The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-08 00:00:00

LITEBAT ÜBE.

The Gold Companies and the Cost-Book System. BY
J. N. Higgins, Esq., Barrister-at-Law, A.B•'
M.R.I.A.

In this well-timed pamphlet, the writer gives 5
clear and succinct exposition of the Cost-book sYs"
tem, which cannot fail to be of considerable into"
restjust now, when so many companies are ban g
f.ormed upon it. His argument is that the section
the Joint-Stock Companies Registration Act'
which exempts mining adventures worked on the
cost-book principle from its operation, cl°°,s,
not apply properly to any company existlsP
out of the Duchy of Cornwall, where there 10
the peculiar jurisdiction of the Stannaries
Court to adjudicate upon all claims arising either
among the shareholders or from creditors,
could not be so readily dealt within our Common-
Law or Equity Courts. But, admitting that the
act does apply to all cost-book companies whenever
formed, he further chews that registration of the
shareholders is equally compulsory as in companles
constituted under the act or under royal charter.,
" It is a common notion among shareholder
the recent Cost-bookcompanies," says Mr. Higglys'
" that in transferring their shares to a purchaser'
there is no need of ,riving any notice to the purse'
or other keepers of the Cost-book, in order so thelr,
being freed from all future liability in respect
such shares. But it must be remembered that the.
Cost-book should always contain the names 01.
all the actual shareholders, with the n.umb°.
of shares held by each. In fact, the rule is strict„
that
that the shareholders themselves should sign t, °.
that the purser should do so their agent. It ~..150
usual, also, for the book to contain, besides 'al
rules and regulations which are to govern the col?
pany, and serve as a quasi deed of settlement. If 1
is agreed that there should be several calls, the purs.„(
looks to him alone whose name appears on the 11 3
of shareholders ; and though the shareholder cl(?,8'4
not subscribe to a deed of settlement, and may eas
get rid of his liability by a transfer of his shares,
yet until he does make the transfer he is liable for
his proportion of the debts of the company ; and
the transfer is not complete until he gives notice„
to the purser or manager, and the transferee::
enrolled as a shareholder, in his place, upon tPi;
Cost-book.. To whom is the mining credlr;
look, if not to the registered list of sharell°l"fsn.
The writer concludes by giving an interesting
count of the French partnership en, comb
,t of
and the limited partnership of America, in "„tre-
which cases he shows the registration of s''',,-ect
holders is required, to a certain extent. The e. „t_
of this clever brochure must be to excite public 'et
tention to the present state of our law in r38,11.at
of the unlimited liability of shareholders in
Stock Companies, as they are at present cones'
tuted.

IMPERIAL PARL

TAME

NT

MOUSE OF LORDS—(YESTERDAY.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.
The Marquis of WESTMINSTER presented a peti-
tion praying for Parliamentary papers.
Lord LYTTLETON presentented a petition from
Staffordshire against the admission of Jews into Parlia-
ment, also from the working men of Stourbridge against
the opening of the Crystal Palace.
The Earl of CARLISLE presented a great number of
petitions praying for Parliamentary papers.
Lord CLANCARTY presented a petition from Bur-
ton-upon-Trent and several other places against the
admission of Jews into Parliament, and the Maynooth
Urant.
The Bishop of NORWICH presented several petitions
from places in Norfolk against the admission of Jews
into Parliament.
THE ESCAPE OF MAZZINI.

