The Press. — London, England, 1856-03-08 00:00:00

• 222 complete; and, secondly, to maintain, encourage, and as far as possible improve, that wLich was good in the existing system. With regard to the first, we should, he thought, bring the education of the people of this country at least to the standard in other countries—Switzerland and the United States, for example. Sir J. Pakington had proposed a plan of rating that should be permissive, and that the education should be free; but he (Lord John) though►t it clear that we could hardly maintain the present syytem of grants from the Committee of Privy Council and free schools at the same time. He pro posed to build upon the foundation of the present system, bearing in mind that it was intended to appoint a Master of Education. The noble lord then proposed his resolutions in detail, explaining the principles of each as he passed from one to the other. The resolutions were as follows :- 1. That, in the opinion of this house, it is expedient to extend, revise, and consolidate the minutes of the Com mittee of Privy Council on Education. 2. That it is expedient to add to the present inspectors of Church schools eighty sub-inspectors, and to divide England and Wales into eighty divisions for the purposes of education. 3. That it is expedient to appoint sub-inspectors of British, Wesleyan, and other Protestant schools not con• nected with the Church, and also of Roman Catholic schools, according to the present proportions of inspectors of such schools to the inspectors of Church schools. 4. That, on the report of the inspectors and sub inspec tors, the Committee of Privy Council should have power to form in each division school districts, consisting of single or united parishes, or parts of parishes. 5. That the sub-inspectors of schools of each division should be instructed to report on the available means for the education of the poor in each school district. 6. That, for the purpose of extending such means, it is expedient that the powers at present possessed by the Commissioners of Charitable Trusts be enlarged, and that the funds now useless or injurious to the public be applied to the education of the middle and poorer classes of the community. 7. That it is expedient that in any school district where the means of education arising from endowment, subscrip tion, grants, and school-pence shall be found deficient, and shall be declared to be so by the Committee of Privy Council for Education, the ratepayers shall have the power of taxing themselves for the erection and maintenance of a school or schools. 8. That after the lst of January, 1858, when any school district shall have been declared to be deficient in adequate means for the education Df the poor, the quarter sessions of the peace for the county, city, or borough shall have power to impose a school rate. 0. That where a school rate is imposed, a school com mittee elected by the ratepayers should appoint the school masters and mistresses, and make regulations for the management of the schools. 10. That in every school supported in whole or in part by rates a portion of the Holy Scriptures should be read daily in the school, and such other provisions should be made for religious instruction as the school committee may think tit, but that no child should be compelled to receive any religious instruction or attend any religious worship to which his or her parents or guardians shall on con scientious grounds object. Then came the difficulty as to the attendance of children after ten years of age, and he proposed that the employers of such children should be required to furnish a certificate of their attendance, and should pay for their instruction. There remained a large class still more difficult to deal with—namely, chil dren between nine and fifteen, who were neither at school nor at work, but were, in fact, idle. He did not think it possible to compel their parents to send such children to school ; but he proposed to offer every encouragement, by prizes, diminution of school fees, libraries, and other inducements, to attract such children to school. Respecting the cost of a more complete educational system, Lord J. Russell computed that instruction was required for 3,600,000 children, and would involve an expenditure of about 3,200,0001. But this sum, he added, would be dis tributed over a wide area, and be collected from numerous sources, comprising subscriptions, endow ments, school-pence, national grants, and local rates, and would thus be rendered comparatively light in its incidence. He concluded by again briefly adverting to the infinite importance of the subject, and the ne cessity of adopting without delay either the plan he had outlined or some equivalent thereto. Mr. HENLEY fully concurred in many of the obser vations of Lord J. Russell, but doubted whether he was not attempting too much. Lord R. Grosvenor, Mr. Adderley, and Mr. E. Denison followed the same course. Mr. ROEBUCK was for secular education. Sir J. PAXINGTON offered his hearty thanks to Lord J. Russell for the manner in which he had dealt with this question, which he trusted would not be treated as a party question. He hoped