The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-06-20 00:00:00

INDIA COUNCIIA BILL.

in the motion for the third reading of the India Councils

Lord Halifax reviewed tho provisions of the bill and ex-
pressed a doubt whether it would be found effectual for the
purpose intended.

- -
Lord Stanley 41 Alderley believed that the result of the
measure would be to prevent much wasteful expenditure In
India.

Lord Salisbury sail a remedy was necessary to check the
unsatisfactory expenditure on public works in India, and the
remedy appeared to be that which was supplied by the pre-
sent bill and which had been approved by Lord Mayo.
Lord Lawrence recommended that the bill should be post-
poned until the Olivcriamlit obtained the opinion of the
Governor-General in Council on the matter.

The bill was then read a third time and passed.
The Church Patronage (Scotland) Bill was reported with
amendments, and the remaining business being disposed of,
their lordships adjourned.

A lIINIsTER Or EDUCATION.
In the Gorse vy CoanwNs, before going into Supply, Dr.
Playfair raised a debate on the expediency of appointing a
Minister of Education by moving for a Select Committee
to enquire how a more effectual Ministerial responsibility
for the administration of all our educational faii-ls may
lie secured. In support of it, after an historical retros-
pect of the growth of the Educational Grant, he de-
scribed the anomalies of the existing system, pointing out
that, though the Vice-President dues nine-tenths of
the work of the Education Department, both In the office
anti in Parliament, the Lord President alone is the res-
ponsible Minister, and exercises all the power and patronage
of the office. But even the Lora President was not a Minister
of Education, he was nothing more than the manager of a
certain proportion of the primary schools. How small
a part of the Edocation of the country is adminis-
tered by the Committee of Council Dr Playfair showed
by enumerating the various Departments concerned
In Education for which there is no Ministerial re-
sponsibility, such as the Pritish Museum, South Ermine-
ton, and other Galleries illustrative of Science and Art, the
Endowed Schools, sty. Including Parliamentary votes,
local rates and subsczintions, endowments, A:c , our educa-
tional funds amotinted to somewhere about four niillions a
year, which, if placed under the responsible adminlstnition
of one Minister of Education, might be made productive of
enormous effects on the CI Ine:Mon of the country.
Ms. J. G. Talbot, in opposing the motion, held that the
Vice-President was as flinch respomdble to the House of
Commons as an Under-Secretary whose chief was in the
Lords, and suggested that if any change were needed the
Privy Council might be relieved of some of its heterogeneous
duties not connected with education.

Mr. Forster, fr ~, his personal experience, was dissatisfied
with the present arringenient, which he ti•ought was unfair
both to the Lord President and the Vice-President, and un-
likely to conduce to the progress of Education. A Minister
of Education, lie la-honed, was necessary if the Education
Act was to be thoroughly carried out, and if England was to
overtake Gemiany in the matter of Education.

Mr. Disraeli. In opposition to the motion, pointed out that
the Lord President need nit always be a Peer, for Lord
Russell had led the House of Commons for two years as
Lord President, am' a Department was just as responsible,
whether represented by a Secretary or by an Under-Sec-
retary. Since his Government in terra had proposed
to create a Minister of Educatien circumstances had
changed very much, and the Privy Council Office
had been relieved of many of its duties. More-
over, the Department had adapted itself, with a success
universally admitted, to the necessities of Primary Edu-
cation ; and he believed that it might be made com-
petent to deal with all the difficulties it would have to
encounter. The Govenmicet was alive to the neces-
sity for admiiiistrative reform to meet the immense
Increase in the business of the country, but he objected
to rushing rashly into the creation of new offices, when we
already possessed a Department capable of beillg ramie
available for all public purposes. While acknowledging the
Immense and unprecedented importance of Education to
this ceeditry at the present moment, Mr Disraeli deprecated
the creation of a Minister of Educatien of the foreign
type, who would reduce the whole mind in one uniform
mould.
Mr. Lowe thought no case for a reconstruction of the Edu-
cation Department had been made out. On the contrary, he
saw great practical advantages in the present arrangement,
and he sympathized entirely with Ste. Disraeli's objections
to a Minister of Education on the foreign pattern.
Sir J. Lubbock having spoken in favour of the motion, Dr.
Playfair offered to withdraw it after Mr. Disraeli's speech.
This, however, was objected to, audit was negatived without
a division.

THE EDUCATION VOTE.

The House then went into Committee of Supply, and Lord
Sandon moved the Education Vote for England and %Vales,
which this year amounts to £1,354i.552. This Is an
excess of tr7,€Ms on last year, provision being made for
an addition of 100,000 to the number of day children,
and there are also five new Inspectors provided for; but
Lord Sandra warned the committee to be prepared for a
larger increase next year. Describing to the committee
what had been done to carry nut the Act of 1570, the Vice-
President said that by the middle of ISTS schools will either
In' built or building for the whole of the country, and pro-
vision will then be either made or making for 4,000,000
children —via , 2,500,000 in voluntary schools recthing
grants. LOOO,OOO in schools not receiving grants. and
500,000 in School Boards. There are s•,hool lioarda
establieheel for 101 horonghs, with a population of five and *-
half million., and for 717 lout parishes, with a population of
two million., and by the middle of next year he calculated
that nearly half the population of England and %Telco will he
ler School Boards. Sr these sr-hearts there will be re-
quired gs,es..) Ikad Traehers. and Lord sainbof showed hr.,
as he expected, these woiild be forthcoming. There are
2,200,000 children 00 the to, Its, of whom 1,400.000 are be-
tween 7 and 1:1. hut of three 500.1i00 have not attended
half the year. To these irregular attendances Lord Sal-viol
attributed the insufficient result which was obtained for
all our expenditure, awl this led lain) to discuss the
qirna-
tins of compulsion, end the expediency of laying down
limit of age-- say ten years -below which no child should he
employed. Discusdng the operation of the Agricultural
children's Act and the Ant of last year, he defended his
minute lowering the standard for outdoor pauper children,
on the ground that it was the only alternative to pro-
hibiting the employment of these children under thir-
teen years. Finally, he declared it to be the • intention of
the Government to carry out the Act in a spirit of fairness
and impartiality, RIM deprerating the introduction of
religious differences into educational matters, he predicted
that that reinziona body whir-it proves that it cares more for
the inturesta of the children than its own aggrandizement
will obtain the suffrages id respectable and God-fearing por-
tions of the population.

The customary desultnry discussion of various points In
the F:stimates followed. Nit.. I:3rit.y. Mr. Wheelhonie, Mr.
Ileymite, Mr. Forster, Colonel varttelot, Mr. Pell. not Mr.
kay-nliuttleworSh took part in it. and ultimately the note
was agreed to.

The Science and Art Votes. as well as the Scotch
thou. Galway Colleges, Pat Office, Packet Service, and Tel.
graph Voles were agreed to.

The other iittAillf'Sl was disposed of, and, the !loose ad•
journed at a quarter-past two o'clock.