The Earl of MALMESBURY asked the Noble Earl
at the head of the Government, whether it was true that
Mazzini, having escaped from Lombardy, had been
taken on board her Majesty's ship Retribution at Genoa
and carried to Malta. The noble earl characterised the
act, if the report was true, as one of ill-judged
humanity. In Sardinia, Mazzini would have been
secure of not being given up to Austria, and al-
though he would not have been able to obtain a perma-
nent refuge there, he would have been able to escape by
the ordinary conveyances, without giving employment
to a British ship of war.
The Earl of ABERDEEN said, that not having re-
ceived any information on the subject, he could not an-
swer the noble earl's question.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH presented several
Petitions against the admission of Jews into Parliament.
NATIONAL EDUCATION IN IRELAND.
The Earl of CLANCARTY rose to call the attention
of the house to the operation of the national system of
education in Ireland. The noble earl (who .was very
indistinctly heard) said that the national system of edu-
cation had now been 21 years in operation in Ireland,
and when first established it was an experiment with
respect to which very great expectations were held out,
and it had certainly received no ordinary support both
from Government and through the liberality of Parlia-
ment. The returns which he intended to move for, and
which he rejoiced to find were not to be opposed, ought
to be laid upon their lordships' table, in order to enable
them to form an accurate opinion, from official evidence,
as to the actual working of the system, and its alleged
great success in the attainment of the object of its origi-
nal institution, viz., the education of the Irish people,
founded upon religion ; the union of Roman Catholic
and Protestant children in the same schools, and also
the union of Roman Catholic and Protestant clergy, as
the patrons and managers of the schools, in the same
Parishes ; and the general concurrence of the people of
Ireland in the carrying out of the system by the amount
of their local contributions. Now, he was sure that the
returns would bear him out in saying that the system
had failed in all those particulars ; but should it be
otherwise' there would at least be great advan-
tage in having the official information in support
of its alleged success produced. And here he must corn-
„Plain, that the annual reports of the commissioners were
eresented to Parliament at too late a period to be of any
use. The report for 1851 was only communicated to
their lordships on the 15th of February, 1853, a date
Which must altogether defeat the object of its being pre-
sented to Parliament at all, namely, to enable Parlia-
inent to judge of the efficieney of the system when it was
voting
the public money from which that system was to
c supported. With respect to the working of the
system the opinions were various. It had been zealously
supported by every successive Government since it had
been instituted, and statesmen had had a prejudice in its
40our, not wishing to shake its prestige, and perhaps
unconsciously overlooking some of its defects. The corn-
tissioners, too, in their reports had certainly represented
o working of the system as very favourable, and the
posits of Lord Lieutenants to the model schools in
Dublin, and the accounts which were always given to the
tended
these admirably-managed institutions, all
to prepossess the public mind in favour of the
$Y stem. 'stem. gentleman who was recently staying on a
visit at Chair Castle, however, visited one of the rural
schools, and looked at some of the writing that was
tislecuted results scholars. Bearing in mind that one of
t:Le good that was anticipated from these institu-
ions was the spread of loyalty and good feeling towards
o,„llgland, what was the gentleman's surprise, when, upon
tvenin.• the first copy-book, he found that it was headed
Hurrah for Repeal !" Another was headed
Patrick was a gentleman." (Laughter.) He (Lord Clan-
!.-.„
'4 certainly believed that St. Patrick was a gentleman
a Protestant, too. But to return to the causes
woe
had excited a prejudice in favour of these schools.
wi,"B, justifiable ground was the admirable elementary
va,"rss that were used in them. But there were many
67° thought that the system had failed to effect that
Wa,ll-lectual and moral improvement of the people which
f been regarded as one of its legitimate results. He,
60- °ne, did not hesitate to express his opinion that the
41143°18 had failed from an endeavour to force all the
"dren under one system, and from a very wrong prin-
`l3lo, namely, the restrictions which were put upon the
,it,e,ading of God's' Word by the poor people of Ireland.
Ape commissioners themselves, however, took a different
view, and in their report for 1851 they declared that
they were convinced that the system had deep root in
the affections of the people, and that no other plan of
instruction for the people could have been devised which,
under the peculiar circumstances of Ireland, would have
conferred such inestimable blessings upon the great ma-
jority of the population. The commissioners further
stated, that in 1851 the schools were 4,704 in number,
and the Ipupils 520,401 ; showing an increase of 157
schools and of 9,162 pupils over 1850. Further on,
they stated that they had made grants to other schools,
and they summed up by saying that there was reason
for believing that the total number of pupils benefited
