The Press.
London, England, 1856-06-21 00:00:00

MEDICAL RELIEF TO THE POOR.

Mr. BouvEnrE, in reply to Sir J. Trollope, said
that, in accordance with the recommendation of the
committee of 1854, the medical districts were from
time to time examined with a view to limitation ;
that the medical appointments were now permanent;
and that their salaries had been revised and increased
already to the amount of 18,000/.

UNION OF ABERDEEN UNIVERSITIES.
The LORD ADVOCATE, in reply to Mr. Thompson,
said, if the business of the session permitted, he
should bring in a bill to effect the union of the two
universities.

HOUSE OF LORDS-TUESDAT.
IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT.

Lord ST. LEONARDS presented petitions from the
civil prisoners in the gaols of Manchester, Durham,
Cardigan, and Carnarvon, praying for the consolida-
tion of the laws of bankruptcy and insolvency, and
for a relaxation of the law of imprisonment for debt.
The Lonn CHANCELLOR acknowledged that it was
a subject of great importance, but it was one also of
great difficulty. He should, however, be very glad if
any improvement in the law could be effected.

HAMPSTEAD HEATH.
Lord Sr. LEONARDS presented a petition in favour
of the Leasehold Settled Estates Bill.

Lord MONTEAGLE thought that the present was
the time for securing the heath to the public by an
equitable settlement with Sir T. Wilson. If it were
not done now the public would find themselves left
in the lurch. The public interest was no doubt
paramount to the interest of an individual, but when
one of the colleges of Oxford, to which Primrose bill
had belonged, sought by a private bill for power to
build on it, he, being then Chancellor of the Exche-
quer, purchased it for the public.
Lord CAMPBELL observed that without doubt in a
few years there would be a lord of the manor of
Hampstead seised in fee of the estate, who would
be able to do of his own uncontrolled authority
what Sir T. Wilson now sought to obtain authority
from Parliament to enable him to do. Now, there-
fore, was the time for the public to enter into some
arrangement with Sir T. Wilson.

The Reformatory and Industrial Schools Bill
passed through committee.
The Excise Bill was read a second time.

The Joint stock Companies Bill passed through
committee pro fornul.
Sir William Fenwick Williams' Annuity Bill passed
through committee.
The Whichwood Forest Bill was read a third time
and passed.

The Commons' amendments of the Oxford Univer-
sity Bill were agreed to.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-.TUESDAY.
EDUCATION (IRELAND).

Mr. WALPOLE, pursuant to notice, rose to move :

That an humble address be presented to her Majesty,
praying that her Majesty will he graciously pleased to
direct that such modifications may be made in the rules
of the national system of education in Ireland as will ex-
tend the advantages now enjoyed by non•vested schools to
any other than vested schools now existing, or hereafter to
be established, whatever their regulations may be as to the
mode of religious instruction; provided that no children
shall be compelled to learn any catechism, creed, or for-
mulary to which any parent or guardian may object; and
provided that the patrons shall be willing to place such
schools in connection with the board, to permit the
board's control over books to be used in general instruc-
tion, and to receive officially the visits of the Government
inspectors.

He asked the house to assent to this address, because
upon the points which justified him in proposing it
the house was already agreed. It had agreed firstly,
that the education of the people must depend upon
private benevolence and public grants ; it had agreed
that these funds were to be disbursed evenly and
without favour ; and, thirdly, that education to be
worn► anything must be based upon religion. He
appealed now on behalf of those who, in opposition
to these principles, were the only class precluded
from receiving a portion of a grant of public money,
because they required that, in carrying on the great
purpose of education, the Scriptures should not be
excluded from their teaching. The only objection he
could anticipate was that his object would destroy the
combined system of education in Ireland ; but he
denied that this combined system existed in the
national non-vested schools, which were almost
entirely secular, hut that, on the contrary, it did exist
in the church schools, and quoted the evidence of
Archdeacon Stopford and the secretary of the
National Board before a committee of the House of
Lords in support of this view, by which it appeared
that out of the 4,600 Roman Catholic and Protestant
schools in Ireland, only forty-eight were under joint

