The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-18 00:00:00

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, withheld. But, in fact, the operation of a commission bas
been proved trt combine vigour with forbearance. It
would give the authorities an opportunity of again stating
their impressions as to what ought and what ought not to be
corrected. It would enable them to rebut anyhastyconclu-
sions which may have been &An from the former evidence.
No hostile spirit ought to be anticipated in its conduct. Its
mission would be to confer and to co-operate, as well as to
inquire and resolve. Acting in such a spirit, executive
commissions, both at Oxford and at Cambridge, without
unnecessary destruction of old traditions or any serious col-
lisions with the authorities, have effected changes which
may serve as a model of temperate and judicious reform,
and bid fair to raise these ancient corporations to an emi-
nence among the universities of Euroupe which since the
middle ages they have not heretofore enjoyed. It should
not be forgotten that the Queen in Council, if these prece-
dents were followed, would retain a veto upon any statutes
introduced. Such, my lord, appears to be the case for an
executive commission to reform the statutes, regulations,
and studies of Eton College. Without denying that there
exist defects in our public schools generally, or in some of
the other schools spcially, and that some of these may call
for external interference to effect a particular change,
we think that the maximum of improvement with the
minimum of Legislative interference are best com-
bined in the plan for a single commission concentrating its
attention on the school which leads the rest. Let us sup-
pose, but only for an instant, that it fails to approve itself to
the committee. Eton will not receive the benefit which your
report designed for her, since no authority will exist, unit-
ing the will and power to act upon it. The remaining pub-
lic schools will, in that case, bo under no new necessity for
altering their system. The bill may pass, and call into
existence the new governing bodies. Incessant and fruit-
loss contests between these and tho head-masters, scanty
and isolatedliwrovements,undertaken without system and
effected without zeal, seems to us to be the too probable
result ; unless, indeed, the bill should be defeated altoge-
ther, from the strong interests arrayed against it, and the
limited support which it commands. In this case the long
and valuable toil of the commissioners will be wasted, and
a task reserved for future time which, if now achieved,
might have added lustre to our own, as well as to its author.
A very interesting conversation ensued as to the conduct
of public schools, in which the Earl of Clarendon expressed
his sentiments with great freedom. The whole affair re-
minded one of Plato's Dialogues, both sides being discussed
in the best possible manner, in good humour, and without
prejudice or passion. At the conclusion of the conversation
the Earl of Clarendon informed the deputation that he
would not then express an opinion on the subject, but he
would take care that the views expressed by the deputation
should be laid before the committee, and he pledged himself
to state that those views were worthy of their consideration.
His lordship then shook hands with the members of the
deputation and the conference terminated.