The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-23 00:00:00

A PERMANENT EDUCATION BILL.

The Telegraph remarks that Mr. Miall assails the Educa-
tion Bill with an objection, which has a strange sound in the
mouth of a Liberal. After stating that the measure
trusts partly to denominational and partly to national
machinery, he asks whether such a settlement of the
question is likely to be " permanent," whether it would
last for "20 years ?" What measure can any honourable
member propound as " permanent," what scheme could
he submit for the acceptance of Parliament, on
the condition that it must last for ever, or
at the very least for 20 years without re-
consideration or amendment? By the bounty of
Providence, we English people do not live under a system
of " paternal Government," empowered to issue dispensa-
tions which we must accept as final, "permanent," too
perfect for correction. On the contrary, there is no
statesman on the Conservative side of the House who
would not tell Mr. Miall that nothing which can be
passed in the present session can be held to bind the legis-
lative rights, the judgment, or the will of a future Parlia-
ment, or even of the present Parliament in a future
year. But even supposing Mr. Miall's position to be
sound, what does his claim imply? It implies that
he would not pass a measure until it should be what
he considered perfect; in other words, rather than pass a
bill which should not be so perfect in all its parts as to
be absolutely " permanent," he would delay the education
of the untaught multitude for another twenty years. For
such a scheme as he demands, indeed, we should have to
wait till doomsday. The people of England—the poor of
England—cannot afford to wait until the Greek kalends.
Their children are perishing for lack of knowledge, and if
there be any further waste of time the guilt will lie on the
heads of well-meaning men like Mr. Miall.
WEARY MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT.

The Daily Niws thinks that the lines of the celebrated
ballad,

-" ' we are tired,
" Said Gilpin, ' So am I,' "

express the feelings of the House of Commons as the de-
bates creep on towards the small hours in the morning,
and the spirit of the resolution on Tuesday night
by the senior member for the borough of North-
ampton. Pailiament has practically adopted the
convivial sentiment of the poet, which declares
that the best of all ways to lengthen our days
is to steal a few hours from the night." The prudence
of this course may be doubted. An old couplet associates
health and wisdom with the practising of early rising,
and the correlative practice of early going to bed. The
health of members suffers by their nocturnal debates ;
and, perhaps, their wisdom suffers too. One effect of
these late hours must be bad. The true and permanent
cure for the evil is, however, to be looked for, as Mr.
Bouverie hinted, in a rearrangement of the parliamentary
machinery, and in the separation of local business from
the work of Imperial legislation. As a provisional
remedy, Mr. Gladstone's undertaking not to bring for-
ward opposed Government business after twelve o'clock
is deserving of praise. He suggested that private mem-
bers might allow themselves no more than an additional
hour's grace. Acting on this hint, and flushed with vir-
tuous resolution, the House of Commons refused to pro-
ceed with certain opposed bills which came before it, and
adjourned a little after one o'clock. Mr. Gilpin has had
a real, though not a formal success.