The Express.
London, England, 1862-02-14 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 14, 1862.

and although I deprecate diecussion at this moment—for I
know that hasty conclusions often follow desultory iii/C011•
aloes which the house afterwards regrets.— iu the. present
case there is another consideration which wo can
not overlook, because we have nut only a re-
vised code brought before us, but the revision
of a revised code. (laughter.) Therefore I hope lam not
iiiisinterinetiog the feelings of hon. gentlemen ou both sides
when I couelude there is a general wish there should be no
formal discussion—nodiscusaion—tonight upon the masterly
exposition of the right hon. gentleman, but that the right
hon. jentlernan, or some other member of the government,
would iuform the house on what night the opinion of the
Douse on the whole scheme will be taken. (Hear, hear.) I
hope due time will be given for its consideration. Ido not
agree with the right hon. gentleman that this is a subject
of little magnitude, and I ilo not think that such
an observation, coming from a person in authority,
ought to pass unnoticed. It appears to me that
this is not a petty subject, but • very greet sub-
ject, and if I wanted any evidence to prove that, it would
be afforded by the speech of the right hon. gentle-
man himself, because be commenced a series of arguments
the whole effect of which was to abrogate the present sys-
tem of education. That is a great subject, end one of the
utmost importance. The right hon. gentleman had become
se 'minted only with the question, so far as the House of
Commons was concerned, during the palmy days of national
education and the powers and achievements of the Privy
Council•office, but there were many boo. gentlemen who re-
membered when the question was in • very different state—
I being one of them. I cannot but 'remember the great
results the labours of the Privy Council have ob-
tained, tentatively, as the right hon. gentleman chooses to
consider it, and I caunot look at those labours without feel-
ing that in the future history of this country the establish-
ment of our present system of education will be
a great result, which will redound mush to the
honour of England. The right hon. gentleman seems
to wish that parliament had more control over the conduct
of the Committee of Privy Council ; but the right hon.
gentleman forgets that some years ago an office of great
honour and authority was established, the object of which
was that there should be a clear and constitutional con-
suion between the doings of the Committee of Privy Coun-
cil sod this house, and that that office is now occupied by
the right boo. gentleman himself. Though no one would
say that the right hon. gentleman bad done anything which
he was not entitled to do, yet everybody felt that the
Viso-President of the Committee of Council for Education
would certainly Mks no extreme step without consulting
the House of Commons. Hence the surprise at the manner
In which the revised code was introduced. It was •
unsure which justified some explanation athe part
el the right hoe. gentleman. The moment that
was prorogued therevised code wit pub-
=lt will give no opinion at present on the
aided sods, but all seemed to be agreed that it would
mob • great revolution. The right hon. gentleman pro-
poem to sweep sway the old system and to substitute a
mew indent of his own. That being so, the house had
• right to expect that It would have been introduced to the
bare before the prorogation. As I believe it was laid on
the laidt when the tion was announced, it is quite
dear the revised code must have been for some time in one
of the despatch boxes of the right boa. gentleman. Is
that a constitutional course on the pert of the right hon.
gentleman, who regrets the house has not sufficient control
over the conduct of the Privy Council? But I will ask this
further question. Had the house the slightest reason to
expect that the government were meditating this change?
I remember, to July, when the report . of the
commissioners was presented to the house, the right hon.
gentleman felt it his duty
_to make some observations
en the subject. He described the character of the report of
the royal commissioners. and he gave his own opinion. The
t ti.s= said that the commissioners approved
el the system of education, mad he added that the
es—l am speaking from memory—felt
Craerignesiden on which they onion to speak manfully
mil boldly, and they had no beeltatM in saying they ad-
Med te that system. (Hear, hear.) I ask hen. members
beill sides of the house whether that was not the impres-
sion of pediment. (Hear, hear.) I say nothing in vutdi-
Wien of the existing system, or of the revised code.
