The Sun.
London, England, 1870-07-23 00:00:00

THE ELEMENTARY EDUCATION BILL

On the order for the third. reading of the Education
Bill, Mr. Dixon, the member for Birmingham, who seemed
particularly anxious to assure the House that he had not
given a factious vote during the progress of the measure
informed the House that it was his intention as soon as it
became law to place upon the notice paper a motion for
leave to bring in a bill early next session to amend
the education Act of 1870. He attributed the pas-
,sage of the bill to two causes. The first was
the constant and earnest support of the Opposition, and

I the other statement' which had been over and over made
by her Majesty's Government, a statement which almost
on some occasions amounted to a threat, that unless the
supporters of the Government went into the same lobby
b as the Ministers they would run the risk of endangering
the bill, and that the condemnation of the country would
fall upon them. Mr. Cowper-Temple, the representative
of South Hampshire, strongly defended the Government
from the charge of -inconsistency. If the member for
Birmingham had been severe upon the Government, Mr.
' Miall was still more so. He reproached the Government
with an abandonment of their policy as proclaimed at the
hustings, and complained that it had forsaken its legiti-
mate supporters, and taken the Opposition into its confi-
dence. He said that he and his party had been marched
through the valley of humiliation, and hon. members
would remember the proverb "once bitten twice shy."
This scathing speech was too much for Mr Gladstone,
who, speaking with muoh warmth, fearlessly asserted
that if in 1868 they made bold professions to the country,
professions involving, as they well knew then and as they
knew now, the greatest responsibility, the Government
had laboured to fulfil them. It was with all their ener-
gies and influence, and in no spirit of cold calculation, but
in an earnest devotion to their purpose, that they had en-
deavoured to redeem their pledges. He was not prepared
to admit that his hon. friend, great as was his weight and
character, spoke the sentiments of those with whom he was
connected in religious opinion, because there were others who
had sat in that House for many years, and had earned the
resPect of all who knew them who had not participated in
the severe judgment passed upon the Government by the
member for Bradford. If the hon. member had been
bitten by whom had he been bitten, inquired the Premier.
If, he added, he had been bitten, it was only in conse-
quence of expectations he had chosen to form, and which
were not justified by the facts. The Government had
been thankful for the support of the hon. gentleman, but
that support ceased to have value when it
was accompanied by reproaches. He hoped his
lion. friend would not continue that support if he thought
it was incompatible with his duty and conscience. The
')bject of the Government had been to smother difficulties,
to allay passions, and to do everything that could excite
and stimulate the endeavour to bring men nearer together
and not to place them further apart, to eschew extremes,
and not to make their own narrow choice the model of the
measure, and it was their duty to make free and liberal
use in the composition of the measure of that
great influence which they found swaying the
community. They might have taken a more sectional
view, but what would have been the result, he asked.
The Prime Minister asserted that it would have afforded
the means of embittered controversy. They were the
Government of the Queen, and those who had assumed
the high responsibility of administering the affairs of the
empire must endeavour to forget the parts in the whole,
They must in great measures introduced it
that House have no narrower, no lower object
than the welfare of the community at large.—
Sir John Pakington, in the course of the debate,
urged reconciliation among all parties now that
the bill was about to become law. He congratu-

lated the Government, and especially the Vice-President
of the Council, on bringing to such a successful issue so
difficult a question. Mr. Forster could not take leave of
the bill without expressing his indebtedness for the sup-
port which hon. members had given him. In promoting
a great system of national education it had been a great
grief to the Government and himself that they could not
perform that duty without differing in opinion from, and
hurting the feelings of, some hon. gentlemen. He acknow-
ledged the imperfection of the bill, but pointed out that
it was impossible that, in a constructive measure like that,
they .auld have perfection. The right hon. gentleman briefly
no ticed the changes which had been made in the measure.
uvie bill was read a third time, there not being one dis-
sentient. Both sides of the House cheered.
THE ARMY ENLISTMENT BILL.

Tho Army Enlistment Bill after a few words from
Colonel Bartelot was read a third time and passed.
GUN LICENSES BILL.

Considerable discussion took place on the motion for the
third reading of this bill. Mr. Craufurd moved and Mr.
Kinnaird seconded, that the bill be read that day three
months. On a division being taken the amendment was
rejected by 179 to 50 votes.
STATUE OF FIELD MARSHAL VISCOUNT
GOUGH.

