The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-18 00:00:00

EDUCATION.

twelve.

Mr. VERNON HARoouRT asked the Vice-President of
the Committee of Council on Education, whether, under
the proposed amendments in the Education Bill, there will
be any provision whatever for enforcing compulsory
attendance in voluntary schools now or hereafter to be
established.

Mr. FORSTER replied that the amendments would ap-
pear in the reprinted bill, but would make no allusion to
that part of the bill which related to compulsory attend-
ance. The voluntary schools were about to be separated
from the Local Board. Of course his hon. friend was
aware that in the bill as it stood they were not necessarily
joined. His hon. friend would have observed that he had
put upon the notice paper an amendment consequent upon
the introduction of the time-table conscience clause pre-
venting school boards from enforcing compulsory attend-
ance upon religious instruction in any school.
In reply to Mr. J. G. TALBOT,
Mr. FORSTER said that it was intended that the addi-
tional grant should be given to all public elementary
schools, present and future, denominational or secular.

THE CIVIL SERVICE ESTIMATES.
The House went into Committee of Supply on the
Civil Service Estimates. The sum of £34,023 was asked
to defray the charges in respect of the salaries and ex-
penses of the officers of the House of Lords. £37,850
were granted to complete the sum necessary to pay the
salaries and expenses of the officers of the House of
Commons In the discussion which ensued on this vote
attention was calledto the difference between the divisions

the tellers giving one number, and the division clerks
another in the lists.—Mr. Ward Hunt suggested that a
self-acting register would meet the difficulty.—The sum
of £44,193 was voted to complete the sum necessary to
defray the salaries and expenses of the Treasury Depart-
ment. The sum of £66,033 was voted in respect of the
salaries and expenses connected with the office of the
Secretary of State for the Home Department. £48,814
were required to complete the sum necessary to defray
the salaries and expenses of the Foreign Office.
Mr. RYLANDS proposed to reduce the vote by two thou-
sand pounds. He thought the salaries and allowances to
foreign messengers were extravagant, and no other nation
paid such high salaries for similar services. He was glad, how-
ever, to see that there had during the year been a reduc-

tion of expense in that direction.
Mr. OTWAY said the present staff of messengers con-
sisted of fifteen. Last year it numbered seven-
teen, and it was considered that twelve would be
just sufficient for the purposes of the Foreign
Office. Each messenger received £4OO per annum,
and £1 per day to cover expense, railway fares, of
course, being paid. When they presented their bills they
were carefully examined. If their offices were abolished,
they were entitled to a pension or superannuation allow-
ance. He suggested that it would be wiser and more
economical to leave the subject entirely to the action of
the Secretary of State. The right hon. gentleman defended
the arrangements of the Foreign Office. He thought,
however, that it would be to the advantage of the public
service that all financial questions should first be dealt
with through the parliamentary Under Secretary.

Mr. RYLANDS withdrew his motion and the vote was
agreed to.
The sum of £26,923 was voted for the expenses of the
Colonial Office. A vote of £25,749 to defray the expenses
of the Privy Council, was agreed to, after a long dis-
cussion on the subjcct of the cattle plague, the importa-
tion of cattle, and vaccination. On the estimate of
£75,114 to complete the sum necessary for the expenses of
the Board of Trade, Mr. Whitwell moved the reduction
of the vote by £1,280, in respect of the inspection of lime
juice, which had been included in the incidental expenses.
Mr. Macfie moved that the debate be adjourned, but, ac•
cording to the forms of the House, at a quarter to seven
the Chairman reported progress.