The Sun.
London, England, 1870-02-18 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 18, 1870.

every public elementary school, secular as well
as denominational. Thore would be power given
to the school boards to frame byelaws for the compulsory
attendance of children from five to twelve years of
ago. No parent would be under any penalty for non-
attendance of children if they could show reason-
able excuse, education elsewhere, sickness, or that
there was not a public elementary school with-
in a mile of home. The powers of the Industrial
Schools Act would be transferred, in an extended form, to
the district school boards. In conclusion, the hon. gentle-
man said he was very sanguine that in its many pro-
visions the bill he had sketched would become law

The great problem was how best to get assistance fccM.
organisations, and how to supply the necesssary funds for
general education. The latter was a great difficulty ; but
he did not think insurmountable ; and with respect
► to the latter as local agency, had not proved as satisfactory
as could be desired, they intend to have recourse to
municipal organisation. (Hear, hear.) The expenses he
proposed to meet by local taxation, by rates,
and by money voted by Parliament, coupled
with central inspection. With respect to the
educational boards there this bill would take the muni-
cipal boundary, and in the rural districts take the
parishes ; and then they did not propose to meddle were
all was at present going on satisfactorily. The educa-
tional boards would be elected in towns by
the town councils, in the counties by the select
vestries where there was one and by vestries where there
was not, and each would have the privilege of electing
who they please. (Hear, hear.) The Government did not
propose that there should be any nominees on the board—
(hear, hear)—and where those boards did the work well,
there all would go on rightly. But where they did
not do the work well, the Government would go in and do
that which others had failed to achieve. (Hear, hear.)
Then there was another important matter, and that was
the question of school fees. It had been the subject of
great consideration whether these fees ought or ought not
to be given up, and the Government had come to the
conclusion of not giving up these school fees. The cost
would be too enormous. The bill proposed to give the
school boards power to grant free tickets, but they would
have nothing about them of the shape or form of pauperism.
(Hear, hear.) The cost of the schools they proposed should
be passed as follows—one-third by the parents, one
rates, and one third by Parliament. The charge on the
poor rates was in no case to exceed 3d. in the pound, and
it was not expected that the sum would in any case be
approached ; but there were additional clause in
the bill which would give those places a con-
siderable grant of public money towards their annual
expenditure. The bill also proposed to give the schools
the power to borrow. With respect to the religious
teaching, the bill did not prescribe religious teaching
what they proposed to do was to leave the matter to the
feelings of the majority of the people, and by that means
they felt certain the majority would prefer a Christian pro-
gress in education. The bill did not lay down that the great
book in which they believed should be the only book not
used in the public schools. (Hear, hear.) They gave
power to the board, and to the people they looked
with the most perfect trust and confidence as the
proper power to say what was the best to do.
Upon the speedy provision of an elementary education
depended our industrial progress. (Hear, hear.) Upon it
depended the safe working of our constitution. Now that
we had given the people power, we ruus",, give them educa-
tion. Upon this speedy provision also depended the
national power. He was well aware many earnest men
in that House, who entertained their own ideas as re-
garded education. He himself was ..lonscious that educa-
tion was not virtue ; but that was no reason why we
should longer promote tho present state of ignorance that
prevailed. [When the hon. gentle= n resumed his seat,
which he did after speaking exactly three hours, he was
loudly cheered.]

Lord ROBERT MONTAGU said that the inspectors
under the present system did not examine in religion on
the part of the Government, therefore he could not under-
stand the provision of the bill against denominationc
inspection.

Mr. DIXON was in favour of the scheme, and thought it
would give universal satisfaction.
Mr. Mundella, Mr. Melly, and Mr. Cowper-Temple ex-
pressed similar sentiments.
Lord SANDON approved of the spirit of the measure, but
would not pledge himself to details. Ile was pleased to notice
that Mr. Forster had, by his proposals. encouraged instead of
damped the feeling of local self-support.
Mr. FAWCETT expressed his opinion that the measure
was one of a tentative character, and afforded good ground
for ample discussion in committee, with a view to really meet
the admitted feeling that the subject should as soon as pos-
sible receive a settlement.

Sir J. PAKINGTON pronounced it a great and compre-
hensive plan, framed in the most conciliatory spirit, hut re-
,:rretted that Mr. Forster had not made his able speech as the
head of a responsible Educational Department. He believed
that no system of national education could be carried out
unless it was solely in the hands of a responsible member of
the Government. He criticised some portions of the scheme,
and thought that compulsion would be necessary to carry it
out. The question was, should that compulsion be direct or
indirect?

Leave was then give❑ to bring in the bill, and it was sub-
sequently read a first time.
The second reading was fixed for the 14th March.
A similar permission was granted to Mr. Bonus to bring
in a projf'ct to facilitate the re vesting of mortgaged estates
i❑ mortgagors.
Mr. S. LEFEVRE obtained leave to bring in a bill to
confirm certain orders made by the Board of Trade under
the Sea Fisheries Act, 1868, relating to Boston Deeps and
Emsworth.
The House then adjourned.