all would act together. Mr. M. GIBSON was an advocate of a secular sys tem of national education, if a national education we must have. Mr. MULL was of opinion that in schools sup potted by public rates or taxes the education should be secular. THE PRESS. Lord PALMERSTON thought the course Lord John Russell had adopted, of submitting these resolutions to the house, was the best he could have chosen ; they would meet with the utmost attention, and he hoped this attempt would be attended with better success than others. Difficulties attended the addi tion of moral and religious to intellectual instruc tion ; but, if this was not done, nothing was done, and be hoped means would be found of overcoming those difficulties. Lord J. RUSSELL made a brief general reply, pro posing to withdraw his resolutions„ and to move in stead a resolution that the house would on Thursday, the 10th of April, resolve itself into a committee to consider the state of the public education. This proposition was agreed to, and the resolu tions were for the present withdrawn. CHURCH RATE ABOLITION BILL. Sir W. CLAY, on Wednesday, in moving the second reading of this bill, entered into an explanatory statement of the principles of the bill, and cited various statistical returns to show that the Church rate was either not sanctioned or left unlevied in a large number of parishes. In conclusion, the hon. baronet proceeded to argue that on the question of pr'nciple the Church of England had no right to impose a compulsory tax on the community; and, as a matter of fact, declared that there was no call for this impost to maintain in efficient repair the edifices belonging to the e•tablishment. Lord JOHN MANNERS maintained that provision for the repair of churches was by this bill left entirely to voluntary contribution. The bill was objection able in many respects, and be moved, as an amend ment, that it be read a second time that day six months. Sir STAFFORD NORTHCOTE seconded the amend ment. Dissenters and Churchmen had grievances to complain of, but he did not think that the proposed measure provided a sufficient remedy. Ile disliked the appeal to voluntary contribution. Special and local evils would result from this measure. Sir GEORGE GREY explained the views and inten tions of the Government. The recent decision of the House of Lords in the Braintree case had virtually abolished Church rates, and the state of the law was unsatisfactory. The Government were not inclined, however, to consent to the immediate and total aboli tion of Church rates throughout the kingdom. Abolition would be sanctioned in all those places where the rate had been discontinued fora sufficient time to mark the determination of the parishioners no longer to levy it. In those places where the rates continued be saw no objection to allowing a ratepayer to claim exemption on a declaration that he was a Dissenter. But admitting the principle of imme diate abolition where the rates had practically ceased, and of prospective abolition where the ex pressed wish of the majority of a parish was opposed to them, the Government were prepared to affirm this principle by voting for the second reading of this bill, and they would propose amendments, the nature of which he had indicated, in committee. Lord Jourt RUSSELL was of opinion that the course pursued by the Government would neither satisfy the rights of the Church, appease the consciences of Dissenters, nor secure peace. Lord PALhiERSTON stated that the determination come to by the Government was the result of mature consideration. The proposal merely went to acknow ledge existing facts. In parishes where the rate had not been levied for a certain time there should be exemption ; and further, that means should be taken to insure the proper application of the proceeds of the rate where it existed. Ultimately, the bill was read a second time by 221 to 178. Sir GEORGE GREY stated, in reply to Mr. Walpole, that the amendments proposed to be inserted in com mittee would be laid on the table before Easter. SIR DE LACY EVANS'S EXPLANATIONS. On Monday, on the motion fur going into Com mittee of Supply, Sir DE LACY EVANS explained, and in some mea sure apologised, for certain statements he had made during Friday week's debate respecting the conduct of Colonel Gordon, the Duke of Cambridge, General Simpson, and other officers. Letters, it appeared, had passed between himself and the representatives of the officers in question, which bad resulted in correcting various misapprehensions in the opinions previously entertained by the gallant member, and under this new view of the circumstances he com plied with a sense of duty in setting before the house the extent and causes of this modification in his former convictions. Referring to a statement made by Lord Claud Hamilton, that he (Sir De Lacy Evans) had after the battle of Inkermann advised Lord Raglan to abandon the Crimea, Sir De Lacy declared himself ready to give full explanations on the subject at a fitting opportunity. Lord C. HAMILTON entered upon a similar expla nation of passages in his speech upon the same occa sion ; but The SPEAKER interposed, intimating that it