The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-01 00:00:00

EXPENSE OF BRIBERY COMMISSIONS.

Mr. OTWAY asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer
whether it was proposed to lay on the table a return of the
expenses occasioned by the bribery commissions sent to
Lancaster, Terries, and other towns, also whether the
government contemplated introducing any measure which
would cause the expenses of that character to be thrown
on the inhabitants of the towns for which the commissions
were issued.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that
if notice were given of the question, he should be prepared
to answer it.

EDUCATION.

Mr. CORRY, in laying on the table an education minute
which he said was drawn up in conformity with the spirit
of the revised code, but was intended to remedy some of
its incidental defects, explained that the objects to which
it was directed were to give greater assistance to small
schools in poor neighbourhoods, to improve the quality of
the education in the higher branches, and to maintain an
adequate supply of pupil teachers. This he proposed to do
by granting to all schools fulfilling certain educational re-
quirements • pimento' 4a. per lass (instead of 2s. Bd.) on
any number of passes not exceeding 120. The °duct-
tional requirements were that there should he a pupil
teacher to every 40 children over 25 (instead of over
50 as at present) ; that the number of passes should bear •
certain minim ant proportion to the number of scholars
under six years ; that a proportion of passes should be
under the standards technically known as 4,5, and 6 ;
and that a certain number of scholars should be examined
in some one higher branch of education. Scholars
who passed in the highest standard would bring a
further grant to the school for one year by passing a
satisfactory examination in one higher branch. As an
encouragement to the employment of pupil teachers, a
grant of 10f. would be made for every pupil teacher passing
into • training college in the first class, and sf. for those
passing intim second, and there would be a further grant
of 81. and sf. for those passing in the first and second
claims after a year's residence in college. The expense of
these changes would be only 15,2001. in the first year, by
1869 it would amount to 40,0001., and ultimately it might
reach to 70,010.

Mr. ff. BRUCE and Mr. POWELL generally approved of
the new minute ; and
Mr. LOWE characterised it as a subversion of the re-
vised code, and contended that the work was now well
done and done cheaply. He could not see, therefore,
what could be got from tinkering at the subject in the
manner propaaed, and ho hoped that an opportunity
would be afforded for discussing the minute before it was
carried into effect.

After some observations from Colonel Sykes and Mr.
Hubbard, Mr. Walpole suggested that if Mr. Lowe
wanted to raise a debate be had better avail himself of the
motion for going into committee of supply on some Fri-
day evening.
BRITISH NORTH AMERICAN BILL.
. . .

The second reading of the Bill for the Confederation of
the British North American Colonies was moved by Mr.
ADDEIILEY, who, after briefly reviewing the history of
the negotiations which had preceded the billjdescribed the
main features of the scheme, which by this tune must be
tolerably familiar to all readers of the debates, and which
he said bad been settled by the colonists themselves, On
the passing of the bill, the two Canada., Nova Scotia, and
New Brunswick would be consolidated into one govern-
ment with one common parliament, consisting of a
senate of 72 members, nominated for life by the
Governont leneral, and a House of Commons of
151 members. Each province would have a semi-