis's Rooms in the preceding year; which was in fact the final effort of Archdeacon Denison.

Mr. Dawson seconded the resolution in a speech which will be long remembered by those who heard it for its argument, its eloquence, and its humour.

that

Mr. Edmund Potter, M.P. for Carlisle, moved the appointment of the Officers, Council, and Executive. This was seconded by Dr. Hodgson, who had been one of the founders of the National Public School Association, and an Assistant Commissioner in 1858. He said, "The President's reference to the Manchester Association leads me to say although death has thinned the ranks of those who composed that Association for obtaining secular, rate-paid education, there still remain a large number, who, instead of looking upon the labours of the League with jealousy, will hail its co-operation with the greatest earnestness and enthusiasm,

not even desiring to meet it in friendly rivalry." Mr. Dixon was chosen chairman of the Council, Mr. Jesse Collings hon. secretary, and Mr. Jaffray treasurer. The Council was a consultative body, consisting of all members of Parliament who joined the League, donors of £500 and upwards, representatives appointed by the branches, together with nearly 300 ladies and gentlemen chosen from the general body of members. (1)

During the eight years of the agitation there were many changes in the constitution of the Executive. Before the conclusion of their labours death had removed from the Committee some of their most trusted and able colleagues, including Mr. Dawson, Mr. Vince, and Alderman Rumney.

1 The Executive Committee appointed at this meeting consisted of— Messrs. J. T. Bunce, Joseph Chamberlain, J. H. Chamberlain, Charles Clarke, H. W. Crosskey, George Dawson, Alfred Field, William Harris, Henry Holland, William Kenrick, William Middlemore, E. C. Osborne, Follett Osler, Arthur Ryland, Charles Vince, and J. S. Wright, of Birmingham; Mr. Charles Booth, Liverpool; Rev. Dr. Caldicott, Bristol; Major Ferguson, Carlisle; Edward Huth, Huddersfield; Canon Kingsley, Eversley; Mr. Maxfield, Leicester; Captain Maxse, Southampton; William Simons, Merthyr Tydvil; Rev. S. A. Steinthal, Manchester; Rev. F. B. Zincke, Ipswich ; Angus Holden, Bradford; and the Hon. Auberon Herbert, Dr. Hodgson, George Howell, and Herbert Fry, London.

During the continuance of the organisation the following names were added to the Committee :-R. Applegarth, London; Rev. J. J. Brown, Birmingham; Professor Fawcett and Mrs. Fawcett, Cambridge; G. B. Lloyd, Rev. M. Macfie, R. F. Martineau, S. Timmins, C. E. Mathews, Rev. J. Renshaw, Rev. J. M. McKerrow, Dr. Langford, Birmingham; Thomas Webster, Q.C., Sir C. W. Dilke, F. Pennington, Edward Jenkins, R. Williams, London; C. H. Bazley, William Cheetham, Alderman Rumney, Harry Rawson, Manchester; William Bragge, J. Taylor, Councillor Hibberd, H. J. Wilson, John Muscroft, Sheffield; W. F. Collier and William Adams, Plymouth; Joseph Cowen, Newcastle; James Kitson, Rev. J. Haslam, Rev. H. W. Holland, Leeds; S. S. Mander, Wolverhampton; F. G. Prange, Liverpool; G. B. Rothera, Nottingham; Stephen Winkworth, Bolton; Bancroft Cooke, Birkenhead; J. C. Cox, Belper; Alderman Hutchinson, Halifax; Rev. R. Harley, Leicester; Isaac Holden, Keighley; Captain Sargeant, Bodmin; Rev. J. Marsden, Taunton; John Morley, Tunbridge Wells; Thomas Nicholson, Forest of Dean; James Hanson, Bradford; S. C. Evans Williams, Rhayader; and John Batchelor, Cardiff.