°Y the system was 529,637. This was certainly a very
strikin picture of progress in education, but he took
llave
so foq' tgo uestion the aof these figures, and he
r this reason.ccurac In their second report, at the
outset of their labours, the commissioners calculated the
number of children between the ages of seven and thir-
en
for whom they would ultimately have to provide
education. The total number of children between those
os in Ireland they estimated at about one-seventh of
e Population, and they calculated that about one-half
7.13.
that number would require to be instructed in their
+l,_--cuu°lB. Now, the census of Ireland just issued showed
that the population had diminished very considerably
tlibilice that time. In 1851 it amounted to 6,500,000, and
g.,s emigration that had gone on so rapidly since then
further reduced it to 6,300,000. Now, out of that
total amount of population, one-half of the children be-
ell seven and thirteen years of age, would only give
4
450,000 ' ;so that it would be seen that by taking credit
~c't having 530,000 scholars in their schools in 1851, the
nltamissioners had actually exceeded their own maxi-
iii 80,000. But this was not all. The Church
4:l,,lication Society had 100,000 children in their schools ;
11„`` adding 50,000 more for the other schools uncon-
e-ted with the National Board—a very moderate com-
sotiou—this, added to the 530,000, gave a total of
eh ,000 children, leaving but 220,000 to include all the
asses, of that age belonging to the upper and middle
Ireall
all the children of the thirty-five union houses,
It'al all the poor children who did not go to school at all.
dotit3l,lought, therefore, that there was some reason to
that the accuracy of these figures. Now, he found
eel, the total amount of local aid contributed to 178
*Zola out of the entire number of the national schools,
4441, only 1931., or at the rate of 4,593 to the entire
tien °er of schools in operation, whereas the subscrip-
t° 80 in aid of the Church Education Society amounted
say t7°4/. and he could not be far wrong if he were to
tieanat 60,000/. more were raised by local subscrip-
oietn„ aid of the Irish Church missions, the Irish So-
scht",tbe Wesleyan and Presbyterian missions, and the
li maintained at the expense of the Roman Catho-
e-.Ler,.
°alp, s3r, independent of the National Board. The
,sYste,,""son was, therefore, decidedly against the national
40 and in favour of such' systems as enabled patrons
g*
the lve religious instruction to the children who attended
NittBchools. He should be most happy if he could
the out any results beneficial to the country from
which had been acted upon, but was un-
-1/4,10 110 do so. 1 system which pretended to be re-
the- a Ought to manifest itself in an improvement of
the ril°ral and religious character of the people, in
tproduction of those habits of industry and order and
tivni° uIY which were the distinguishing characteristics of
ieNated nations. He, however had witnessed no such
44611.1 Before this system was called int* existence the
and 67, tits of the north of Ireland were as provident
Flue industrious as the were at the present moment.
the viewB which tat. •
ich he entertained were strengthened by
Prov.isn istics of the census of 1841. Although in the
1114 t ce of Munster the proportion of children attend-
as 1 henati,onal schools was as 1 to 11, and in Ulster
k;ster yet the predominance of ignorance in
t • lie 7 compared with that in Ulster was as 46 to
4°.N.voe
,vvi,%•ould take a later period, and compare two
t
CUrai advantages,
Poor-law unions—the towns possessing great
being t.,.wantages, and the population of the unions
ck th 7 arly the same in extent. He found that in Lime-
'3,!.attel;e were 5,512 pupils in national schools, and in
LuiThill Lir number was 4,774, the proportion being 1 to
Pro-•*eriek eri.ck, and 1t027 in Belfast. Now, in the
17,55!mi0n the number of persons receiving relief
Postin.:4 against 6,671 in the Belfast union. The
Lto 18 ion relief was 1 to 8 in Limerick, and
:lerette'duaitlfast. Taking Ireland generally crime had
t't,c°olMittal not diminished ; for in 1841 the number
nyti hav, f_iiwas 20,796, whilst in 1851, the popula-
iiTOnettt'a,g diminished nearly 1,500,000, the number of
re4td, tia'a.,..ve 24,654. He trusted, after what he had
4. their lordships would not consider him un-
otojeet. ;IT entreating their prompt attention to this
t. the e noble earl concluded by moving for a copy
I°ll 1 teturn •
b b.] s furnished by„ the Commissioners of Na-
t•g‘icitit.o,;k:ncation in Ireland to his excellency the Earl of
4441,t1 ren the
lord-lieutenant, " Of the number of
lot of ti,e "lug each of the national schools in Ireland,
as l-e lgio denominations to which the be-
ite?,.rt referred, to in the 14th page of the eighteenth
pe.trelaefue Commissioners of National Education
1,1.111811 in • l, ist of the vested schools, stating-1
boat,dWhich situated ; 2, date of connexion'
ki3O,7llut of! 3, name and religion of teacher • 4,
tiea's 'aslary from board ;5, amount of local' aid
441: durinnl teacher's salary in the way of subscrip-
the.erit °flirt the year referred to in 18th report ; 6,
ertris is
.s school fees paid during same teacher; 7, whether
e eV; sidence provided for the
ash B„'"l,c'f patron • 9, number of children on the roll
bllBll 'ea school elltedistinguishing the number of the
re, ah "urch, of Presbyterians, of Protestant Dis-
9-111°Inali Catholics sr; 10, whether the Scrip.