Then these were the poor laws, and a great opposition was
NMI alpinist them. That opposition was from a political
Wing against having a.poweeful central authority. There
wee the great opposition to the reform of the tariff, and
that deo arcee from a political feeling that it might toter.
fere with our domestic industries. Now, when the question
of education ma discussed in this country, _and the present
national system was brought forward, we had to encounter
both political and religions jealousy ; yet the great mithu•
slam of the people in its favour overcame this double
feeling against it. In 1860 • complete code was laid
epee the table of the house. I will not pre
Med to maintain that there was no necesuty
flee a change in it, and I will not enter upon the disc union
of the proposed change to-night, but what I wish to ins.
plea upon the house is, that this system of popular edit.
elation, which, in the mune of many years, was with so
web moderation, and with so much firmness, supported
. by
the administration of the country and the great anthem=
et feeling of &large body of the people was established; it was
established under greater difficulties than the reconstruction
of our representative system, the reform of the paupm eode,
or the commercial tariff. had to encounter, and it pro-
emial • not lees powerful effect upon the public mind. Now,
what should we have thought if the state of the law in
this emery was such that on a day after the
sition of parliament a mhdeter of the grown, not
the Reform Act of 1832, had abrogated it, and intro-
s sew Reform Act—(hear)—or if the Chief Commis-
skew of the Poor Uwe bad waled the whole body of
aiweles 'lke former commtiaioners bad framed, and had
teleediated• sew code ; or what should we have thought of
the Poshest of the Baud of Trade rescinding the model
to sad substituting • new commercial system founded
apes the principle of reciprocity? (Hear.) The house could
not reconcile such a system to their minds. Indeed, it was
beyond the dream of possibility, and yet we have
found that such a come CM be pursued in
this country in Ls matter of popular education
by the Committee of the Privy Council. (Hear, hear.) I
do not mean to say that the right hoe. gentleman's princi-
pal—the Preaidant of the Committee—has taken any step
which was not perfectly ea his put; yet it is to be
regretted that • minister planed in so high • position ea the
rt boo. gentleman should have felt it his duty to take it.
(Hear, hear.) I think no one will doubt that, whatever
=the opinion formed upon the revised code and the
system of education, some means should be taken
to erasure to parliament • complete control over the doings
of the Committee of Privy Council for Education. (Hear,
hoar.) Though the act of the government may have been
justifiabbs, yet I cannot emotive an act which essentially
could have been more violent or more unwise than that the
moment parliament was prorogued a minister should take
the course which the tight lion. gentleman did, and abro-
gate and annul all the existing minutes which have been in
operation fur more than a queiter of • century, and give
in its place a new minute which, so far an I can collect, was
to come into operation without the House of Commons
having soy control over it. (Hear, hear.) That is • mon-
strous state of affairs, and one which if it had been sag-
gested List year hon. members would have agreed was
utterly incredible. (Hear, hear.) Whether the com-
plaints against the original and the revised code be right
or wrung, the schoolmasters have • right to receive
the expressions of public gratitude for having resisted
this course of violent proceeding, and for hawker_ taught
us our position as mule our control over one of the mid
important departments of the aide. (Hear, bear.) Thera
fore, far from regretting what has taken place, it is with the
warmest admiration we should feel that the House of Com-
mons has found its true position in this respect. I hope the
house will not discuss the subject to-night, but will on a
future occasion consider it in a spirit as solemn as it
deserves ; and I hope the government will find it cony,-
Meat to give the house sonic time to consider the subject
before they ask for its opinion upon it. (Hear, hear.)
Observations and inquiries were made by Mr. Newdo-
gate, Mr. Kiouaird, Mr. Caird, and Lord R. Cecil. and
answered by Mr. Lowe, who made a more detailed reply to
Mr. Disraeli. It was not, he said, for the government
to fix any particular day for the discussion of the subject.
Sir J. PAK.IaNGTOI§.4 reiterated the complaint of Mr.
Dumb as to the late period at which the revised code had
been laid before the house last session. He thought this
had produced an impression that the government had not
dealt with the subject fairly. lie pointed out what he con-
sklered to be an inconsistency between the speech of Mr.
Lowe that night and bin speech last session.
Mr. WALPOLE suggested that the question should be
brought before the house by resolutions.
Sir G. GREY said that the discussion might be raised by
motion in objecting to the minute ; if that was not done, it
might be taken on the education estimate.
The subject time dropped.
SEWAGE OF CITIES AND TOWNS.

Dr. BRADY gave notice of the following motion To
move for a committee to inquire into the Lest means of
utilising the sewage of the cities and towns of England,
with a view to the reduction of local taxation and the
teoefit of agriculture."
The Louse adjourned at 90 minutia pat 9 o'clock.