The Press.
London, England, 1857-02-21 00:00:00

PROPERTY TAX.

Mr. Mt:wrz gave notice that he should postpor•
his motion on the property tax until that day fort-
night.

LAND TAX.

Mr. Micstssox gave notice that he should post-
pone his motion on the land tax until that day
fortnight.

MEDICAL LEGISLATION.

Mr. HEADLAM gave notice that he should on Tues-
day next move for leave to bring in a bill to amend
the laws relating to the medical profession.

176

HOUSE OF COMMONS: WEDNESDAT.
JUDGMENTS EXECUTION BILL.

On the order for going into committee,

Mr. H. Iluoms moved to defer the committee
for six months, on the ground that the bill would in-
juriously affect the administration of justice and the
principles of procedure in the courts of common law
in Ireland.

Mr. WHITESIDE contended that the bill would
create greater evils than it remedied, and recom
mended that the whole subject of the execution of
judgments should be left to the future department
of justice.
The bill was opposed by Mr. Bland, Colonel
I)nnne, Mr. *Cann, and Mr. INP Mahon, and sup-
ported by Sir J. Fitzgerald and Mr. Warren, who
thought there was uo ground for apprehending that
it would work injuriously for Ireland, and believed
that its effects would be salutary for all parts of the
kingdom,
Mr. NAPIER thought that the Government should
take charge of a matter so important.
Upon a division, the amendment was negatived
by 127 to $O, and the house went into committee
upon the bill. The chairman was, however, ordered
to report progress, the committee to sit again that
day week.
The house again went into committee upon the
Chief Constables Bill, the clauses of which were
agreed to.
The Public Health Supplemental Bill was read a
second time.

EDUCATION.

Sir J. PAKINOTON, in moving for leave to bring in
a bill for the promotion of elementary education in
cities and corporate towns, explained concisely the
principles upon which it was founded, and the cir-
cumstances under which he brought it forward. The
bill, he said, was so drawn that it did not contravene
or reverse the decision of the house last year on the
resolutions moved by Lord J. Russell, which, as he
understood that decision, practically expressed dis-
approbation of the plan considered as a whole. The
two important provisions of that plan were that it
should be compulsory and that it should be general.
The bill lie desired to introduce was in these respects
exactly the reverse—it imuld be permissive and local.
Sir John Pakington then observed that, whether it
was extensive or limited in its operation, the bill em
bodied principles the establishment of which he held
to be of primary importance—namely, first, religious
freedom and toleration ; secondly, that there should
be local contributions; and thirdly, local manage-
ment and control of the funds. A combination, so
far at least as Manchester was concerned, had taken
place between the religious and secular parties in
this question, the basis of which was that the reli-
gious party consented that the rates should be ex•
tended to the benefit of the secular schools, and the
secular party were willing that the rates should be
extended to schools where religion was taught, on
one condition—that the money contributed by the
ratepayers should not be directly applied to doc-
trinal teaching. Religious teaching would therefore
be left upon its present footing, subject to the con-
dition that children should not be compelled to learn
creeds or catechisms to which their parents objected.
The rate would be in aid of existing schools. Free
schools might be established by the school com-
mittees, who might also admit a proportion of free
scholars into the other schools. The framers of the
bill, he added, were anxious to make it clear that
there should be no interference with the manaze-
ment or control of the existing schools, except in
cases where it was unavoidable. His belief was that
if Parliament adopted the principles of his bill it
would promote not only the intellectual, but the re-
ligious improvement of the people.
Mr. CowrEa did not clearly understand the nature
of the compromise, but it appeared to him that, with
regard to the religions part of the question, the
turning point would be whether schoolmasters of
denominational schools were to be prohibited from
giving doctrinal instructions to the children of their
own denomination ; and what was meant by doctrinal
teaching ? He believed that moral duties could not
be taught apart from doctrinal teaching. He admitted
that a compulsory measure was impracticable, and
that there were valid reasons for confining the opera-
tion of the bill to cities and towns.

Lord It. Czett. considered that this was an attempt
to introduce the thin end of the wedge, which had so
signally failed on former occasions. His objection
to all these measures was that the authors were in
too great a hurry. The existing system had been in
operation only four years.
Mr. ConnEs said the objection of Lord It. Cecil
surprised him. It was more than twenty years since
the question of education had been launched in that
house. It was not contemplated, he observed, that
the money raised by the bill should be applied
to religious teaching, but that parties in connection
with churches or chapels might set apart a time for
religious teaching in the schools,—a plan already
adopted. When the question came to a practical
test it would be found that all the fears about the

THE PRESS.

religious difficulty (or, as Mr. Cobden afterwards
explained himself, the difficulty of separating doc-
trinal from secular teaching) would prove a.bugbear,
if the matter were set about honestly and in earnest.
Mr. HENLEY disagreed with Sir J. Pakington as to
the effect of the decision of last year ; in his opinion,
it expressed dislike of the principle of doing away
with religious teaching, which should not be con-
fined to certain hours of the day, but be spread over
the whole teaching. This was the real difficulty.
The effect of Sir John Pakington's bill would be to
give the money of the ratepayers to schools where
no religion was taught.
Lord J. RUSSELL approved the making this a per-
missive and local measure. He believed it to be the
interest and duty of the country to make national
education compulsory and general ; but he was quite
aware that, owing to the great difference of opinion
in the country upon this point, such a plan could
not be carried, and he was afraid that the prospect
of carrying this measure was not very encouraging.
According to this bill religious instruction would
be given as at present, except that the rate would
not be directly or professedly for doctrinal instruc •
tion. This being so, it did not appear that Sir J.
Pakington had made any dangerous concession to
the secular party. He believed that the school was
the best place for religious instruction, and that the
schoolmaster was a fit instructor; but if a rate was
levied he did not think a particular kind of doctrinal
instruction should be given in the schools. He
heartily wished success to the measure.
The motion was ultimately agreed to, and the bill
read a first time.

WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE-THE BUDGET.

Mr. GLADSTONE gave notice that, on the motion
fin• going into committee of ways and means on
Friday, he should move the following resolution :

That this house will not agree to any addition to the
rates chargeable by the Customs' Duties Acts of 18.5:),
upon the articles of tea and sugar.

HOUSE OF LORDS.-TuUESDAY.
THE " ARROW."

Lord GRANVILLE, in reply to Earl Grey' whether
any Orders In Council sanctioned the two Colonial
Ordinances (lately printed) for the registration of
vessels on the Chinese waters, said that there were
no Orders in Council respecting the ordinances.
They were confirmed by her Majesty :with the advice
of the Secretary of State.

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.

The Marquis of CLANRICARDE moved a resolution
declaring that the system under which her Majesty's
Indian territory is now administered is no longer
suitable to the condition and prospects of that vast
empire, or for the development of its resources and
the improvement and welfare of its inhabitants. He
supported his motion ny describing the cumbrous and
inefficient machinery by which India is at present
governed, insisting that the time had arrived when
the administration of that country should be with-
drawn from the grasp of a mercantile company, and
placed upon a simpler and more practical basis.

The Duke of ARGYLL defended the Indian Govern-
ment, commenting upon the great progress already
effected, and the remedial measures now in contem-
plation for the benefit of the inhabitants of our Ori-
ental empire, and concluding by asserting that dis-
cussions upon Indian affairs should be taken upon
substantive propositions, and not upon abstract reso-
lutions.

The motion was negatived without a division, and
their lordships adjourned.

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