The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-28 00:00:00

ABLE BODIED PAUPERS.

Mr, KEKEWICH asked the President of the Poor Law
Board whether he was of opinion that a very erroneous
impression existed as to the number of able-bodied paupers
receiving indoor and outdoor relief, on account of want of
work and destitution ; and, if so, whether it was not
caused by the mode in which the returns are made to the
Poor Law Board.

Mr. GOSCHEN said he was 'of opinion that an erroneous
impression was conveyed by the present form of returns,
and he proposed to have alterations made to set out more
clearly the exact number of able-bodied paupers receiving
out relief.

THE NAVY.
Sir GEORGE GREY asked the First Lord of the Treasury
whether it was true that Admiral Sir A. Spencer
Robinson had resigned the office of Comptroller of the
Navy; and if so, on what grounds.
Mr. GLADSTONE said he was happy to say that it was
not true that Sir S. Robinson had resigned the office of
Controller of the Navy. Sir Spencer Robinson
had been informed, both publicly and privately,
but the effect of the Order in Council was

in no way intended to lower him in the eyes of the
navy, and he (Mr. Gladstone) said the First Lord of
the Admiralty had expressed to the gallant officer the
great desire there was for his continuing in the office he_
at preseut held with such benefit to the public. Sir S.
Robinson till held, and he hoped would still hold for a
long time that office which he now filled with such

advantage to the State.
Sir J. PAKINGTON asked whether it was true that the
chief constructor of the navy had resigned.
Mr. GLADSTONE had no reason to expect such a step

'rom Mr. Reed. No communication with regard to such

a step had been received.
PARTY PROCESSIONS IN IRELAND.
In reply to Sir T. Bateson,
Sir C. FORTES= said he did not intend to proceed

with the bill that evening. He would go on with the bill
that day week, or else give some definite information on

the subject.
SETTLEMENT OF THE GAMBIA.
Sir J. HAY said that on the sth of July he should call

attention to the proposed transference of the Gambia to

France, and make a motion on the subject.
THE UNIVERSITY TESTS BILL.
Mr. GLADSTONE said that owing to the illness of the
Soliciter General, this bill would net be proceeded with
until Thursday evening next. The government proposed
to accept the amendments of the noble lord the member
for Calne, and also that of the hon. member for_Oxford
with respect to new charters. •
NEW MEMBER. •

Mr. R. Hodgson took the oath and his seat for Thistol.
The hon. member was introduced by Mr. Crawford and
Mr. S. Morley.

THE EDUCATION BILL.
The Elementary Education Bill was the first order of
the day, and as soon as the " questions " had been dis-
posed of, the House went into committee on that measure.
By this time the attendance had become very large,
and, from the attentive attitude assumed by
nearly every member, it seemed as if they
intended making substantial progress with the
bill. Unlike the proceedings in connection with the
Irish Laud Bill, the most dangerous and persistent oppo-
sition to the progress of the scheme through this important
stage was appiehended from the Liberal side of the
House. The proceedings in committee are rarely inte-
resting, and a great deal of time is generally consumed in
`.` definitions," and in the present instance several amend-
ments were proposed with the view of securing a proper
definition of the terms employed in the fresh clauses of
the bill.

Mr. WALTER moved a somewhat important amendment
to the effect that a school-board should be formed for
every school district, and it should be the duty
of school-boards to provide for their respec-
tive districts a sufficient amount of accommo-
dation in public elementary schools as hereafter defined
(except where such accommodation already existed, or
as occasion might require.) He did not propose that the
Local Boards should have any right to interfere with the
schools, neither did he recommend that the managers of
existing schools should be ex-officio members.
Mr. HIBBERT seconded the amendment, remarking that
the bill only provided for school boards where a sufficient
amount of accommodation existed, but there were dis-
tricts where the managers and the ratepayers would be
very glad to have a school board for the purpose of
enabling them to obtain the compulsory attendance of
children at school.

A long discussion took place, during 'which Sir John
Pakington raised the question of the area of country
districts.

Mr. FORSTER thought the question as to the univer- •
sality of school boards would more properly belong to
Clause 6. The fifth clause, upon which they were now
engaged, was rather a declaratory than an enacting
clause. It fastened, in reality, upon each school
district the duty of providing sufficient school
accommodation. One of the main principles of the bill
was to force provision where it was necessary, but not
where it was unnecessary. They had no wish to oblige
people to be ruled unless it was necessary, and conse-
quently they had taken power to secure sufficient accom-
modation, meaning both in quantity and quality. With
regard to the area of country districts, they would
not allow the districts to consist of a single parish, and
they had taken considerable power for uniting parishes;
but it was impossible to define the area. The Govern-
ment were willing that those persons who, in the event of
a deficiency of accommodation, would have to elect the
School Board should at once be able to apply for a
Board, and that those managers of schools who were
unwilling any longer to bear the expense of the school,
should if they could convince the Education Department
that destitution would fellow, be able at once to ask for
School Board.
In the debate which followed the remarks of the Vice-
President of the Council, Sir Charles Adderley complained
that the alterations which had just been announced were
of a very serious character, wb ilst Mr. Dixon, the mem-
ber for Birmingham, thanked the Government for the
concessions which they had made, although he spoke in
favour of the amendment. Without school boards, he
said, they could not enforce the compulsory law, however
mild and.lenient.--Lord Henley agreed with the member
for North Staffordshire that the amendment's proposed
by the Government were serious, and amid tokens of
dissent he said it seemed that the school boar& were to
be created not by the bill, but by the education depart-
ment. Some excitement at this stage of the proceedings
was imparted to the committee, and all the customary
talkers seemed inclined to give expression to their
opinions.—ln reply to Sir R. Knightley, Mr. Walter
expressed his determination to take the sense of the com-
mittee on his proposition. Sir Henry Hoare, the mem-
ber for Chelsea, put his foot in it, as the saying goes, and
received a calm but stern rebuke from Mr. Candlish, the
member for Sunderland.—The hon. baronet said the re-
marks of Sit Charles Adderley had convinced him more
than ever of the wide gulf which separated the two parties
in the House in the matter of education. This declara
tion evoked loud cries of " No, no," and other unmistak-
able signs of disapprobation, contrasting strongly with
the loud and repeated shouts of laughter which accom-
panied an expression which the hon. member for Chelsea
was unguarded enough to make—" compulsory coercion."
Mr. Candlish, in reproving the intemperate language of
Sir Henry, gave utterance to an opinion which re-
ceived an almost general endorsement, namely, that a
good bill eould only be passed by the union of parties.
Mr. Fawcett said it seemed now that they were not only
to have permissive compulsion, but permissive school,
boards. He believed that it would be found that no
v general defining of school accommodation would be found
in the rural districts, and that in bringing into force a