The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-13 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENINC3, JULY 13 1856

EDUCATION (SCOTLAND) BILL.

On the motion for the third reading of this bill,
Sir J. FERGUSSON asked the indulgence of the
house while he made one effort more to defeat a measure
the passing of which he should much deplore. The pre-
amble of the bill, in the first place, cast a slur upon the
Church of Scotland, into whose charge the schools had
been committed, which drew from its members a strenu-
ous opposition to the bill. It was to the efforts of the
Church in Scotland that the successful e lucation of the
people was owing, and its members disapproved the
mode of Government by a central board in Edinburgh,
the religious qualifications of the members of which
were not tested. If they could secure a certainty that
the schools could be conducted upon Presbyterian prin-
ciples he might feel justified in withdrawing his opposi-
tion, but the most important powers were given to the
board—the power of examining schoolmasters, of depri-
vation and censure, of forcing the ratepayers to erect
schools, and of taxing them for their support. Such
powers ought not to be given to a board when there was
no security that it would be composed of members be-
longing to the church. Ile therefore moved as an amend-
ment, that the bill be read a third time that day three
months.

Mr. HEYWORTH also opposed the bill.
Upon a division, the numbers were—
For the third reading lO5
Against it lO2
Majority --3
The announcement of the numbers was received with
loud cheers.
The bill was then read a third time.

Ou the LORD ADVOCATE proposing an additional
clause,
Mr. HADFIELD appealed to the Government whe-
ther they would persist in the bill after such a decided
expression of the opinion of the house, and when se-
veral members who had hitherto snpported the bill had
just voted against it.
Mr. W. LOCKHART made the same appeal, and
said three members representing the largest communities
in Scotland, and who had formerly supported the bill,
had just voted against it.
Mr. G. DUNCAN said he was one of the members
referred to. He had all along supported the bill, but he
was now reluctantly obliged to vote against it, because
he found that the bill converted the Scotch burghs into
mere taxing machines, as it gave the general board a
power to compel the erection of a school, whether the
people in the locality thought it was necessary or not.
Mr. COWAN was strongly tempted to have followed
the same course with his hon. friend. The bill had been
much impaired by the alterations in comthittee, particu-
larly where the presbyteries of the Established Church
were continued in their control over the religious
opinions of the schoolmaster. But he was willing to
afford the bill the chance of being improved by the
amendment of the hon. member for Greenock, who pro-
posed to remove that control, and therefore he voted in
favour of the third reading. He also objected to the
compromise that was made with the Roman Catholics
and others, which would render the system denomina-
tional and not national.

Sir J. ANDERSON bad supported the bill all along
to the present time. The religious body to which he
belonged —'the United Presbyterians objected to
all Government interference in religion, though they did
not object, as Mr. Hadfield did, to all Government in-
terference in education. lie was, therefore, most anxi-
ous to have supported the bill, but finding that it had
become sectarian he was reluctantly constrained to op-
pmait.
After some observations from Mr. EWAET against,
and Mr. CRAUFIIRD in favour, of the bill,
Mr. A. HASTIE said the bill was introduced as a
national measure, and he hailed it with delight. It then
degenerated into'a Presbyterian measure, and though he
regretted the change still he could support it, for he was
aware that Presbyterians in Scotland constituted 90 per
cent. of the population. But now it had become a mere
sectarian system, which no denomination in Scotland
could accept except the Established and the Free Churches,
and he was reluctantly constrained to oppose it.
Atter some further diScussion,
Lord PALMERSTON said his opinion on the merits
of this measure' was not changed, though some hon.
members—actuated, he supposed, by pressure from
without—had changed their opinions at the eleventh
hour. He proposed, therefore, to go on with the bill.
An amendment by Mr. DUNLOP, to take away the
control of the Presbyteries of the Established Sifigrch
from the religious teaching of the schools, was carried
by a majority of 117 to 80.
The house then divided on the question that the bill
do pass, when there appeared—
Ayes
Noes
Majority for the bill

130
115
..-15

The bill was accordingly passed amid some cheering
from the government benches, and laughter from the
Opposition.

