The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-14 00:00:00

3171 20

IMPERIAL PARLIAMEN T

HOUSE OF LORDS—YESTERDAY.
THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER.
Lord EBURY said with respect to the two bills he had
introduced for making certain omissions from the Prayer
Book, that he did not intend to move the second reading of
either till after Easter.

THE EDUCATION MINUTE.
(continued from The Sun of yesterday.)

The Earl of DERBY said he certainly did riot rise for the
purpose of following his noble friend in the very clear, calm,
and temperate statement he_had made, but merely to ex-
press the belief, which he believed would be shared by
their lordships, that it was highly undesirable to enter into a
discussion of the mod ifications proposed to be introduced until
time and opportunity had been allowed for their due consi-
deration. He (the Earl of Derby) was quite ready to say
for his own part that, whatever objection he might have to
many parts of this system, which had not begin altogether
removed by the noble earl's proposal, he yet thought that
the proposed alteration was a step in tho right direction.
(Hear.) He hope 3 that whenever the subject again came
on for consideration it would be discussed in the absence of
anything approaching party feeling, and with an earnest
desire to carry out effectually any scheme which might be
suggested fur the improvementof the education of the lower
classes of the community. There was one point on which
he was not quite sure that he understood his noble friend.
He was not sure whether his noble friend had expressed his
intention, notwithstanding the opinions he had given, that
with regard to the training colleges there would be no alte-
ration with regard to the amount of assistance and support
which they had hitherto had. There was another question
which he wished to ask. He had not heard any statement
as to the noble earl's intention with regard to requiring
pupil teachers to attend a second year, as well as the first,
at the training colleges. This question was a most impor-
tant one, not only with regard to the amount of instruction,
but wi h respect to the supply of schoolmasters for the
country at large, for the commissioners' report went on the
whole to show that the amount of pupil teachers now fur-
nished was about equalled by the requirements of the coun-
try; but if they had the same number of pupils leaving the
training colleges every year that they now had at the end
of two, they would be doubling the number of pupil
teachers, whilst they diminished their efficiency. He should
be glad to know whether the Government had in any de-
gree reconsidered that question. He understood, also, that
his noble friend intended to place on the table the
revised code, and, side by side with it, the altera-
tions he proposed, by which means their lordships
would be better able-to judge of there. Ho would not sit
down a ithout doing his noble friend the justice of saying
that nothing could be more open, fair, and candid than the
statement he had made, and he (the Earl of Derby) only
hoped that their lordships would be enabled in their future
discussions to imitate the admirable temper in which his
noble friend had introduced this subject. (Hear.)
Earl GRANVILLE said he must take the opportunity
of expressing his acknowledgment of the fair manner in
which the noble earl had dealt with the objections which
had been brought to the Government scheme, and his very
great satisfaction at hearing the noble earl express his hope
that no party feeling would be mixed up with the discus-
sion of this matter. He held in his hand the revised code,
in which he had marked all those passages which were new
in distinction to the old; by the side of these he had placed
the amendments which he now proposed should stand, by
which means he hoped all would be made clear. As to the
training colleges, with regard to the colleges themselves, the
lecturers, the certificated assistants, and the Queen's
scholars, all these would remain exactly in the same state
as before. (Hear, hear.) With regard' to the other point
the noble earl had mentioned, he should like to take some
little time for consideration.

Lord EBURY, with reference to the amount of attain-
ments required of schoolmistresses, related an anecdote
respecting a noble relative of his who had made inquiries
respecting the appointment of a schoolmistress, and after
having stated her qualifications; which were deemed insuf-
ficient, the only concession he could obtain was that a
knowledge of the Latin roots of all the words might be dis-
pensed with. (Laughter.)
Earl GRANVILLE said his own feelings was that it
was impossible for a teacher to learn too much, if he learnt
it all perfectly well. (Hear, hear.) But there was great
disadvantage in the teacher having a smattering of a large
uumber of subjects without being master of one. (Hear.)
Lord LYTTELTON, who had placed on the paper a
string of resolutions offering objection to the revised code,
said that the noble lord had in a great measure taken the
wind out of the sails by the elaborate statements he had
just made. He (Lord Lyttelton) need scarcely say that he
had placed these resolutions on the paper only pro forma,
and had no intention of using them in their present shape.
It was quite clear, at the same time, that the noble earl's
con,essions would not satisfy all the objections he enter-
tained to the revised code. He did not wish to prejudice
the question further, but in the event of objections similar
to those he felt not being brought forward by some other
noble lord, or right rev. prelate, he should certainly bring
forward his view of the subject again, and possibly early in
the next month.
Their lordships then adjaurned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-YESTERDAY.
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
THE REVISED CODE OF EDUCATION.

Several petitions were presented from different parts of
the country, and several learned and corporate bodies,
praying for a regulation or modification of the Revised Code.
NEW WRIT—IRISH LORD OF THE TREASURY.
On the motion of Mr. BRAND, a new writ was ordered
for the election of a Knight of the Shire for the borough of
Longford, in the room of Colonel Luke White, who had
accepted office as one of her Majesty's Commissioners of
Treasury.

_
EAST INDIA (GODAVERY) BILL.
Mr. J. B. SMITH moved an address for copy of the
minutes and correspondence of the Secretary of State for
India, the Governor General of India, and the Go-
vernors of Madras, relating to the opening up of the
navigation of the River Godavery to Berar, from the Ist
day of January, 1860, to the present time; and of the re-
ports and correspondence of the engineers and others em-
ployed on the works for the same period.—Agreed to.
COLONIAL AND MILITARY EXPENDITURE.
Mr. A. MILLS gave notice that he would call the atten-
tion of the house at an early day to this subject.
ACCIDENTS IN MINES. •

Mr. H. B. SHERIDAN asked the Secretary of State for
the Home Department whether, with reference to the recent
calamitous accident at the Hartley Coalpit, he had received
any information from the Inspectors of Mines with refe-
rence to the necessity of there being two shafts to each
working mine?

Sir G. GREY said that when the report of the Govern-
ment on this subject was ready, it would be laid on the table.
THE MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT.
Sir H. STRACEY inquired of the President of the
Board of Trade on what day he proposed to introduce his
bill to amend the Merchant Shipping Act; and whether
that bill would include amendments to the present law ap-
plying to owners and salvors of vessels ?

Mr. M. GIBSON said it was intended to give notice to-
morrow of the introduction of such bill, and he would
endeavour to fix an early day for its being brought forward.
The bill would contain some amendments in the existing
law, and he trusted the alterations would meet the appro-
val of the house.

the Board of
Mr. BENTI RAILWAY
Ncaskasked
tACCIDENTS.the
President
of
Trade, whether, in consequence of the repeated recurrence
of railway accidents, it was the intention Of her Majesty's
Government to introduce, during the present session, any
measure founded on the report of the committee on railway
accidents which was laid on the table of the house in the
year 1858 ?

Mr. M. GIBSON said it did not appear from reports
received from Government inspectors on the subject of
railway accidents that any new circumstances had arisen
during the past year which rendered any interference
with the management of railways
.necessary. Not-
withstanding that there had been two railway
accidents recently, the number of accidents for 1861
had been much less than in preceeding years, although
the number of miles traversed by railways amounted to 50
per cent. increase, and of travellers availing themselves of
railway transit to 100 per cent.