The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-17 00:00:00

fourtt Ebitton

SUN OFFICE, Seven o'Clock.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—(THIS EVENING.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at fire o'clock.

ROYAL ASSENT.

The Royal assent was given, by commission, to the As-
sewed Taxes Act Amendment Bill.
The Lords Commissioners were the Lord Chancellor,
Earl Granville, and Lord St. Leonards.
The Earl of EGLINTON presented several petitions in
favour of the reading of scriptural lessons in the national
schools of Ireland.
Lord LYTTLETON presented a petition from a place,
the name of which we did not hear, in favour of reforma-
tory schools.
Lord BROUGHAM bore testimony to the importance of
establishing reformatory schools, calculated, as he conten-
ded they were, to improve the morals of the people, and
lessen the public expenditure in the prosecution of
criminals.
Earl GRAIN-VILLE was happy to inform the noble and
learned lord that a measure of this kind was now under
the consideration of the Government. (Hear, hear.)
NATIONAL EDUCATION IN IRELAND.
Earl FITZWILLIAM presented a number of petitions
from the patrons of several national schools in Ireland,
relative to the resolution of Bth July last. The noble earl
said he would not trouble the house further than to read a
few extracts from the petitions themselves. This he did,
but in so low a tone as to be very indistinctly heard in the
gallery.
The Earl of EGLINTON then rose, pursuant
to notice, to move for the appointment of a
select committee to inquire into the practical working of
the system of National Education in Ireland. He thought
the time was come when an inquiry into this system was
imperatively called for, the more so as three of its most
distinguished patrons—the Archbishop of Dublin, and two
most eminent members of the Irish Bench had retired
from the board of national education. He could assure their
lordships he approached this subject in no spirit of hostility.
On the contrary., he believed the partial support which he
had given to the system had given offence to those with
whom he usually politically acted. It was to the religious
portion of the teaching
of the system he wished particu-
larly to call their lordships' attention ; with regard to the
portion of it he believed there never had been any
objection from any quarter. (Hear, hear.) After describing
the original composition of the board and the books used
in the schools, the noble earl proceeded to say a large por-
tion of the Episcopalians and Presbyterians of Ireland had,
he thought most unfortunately, refused to join in carrying
out this system, and thereby gave the Roman Catholics an
undue preponderance in the management of the schools.
In the autumn of 1852, the Archbishop of Dublin had
to inspect the model school of Clonmel, and to his sur-
prise he found the Scripture Lessons and other books
ordered previously to be used in the schools were
not in use. He also found this to ho the case with
regard to other schoOls. Upon finding this the Archbishop
complained to the Commissioners of National Education.
The result was, that the commissioners agreed to expunge
from the list of books used the " Lessons on Christianity,"
and in fact it might be said jrom that time to the present
there was no strictly religious teaching in those schools.
(Hear.) He thought if there ever was a case deserving of
parliamentary inquiry it was this. He was now arguing
whether the separate or the combined systems of religious
and secular education would be the best ; all he asked was
for a committee of inquiry, and he now begged to move
for the appointment of a select committee. (Hoar, hear.)
The Earl of ABERDEEN said, when the noble earl
first intimated his intention of bringing forward this
question he was inclined to oppose it, thinking, as he did,
that the system of national education in Ireland had been
productive of incalculable benefit to the people of Ireland.
But on consideration, he thought the system itself could
suffer no disadvantage from the fullest inquiry, and there-
fore he had no intention now of offering any opposition to
the motiob of the noble lord. (Hear, hear.)

(LEFT SPEAKING.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-(THIS EVENING.)

Thco SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
The following bills were read a second time, and ordered
to be committed :—Ouse and Derwent, &c., Drainage ;
South Devon Railway ; Burnley Gas.
ROYAL ASSENT.

Mr. PIILMAN, the Deputy-Usher of the Black Rod,
summoned the house to attend the House of Peers, to hear
the Royal Assent given by commission to a bill which had
passed both houses.
Oa the return of the SPEAKER, be intimated that the
Royal Assent had been given to the Assessed Taxes Act
Amendment Bill.