The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-08-17 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COANIONS.-YE.,TERDAY

The morning sitting of the House of Comnions was occup'ed
by the discussion of the Civil Service Estimates.
A lengthened discussion took place on the vote for the
Museum;tish several members urging that greater, facilities
of visit ought to be given to the working classes, and that the
Museum ought to be open in the evening.
Mr. WALPOLE promised to bring this matter seriously under
tke consideration of the trustees and the Chancellor of the
E chequer, expressing himself not unfavourable to the propo-
sition.

The vote was agreed to, as were several others.
In the evening sitting,
Mr. HENNEitilr called attention to the letter of Captain
!Styles, announcing himself as an agent of Garibaldi. and to the
operations now going:on in London for the purpose of obtain-
ing volunteers to join in aiding the Sicilian insurrection. He
wished to know whether Captain Styles had in any way q9m-
municatedavith the Government on the subject. and what was
its opinion on this great question of international law. The
noble Secretary for Foreign Affairs had lectured them on the
subject of Papal enlistmen t—was'he equagy prdpared to oppose
this movement! It was known that Austria and Russia were
prepared to act in concert, and her 'Majesty's Government
9110 t, to declare what steps they intended to take to stop these
illegal transactions.

Seerztv -observed that it was a pity that the hon.
alsmber's indignation had not been roused when the Papal
recruiting was going .on in Ireland. He sincerely hoped that
the gallant fellows about to join Garibaldi would be more suc-
cessful and better treated than the Pope's. Irish Brigade.,
Lord PALMERSTON said that the Government had no know-
ledge of any volunteers having gone out to Sicily. As for the.
enlistment of soldiers that would be an act of direct desertion,
and was of course out of the question. The act of proceeding
to Sicily to join Garibaldi was perfectly similar to that of
Irish volunteers proceeding to join the Pope. The one and
the other 'were equally forbidden by the Foreign Enlist-
ment Act. Great. difficulties, however; existed in the appli-
cation of the act. It was diEcult to prove the.residence of
the Parties ; they might state that they were going to work
upon the railways, or to see what Mount Etna was like. The
question, in an international point of view, was no doubt a
-very grave one, but it was extremely difficult to apply inter-
national law in such cases.
Mr. V. Scetsy condemned alike the enlistment of Irishmen
for the Pepe, and of Englishmen' for Garibaldi. He blamed
the Government for giying a moral support to the Italian
revolution.
The House then went into committee of sup ,ly.
Mr. CARDWELL brought forward the Irish educational vote.
examined in detail the working of the mixed system'dueing.
the last few years. The present vote was Z 21,000 in excess of
that of last year, mainly owing to the increased payment to'
teachers and the improvement in the standard of tuition. The'
increase in the number of schools was 88, and of scholars 3,112.'
Re then examined in detail, and disproved the alleged cases of
proselytising. and showed that in an immense number of
schools Roman Catholics and Protestants attended without any
reasonable complaint of religious interference of any kilicf. No'
.case had been substantiated where any direct act of proselytiem
Lad been attempted. It could not be said that the result of
the national system had been to undermine the faith or to dis-
turb the religious convictions of the people of Ireland. On the
sotitrary, he believed that the faith of both parties was never
so strong as after thirty peals' experience of a system which
left every one his religious belief and gave proper instruction
to 'all. He concluded by declaring that the system had given
a sound practicateducation, of a limited character, to the entire
PoPulatiorr. Still there were some points on which the Govern-
ment Proposed certain changes. He admitted that the consetu-
tion of the board was not fair to the Roman Catholics, and that the
number of those religionists on the board ought to be increased.
This principle had been carried out in the case of the inspectors.
wes one could reasonably object that the number of' Raman
Catholie members of the board should be equal to that of the
Protestants ; iu the vesting of the schools and in the books
improvements would be. Among_other changes,
It was supposed to be possible to introduce into the school-
books a large proportion of subjects especially interesting to
Irishmen. This might be done • without importing topics
either of polemical or political controversy, and it was
the intention of the Committee of Council to nominate a
Iltb-coranaittee during the recess to takethis question into con-
Some plans were also before the CommissiOners
design `d to make provision for separate s eligions teaching.
The points of most importance related, however, to the com-
ssoaition or the Education Board, on which the Government
fully admitted the right of the Roman Catholics to enjoy an,
equal share of membership. The sole motive on which her
Majesty's Government had acted was their desire to do what
WIS just awl beneficial; and he submitted, in conclusion, that
sPite of the difficulties with which the system of national
education in Ireland had heretofore struggled, and still might
share to contend. it had now taken root in the country, and
become •
the agent of most beneficial improvement among the
tishle generation of Ireland.
Mr. MAQUIRE acknowledged the benefits which the present
sYstens as
tion education had conferred upon Ireland. All educe-
svas useful, but he contended that while the, principle.. was
gc*cl, the administration was liable to many serious objections,
rcen to the extent of rendering it advisable to have It entirely
modelled from beginning to end. The teaching and the books
einoloYed in the schools were, essentially anti-Catholic and
ntinational, and the whole system, as now administered,
uhordinated the pastoral'to the parental authority, and thus
latr"tleesl en influence which threatened to undermine the
Earth !of the Roman Catholic children, who constituted the
,l,"reat
hop maj
orityof the pupils in the national schools. The
°usable member proceeded at much length to enforce the
10D • tioa of the denominational, instead of the mixed, system
t 4 the .sehools kstablished under State provision and eontrol. '
.DEssY contended that the advocates of. •the separate
'7stem.suiattrled, in effect, that the control of national edeca-
lionin Irelan"4 should be transferred to the Roman Catholic
• This ,lemand the House, he was convinced, would
seder sanction. It w"7l also, be mentioned, unjust, and inex-
ent ; and, if granted, "rould prove utisius to the Roman
after existing
Catholics themselves. The present system,
since 1830, had been
,8;111 affirmed withodt dissentent vote in 1856,
Theel ircumstanc still remain in all respects the same, and
present
ds'etareasts of any kind had been shown to justify the
and for so vital and fundamental a change.
las,' °'Frattass, on behalf of the Roman Catholic pre.'
that repudiated the charge, which he said was calumnious,
- they wish to monopo the ctr 9f She provision
itohr
—ucation in Ireland.lise He contendedol also that,State it while was
*'
,em
duty of the state to supply the means of instruction to
erY class of subjects; that duty should be accomplished
without
auY interference in matter of religious belief.
Fonescue, Mr.
The debate was continued by Mr. Brady, Mr. Chichester,
Hennesiy, Lord Fermoy, Mr. Monsell, and
other members.
Ultimately the vote was agreed to.
The House then resumed, and having disposed of the remain-
lag business on the paper, adjourned at half-past three, there
cling then not enough members to form a house.