The Express.
London, England, 1864-07-01 00:00:00

-IWEiviits

Mr. THEREWITH roes to call the attention of the house
to the injury which the staple trades of Coventry had suf-
fered, sad were still suffering, from the operation of the
commercial treaty with France ; and to ask the government
whether they would use their influence with the French
government to obtain the same free adminion into France
of Eogliah ribbons and watches es was accorded by that
treaty, on the principle of free trade, to French mania*.
tune of • similar description into England?
Sir J. PAXTON said he could bear testimony to the
nature of the digress which gill existed at Coventry. He
did not take perhaps quite the same view as his boo.
eel-
laague,but he was perfectly convieced that theFreuch treaty,
coming when it did, had very seriously affected the trade of
Coventry. (Hear, hear.) The depression in the silk trade
was not, us he bad been informed, oonfieed to
Coventry; but that the French treaty had se.
Saudi aguavated the evil, he bad so doubt.
What he bed urged upon the government bad been
to lower the duty upon import ribbons at various times,
so am not to ruin the producer by lowering the duty 15
per test. at mos. His boo. colleague had expressed •
strong wish that the French should be asked to admit our
ribbons our the came tem as we admitted ribbons from
France. He (Sir J. Putoe) had been asked what was the
object of that inquiry. Well, he believed that the people
at Coventry made a cheaper ribbon than they could make
in France. They could not compete with France in those
Su ribbons for the manufacture of which the French bad
been celebrated from time imn.emorial ; but they expected
that in • cheaper clue of ribbon they might have
• considerable trade in France if they were admitted
on equal terms. He confessed be bad always been of opi-
nion, and bad expressed that opinion to the late Mr.
Ellice and others, that an Injury
i was positively done to
Coventry by encouraging protection n the way that had
beets dooe, on what were no better than what might be
called a false pretence of free trade—that it should be
brought forward, and thee thrown down without the
smallest compermatios. He also could bear testimony to
the marvellous forbearance of the poor at Coventry to go
upon the pariah. He believed there was not • town in
England having a considerable amount of poor, where the
rates bad been lower on an average than they bad been in
Coventry. That had entirely argon from • desire on the part
of the (remelt to preserve their rights es freemen. He
believed that a portion of the mercantile coruninnity in
Frame had stated to the imperial government their willing-
ness to abandon the French import duty on ribbon., and be
was not only surprised at the omission of such a provision
from the treaty, but he remembered remonstrating against
it at the time. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. M. GIBSON said he certainly joined with the bon.
member (Mr. Treberne) in deploring the distress which
exited in Coventry, and if any representation that could
be made would have a tendency to reduce that distress, he
for one would be glad to upped it. lint the hon. pa-
tlemao must bear is mind that though it was true there
was a duty upon the import of ribbons into France, that
duty was very low. He would be very glad to see no duty
at all, bat the French government had not adopted the po-
Bey of perfect freedom of import of munfactured articles
into France. He thought that while they retained soy duty
et
all opal manufactured articles going into France, it
could not be said that the duty on ribbons was exorbitant.
He entirely sympathised with the sufferers, but he was
afraid it was beyond the power of legislation to meet that
distriu in the way the hoe. gentleman thought it might be
met. Certainly if any ruratentatiaos could with propriety
be road* at a hitting opportunity he should be most happy
to back those repreeentations. (Hear, beer.)
Mr. NEWDEOATE had only to hope the government
would take into 000sideration the long period of patient

suffering which a part of his eonatituisia had undergone.
He spoke it to his honour, that the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, in his private capacity, had extended hie aid, and
they were grateful to their fellow-countrymeo for the sant
of (50,01101.„ which had literally preserved thousands from
starvation. But still the depression was not abated. They
were willing to turn to other trades, but the period of
transitioe was one of great suffering, and it was impossi-
sible to divert a population who had been brought op to one
occupation requirion skill in one generation from
the prosecution of that toads. He thought it
most unreasonable to declare that they should
have no ribbon trade in the country. It had
been a profitable business, under which had grown up an
increasing and intelligent population, of thrifty habits, who
shrunk from parochial relief. Could it be sound policy to
crush such men' He thought not. (Heer, hear.) He
hoped that the government would accept the fact, proved
by four years' experience. that the:, was great depreesion,
and that they would ask the government of France to recip-
rocate more closely the extreme liberality which had Metered
the government of this country to abandon the whole duty
un imports.

Tginifeet then dropped.
_ SUPPLY.—EDUCATION GRANT.

The house baring gone into committee of supply,
Mr. BRUCE rose to move a vote of 705,4041. for the sup-
port of public education in Great Britain. but spoke with
be back to the gallery and in so low a tone that he was in-
distinctly heard throughout his speech. The right
hon. gentleman was understood to say that the
citeurostances of last year with respect to the
administration of the vote fur education were so exceptional
that it was impossible to form from theme perfectly correct
estimate of the cost of education for the corning year. The
estimate for this year was 705,4041. Last year his right
hon. friend (Mr. Lowe) took s• ample margin, and naked foe
804,0001., bot the expenditure only amounted to 721,0001.
al against 774,0001. in the preceding year, which showed
• redaction of 53,0001. . . _

Lord E. CECIL, referriog to the differences which bad
Arbon between the National Society and the Privy Council,
said it was not merely s question of a few children being re-
quired to go to church or not, but what was felt by the Na-
tional Society was this, that there had been for many years
persistent efforts on the part of the officials of the EaWM.
Poo-office to get rid of the necessity of teaching a distinct,
clear, sharp, defined form of religion, He believed that
throe who woke.] the educational system at Whitehall,
would be very glad if some amalgamated system of religious
teaching could be discovered, that denominational systems
could be avoided, sod all difficulties shelved. It was those
efforts that the National Society had resisted. Their feel-
bog was that they could have no religions zeal unless it were
based on a religious system. and that earnest religious seal
furnished the whole morrow and strength of the educational
movement of this country. He thought it would be wiser
for the officials to abstain from trying to induce religious
men to abandon those doctrines and those formultries
which they felt to be an essential portion of their faith, and
not to'attempt to induce them to teach some morediluted form
of religion. The committee of apnoea held out a direct
premium to the managers of schools to teach them reli-
gion in some form to which dissenters should out object, and
it was that which was resisted by so many earnest members
of the church of England. He feared that in addition to
the hostility of these men which bad been bequeathed to
him by his predseeesor, the right hoe. gentleman was
pursuing a course for the difficulties of which be was not
prepared, and which his discretion and kindness of bean
would sot Doable him to overcome.

Mr. WALTER said he thought the distribution of the
grant was unsatisfactory. and deserved the *snout seaside-
ration of the house. Should he and his right boo. (resod be
is their places next session he should move for a HUM
oommitthe os the subject. There wen no lose thus 10,951
pariahs* without annual grant schools. The Privy Caswell
I 0 their report had tabulated the number of ;writhes
throughout the country, and divided them into four classes :
willies with upwards of 5,000 inhabitant. ; perishes with
upwards of 1,000 cod under 5,000; pariahs with 500 Mks-
bithute and up to 1,000 and parishes with under 500 lobs-
bitante ; and they showed that of the trot clam, embracing
one-ball of the populates, 914 per twat bed assail past
school', and et the seat elere very mealy low