SATURDAY,

management ; and, from the difficulty of unitirg
parties of various religious communions, those scho,,ie
were admitted to have given more trouble to the
commissioners than any others. In carrying on ti
great work of education, while respect was properly
paid to the conscientious convictions of Rom n
Catholics, the same respect, he insisted, should 1
shown to the conscientious convictions of other
classes. What he proposed was, not to interfere with
the vested schools ; and, with respect to the non.
vested schools, he did not propose any alterations
which would deprive the Presbyterians or of era of
any advantages they now enjoyed; but he asked that
such modifications might be extended to these non-

rested schools as would enable members of tle
Church of Ireland to educate their children there in
their own way, under the conditions proposed.
The motion was seconded by Sir W. HEATHCOTE,
who observed that its object was little more than to
enable the National Board to cover ground in Ireland
upon which it could not at present set its foot, while
it would get rid of a crying injustice, which irritated
many and benefited none.

Mr. KENNEDY cpposed the motion, which, if
adopted, would, he said, overturn a system that was
working satisfactorily, and revive religious discord in
Ireland, for the sake of one-seventh or one-eighth of
the schools.

Mr. HORSMAN resisted the motion. He agreed
with Mr. Walpole that religion should be the basis
of education in Ireland, but differed from him when
he supposed that religion did not enter very largely
into the instruction given in the national schools.
The national system of education in Ireland had been
embraced by nine tenths of the population, and was
rejected by only a part of the clergy and laity of the
Established Church, who thereby excluded them-
selves from the grant. Since 1833, when the na-
tional system commenced, the number of its schools
and pupils had increased yearly, numbering in 1854
5,178 schools and 551,000 scholars, comprehending
children of all denominations, who associated in har-
mony as if they had been all of one creed ; and, al-
though there were 20,000 teachers there had not been
a single religious squabble nor a single case of prose•
lytism. He denied that the united system had failed—
even supposing it had failed as a united system, the first
object was to give a good secular educatio 1---for he
could prove that in Ulster, and in different parts of
Ireland, eighty and ninety per cent. of the schools
were taught on the united system. The system had
failed only in conciliating a part of the clergy of the
Established Church of Ireland, who had set them-
selves in hostility to it and to the Legislature, and
who, to the regret of many of their friends, called for
a relaxation of it by the adoption of a plan repeatedly
condemned, and repugnant to the principle of per-
fect religious freedom.
Mr. G. A. Harm:rots supported the motion, which
he thought, by removing a sense of injustice which
prevailed among Protestants in Ireland, would have
the effect of settling this question, and rendering
the system which it would supplement, not subvert,
efficient by enabling all parties to avail themselves
of it. He read statements from the census of 1851
showing the state of education in all the districts of
Ireland, rural and civic. It appeared that education
reached its highest point in the period between 1817
and 1837, and fell between 1837 and 1842. Educa-
tion thus seemed to have reached its highest point an& r
the systemwhich preceded what was termed "the na-
tional system." It appeared from the statements of the
commissioners that, on a comparison of the census cf
1841 with that of 1851, there had, at the latter
period, been a considerable increase in twenty-one
counties in the proportion of males between the ages
of sixteen and twenty-five who could neither read nor
write. It turned out, therefore, that in the ten yea s
from 1841 to 1851, notwithstanding the establish-
ment of the national system of education, which was
said to have produced such marvellous effects, igno-
rance had been progressing in Ireland among the
male population between the ages of sixteen and
twenty-five. He found that in the county of Wexford
the increase in the number of illiterate males in
1851 as compared with 1841 was four per cent.,
whits the number of national schools, which was 44
in 1841, was 108 in 1851. In Wicklow the increase
of ignorance within the same period had been four
per cent., while the number of national schools was
39 in 1841, and 72 in 1851. The increase of igno-
rance in Clare bad been one per cent., and the num-
ber of national schools in that county in 1841 was
33, while in 1851 it was 130. In the twenty one
counties to which the commissioners referred there
were 1,505 national schools in 1841, and 2,971 in
1851. He thought, then, it could not be maintained
that education in Ireland bad progressed in a degree
at all commensurate with the increase of national
schools. It had been admitted that education should
be based upon religion ; for this put pose religion
must he taught in the schools, and the Bible should
in a Protestant State be held out as containing the
revealed will of God. The national system, however,
did not do this, but ignored this principle, and was
therefore defective.