ture lessons were habitually used during the hours of
united instruction for the same period. Similar returns
respecting the non-vested pchools. Return from the
clerk of this house of the respective dates at which each
of the annual reports-of the Commissioners of National
Education in Ireland have been laid upon the table al
this house, and of the dates at which they have been
respectively distributed to the members of this house.
The Earl of ABERDEEN (who spoke very inaudibly)
said he wished to make a few observations in reply to
the speech of the noble earl who had introduced the sub-
ject to their lordships. The noble earl had stated, first,
that this system of national education had entirely failed
—that it was vicious in its conception, and had entirely
failed in its results. Now, he was quite ready to admit
that it had not succeeded so extensively as it was
expected to do when proposed by the noble earl oppo-
site. But if its success had not equalled the expecta-
tions then entertained, to what was the failure to be
attributed ? (Hear, hear.) Was it not to be attributed
to the noble earl and his friends ? (Hear, hear.) He
lamented to find that a large proportion of the clergy of
Ireland had from the first opposed the operation of this
system. (Hear, hear.) Wherever it had been supported
by the clergy it had been successful, and if they had but
followed the example of that most learned, zealous, and
enlightened prelate who had so long been at the head of
the National Board, the success of the system would have
been commensurate with its extent. (Hear.) But it had
been the misfortune of Ireland that the attempts made for
the improvement of that country had been almost always
subverted to the purposes of sectarian difference, whether
religious or political. (Hear.) It certainly was the
duty of every public man to view with forbearance the
opinions of those who were hostile to him ; but when he
saw this noble system so obstinately opposed, and the
chance, the best chance, and perhaps the only chance
for the permanent improvement of Ireland rejected and
wantonly thrown away, he confessed that he had some
difficulty in repressing his feelings of indignation.
(Hear.) Although he believed the system would have
been more successful had it been supported as it ought
to have been, he denied that it had failed in the manner
described by the noble earl. The noble earl had very
cavalierly set aside the reports of the commissioners,
stating that ho could place no trust or confidence in
them, they having been signed by the secretary, and not
by the commissioners. Now he (Lord Aberdeen) relied
with perfect confidence on those returns, believing that
the commissioners had most anxiously discharged their
duty, and that the returns were perfectly accurate.
(Hear.) It appeared that from the commencement of
the system up to the end of 1851, the increase had been
constantly progressive, with the exception of the years
1847 and 1849, for reasons which were explained in the
report. In the last year the increase in the number of
schools was 157, and of scholars upwards of 9,000. The
whole number of schools at the end of 1851 was 4,811,
and the total number of pupils 529,000. (Hear, hear.)
Now, with such a result, he thought the system could
not be said to have failed. It might have been greater,
and undoubtedly would have been greater, but for the
obstacles to which he had alluded ; but still the num-
bers which he had mentioned certainly showed a very
great extension of education under the system complained
of by the noble earl. He had stated the, increase of
the schools in 1851 to be 157. During the last year a
still greater number of applications had been made, and
especially from the province of Ulster, and these appli-
cations were a proof that education was increasing,
and not diminishing, in that province. (Hear.)
The main object, he apprehended, in the establish-
ment of these schools had been non-interference
with the religious tenets of the children. It was a
system of joint secular education, but separate religious
instruction. That great object had been perfectly at-
tained, and he believed that since the very commence-
ment there had not been a single instance of proselytism
in any quarter. The noble earl appeared to object to the
omission of Scripture lessons of Scripture extracts. But
he believed that Scripture lessons were most strongly ob-
jected to by the noble earl and his friends. It was said
that it was a mutilation of the Word of Life—that free
access to the Scriptures was the fundamental principle of
Protestantism, and now the noble earl complained that
the extracts were no longer used. But they were not
proscribed. The use of them were encouraged in the
vested schools, and recommended there. The noble earl
wished for separate grants to each education society, and
to all schools without distinction. But was he prepared
to admit that the Roman Catholic population should re-
ceive their full portion of the public money for their
schools, or was he not ? If so, the noble earl spoke the
language of the most liberal of the Roman Catholic
party. They would most cordially support the noble
earl in his proposal, and he believed that some of the
most distinguished prelates warmly advocated that course.
Now, what would be the effect or such a proposal ? A
grant could not be refused to the Roman Catholics in the ;
same proportion as to others, whatever that proportion I
might be. Whether the proportion might be five to one,
or any other number, proportionate grants must be made ;
and if so, Parliament and the Government would recog-
nise that system of separation which, as he had already
said, must lead to that sectarian spirit which was the
bane of Ireland. (Hear.) He did not profess to possess
an accurate knowledge of the details of tie working 'of
the system. It might in some respects be susceptible
cf improvement, rules might be modified and made more
clear, and additional regulations might be introduced.
That possibly might be the case. But he did think
it would be the greatest misfortune for Ireland if this
