The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-10-18 00:00:00

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL at EXETER.

On Saturday the Attorney-General and Mr. P.. A.
llowrieg, the member for Exeter, attended a
luncheon given by the School Board at Exeter after
the ceremony of laying the fottndatioa stones of boar
schools which•will give accommodation for over 1,000
children.

lhe Earl of Devon, in responding for the House of
Lords, sail he believed that, notwithstanding the
hard words eometimee used about the Howe of Lords,
the general opinion wee that on the whole it
operated for the good of the country. The business
of the House of Lords was not so much to originate
acts of legislation as to check hasty legislation
that which was imperfect and wee not demanded
by sound public opinion. When such legislation as
that was proposed it was the business of the House of
Lords to give it timely and due cousiderstion and to
oppose it if necessary, and they did that without any
desire to be considered ex blind adhereete to the past.
It warn else their business to secure that in dealing with
o:d institnti ins due regard and reverence for the past
should not be wanting. Proper reverence for the peat
was no bad guide to the wants of the present, andehey
might depend upon it that applied to no subjest
more than to the promotion of national education.
He rejoiced to know that in these later days
the education ot the country had received from
the community the attention which its importance
deaerved. Our great public schools had been tub.
jectei to the test of an inquiry by a Royal Commission
and had been placed under governing bodies, and,
having had experience in the case of two a these
schools, he believed the change would result in a great
benefit to the oommunity at large. He rejoiced also
that in their town the endowed schools had been sub.
jecttd to strict investigation, and hoped the improved
adminiaeration would produce corresponding remains.
In the Education Act of 1870 be recognised a very im-
portant step in advance—a step to which he could uot
refer without repeating his oft-borne testimony to the
impartiality and fairness—he might almost say tender- '
nese—for the scruples of others which characterised the
ivociacy of the Act by Mr. Forster. (Rear, hear.)
He iiad always felt that the system of education M.
&narrated mainly by the National and British Societies
must fail, as titre passed on and population increased, to
do all that was required to be done, and that, great as
were the voluntary efforts', there most be MOOS In which,
for the good of the sommuulty, a compulsory educa-
tion rate ought to be intriduftd. (Rear, hear.) Hsi
rejoiced to know that the introduction of that
principle bad been committed to bodies elected by the
ratepayer'', and cosniaanr, therefore, of the require-
ments and means of each district. fie heartily wished
'ewes to the efforts of the Exeter Board, in whose
labours, culminating in the great effort of that day, he
saw an indication that it would carry on Be work with
judgment end impartialty, with due regard to sainting
interests and to the rigida of conscience of all parties.
(Hear, hear.)
The Attorney•G eral, in replying to the toast of "The
Rouse of Common,," sail, —I thank you exceedingly
for the honour done the House of GAMOW, and for the
kind cordiality with which you have greeted the
asaociation of my name with the toast. Elsewhere,
and in another assembly, I should say what elsewhere
I ebould most sincerely feel—that I ahoull wish the
duty had been cast upon some worthier and more
distinguished member of the great assembly to return
thanks for its health. But, gentlemen, I will not make
any such prileseion hire and to you, because Exeter
mint me to Parliament. (A laugh.) Three time.—
twice without a corded, and those are by far the most
plowing elections that can be the electors of this
great city have sent me to the House of Commoos to
represent them; and it is for them, if at any time they
should think fit—it certainly im not for me—to dies:edit
their judgment and throw doubt on the wisdom of
their choice. (Laughter.) Deeming from a very small
topic to a very large one, I may say that in no assembly
of Englishmen, with the hearts and memories of Eng-
lishmen, can the name of the House of Commons ever
be uttered without exciting in answer a glow of righteous
and generous pride, because the history of the House of
CODIO2OOII is written in the history of England, the
honour of the Hinesof Commons is the honour of king.
land and the glories of the House of Commons are the
glories of England. (Chem.) I am very far indeed
from saying that the House of Commons never makes
mistakes. I am very far from saying that at certain
periods of our history it has not at times behaved
Nall unworthily. But I do say this—l believe there
Ii not another legislative assembly in the world, with
a history of near seven centuries, which can more
honestly appeal to the great and noble feelings of
gratitude and respect Oa the part of a country than
the English Howse of Common. can. (Hear, hear.)
It has won for us our liberty in difficult and sometimes
in dangerous oomMitritional confi eta, and it has secured
for us our liberty by limiting that liberty and by guard-
ing and protecting It by the forms and the institutions
of law. (lime, hoar.) What partionlar claims this
prment Home of Commons may Moo on Um patina&

