The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-12 00:00:00

THE SUN, LON

vious occasion. moved that the vate be reduced by £B,OOO,
the estimate for a lighthouse off the Little Basses Rocks
near Ceylon. At all events, he hoped that item of the vote
would be postponed till next year, so that the total estimate
(which would be much more than £8,000) might be laid b-
fore the house. There had been already ov`4l- £60,000 spent
in ten years upon the lighthnse, for which the original
estimate was but £4,6q' and to this day no lighthouse had
been built.

A. SMITH supported the vote.
After Some remarks from Mr. W. WILLIAMS and Lord
R. MONTAGU,
Mr. M. GIBSON said two years ago the house sanc-
tioned this light by voting £B,OOO for that purpose. A. light
ship was built by the Bombay authorities instead of the
Trinity Board. The light ship had been built, and was at
Ceylon, and do doubt was in use. This vote was to pay for
works that had been in accordance with a vote of the house.
It was a disputed question whether a light ship was the
best mode of lighting those rocks, and the Government in-
tended to test it before building other light ships. 'The
work had been done for which this vote was asked for, and
must be paid. The light ship
,was recommended by com-
petent naval officers and others, and any document relating
to it was in the Colonial-office.
The amenament was withdrawn.
On the vote being put,
Mr. A. SMITH called attention to the charge for the
lighthouse at the Bahamas, and asked for explanation. If
built of stone it would cost £35,000. The sum of £9,0( 0
asked for was a re-vote, and there was no total of the cost
appended to the vote. There were already seven lighthouses
in the Bahamas, and his contention was that at least the
Bahamas should maintain them after they were built by
this country. He asked why the light charges had not be,n
enforced against the shipping interest, He moved the re-
duction of the vote by £9,000.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS objected to the expenditure for a
lighthouse for the lonian Islands, now that they were about
to be surrendered to the kingdom of Greece.

Mr. M. GIBSON said at present there was no change,
and so long as that was the case England would have to pay
her share of the maintenance of the lighthouses at Corige.
With regard to the Bahamas, England was the only Power
who could place lighthouses there. The arrangement was
that England and America anoula Olvlda tlic ...pcuoca Ly
maintaining a certain number of lighthouses on each side
of the straits. It was impossible to enforce a rate on the
people of the Bahamas, or the shipping frequenting them.
The lighthouses were for the protection of our shipping,
and it was a duty we owed to the commerce of the world
and humanity to maintain them. The £9,000 would cover
the cost of the two lighthouses proposed to be built.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS protested against any more money
being spent on the lonian Islands for the present.
The amendment was negatived without a division, and
the vote was agreed to.
The vote of £6,000 for sheriffs' court-houses, Scotland,
was agreed to.
On the vote of £27,000 for contributions in aid of local
assessments for the relief of the poor in respect of certain
descriptions of Government property,
Mr. Alderman SALOMONS called attention to the
petitions presented to the house from Deptford and
Woolwich, complaining of the mode hitherto adopted in the
distribution of the sum voted in aid of rates for Govern-
ment property, and praying for an amended distribution.
The present rule (which was very unjust) was, that the
Government should not make any contribution to parish
rates except the Government property was equal to one-
sixth of the whole of the parish in which it was situated.
Government property ought to pay the same as private pro-
perty. The people of Deptford would be very glad to get
rid of the Government establishments, and have substituted
shipbuilding• yards, which would afford employment to the
poor of the district. He complained that the petition for-
warded to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on this subject
had not been answered. One-half of the parish of St.
Nicholas, Deptford, was Government property, equal to
one-third of the value of the parish.
Mr. M'MAHON objected to the Government being cal led
upon to pay rates where the local property was enhanced in
value by its proximity to large Government establishments.
He moved the omission of the vote.
Mr. W. MARTIN said Government held property which
otherwise would pay rates, and he saw no reason why, from
the circumstance of its being Government property, it
should be exempted from rates, and the whole burthen
thrown on the other portion of the parish.
Mr. J. Powell, Mr. Doulton, and Mr. I. Butt spoke in
favour of rating public property in all instances, and called