system of education should be put an end to. (Hear.)
He would venture to say that the noble earl opposite
(the Earl of Derby), who first introduced this system
into Ireland, had never conferred a greater benefit on
that country (hear), or done anything for which he had
greater reason to be proud and happy. (Hear, hear.)
He believed the noble earl (the late Lord-Lieutenant)
had made inquiries into the working of the system, and
if he recollected rightly the noble earl then at the head
of the Government declared at the beginning of the ses-
sion that he had looked into the subject, and although
he might contemplate some alterations and improve-
ments, it was not his intention to make any suggestions
to Parliament on the subject. (Hear, hear.) He thought
such testimony as that ought to weigh with their lord-
ships. (Hear, hear.) He should be sorry to reject any
practical improvement in the regulations by which the
system was administered, but he trusted their lordships
would preserve the principle of the system (hear) ; and
he did hope, notwithstanding the opposition of a large
portion of the clergy (which opposition he hoped and
believed was diminishing), that the system introduced
by the noble earl opposite would prove a blessing to Ire-
land, and that it would be attended with the happiest
results. (Hear, hear.)
The Earl of EGLINTON thought the subject well
worthy of their lordships' consideration, involving as it
did the education of several hundred thousands of chil-
dren. (Hear, hear.) Knowing that a very large pro-
portion of the clergy of the Established Church in Ire-
land were opposed to the system—that proportion
amounting to more than three-fourths of that body—
knowing that amongst the opponents of the measure
were such men as the primate, the Bishop of Ossory, the
present Bishop of Meath, and many other eminent
indi-
viduals—knowing that it was also opposed by such men
as the noble earl who had just sat down, the best resi-
sident landlord in Ireland—he confessed that he went to
Ireland with the impression that there must be some-
thing wrong in the system, and that a reform ought to
be introduced. (Hear, hear.) He, therefore, paid
the most unremitting attention to the subject, and came
to the conclusion that although there was much that
might be altered, if alterations could be carried into
effect with propriety, still he saw no plan by which the
wishes of the noble earl could be satisfied without run-
ning the risk, and he might almost say incurring the
certainty, of driving away almost all the Roman Catho-
lies from the schools. (Hear, hear.) Feeling, therefore,
that he could not recommend any change which would
I not have that most dangerous tendency, he did not dare
to propose any alteration ; and when he wrote to his
noble friend (the Earl of Derby) previous to the meeting
couldo f
notParliament,take thheein any
halthough
thought a
h e
Parliamentary committee might advantageously inquire
stated
initiative hs
into the subject. The failure, if failure it was, of the
present system, was very much owing to the refusal on
the part of so large a portion of the clergy and laity to
join in it. (Hear, hear.) He thought it very unfortu-
nate that any persons in Ireland should refuse to make
even a trial of the national system of education, but he
did full justice to the sentiments with which they were
animated. He was sure that the parties to whom he
alluded felt themselves unable to agree conscientiously
to a system by which the reading of the Bible was ex-
cluded, and he confessed that this did seem a startling
proposition to any Protestant. (Hear, hear.) But
although it was unfortunate that they should have done
so, he thought their refusal to countenance the system
had tended to increase the number, of Roman Catholic
pupils. There was no doubt that the Roman Catholics
had gained possession of the greater number of the
grants, and had accordingly more power over the
schools ; and he could not but think that the partial
failure of the system was very much owing to that.
But he regretted that the noble earl who had preceded
him in the government of Ireland—and this was the only
instance in which he laid blame at his door—should
have avowedly refused to extend the Government patron-
age to any but those who concurred in the national sys-
tem. He thought this line of policy ill-judged land
unfair—unfair, because it deprived the greater portion
of the clergy of Ireland of an opportunity of rising in
their profession ; and ill-judged, because it almost barred
the door against men of high feeling and high principle,
and prevented their coming into a system by telling them
that they must come into it if they wished to be pro-
moted. If there was, as the noble earl opposite had
stated, any feeling gaining ground among the Protestant
Clergy in favour of the system, it was very much owing
to the policy of which he spoke having been abandoned.
He could not go so far as the noble earl near him had
done in condeming the system entirely. It appeared to
him to be a good system for a country situated as Ire-
land was ; probably the best that could have been selected
for that country.
The Earl of CLARENDON observed that his noble
friend, in saying that it was unjust and unfair to select
only those persons for preferment by the Crown who
were favourable to the national system of education, had
only repeated that which had been constantly said in
Ireland. It had even been stated in Dublin that clergy-
men were tortured, so to speak, into the declaration of
their opinions with respect to the national system; and
he was glad that his noble friend had alluded to the sub-
ject, because it gave him an opportunity of meeting the
statement with a distinct and unqualified denial. (Hear,
hear.) He never, that he remembered, asked a clergy-
man his opinions on the subject in his life, because when
he had to discharge the most sacred duty of selecting a
fit person for Church preferment, he could assure their
lordships that he previously instituted every inquiry
within his power as to the piety, learning, habits, and an-
tecedents of the candidate ; and amen those antecedents .

