The Express.
London, England, 1864-07-26 00:00:00

BRIBERY AT ELECTIONS BILL.

The order tot the wooed resoling of this hill was dio
charged and the bill withdraws.
EDUCATION (INepscroas. REPORTS).
Lord PALMERSTON wee to move, " That this house,
baring wandered the report of the select committee ap-
pointed to inquire kb the practice of the Committee of
Council on Education with respne to the reports of bar
Majesty's laspecters of Schools, Is of optaioa that the rem.
halos pissed on the 12th dal of April lad, with refereed
to snub reports, ought to be rescinded, and the reaohatioa is
hereby rescindeL" The noble lord said he rose to ask the
hods to do an ad of geserosity and justice. That ham
was one of the Eaglish authorities is the realm. and there
was, practically spooking. DO appeal from its decision ; but
if that house by cuctinistanose should have bent led to do
that which was sot foundodupos justice. there was an appeal.
which he was sure must always be sooesedul when made.
They knew that the approval of that hoed was one at the
highest objects of ambition to every man in the service of
the country, sad they also knew that it. veneers was that
which was felt most deeOy by any man au whom it might I
fall. (Hear, hear.) Togh Maritally there was no
appeal from that house, there was an authority to which
an appeal could be mads from its decisions, and that
authority was one which was always ready to bear every-
thing that could be alleged in favour of a person who bad
been wronged, an authority which was always open to have
the truth stated to it, even though that truth might be
adverse to Its original judgment and orovictions, and that
tribunal was the hood itself. He was quite sore that is
any cam is 'kid it could be shown to the boom that a deci-
sion affecting an individual or a department had
been made hastily without fun coosideration and
without adequate grounds, an appeal to the hoed never
could be made in vain, arid the house would always be ready
to set right that which it might ItIDPII• to have done
wrongly. Oa the 12th of April there was • debate is that
house, and a resolution was passed ineelpating • right boa.
gentleman and • depaxlweat of the government—the mem-
ber for Cahn and the Committee of Council on Education.
The noble lord the member for Stamford (Lord R. Cecil)
moved a resolution adirmiag that the merle of the inspectors
of schools had been mutilated in their peeperatiou for the
house, that that mutilation had deprived the reports of
their proper value, and that the practice was at varieties with
the ondeestaisding upon which the inspectors wore originally
appointed. His right boa, friend, feeling that in the course
of the debate a question had arisen which, in his opinion.
involved a reflection upon hie veracity, with a nice erase of
personal honour—at vansacia, he wee bound to say, with
the advise of frisods—tendered the redgeation of his dace,
and took epos himself the masers which the resolution im-
plied. They thought that the matter should not rest there,
that the decision of the house had bees founded epee a mit-
: conoeptioo, epee a want of sufficient explanatioa, and it was
thought right that a committee should he appointed to
investigate the matter, and see really upon what grounds
the resolutios had been passed. lie was sot at all int-
pugoiog the deduct of the edge lord who proposed the re-
solution or those members who voted for and carried it—they
acted upon their honest and deters conviction, and though he
thought he could show that that conviction was founded
epos error, yet thine was no imputation whatever open
the motives which led to that result. Bat it was deter.
wield that a committee should be appointed. The first
notice was that It should be a committee named is the ordi-
nary way, but it was thought that upon it, it was essential
that his right bon. friend should ones. His right hoe.
friend, however, declined to do so, and the government
were unable to persuade him to recall that decision. AI
committee of *different kind was, therefore, eaggested ; ore
to be named by the gamed committee of electiod. That
'committee met and made a report, which was now in
the hands of members. The resolution of the 12th
of April was, in his (Lord Pahnerstores) opinion,
entirely negatived by the report of the committee,
and upon that ironed le proposed to the house
to rescind the resolution, which was at venues with the
deliberate report of a committee so appointed. The reso-
lution of the house was to the effect that the reports of
the inspectors of schools were 'madded. and therefore were
deprived of their value. Now the committee reported that
in point of fact it was not corn et to state, as was stated is
the resolution, that fmin those reports DWI excluded every.
thing that was unfavourable to the educational views of the
Committee of Council, that passages were admitted, some
favourable mid some unfavourable, that them was so
partiality ia that respect, and that fair rep...sentence
was given to the opinions of the indeetors of schools,
but they said that matters irrelevant to the subject, and mot
within the cognisance of the inspectors. had bees omitted,
sad they thought that omission right and proper. They
also said that such supervisioo was eseential to the well work.
ins of the committee of council of educetion, as the coursed
was sow dedituted ; and therefore the report of the com-
mittee appeared to him entirely to exculpate his right boo.
friend (Mr. Lowe) and the department to which be be-
longed from discharges implied in the resolution of the 12th
of April. (Hear, hear.) He therefore proposed to the
house the resolution—that the resolution of the 12th of
April might to be rescinded, and that the same was reecieded
thereby.
Mr. HOWES said be hoped the house would allow bim
as chairman of the committee to aav • few words. He
trusted that though this motion bad been brought forward
late to the session, no reflection would be met open the
noble lord at the oad of the government with rasped to
the choice of the time at which be bad brought forward his
mottos ; for the noble lord had little choice in the matter.
But it was absolutely necessary that this question should
be set at rest as soon as possible. (Hear, hear.)
The ommittee were unanimously, sad he trusted
the bowie would he unanimously, of opinion that
throughout these procedures the peened honour of the
right boo. gentleman (Mr. Lowed was absolutely and en-
tirely clear and untouched. (Hear, hear.) With respect to
the conduct of the department, it was quite clear that the
department had for many yams exercised • ceneorship sod
control over the reports of the impotent ' • and the com-
mittee were unanimously of °pintos that such power bad
been exercised for many years with fairness and without ex.
cadre strictness. With respect to the terms of the reso-
lution, the word "mutilation" must be 000sidered
as expreseieg a matter of opinion as to whether
the porticos omitted bad or had not an important heads(
upon what was already dated. The seat words which
occurred us the roolution were to the effect that then
bad be eaaa eadeelea of natter favourable to the views