The Express.
London, England, 1868-02-15 00:00:00

, IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

110 USE OF LORDS.—FaiDaY, Fait 14.
The House of Loan ,at for but a few minutes
yesterday, and no buainess of importance was
brought before it.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.. —Fiume, FED. 14.
Is the Hones of 00hreows the CHANCELLOR of
the E.WHEQCER stated, in reply to Mr. SANDFORD,
that government have no intention to bring for-
ward guy measure to revive the system of com-
pounding for rates.
On the order of the day for going into committee
of supply,
Mr. W. E. Fousrett inquired whether the govesn-
inent intend to bring forward during this session
any measure on tho subject of elementary educa-
tion in England and Wales. Ho remarked that
there was a strong feeling that there was injustice
in the mode in which the present grant was distri-
buted, and it was time that the system should be
changed. There were many reasons why the sub-
ject should be undertaken by the present govern-
ment. There was • growing conviction that we
could no longer afford to leave it to the parent
to determine whether his child should be educated
or not. Ho believed that among the working
classes there was a willingness to make sacrifices
for the purpose of promoting education, and there
was a general opinion that England could not
afford to remain any longer a half educated country.
The CHANCLLLOR of the ExcuequElt, while ad-
mitting the fairness of the question and the im-
portance of the subject, declined to enter on a dis-
cussion upon it when brought on in so desultory a
manner. The subject had occupied the attention
of the government, and it was their intention to
introduce a measure upon it in the present session.
Mr. WALPOLE moved the second reading of the
Public Schools Bill. The bill, ho stated, was sub-
stantially the same as that which the House of
Lords sent down to this house last sesaion. The
bill was founded ou the report of the royal com-
missioners. There were nine public schools, but
the bill dealt with only seven, it having been consi-
dered that two of them, the 'Menthant Taylors
School and the School of St. Paul's were rather of
a private than of a public character. The schools
to which the bill related were Winchester, Eton,
Shrewsbury, Westminster, Rugby, Harrow, and
('harterhouse. The bill provided fur the self-reform
of these schools, and gave power to the governing
bodies in the first instance to make statutes and
regulations. The statutes would be of a more per-
manent character than the regulations, and would
have relation to the foundation, to the exhibitions
and scholarships, and also to the property belong-
ing to the schools. Tho regulations would have
relation to the branches of study, and the manage-
ment of the schooL These would be subject to the
revision of a commission.
Mr. Averox denied that they ought to pay great
deference to the opinion of the founders of these
schools. These institutions should be dealt with
by parliament as it saw best. He contended that
there was no adequate mem for withdrawing
either St. Paul's or the Merchant Taylors' School
from the supervision of parliament. The former
had a very large endowment, and the receipts of
the school were distributed by the patrons among
themselves. There was not so much objection to
the management of the latter, but if the funds of
all the public schools in London were properly
applied, the advantages of the schools might be ex-
tended to a great many more children than now
enjoyed them. Ho had given notice of a motion
for a select committee on the subject of the en-
dowed schools of London, but he should not move it.
Mr. GLAD TONE said his views with regard to
the deference to be paid to the wishes of the
founders of those schools were much in concurrence
with those) of Mr. Ayrton. The bill that was in-
troduced into the House of Lords by Lord
Clarendon was so introduced with the sanction
of the late cabinet. After the investigations of
the last three years it would be a mistake to refer
the matter of tho London schools to a select com-
mittee, and he recommended Mr. Ayrton to bring
forward his views with regard to those schools
when the bill was in committee. Seeing that par-
liament had been called upon to legislate with
regard to the Charterhouse' he did not think it
could be regarded ass local school.
Mr. NEATE objected to the bill, and remarked
that a portion of the funds of public schools ought
to be devoted to the education of the children of
farmers and tradesmen, instead of being exclusively
devoted to thu education of the sons of the rich.
Tho discussion was continued by Mr. 13entinek,
Lord Enfield, Mr. Griffith, and Sir Stafford North-
cote after which the bill was read a second time.
The Earl of MAYO moved for leave to bring in
a bill to renew for a limited period the Habeas
Corpus Suspension (Ireland) Act. He said the
act expired on the Ist of March, and nobody who
had watched the events of the last twelve months
could bo surprised at the government asking for
a renewal of the powers which had been confided
to them for the last three years. It was because
they considered this was absolutely necessary in
order to the preservation of the peace and to en-
deavour to destroy the Fenian conspiracy,
that they felt it absolutely necessary to ask the
house to continue to entrust them with these

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powers. The leaders of the Fenian conspiracy had
transferred the scene of their exertions to this aide
of the Atlantic, and this country had been asto-
nished to find that there had existed for a con-
siderable time a conspiracy, with the avowed pur-
pose of creating a rebellion in Ireland, and to
sever that country from connection with this, and
make it no longer subject to the British crown.
That conspiracy had been marked by crimes which
he believed were unparalleled in history. The
government were in possession of information that
on the continent and in America considerable ac-
tivity prevailed among those who were engaged in
this conspiracy. The number of persons now in
custody under the Lord-Lienteaant's warrant was
06, and the number arrested during the whole of
last year was 265, out of whom only 11 were
occupiers of land, and 95 were persons
who had spent the greater part of their
time in America. The government had been able
to stop the designs of these men, and since the sth
of March there had been no armed movement.
It was proposed that the act should continue in
force for a year, and in case parliament were not
then sitting for three weeks after the reassembling
of parliament. The great object of the government
was prevention. Though the act was in force,
there was freedom of discussion and of writing, and
in fact the people were free to do anything
except rebel.
Mr. 13sowem. was not surprised that the govern-
ment had brought in the bill, but he was surprised
that it should have been brought in without the
announcement of any measure of amelioration.
It was the old story, coercion, coercion." The
bill had been carried out moat mildly, and the con-
duct of the police and the magistrates bad been
admirable.
Leave was then given to bring in the bill, and
the house adjourned at twenty minutes to 10
o'clock.