of the people it is hardly for me to say. (Laughter.)
I suppose that is a question upon which opinions
differ. (Laughter.) But I Aimee that • great
number of personw Including • good number even
of Its own members, seem to be uncommonly
anxious that it should come to an end misled, I
suppose, by our having worked so hard and our
having done go much— (renewal laughter) ; and it
seems to be forgotten that unless it ehould please
; the Queen to cut It short, elected lie we were so short
• time ago as November, 1868, we have two whole
years of constitutional life left in us yet. (" Hear,
hear." and laughter.) I continually see such phrases
as "dying Parliament "—tome public writers prefer to
use • Latin word, and call it a "moribund Podia.
ment,"—an "expiring Parliameot," • " worn.out
Parliament," an' effete Parliament" (laughter), and
now and then an obvious and easy joke as to the re-
semblance between a astural death and Parliamentary
dissolution. These things have touched up the
eloquence and formed the thief staple of many of the
public addresses which I have seen for some time
pest. Now, an Attornsy•Gonoral knows no secrets
9.laugh), and if he did know them it would be his
sacred duty not to reveal them. But I will hazard
a prophecy, which, if it should be fulfilled, will,
I am sure, in Ihe minds of most people maitre us •
considerable span of protracted existence. I venture
to assert that we shall niceties the termination even of
the Tichborne trial. (Loud laughter.) Gentlemen,
there is even in this mixed assembly one subject upon
which I may claim the gratitude of the people of Eng-
land for this present House of Commas; and that is,
as my noble friend has already said, for the passing of
the Education Act which has brought us together to-
day. The Education Act of 1870 was, no doubt,
brought in by Mr. Forster, and it was oondueted
through the House of Commons no doubt as a Go-
vemment weeny° ; but it is my day to say—and it
In but the plain truth to say—that it in an Act
which, but for the general wont of the House of
COIDUIOIIII as • whole, without distinction of party,
It would have been &Sault, if not impossible, to pees
Into law. (Hear, hear.) I am not going to say —no man
In his swam would say—that this or any other Act of
Parliament is perfect and does not need amendment-
but
this I do say—that it has traced the outlines and
laid the foundations of a great system of national edu-
cation; that it has done something to allay the greatest
danger and wipe away the greatest scandal of this age
and of this country (applause) • and it has done this—
that, as in these matters there is no going backwards,
It has become impossible for us ever to retreat from the
position which we keys arminied, of the absolute
necessity and paramount duty of a general system of
national education. (Hear.) It may be—l really have
neither the experience nor the knowledge to say—that
In the working of the Act there may have been found
'Pertain portions of it which gave just cause of die-
satisfaction to this or that body. If it be so, and if
those just causes of dissatisfaction can be main-
tained by honest, sound argument, they are greatly
to be deplored, and they ought to be forthwith
amended. (Hear, hear.) I should have thought
certainly that the education of the people of this
country was • matter which every Englishman would
have had more deeply at heart than the power or in-
terest of any body in the world, whether religious,
political, or what not, and that every fair and reason.
able man ought rather to be melons k see the work
was really done than to trouble himself 'inch about
I the hands that did it. But whatever there is of In-
justice In the Act, only let it be made out by fair
I argument, only let it be sustained with reason—l can
answer for the House of Commons, and I believe
my noble friend will answer for the Home of Lords—
neither House of Parliament will willingly let an in-
justice remain. (Hear, heat.) One thing I think
Is plain—that it would be impossible for any Govern-
ment either to put forward or, if it put forward, to
carry an absolute Parliamentary prohibition of the
element of religion of some kind in the national
schools of this country: (Hear, hear.) Ido not say
that it lathe best religion that is taught; I do not say
that it Is the beet mode of teaching it—my own opinion
on this subje it is very well known, to those who care to
know it—but I do say that to attempt by an Act of
Parliament to proscribe religion ia general is politically
impossible, as I believe it would be morally wrong.
(Applause.) Next, I wish to say this--that I conceive
it to be out of the question, in any system of national
education, to attempt to refuse to recognise them great
efforts of voluntary education to which up to this point
of time the whole country has been so deeply indebted.
(Hear, hear.) It would have been most ungenerous to
do so; but if it were not ungenerous' it would have been
most unwise to attempt to do so as well, sad I will tell
you why. Any system that attempted to cover the who Is
ground of national education, and disregarded and put
aside all the efforts of all the systems which are at pre-
sent made and administered by voluntary bodies, could
not even present the appearance of • really effeetive
system ; and, if It did attempt in present the appear-
ance of an effective system, it could do go only by such
an enormous burden being imposed on the rates as
would make the very name and cause of education dis-
tasteful and unpopular. (Hear.) The truth is these
educational controversies and the great work of educa-
tion iteelf can only be allayed aol corolac'eai by the
tort is* of eAuld c..m.,‘Lon best e, a good deal of good
temper and a good deal of that mutual forbearance of
I which hope it is not too much to say that in each
case the most powerful, the most numerous, and the
most wealthy body ought to be the body that is to set
the example. (Hear, hear). Se only, lam convinoed,
can we make ineffective inroads upon that great and
dark kingdom of vise and ignorance which, depend
upon it, do what we may, will require all our efforts,
and all our united efforts too, thoroughly to enlighten
and completely to subdue. (Applause).
After Mr. Bowring had proposed the health of the
Municipal Authorities, which was responded to by the
Mayor, the prooeedings terminated.