On the order for going into Committee of Supply
Colonel North moved that an address be presented to her
Majesty, praying that she would direct that sufficient gun
metal should be issued for the construction of the statue
about to be erected in Dublin to commemorate
the services of the late Field Marshal Viscount
Gough, K. P. , G. C. B. , G. C. S. I. —The motion was
opposed by Mr. Stansfeld and the Chancellor of the
Exchequer on technical grounds. It was argued that a
contribution could not be made in kind, but there was no
objection to vote money. The speakers unanimously con-
demned the alternative offered, and declared that a pecu-
niary contribution would have no value in the eyes of the

nation.—Mr. Gladstone suggested a solution of the diffi-
culty by the addition of words, to the effect that the
House would make good the cost of the metal. The gal-
lant colonel took advantage of the suggestion, and the
motion was agreed to.
THE EVENING SITTING.

When the House reassembled at nine o'clock the
attendance was very meagre, but as the evening ad-
vanced an improvement took place. Mr. Taylor, the
member for Leicester, called attention to the circum-
stances under which the tradesmen of Evesham were re-
fused commissions in the rifle corps on account of their

social position, and moved a resolution which, after a
lengthy discussion, was withdrawn.—Mr. Scourfield called
attention to the case of Mr. Mason, a candidate
in the last competitive examination for employment
in the civil service in India, and moved for evidence as to
the age of Mr. Borovael,.who was a successful candidate
on that occasion„to the exclusion of the former gentleman.
Considerable discussion followed, and ultimately the mo-
tion was withdrawn, the Government thinking it was in-
expedient to interfere with the decisions of the Civil Ser-

vice Commissioners. Shortly after eleven o'clock the
House went into committee on the civil service estimates,

and several votes having been taken, progress was re

ported.—On the motion for the second reading of the
Census Bill, a long discussion ensued into the desireable-
ness of ascertaining the religious opinion of the country.
Mr. Bruce stated that there was such a dif-

'erence of opinion on the subject that the Go.

vernment would not enforce a religious census.
He suggested by way of compromise that a census

should be taken in two ways, one which would meet the
views of the Dissenters, and the other to satisfy the mem-
bers of the Church of England. —The bill was read a

second time.

The order of the second reading of the Horse Racing
Bill was discharged, and the bill withdrawn. Several

measures having been advanced, the House adjourned at
twenty minutes to three o'clock.

The Lancet advocates the appointment of a medi-
cal officer as a member of the committee who are to act
as constructors of the navy in future. The Lancet thinks
that sanitary arrangements in war vessels would under
this plan be better looked after than they are.

INQUESTS ON INFANTS.—On Thursday, Dr. Lankes-
ter held five inquests at the College Arms, Crowndale-
road, Camden-town. Two of the inquests were on the
bodies of infants. In the first case, a newly-born child
was found in the garden of Mecklenburg-square, on
Saturday morning last. It had been thrown over in a
basket, but had rolled out. The evidence of Dr. Paul,
surgeon of the police, shewed that the infant was a full-
timed child, and its death had been caused by suffocation
A verdict of wilful murder against some person or persons
unknown was returned. In the second case, a child had
been hand-fed, and death was caused by tuberculous
atrophy, accelerated by want of breast milk. As no blame
attached to any one, a verdict in these terms was re-
turned.

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TRANSMISSION OF NAVAL AND NIILITARY
STORES BETWEEN POI TSAIUIII AND
DEVONPOR

Not long since, when we were not dreaming that
England was in any peril of war, as it cannot be
doubted she is at present, we pointed out the fact
that all warlike stores, ammunition troops, &c.,
which had to be conveyed from Portsmouth •to
Devonport would have, according to the pre-
sent condition of the railways, to be first conveyed to
Exeter on the narrow gauge, there transferred to the car-

riages of the South Devon Railway, which is on the I:read
, gauge. Thence they would have to proceed by the coast
line, on which, for a considerable portion of the distance,
the train would be so exposed to an enemy's fire that either
the train itself might be battered to pieces, or the over-
hanging cliff brought down in masses upon it so as to
bury the whole in one mass of ruin. Another line, the
Devon and Cornwall, joining Exeter with Tavistock and
Plymouth, is free from these objections, as from its being
on the narrow gauge, the stores could be carried
direct without being transferred to -other- carriages
while, as the line is entirely inland, all danger from
an enemy would be avoided. This line is now
complete, with the exception of nine miles between Oke-:
hampton and Lidford. It is a question for the Govern-
ment to consider whether it would not be well worth its
while either to complete these nine miles sufficiently for
its own purposes, or to render such assistance to the com-
pany as would enable it to hasten to perfect the whole.
The matter is one of very serious importance, while the
cost would be something very trifling. We should look
foolish if, neglecting so simple a precaution. we should,
some fine day, find a train, containing seamen, trooris,
ammunition, guns, and other stores, buried under the
cliffs at Dawlish by an enemy's fire. The neglect of these
apparently trifling precautions has, before now, produced
very disastrous results.—United Service Gazette.