TENANTS' INPROVEMENT COMPENSATION

(IRELAND) BILL.

The committee on this bill was then resumed.
On the 15th clause,

Mr. HORSMAN moved that the chairman report
progress, and ask leave to sit again.

Mr. MALINS wished to ask the noble lord at the
head of the Government a question.- A rumour had
reached him, which he could not believe, that a certain
number of Irish members had waited upon the noble
lord and intimated that the retrospective clause in this
bill, which had been rejected by a majority of 36, must
be restored ; and that the noble lord, under pressure,
had agreed to support a motion for its restoration. He
could not believe that such a bargain had been made,
but he took the liberty to ask whether there was any
truth in the report.
Lord PALMERSTON said a certain number of Irish
members had waited upon him and told him they were
anxious to restore the clause which had been restored,
and wished to know if be would support them. He
told them that as he had voted for the clause before he
would certainly vote for'its restoration ; but there was
no bargain or pressure in the case:
In answer to Mr. S. FITZGERALD and Col. DUNNE,

Lord PALMERSTON further explained that the
clause he meant to support was that proposed by the
Government--not by Mr Sergeant Shee. Some of the
deputation did remark that members of the Government
were absent on the last division, and he replied he had
occasion to remark on the absence of certain members
of his Government on former divisions, and he hoped it
would not occur again.

After a few words from Mr. Sergeant SHEE,
Mr. DISRAELI complained of the subterranean
manner in which the Irish business of the house was
transacted. Ile thought the noble lord would have
better consulted his own dignity if he had told this me-
nacing deputation he would give them his auswer in the
House of Commons. At the same time, ho admitted it
did not appear that the noble lord had made any un-
worthy compromise en the occasion, and he was willing
to make great allowances for the difficulties of the
noble lord's position.

Lord PALMERSTON denied that there was anything
unworthy in a Minister receiving a deputation from
members of the House of Commons. He did not know
how the business of the house could otherwise be carried
on ; andif he were permitted to ask questions from the
Opposition, he suspected he would be able to show that
their plan of operations was arranged out of doors quite
as much by the Opposition as by the Government.
Mr. WHITESIDE reminded the house that the noble
lord had been personally opposed to this retrospective
clause. He would remind Irish members that this pro-
mise might be violated as the promise of Mr. Hayter,
that the income tax should not be extended to Ireland,
Was violated a few years ago.
Sir G. GREY said that this course was constantly
taken by English and Scotch members without remark ;
but; wLe.qcver it
was adopted by Iri:Flt foctubt.rs,,

tyte one of their eountryuien to eiar!.,

,h u 1 V; it

earl dishouormible luotivi'm. ~va;., a Coo'Anon pac-
t:ea in this house to reverse a vote in committee at a
future stage—it had been done that very night on the
beotch Education Bill. He reminded the house that
when Mr. Napier brought forward his Tenant Right Bill
a deputation* of opponents to the retroSpeetive clause

then waited upon Lord Derby. What pressure they
used upon the noble lord he knew not, but this he knew
that the noble lord took the earliest opportunity of stat-
ing, in another place, that the support given to it by the
Government was a mere illusion, and meant nothing.
Mr. BRADY said, though he was not one of the de-
putation, and was an opponent of the Government, he
believed he was the cause of the deputation taking place.
He had been told by a member of the house that if the
clause was brought forward again, a great many mem-
bers would support it. This he communicated to a
friend of the Government, and that was, he believed, the
cause of the deputation.
Mr. NAPIER peremptorily denied that be had given
any illusory support to the Tenant Right Bill in 1853,
or that Lord Derby had entered into any secret compact
with its opponents.
The discussion was continued by Cul. Greville, Mr.
Vincent Scully, Lord Claud Hamilton, Mr. Maguire,
Horsrnan, and others, but no new light was thrpwn
upon the matter, and the chairman reported progress.
The Raglan Annuities Bill passed through committee.
The Coal Mines Inspection Bill was read a third time,
and, alter the addition of some clauses,
The other orders of the day were disposed of, and the
house adjourned.