JUNE 21, 1856.

Mr. H. HUGHES opposed the motion, on the
ground that the system of the national board had in
twenty-four ye ars won the confidence of the people,
and proved eminently successful.
Mr. NAPIER observed that the scheme of the na•
tional system was an experiment, but under it a na-
tional education was not obtained, and Mr. Walpole
asked that the system should be extended. The
motion did not propose to add any restrictions ; it
would remove restrictions, so as to include other
schools and make the system a really national one.
He asked that the same principle might he applied
to the Protestants of Ireland as had been applied in
England, and even in India, where no exclusive con-
dition was attached to educational grants. The
Church Education Society, under the present rules.
were placed in a worse position than any other reli-
gious class in Ireland, whereas they ought to be in
as good a position as their brethren of the Church
of England.
_ _ _

Mr.-DEASEY hoped the house would not accede to
this motion, which would place Roman Catholics in
the same condition as they were in before the Na-
tional Board was established, and introduce a bitter
internecine war amor.g religious sects.
Mr. DE VERE moved the adjournment of the debate.
_ _

Mr. DISRAELI said the month of June was now far
advanced, and there was not much prospect of the
house coming to a decision upon this question if the
debate were adjourned. Considering the attention
the subject had received, and the great ability with
which it had been discussed on both sides that night,
he hoped the hon. member would withdraw his mo•
tion.

The house, however, divided upon the question of
adjournment, when the numbers were:—For the ad-
journment, 32; against it, 184—majority, 152.
The house then divided on the original question,
and the numbers were :
For the motion ll3
Against it
Majority against Government
The announcement of the numbers was received
with loud cheers.

PEACE PRESERVATION (IRELAND) BILL.

Upon the house going into committee upon this bill,
clauses 1,2, and 3 were agreed to.

On clause 4.
Mr. 1. BUTT moved that the operation of the bill
be limited to two years.
_ _ _

Mr. HoasmAN said he still preferred five years to
two, but as there was undoubtedly some weight in
the objections which had been made to the form
of the bill, he was ready to assent to the amendment
of the hon. member.

The amendment was then inserted.
Mr. NAPIER thought the Government would have
acted more wisely if they had adhered to the term
they originally proposed.
This and the remaining clauses were then agreed
to, and the house resumed.

POSTAGE STAMPS.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in reply
to Mr. Whiteside, said the Government intended
to renew the contract with Messrs. Bacon and
Fetch ; but a clause would be introduced that,
if the work were not done to the satisfaction of the
Government, they might put an end to the contract
at a month's notice. The present system of printing
would be continued.

Mr. WHITESIDE inquired whether the contract
was the result of a public tender or of a private
agreement ?
Mr. WILSON Raid that in a matter of trust, and
where the lowest tender would not necessarily be
accepted, the Government deemed it more desirable
to give the contract to Messre. Bacon and Fetch.
Mr. WHITESIDE then moved for various returns
relating to postage stamps, envelopes, &c.
MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS' BILL.
Mr. CowPER, in reply to Mr. Wise, said Govern-
mentintended this session to proceed with the Medical
Practitiuners' Bill, as amended by the select com-
mittee.

THE TRANSPORT SERVICE.

Sir C. Wool), in reply to Mr. Stafford whether it
was the intention of the Government to give pen-
sions to the widows and children of captains in the
transport service who had lost their lives during the
period their vessels were employed in the service of
the Crown, replied that there was no intention to
give pensions to those persons. The captains of
transports could only be regarded as a portion of the
crews of merchant vessels.

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS (SCOTLAND).
The LORD ADVOCATE, in reply to Mr. W. Ewart
whether any bill would be introduced for extending
and reforming the system of municipal elections in
the burghs of Scotland, said that no such measure
was in contemplation at present.
The Railway, Canal, and Traffic Bill,when brought
up for the second reading by Mr. BLACKBURN, was
opposed by Mr. BLACK, supported by Mr. LowE, and
tle amendment " for that day six six months "
agreed to without a division. The bill was conse-
quently lost.

THE PRESS.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-WEDNESDAY.
NAWAB OF SURAT'S TREATY BILL.

