The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-21 00:00:00

THE AMENDED EDUCATION BILL.

The Elementary Education Bill, as amended by the
addition of the Government alterations, has been issued,
It contains two clauses less than the original measure-86
against 88. The clauses (22 and 23) defining the assist-
ance to be given to existing denominational and volun-
tary schools, and the clause (84) providing for addi-
tional grants in cases where a threepenny rate produced
less than 220, or less than 10s. per child of the
average attendance at the elementary school, have
been struck out, and the bill now contains, practically,
no reference to existing schools, which it is proposed to
continue in connection with the Education department of
the Committee of Council as at present, under the con-
ditions explained by Mr. Gladstone on Thursday night.
In lieu of these, other provisions are introduced
with the intention of meeting the objections
urged against the original bill in the matter of religious
teaching in the elementary schools. Many of the
amendments are merely of a verbal character, with the
view of defining more clearly the clauses in which
they are inserted. The first important amendments
are contained in the subsidiary sections (1 and 2) of clause
7. The first provides that no child shall be required as a
condition of being admitted into, or continuing in, any
public elementary school to attend any Sunday school, or
any place of worship, or any religious observance or in-
struction in religious subjects in such school ; and the
second, that the time or times during which any
religious observance is practised or instruction in
religious subjects is given, at any meeting of the
school, shall be either at the beginning or at the end,
or at the beginning and the end, of such meeting, set
forth in a time-table to be approved by the education de-
partment, and permanently and conspicuously affixed in
every school-room, and that any scholar may be with-
drawn by his parent at such time or times, without for-
feiting any of the other benefits of the school. In the
9th clause, the words " within the period of twelve
months after the date of such final notice," better
known as " the year of Grace," for putting
in motion the machinery for providing rate-aided
schools are omitted, and the word " forthwith" is
substituted ; and clause 81 is amended, so as to provide
that no parliamentary grant shall be made to a public
school after the 31st March, 1871, instead of the 31st
March, 1872. An addition is made to clause 16, provid-
ing that in case of any dispute with the School Board, the
matter shall be referred to the Education Department,
whose decision shall be final. The most important amend-
ment is inserted as a sub-section (2) of clause 17, and
is as follows :—" No religious Catechism or religious
formulary which is distinctive of any particular denomina-
tion shall be taught in the school; and the second sub-sec-
tion of clause 65 (which gives power to the School boards to
form bye-laws) provides " that no such bye-law shall pre-
vent the withdrawal of any child from any reli-
gious observance or instruction in religious sub-
jects." After clause 19 a new clause is inserted in
place of a subsidiary section of clause 19 in the original
bill, giving school boards powers under the Lands
Clauses Consolidation Act, 1845 ; to purchase sites, and
defining the mode of repaying the advances which may be
made by the Commissioners of her Majesty's Treasury.
The other amendments of the clauses are only of a verbal
character, but an important addition is made to the second
schedule, to the effect that the voting for school boards
appointed by vestries shall be by ballot, that each
ratepayer shall have only one vote for each candidate,
and that in the case of an equality of votes the inspectors
shall decide by lot upon the person to be elected.

At Tamworth, Alderman Carmichael, estate agent
to Sir Robert Peel, has been ordered to pay the penalty
of 40s. for bribery at the municipal election.
Lady Margaret Crum Thomson has died at Large,
Ayrshire. She was the daughter of Walter Crum, Esq.,
of Thornliebank, and married, in 1852, Sir William Thom-
son, LL.D., D.C.L., Professor of Natural Philosophy in
the University of Glasgow, who was knighte 1 in 1866
for his services in connection with the Atlantic Cable.
—The death of Lady Simpson, widow of Sir James Y.
Simpson, is also announced.

The ship Fair Wind, Captain Symonds, which left
Rangoon for Europe early in May, had to put back under
very sad circumstances. It seems that one day the
captain, having called to the steward once or twice with-
out receiving any answer, left the deck and was heard
reprimanding the man for his inattention. A short time
afterwards the chief officer, happening to pass the
steward's cabin, found the steward and the captain
struggling. He at once separated them, when suddenly
the steward pulled out a knife and stabbed the captain to
the heart. The murderer is in custody.

The annual Blue-book on the state of the slave
trade is publisbed. From all parts nearly the reports are
the same that the trade is dying out. It only lingers in
diminishing strength in parts of Zanzibar, and a few ports
on the east coast. Havannab reports from our consuls
assure us that the Spanish Government is now sincere in
its desire, and most energetic in its action, to put a stop
to the trade. So completely has the trade been stopped,
and so little have the courts of adjudicature had to do,
that it is now intended to abolish entirely all the courts of
mixed commission at most of the chief stations.