The Press.
London, England, 1856-04-12 00:00:00

APRIL 12, 1856.

HOUSE OF LORDS-FRIDAY.

Their lordships sat only for half an hour, and were
occupied solely with a conversation respecting cer-
tain details of the Church Discipline Bill, com-
menced by the Bishop of Bangor.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—FRIDAY.
ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS IN PRISON.
On the motion for adjourning to Monday next,
Mr. BoWYER complained of the difficulties thrown
in the way of Roman Catholic priests in obtaining
a Tess to prisoners of their own faith in Pentonville
and of er p s ei a detention.
Sir G. (TREY explained that every facility was ac-
corded to the Roman Catholic ministers, in common
with those of every other dissenting denomination,
which was found consistent with the provisions of
the Prison Act.
MILITARY CHAPLAINS.

Sir DE LACY EVANS called attention to the service
rendered during the late war by the chaplains at-
tached to the army in the Crimea, and inquired
whether any special recognition of those services
would be accorded by the Government.
Lord PALMERSTON recognised the services and
devotion of the ministers of every denomination
present with the army during the past campaign,
and gave an assurance that the subject would not be
overlooked by her Majesty's Ministers.
Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT suggested that the eccle-
siastical patronage lodged in the hands of the Lord
Chancellor might be appropriately devoted to reward
the services of the military chaplains belonging to
the Established Church.

EDUCATION.
The house having resolved itself into committee,
the adjourned debate on education was resumed by
Lord Joint RUSSELL, who reverted to the speech
delivered by Sir J. Graham on the previous evening.
He expressed his surprise at finding the right hon.
baronet assuming the character of a champion of
voluntaryism, and proceeded to examine and rebut
the charges brought against his own series of educa-
tional resolutions, on account of their alleged com-
pulsory and tyrannical nature. Lord John after-
wards refereed to his past efforts in the cause of
education, and explained the motives by which he bad
been prompted and the principles on which he had
acted, in bringing forward successive propositions of
the subject during the past twenty years. To those
propositions, so far as they had been adopted, his
present scheme was a fitting supplement, being
chiefly designed to give further symmetry and de-
velopment to the agencies already set in motion
under the supervision of the Committee of Council.
The noble lord then described the details of the
machinery which he proposed to establish by his
different resolutions, for the purpose of providing a
regular system of inspection, to raise the necessary
funds, and to utilise the produce of charitable be-
quests held in trust for the promotion of education.
On this latter point lie dilated at much length, in-
sisting upon the advantages that would be secured,
in the great majority of instances, by establishing
some better administration for the trusts in question
than had heretofore existed. Lord John Russell
afterwards alluded to the provisions of compulsory
character which he proposed to introduce ; and, after
describing them in detail, submitted that the element
of compulsion was employed for objects so important,
and presented under so many mitigations, that it
could not prove oppressive or injurious in the pro-
cess of working. Respecting the question of religious
teaching, he defended the mode in which it VMS
dealt with in his resolutions, observing that he had
not interfered with the lessons inculcated in the
Church or Denominational schools now existing or
hereafter to be established; while in every other
school supported by rates or grants of public money
it was provided that the Scriptures should be regu-
larly read in them, although the dissemination of
particular religious opinions might be prohi'oited.
Denying that his scheme would interfere with the
conditions of juvenile employment, or left a dan-
gerous amount of patronage in the hands of the
Treasury, the noble lord concluded by proposing to
withdraw, at all events for the present, the latter
half of his series of resolutions, which contained
the propositions that appeared to be most seriously
controverted.

.This intimation that all the characteristic elements
in his scheme were surrendered by Lord John Russell
and seemed to take the houso

enunciated the principle that the
" England ought neither to be
model of merely secular
America, nor the compulsory
the inculcation of the State
the despotic Governments of
proceeded to notice the several
by Lord John Russell, oh-
was rendered much lighter by
principal provision they con-
his perfect accordance with the
• forth the expediency of rek

caused some sensation,
by surprise.
Sir G. GREY ►enuncii
educational system of
constructed upon the
teaching adopted in .1
instruction including i
religion practised by
Eope• He then pro
resolutions • presented
serving that his task w
the surrender of the p
tuned• Expressing hi/
int resolution-, setting