The Sun.
London, England, 1870-02-21 00:00:00

THE EDUCATION BILL.

The Spectator observes that it is not often that two
measures of such great scope and interest as the Irish
hind Bill and the English Education Bill—measures
which are likely to affect for many generations, for many
centuries, the life of the people and the strength of the
Empire—are introduced in one week, and introduced
under circumstances which give to the Government which
proposes them a marvellous access of popularity and sue
cess. Yet it is hardly too much to say that Mr. Forster's
success on Thursday was even more decisive and had more
of the note of certainty about it than the Prime Minister's
on Tuesday,—owing, no doubt, to the fact that the Irish
Land Bill, being more nearly a new code of law than a
mere scheme, taxed at first very gravely the patience and
apprehensiveness of the House. The Education Bill, pre-
sented as it was in a singularly lucid and masterly speech
by the Vice-President of Council, has, as far as we can
see, all the criteria of a perfect measure. On the whole,
we may safely say that a more statesmanlike measure has
never been laid before the country. It is stringent in prin.
ciple, and elastic in the application of principl ; it wastes
no resources ; it supplies vast wants ; it solves the reli-
gious difficulty and yet does not ignore relioeion ; it respects
all consciences and yet enforces neglected obligations ; it
will cover the country with efficient schools without strik
ing down one efficient school that now exists ; it sets up a
high ideal, and it does all that statesmanship can do to
hasten the time when the whole country will accept that
ideal with absolute unanimity.
The John Bull thinks that its readers generally will
have made themselves acquainted with the main provision,
of the measure so lucidly and ably expounded by the
Minister charged with its management. But it may lye
won to draw attention to the apparent disposition of the
Government to modify in dome degree those features o'_'•
the Conscience Clause which have been most distasteful
to zealous and earnest clergymen. It would seem from
expressions that fell from Mr. Forster that the conscience
clause to which tlw schools receiving Government aid are
hereafter to be subject will be one rather resembling that
adopted in the Endowed Schools Act of last year, by
which equal liberty of teaching to the instructor and
equal liberty of withdrawal to the parent were assured,
than to those obligations to which many of the
truest friends of education have found it so
difficult to submit. The abolition of denomi•
national inspectors in a system where inspection, as a con-
dition of a Government grant, is to be confined to secular
subjects, is a matter of course. And while the saving to
the country will be considerable, it is not easy to see how
the Church will be a loser. If an inspection of Church
schools on religious topics is to be maintained, it will
naturally fall into the management either of a Diocesan
Board or the National Society. And we must own that
it is quite possible that such a system might be more satis-
factory to those by whose contributions such schools are
now mainly supported. On the whole, we cannot deny
that a great step in the cause of education has been taken,
and that the progress made has been essentially of a Con-
servative charactr. Old materials are utilised, religious
feelings are respected, and if the bill is not a perfect one,
it woud certainly be difficult to get any better through
the present House of Commons.
The Economist believes there is no doubt whatever of
the success of the Education Bill. It was received cor-
dially from every side of the House, and has been ap-
plauded by every section of the Press, even that which
represents the Tories, whom, we may remark, Mr. For-
ster's rare comprehension of Conservative feeling and tact
in dealing with men of very different opinions from his
own, seldom fails to conciliate. There will, of course, be
discussion in Committee, and perhaps some serious
opposition to compulsion ; but the bill, as a
whole, will pass, and the Government will
have the credit of having in a single
session attacked and conquered two of the most serious
of all our internal difficulties. Much of that credit is due
to the remarkable power of administration the Vice-
President haS begun to display; and we trust the bill will
not pass without clauses intended to make him the actual,
as he is already, the virtual Minister of Education. For
departmental reasons it may be difficult to break up the
curiously complex but efficient organisation called the
Privy Council Office, but it could not be difficult to
elevate the education department of that Council to inde-
pendent rank, with a Cabinet Minister directly respon-
sible to the country for its action,

AN ALDERMAN CHARGED WITH.
PERJURY.
_ _

At the Police-court at Tamworth, on Friday, Mr. Jame 3
Pallett Elliott, an alderman of the borough, was charged
with committing wilful perjury in an affidavit sworn
before Mr. Edward Argyle, solicitor, in respect of an
action in the Court of Queen's Bench for criminal libel,
"Hooper, one of the coroners for Staffordshire, v. James Pa l-
lett Elliott," tried in January last. On the case being called
on for hearing there was no answer, and on the application
of Mr. Thomas Argyle, who appeared to prosecute, a
warrant was granted for the alderman's apprehen-
sion. Mr.. Parry, solicitor, of Birmingham, then
applied for a summons against Mr. Elliott for perjury
committed on Wednesday last before the Tamworth
borough bench of magistrates, in a case "Elliott v.
Bircher," for criminal libel, he having sworn on that
occasion that the womanhe was living with was hit,
lawful wife. Mr. Parry produced in court the Alder-
man's real wife, and the clergyman who married her to
11414._ TA.c_ Aumwsoll grAntA,