Sir F. KELLY having moved that the bill be read a
third time,
Mr. V. SMITH objected to the form in which this
question was brought before the house, that of a
private bill, and proposed, on behalf of the Indian
Government, that, if the bill were withdrawn, the
whole pension of a lac and a half of rupees (or
15,0001.) a year should be paid to the descendants of
the Nawab for the lives of the parties.
Sir F. KELLY declined to accede to Mr. V. Smith's
proposal.
Mr. CARDWELL, chairman of the committee, ad-
♦ised that the pension should be regarded as heredi-
tary ; but, as it was by no means clear who were the
heirs of the Nawc.b, that it should be placed in
the hands of trustees, to be paid to the boni-fide
claimants.

Ultimately the bill was ordered to be read a third
time.

MR. BAILLIE'S MOTION.

Mr. BAILLIE, in reply to Major Reed, as to
whether he still intended to bring forward his
motion on the subject of " Enlistment of Soldiers
from Neutral States," said :
Having heard from various quarters that it might be in-
convenient to the public service to enter at the present
moment upon any discussion of American affairs, I intend
to give up that motion. (Cheers.) At the same time, I
wish distinctly to state that I have in no way changed the
opinions which I originally formed upon the subject. They
have, on the contrary, only been confirmed by the papers
which have been laid on the table by her Males y's corn
mend, and, if I withdraw my motion, I only do so because
I would not wish to pursue a course which might be
thought to be injurious to the public interest.
Mr. G. H. MOORE said in that case he should take
the sense of the house upon the question on the first
opportunity.
DWELLINGS FOR LABOURING CLASSES (IRELAND) BILL.
The house then went into committee upon this
bill, the clauses of which, with the addition by
Colonel GREVTLLE of two more giving " a right of
appeal against the decision of the justices," and
providing "that landlords and agents, if justices of
the peace, should not take part in hearing or adjudi-
cating upon any complaint under the act," were
discussed and agreed to.
POOR LAW (IRELAND) BILL.
Mr. NAPIER, in moving the second reading of this
bill, explained that it was meant to remedy the
defects of the present system of poor-law elections,
which gave unlimited facilities for forging votes.
As an instance, at the election of the poor-law
guardians in Dublin in 1855, no less than eight
hundred votes given in turned out to be for-
geries. The present bill would enact that no person
should be entitled to vote for a greater amount of
rent or tithe than the rated value of the property;
that non occupying ratepayers should give a full de-
scription of the property in respect of which they
claimed to vote, and of their interest therein ; that
proxies should be limited to five years, and a book
of property voters be male out in each union ; that
objections to the right to vote might be made in
writing, together with other provisions, having for
their object the maintenance of the rights of pro-
perty and the interests of morality.
. .

Air. J. D. FITZGERALD moved that the debate be
adjourned, and this motion was agreed to.

NATIONAL EDUCATION (IRELAND) BILL.

Mr. C. FORTESCUE, referring to the vote on Tues-
day night, on the subject of national education in
Ireland—which he termed an unfortunate vote, ob-
tained by accident, and which, so far from aiming at
a slight modification ol the existing system, would
directly subvert it—stated that it was his intention to
submit a resolution to the house to support the
national system of education as it stood, and inquired
whether the Government would fix an early day for
the purpose.
Lord PALMERSTON said he quite concurred with
Mr. Fortescue as to the evil effects of the decision
on Tuesday night, and that the vote did not repre-
sent the real sentiments of the House of Commons.
He thought the matter of such importance that no
unnecessary delay should interpose between its re-
consideration, for which be was ready to fix Monday
next.

HOUSE OF LORDS—THFRSDAY.
OATH OF ABJURATION BILL.
The Earl of DERBY announced that if the Oath of
Abjuration Bi.l now before their lordships should be
rejected, he would bring in another measure, with
the view of expunging from that oath all the pas-
sages relating to the Pretender, and otherwise remo-
delling the formula so as to suit the changed cir-
cumstances of the present times. The noble earl
laid on the table a copy of the proposed bill.
The Factories Bill was read a second time on the
motion of tl a Earl of DERBY.
The Sardinian Loan Bill was read a second time.
The house then went into committee upon the
Police Counties and Boroughs Bill. Clauses Ito 10
were agreed to. Clause 11, on the motion of Earl

583

Powys, was postponed. The remaining clauses were
agreed to, and the bill reported.