must be reckoned the course • which he had taken with re-
spect to the momentous questilon of education. He fairly
admitted that, cceteris paribus, he always gave preferment
to the clergyman who agreed rith him in the views which
he entertained himself ; and h.e should not have done his
duty if he had placed a mar in, a position to thwart him in
a policy which ho conceived iw. as advantageous to Ireland.
If their lordships, however, wt rre to form their judgment
from what had been stated by his noble friend, they would
suppose that the whole Church. patronage of Ireland was
vested in the Crown, whereasi, the fact was, that where
there was one case in which a clergyman looked to the
Crown for preferment, there were ten cases in which he
looked somewhere else. Ho was very glad to hear his
noble friend affirm that, though ho went to Ireland preju-
diced against the system, yet, having exercised on that, as
on every other subject, his own excellent judgment and
clear understanding, he had come to the conclusion that it
was the best system that could 'be adopted in the country.
He believed most fully that the clergy of the Established
Church had foregone a great .opportunity of doing good,
and had omitted to perform ii part of their most sacred
duty by refusing to adopt the national system of education.
They would attend no school, nor give any religious in-
struction, unless the doctrines taught were entirely in ac-
cordance with their own religic vas belief. To his mind this
appeared a great mischief, beca also it would leave the poor
in igmorance and all the concon iitants of vice. They might
as well refuse a morsel of bree I to a starving man, or re-
fuse medical relief to a man ati a 'eked with the cholera, be-
cause he had not observed tho same regimen. The late
Bishop of Meath said last yea: r that the clergyman of the
parish was the minister by ls.-w established, and it was
therefore his duty to attend the school which was esta-
blished by law ; and that the ugh he might not like the
law, yet, so long as it was the 1,14 w, it was his duty to ad-
minister religious instruction to those who attended the
school. He had heard with r( ;gret, but not with surprise,
various other topics referred to by his noble friend, but he
would not detain their lordshii e; by dwelling upon them.
He would only say that he abom aid. with his noble friend in
hoping that their lordships w euld not now sanction any
change, or even hold out any. hope of a change, which
would injure the great cause of education among the poorer
classes of the people of Ireland..
The Bishop of LIMERICK said that the national
system had been much misrep resented and calumniated.
lie had been resident thirty-t-ivo years in Ireland, during
which period he had occupied 'lost responsible situations.
Ire had resided nine years in Dublin ; he had been
seventeen years rector of the 'Large and populous parish
of Roscrea, in Tipperary ; he eras then appointed to the
deanery of Limerick, the see oiF which he now filled ; he
had had ample time and opportunity to observe the
working of the system ; and it-was his sincere conviction
that no system of education vras so well suited for Ire-
land as the national system. <Hear.)
The Bishop of LONDON said—Opposition to the
system, as it was carried ou t in Ireland, was more
necessary now, because attempts would shortly be made
to introduce it into England. Their lordships could not
be too often or too much upon the alert against the in-
sidious attacks upon the Established Church of the
land.

