The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-18 00:00:00

SUPPLY.

The House went into a Committee of Supply, Mr.
BERNAL in the Chair.

The following votes were agreed to:-
9,000% for the Officer of the Solicitor of the Treasury.
4,600/. for the expense of prosecuting offenders against
the laws connected with coining.
6,0001. for the Sheriffs and Queen's Remembrancers.
10,6301 for the salaries and expenses of the Commis-
sioners of the Insolvent Debtors Court.
33,475/. for law expenses in Scotland.
36,9911 for criminal prosecutions in Ireland.
348,0001 for defraying certain charges formerly paid
out of the county rates.
6,155/. for Parkhurst prison for juvenile offenders.
9,204/. for Pentonville prison.
29,314/. for Milibank prison.
4,7071. for the prison at Perth.
679/. for the convict department at Dublin.
4,2021. for criminal lunatics.
10,250/. for inspectors of prisons, and the prison.
board, &c., of Scotland.
151,000/ for the convict establishment at Bermuda
and Gibraltar.

16,5001. for defraying the expense of the metropolitan
police of Dublin.
217,0001. for the convict establishments in New South
Wales and Van Diemen's Land.
EDUCATION.

On the vote of 125,0001. for promoting public educa-
tion in Great Britain being proposed,
Lord MELGUND called attention to the system of
education pursued in Scotland. He said that, until of
late years, persons of every denomination were in the
habit of sending their children to the National Esta-
blished Schools of Scotland, without prejudice to the re-
ligious principles of any; that, whilst it is right that no
impediments be offered to the free expression of reli-
gious opinions, any encouragement on the part of the
State to the perpetuation of sectarian animosity is to be
deprecated. That the new system of educa-
tion, as applied to Scotland, tends to stimulate
and perpetuate this evil. Under these circumstances he
moved that, " As there is no reason to believe that the
people of Scotland approve of the principles upon which
the new system has been gradually brought into opera-
tion, as it is in general wiser to adapt old institutions to
the altered circumstances of the times than to introduce,
new ones, and as it is inexpedient to throw new burdens
upon the general taxation of the country, it is therefore
the opinion olthis House, that an opportunity should be
afforded to Parliament to conaider'whether by measures
founded upon the established usages of local taxation,
upon the further admission of the elements of popular
control, and upon the acknowledgment of • the equal
rights of persons of 'all religious persuasion,
the ancient school establishment •of• Scotland may not
be made available to the wants of the people."
The Noble Lord enforced his motion by various extracts,
the purport of which, from the low tone in which be
spoke, could scarcely be heard in the gallery.
Mr. H. DRUMMOND considered' that the univer-

sities, which were national property, should be open to
all.—(Hear, hear.) If the present system of education
was pursued; it would lead to the adoption of the ob-
noxious French system, which violated altogether the
rights of parents.

Sir G. GREY said the points raised by the Noble
Lord would, no doubt, be fully considered by the Com-
mittee of Council. He denied that a sectarian system
of education had been adopted in Scotland. The grant
was distributed with an impartial hand.
Mr. SCOTT said he should be sorry to see education
separated from religion in the schools of Scotland. It
was generally believed that the salaries of schoolmasters
in Scotland were too small for persons of their class.
but he trusted the Bill introduced. by the Noble and
Learned Lord would improve the condition. Though
he did not quite agree with the .Noble Lord (Lord
Melgund), he saw no material objection to its adoption.
Mr. DUNCAN bore testimony to the high character
of the schoolmasters of Scotland- and • the system of
education pursued in -the schools of-that country. It
had made the ;people of Scotland what they were.—
(" Hear, hear," from Lord John Russell.) He should
support the motion.
The LORD-ADVOCATE considered that Scotland

had overgrown her parochial system of education, and
some improvements were generally called for. The
money was distributed in Scotland in the same way as
in England, and in a way not to damp the exertions of
private charity. There was no material difference
between the great body of Dissenters of Scot-
land, and the members of its Established Churches
iu point of doctrine, and if the objectionable
tests required on admission to the schools were amicably
adjusted, if not removed, harmony, would prevail be.
tween the two bodies, and he did not think it this were
done the people would object to a small increase in the
rates.—(Hear.)
Mr. E WART bore testimony to the excellence of the
parochial system, and considered that they should be
open to the children of all denominations, like the Bri-
tish Museum, the School of Design, and other national
institutions.
Sir E. COLEBW)OKE said the differences between
the people of Scotland were more on matters of Church
doctrine than of religion; and trusted that the education
of the young of any denomination would not, in conse-
quence. be neglected.—(llear, hear.)
Sir E. H. INGLIS opposed the abolition of any tests,
whether in connexion with the Scotch universities or the

parochial F chools as inimical to the progress of religion.
The present system. had existed so long, and with so
much advantage•, that he trusted no alteration would be
made. It •was highly advisable to have the grant, as
heretofore, to the management of the Church of Scot-
land.

Mr. HENLEY also objected to the control of the edu •
cation al institutions of Scotland beiug taken away
from the Established Church of that country. He
had great distrust iu the interference of the present
Government with education in Scotland. He was desir-
ous of knowing whether the Committee of Privy Council
on Education was in;correspondence with the Archbishop
of Canterbury. . -

Sir G. GREY assured the Hoa. Gentleman that such
was the case, and he had no doubt the result would
be, that in the next session a Bill would be introduced
on the subject of education generally.
Mr. GLADSTONE was delighted to bear that there
was a prospect of some satisfactory arrangement being
co*M to between the National school Society and the
Committee of Privy Council on Education.
Lord J. RUSSELL was happy to say that the corre-
spondence that had taken place between the Committee
of the Privy Council on Education and the Arch-
bishop of Canterbury was nearly brought to a close;
and he had no doubt that it would be attended with the
best affects. There was but one or two points of diffe-
rence, and ho had no doubt those points would be
brought to a satisfactory conclusion.—(Elear, hear.)
The Committee of Council, he could assure the Hon.
Member for Oxford, had no desire to give the Govern-
ment greater powers to interfere with the schools.
He trusted that the course that would be
pursued would do away with the ill-feeling
that existed among some of the Dissenters; with respect
to their participation in the management of the schools.
He regretted that at the present late period of the
session it was impossible that the House could enter
into the full discussion of this important question.
After some observations from Mr. Henley, Mr. Ur-
quhart, Mr. W. Brown, Mr. Morris, Sir John Walsh,
Mr. J. Williams, Sir G. Grey, Mr.
,Kershaw, Mr. P.
Wood, and Mr. M. Gibson, the vote was agreed to. As
was also a vote of 25,0001., to defray the charge for the
payment of enrolled pensioners.
The House then resumed.
The CHAIRMAN reported progress, and obtained
leave to sit again at a Quarter atter Five o'clock.