was contrary to the general rule to revive a past debate. SATURDAY, lIN --- Mr. GORDON, after expressing his satisfaction at the explanation made by Sir De Lacy Evans, was deviating into a violation of the rule adverted to by the Chair, when Lord i ) ALMERSTON said he thought the house would agree that the explanation of Sir De Lacy Evans ought to be so satisfactory to the feelings of all who considered themselves affected by remarks made in the eagerness of debate that the matter, alter that handsome explanation, should be allowed to drop. _ Mr: DISRA.EII concurred in this suggestion, ob serving that the speech of Sir De Lacy Evans had very much removed the painful impression he had made on Friday. With reference to the charge of Lord Claud Hamilton, that Sir De Lacy Evans, on the night after the battle of Inkermann, had urged the immediate embarkation of the British army, leaving our guns and our allies behind, Mr. Disraeli thought that the opinion of an experienced and veteran officer must have been looked to with interest on a question of such importance:— But the precise value of his opinion, in this particular instance, must depend on the manner in which it was ex• pressed, the circumstances under which it was offered, and a thousand matters of detail of which it is nut possible that we should have a competent knowledge. ( Cheers.) There is a general sentiment of satisfaction that the hon. and gallant member should have come down to the house to remove, by a frank and manly explanation, the painful impressions produced by his remarks on Friday evening ; and I am sure there is also a general concurrence of opinion on both sides of the house that my noble friend the member for Tyrone lies under no imputation of having made a rash statement, or one which he did not believe himself capable of justifying. This being the state of the case, and it being obvious that no satisfactory result can follow from the prolongation of this discussion, I trust that it will proceed no further. The hon. and gallant officer has made his explanation, and it is, I think, the universal feeling of the house that the matter was revived only to be terminated fur ever in a manner agreeable to sU parties. (Loud cheers.) THE FALL OF EARS. Lord FALMERSTON, on Tuesday, in reply to Mr. Whiteside's question for the papers relating to the fall of Kars, walked to the bar and announced the papers referred to. (They were brought up and ordered to be laid on the table amid considerable cheering.) THE ITALIAN LEGION. Lord PALMERSTON, on Tuesday, in reply to Mr. Bowyer, said it was quite true that a disturbance had lately taken place in the Italian Legion at Novara. Their conduct hitherto had been unexcep tionable, but the Government had thought it as well to send the whole force, 3,000 men, at once to Malta, as originally intended. The regiments were already en route. ANNEXATION IN INDIA. Sir E. PERRY, on Tuesday, moved for returns showing the extent of the territories in India annexed to the British dominions since the close of the Pun jab war, together with the pretext for such annexa tion, and the revenues accruing from each province so appropriated. He believed that the acts of annexa tion in question, and especially the one last accom plished in the absorption of the kingdom of Oude, would prove as unprofitable as they were unjust. Mr. V. SMITH declared that the allegations put forward by Sir E. Perry on the subject of annexa tion were altogether unsubstantiated. He could not consent to discuss the question, until the receipt of despatches from Lord Dalhousie, which would en able him to publish the whole series of documents relating to the recent disposition of the Oude tern tory. There was, however, no objection to the pro duction of the papers now asked for. After a few words from Mr. OrwxY and Mr. KIN' NAIRD, the motion was agreed to and the returns ordered. THE ANNEXATION OF OUDE. Mr. V. SMITH, on Tuesday, in reply to Mr. Cobden for any explanation of, or the papers relating to, the annexation of Oude, said that, as the business was not yet completed, it would be better not to lay the papers relating to it on the table. A despatch had been sent out to India stating the various modes in which the maladministration of the kingdom of Oude might be corrected, and leaving it to the discretion of the Marquis of Dalhousie which of these modes be would employ. No official reply had yet been re ceived to this despatch, and he should, therefore, not feel justified in producing any papers relating to the subject at present. JUDICIAL STATISTICS. Lord BROUGHAM, on Monday, moved a series of resolutions on the subject of judicial statistics. He described the deficiencies of the present returns from the civil and criminal courts, and the want of plan or system in the manner in which they Well made, comparing with it the superior practice of the French Government in this respect. The LORD CHANCELLOR promised to give the sub ject his best attention. There would be no difficulty in having the returns from the civil courts made periodically, instead of being called for by motion in the Houses of Parliament. The resolutions were laid on the table.