The Bishop of NORWICH believed they were all
agreed in this, that no private or national system of
education could be considered a t all perfect if it did not
embrace the religious element, but to apply the religious
element to schools open to diffi ;rent denominations was
a difficult if not an impossible task, nor was the. diffi-
culty at all removed, as some noble lords seemed tt;
fancy, if in the country where -the schools existed there
was a vast disproportion between Protestants and
Roman Catholics.

The Earl of HARROWBYthought after the lengthened
period that the system had now been in operation
they ought to be able to produce some evidence of its
results. Had the animosity between the Roman Ca-

tholic and the Protestant be,come less rancorous than

formerly ? Surely the system must have produced its

effect one way or another, and now after twenty years'
experience of the system, they- ought to be able to pro-
duce some evidence of its results., (Hear, hear.) It
was really most unjust—most ungenerous, to be con-
tinually casting odium upon those who were conscien-
tiously opposed to the system as it was at present ad-
ministered, and he would therefore suggest that instead

of indulging in such uncalled-for censures, they ought
to busy themselves in ascertaining, through the instru.

mentality of a committee of inquiry, what had been
the effect of the mixed system of education in Ireland.

(Hear.)
The Earl of DERBY fully concurred with the noble
earl who had just sat down. It was high time that they
had some fruits of the working of the system and until
they had some positive evidence of the working of the
.System, it was most unjust and most ungenerous to be
continually laying its failure at the door of the Protes
.

tant clergy Of freland. (Hear.) He also conceived
that after the lapse of 20 or 21 years a great many ex-
periments must have been made, and a great many com-
munications passed, upon the operation of the schools ;

and he thought the time had arrived when an inquiry
might be beneficially instituted, both by this and the
other house, into the effects arising from the system.
(Hear.)
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that so great a
preponderance of the argument had been in favour of

the national system of education, that it was not neces•

sary for him to add anything ; but as to the expediency
of entering into a large inquiry now on the subject, he
would recommend their lordships to pause, and seek for

all the information they could, obtain before they con.
sented to such a course.

The Earl of CLANCARTY replied.
The motion was then agreed to, and their lordships
adjourned at 20 minutes to 10.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-(YESTERDAY.

The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
NEW MEMBER.

Mr. BLAKE took the oaths and his seat for Galway.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a second time :—Copper
Miners in England Company, Midland Railway (Amend-
ment Acts, &c.), Scottish Midland Junction Railway,
and the Lands Improvement Company;

BOSTON ELECTION.
The SPEAKER intimated that he had received a
letter from Messrs. Fearon, the Parliamentary agents,
stating that it was not intended to proceed with the pe-
tion against the return for Boston.
GUILDFORD ELECTION.

Lord SEYMOUR attended at the bar, and reported
that the committee,l on the Guildford election petition,
had determined that Captain Mangles and Mr. J. Bell
were duly elected for the borough at the last election.
They had also come to a resolution that the allegations of
bribery and treating were made without reasonable
ground, and were frivolous and vexatious, and that,
therefore, all expenses ought to be borne by the peti-
tioners and their agents.