The Sun.
London, England, 1870-07-19 00:00:00

CHRISTMAS DAY.

Mr. PEMBERTON asked the Home Secretary, as Christ-
mas this year fell on a Sunday, whether he would bring
in a short bill to authorize the closing of the Bank of Eng-
land and other banks on the day before or after it.

Mr. BRUCE answered he did not think it would be
consistent with public convenience to bring in such a
bill.

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION BILL.

The Elementary Education Bill, as amended, was con-
sidered. There was a tolerably large attendance of mem-
bers, but the discussion was very languid.—Mr. Dicken-
son, the member for Stroud, proposed the introduction of
a clause to the effect that the managers of a public
elementary school might, with the sanction of the Educa-
tion Department, and with the consent of all parties
whose consent might be required by the Edu-
cational Department alter any regulations to
which the management of such school might
133 subject, attaching any special qualification or dis-
qualification to the office of a manager or teacher, or
giving a person, not a teacher, special superintendence or
authority in the management and teaching.—Mr.
Forster was quite indifferent as to whether the propo-
sition were accepted or not, and when he was appealed to
by Mr. G. Hardy to give his opinion upon
the amendment, he quietly observed that he did
ait think it was necessary, neither did he think its intro-
duction into the measure would do any harm. Neverthe-
less a division was forced by the dissentients, and the
proposition was adopted by 86 to 53 votes.—Sir George
Jenkinson, the representative of North Wilts, proposed a
clause, by which he sought, in any case where a
pablic elementary school existed at the time of the
passing of the Act, in any duly constituted
ec.ilesiastical district, and where such school fulfilled all
the conditions required by the act as to management
and efficiency, and was maintained by private and volun-
tary funds, assisted by 'the Government grant and the
children's school pence, to exempt the persons who thus con-
tributed to the support of the school, from the rate for the
support of any other school. The proposition, which had
really been well discussed in committee, was on
a division rejeoted by a majority of 120 to 70 votes.—
Several verbal alterations were made consequent
upon the changes which had been made in the
bill. Mr. M'Arthur proposed an amendment
which met with determined opposition. The
hon. member's proposition was that no person
whatever except the school teacher should give religious
instruction in the school, and that no clergyman or
minister of any religious denomination, or member of any
religious order, should be eligible to be appointed a school
teacher. The Vice-President, in the course of his appeal
to Mr. M'Arthur to withdraw his amendment, created a
little merriment by saying that a member of the religious
body to which he belonged might on the Sunday
wish to say " a few words in the silent meeting," and yet
be in no way be ineligible as a teacher.—The represen-
tative for Lambeth did not persevere with his amend-
ment.—Mr. Candlish, the member for Sunderland,
pointed out that as the bill stood, no proceedings could be
taken for the purpose of acquiring land compulsorily for
schcols, except in the month of November. He presumed
it would be difficult to discover sny reason for confining
the initiation of proceedings to that month, except that it
was the month named for the initiation of proceedings
in private bill legislaton. He proposed an amendment,
which was accepted, removing the restriction.—
Mr. M`Laren moved an amendment, the object of which
was to secure education for the blind. This could be done
at a very small expense, and experience in Scotland had
she wn that the mixing of the blind with the " seeing
schools" had been attended with the greatest moral good
to the afflicted persons.—The Vice-President pointed
out the inconvenience which would arise from
including the class of persons referred to
specifically in the bill. The object of the bill
was to provide sufficient elementary education to all chil-
dren not otherwise provided for, and the scope of the
measure would include the blind.—The member for Edin
burgh, upon this explanation, withdrew his proposition.
—Mr. Dixon observed that the Bill as it originally stood
gave power to theTownCouncil in boroughs to elect the school
boards. There was an obj ection taken to that proposition by
his hon. friend the member for Chelsea, and although he was
defeated, though by. a small majority, the Government
had since accepted the amendment of the hon baronet.
The hon. member for Birmingham thought it should be
at least provided that in the larger boroughs the councils
should retain the right given to them originally in the
bill, and therefore he proposed that in boroughs of
100,000 inhabitants and upwards the election of a school
board should be by the Council, provided that not less
than one-third of the number to be elected should b o
elected from persons who at the time of the election were
not members of the council. He believed that the objec-
tion to the power of election being vested in the Town
Councils arose from prejudioe. He spoke of the abuse
which Town Councils received, and remarked that they
were in very bad odour in that House. If it
were found that good boards were not elected
by the municipal bodies, then Parliament could
make any alteration. The hon. member said that.
he was quite willing that the figure he had named in his
amendment should be reduced.—Mr. Forster denied that
the change as to the mode' of election in reference to
school boards had been made on the ground suggested by
Mr. Dixon, namely, want of confidence. The Govern-
ment had confidence in the councils, especially in large
towns. The right hon. gentleman renewed the difficul-
ties which lin rl beset the action of the Government in this
matter, and, said the vice-president, Mr. Dixon himself
seemed to be conscious of the perplexing character of the
question, for he had stated that he was not disposed to
object to the reduction of the figure he had put in his
amendment. 11, believed that they might argue any
length of time, either in favour of the council or against it,
but the insuperable difficulty was as to where they should,
draw the line, whether there should be elections by court
cils in towns of 100,000, 50,000, or 30,000 inhabitants.
The Vice-President had every confidence in the system of
direct election. Mr. Mundella suggested the withdrawal
of the amendment, in order that they might go to a divi-
siou on the main q uestion--whether or not the elections
should be by town councils. Mr. T. Collins, the hon.
member for Boston, taunted the Liberal members with want
of confidence in popular elections.— Mr. Dixon, acting
upon the suggestion of the member for Sheffield, did not
press his amendment.—Mr. Forster then moved the
omission of the word " council," in order to substitute
" persons whose names are on the burgess roll of such
borough for the time being in force." This gave the
House an opportunity of bringing the question to an issue.

LEFT SITTING.