upon the Government to rescind the arbitrary rule they had
laid down in respect to this subject.
Arr. F. PEEL said that if the proposal were to be
adopted, it would be impossible to imagine to what ex-
tent the vote would be increased. The Government
maintained the principle of exemption from local rating,
but they gave voluntary contributions to certain parishes
with reference—first, to the proportion of the Government
property to other local rateable property, and secondly, in
reference to the money levied in the parish for the main-
tenance and support of the poor. He did not think the
tendency of Government establishments was to increase
pauperism in the districts where they were situated, and he
instanced Somerset House as a case in point. The officers
in the Government establishments were pensioned on retire-
ment, and they were not likely to fall upon the rates for
support. The contribution was considered more in the
shape of a gift to the local charities than a payment towards
the local rates. He thought if they paid the poor rate it
was as much as could be expected. They had to reconcile
conflicting interests, and he thought they did so by contri-
buting the portion they did to the rates.
Sir F. BARING thought that when the principle was
once admitted it was impossible to understand why the
Government should draw the distinction between the poor
rates and the other rates.
Mr, AYRTON said that the question was one of few
contributions to the public disbursements. With regard to
Deptford, the rule adopted by Government acted ♦ery
harshly. In Deptford, the poor rates last year were Bs. 3d.
in the pound. Now when they remember that a great
grievance was male of the rates in Lancashire rising to the
monstrous sum of 3s. in the pound, they should exhibit
more c3nsideration towards Deptford, and places similarly

circumstanced.
Mr. ANGERSTEIN opposed the course adopted by the
Government, and expressed a hope that a more liberal and,
generous policy would be adopted next year.
Mr. M'MAHON regretted that there were not more
country members present to support the Government
against the pressure which was brought to bear upon it
by the borough and local members Wherever Govern-
ment works were established, the value of property was
largely increased. If the works of Deptford were re-
moved to Cork, for example, did they suppose that the
people of Cork would n, t willingly pay all the rates,and ask
no contribution from the Government, being well satisfied
with the advantages which the locality would derive from
the Government works?
Mr. PULLER said this was a question which should not
be left in the hands of metropolitan members only, but
should be dealt with in the spirit of justice and equity. The
Government should not claim exemption from paying their
fair share towards the public taxes in every parish where
they had property, when railway companies and all other
public institutions were allowed no such exemption.
Mr. Alderman SALOMONS said that the exemption
claimed for the Government property in Woolwich and
Deptford had created much discontent in those parishes,
and he hoped her Majesty's Government would reconsider
the matter.
Mr. W. MARTIN said if the Government establishments
were removed from Woolwich, the value of the land would
be doubled.
The vote was then agreed to.
THE VOTE FOR EDUCATION.

Mr. LOWE said it would not be necessary,on the present
occasion, to occupy the committee at any length after the
debate which had recently taken place on the subject. The
estimate for the present year was £Bo4,ooo,which was about
£36,000 less than the estimate for last year. The estimate
was not framed from very accurate data, but he had reason
to believe that it would not be exceeded. It was made upon
the calculation that half the year would be under the for-
mer code and half under the revised code, which would
come into operation on the 30th of this month. The
estimate for last year had been £774,743. The number of
children in the schools was 1,057,426,and there was school
accommodation for 1,378,000, which was very satisfactory,
as the commissioners reported that 1,500,000 would be the
most they would have to provide for for many years.
The principal matter he had to state was the minute
they had made with reference to the only experiment
they had been able to try wider the revised code, which ap-
plied to the new schools which came into existence. They
had examined 14 such schools under the revised code. The
average attendance, taking the whole of the schools as one,
was 729; out of the 729, 512 were presented for examine.
Lion. Unlike the practice in the universities, each child had
to pass three times—in reading, writing, and arithmetic.
Out of the first 512, 375 passed in reading, 308 in writing,
and 243 in arithmettc. The result was that the schools
earned by the examination Bs. 3d. per child. The minute
they had made with regard to the training colleges was one
which he hoped would be found to protect the interests of
the public, while at the same time maintaining the colleges.
The minute was principally framed with the view of reme-
dying, as far as practicable, three evils, which they found
existing in those training colleges. One evil was that they
had almost ceased to be voluntary institutions. Many of
them were receiving as much as 99 per cent., but the ave-
rage receipt:from Government was 80 per cent., while the
managers only paid 20. Another great evil was, that while
the colleges provided an excellent education for the teachers,
there was no security that the persons so taught would de-
vote themselves to the profession. But under this minute
no payment would be made on account of any person until
he obtained his certificate and was two years employed as
teacher and well reported of. Another evil was that under
the former system the responsibility was thrown upon the
Gwovheerianmw:en:tispooyf:adapting the supply of teachers to the de-
mbane
adlubtuatvune
ydeearisthheenneeew, minute the responsibility would
be thrown
the training colleges ;en.d henceLocrhthwthouleyd
would be 'obliged to adapt the supply to the demand.
75 per cethnte. trTaih'neiyn
em came into full operation, w
receive mole than
mi-
nute with regard to the inspectors which had been alluded
ghacdolllgeosmwadouelda not