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

SUPPLY:

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

The following votes were agreed to:-
9,0004 fur the Officer of the Sol icitor of the Treasury.
4,6001. for the expense of prosecuting offenders against
the laws connected with coining.
6,000/. fur the Sheriffs and Ctwe en's Itemembrancers.
10,6301. for the salaries and exi ,enses of the Commis-
sioners of the Insolvent Debtors C !cilia.
33,475/. for law expenses in See tland.
36,991/. for criminal prosecutio, rls in Ireland.
348,000/, for defraying certain charges formerly paid
out of the county rates.
6,155/. for Parkhurst prison for juvenile offenders.
9,2041. for Pentonville prison.
29,3141. for Millbank prison.
4,7071. fur the prison at Perth.
6791. for the convict department at Dublin.
4,202/. for criminal lunatics.
10,2501. for inspectors of prisons, and the prison.
board, &c., of Scotland.

151,000/. for the convict establishment at Bermuda
and Gibraltar.

16,500/. 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,
I Lord MELGUND called attention to the system of
education pursued in Scotland. He said that, until of
late years, persons of every deny imination were in the
leibit of sending their children to the National Esta-
blished Schools of Scotland, without prejudice to the re-
ligious principles of any; that, w!tiilst it is right that no
impediments be offered to the fl ee 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, us 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 of this House, that nn opportunity should be
afforded to Parliament to consider 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 he
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 gent rally believed that the salaries of schoolmasters
in Scotland were too small for persons of their class.
but ho 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
in 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 if this were
done the people would object to a small increase in the
rates.—(Hear.)

Mr. kWAR'T 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. COLEBROOKE 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.—(Hear, hear.)
Sir R. H. INGLIS opposed the abolition of any tests,
whether in connexion with the Scotch universities or the
parochial schools 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 leave the grant, as
heretofore, to the management of the Church of Scot-
land.