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

DEPUTATION TO MR. FORSTE R.

A deputation of working-men delegates, representing
the different trade societies of the metropolis, had an in-
terview with Mr. Forster, at the Privy Council Office, on
Saturday, respecting the Government Education Bill. Mr.
Forster was addressed by Messrs. Cremer, Lucraft, Mot-
tershead, Osborne, Niess, Sutter, Stafford, and others.
They found fault with the Government Bill because it
allowed a further extension of the denominational system,
did not restrict education to strictly secular subjects, and
did not make compulsion general.
Mr. Forster, in reply, said—lt is evident to me that
on one or two points you are under a complete misappre-
hension about the bill. First, you suppose Che Irish ques-
tion has had something to do with it. Now, if I have
not forfeited in your minds all claim to credit and belief,
take it from me that your supposition is an utter delu-
sion, and altogether erroneous. There is no compact
whatever, and I must say, speaking plainly as I do,
that your supposition, if it does exist, must arise from
want of knowledge of facts. The fact of the matter,
is this, that this bill, as brought toward by me originally,
and especially in its present form, is less denominational
than the present system in Ireland, and therefore the idea
that, by carrying this bill we should be_ improving the
status of the denominational party in Ireland is an entire
delusion, and not founded on fact. I am satisfied
I should have no difficulty in convincing you
if I could find time to go into the matter
with one or two of you alone. With regard to the
remarks on the subject of the vestries, they are based on
the state of the metropolis, and I am very glad to have
heard them, for they are useful information. We have
never pledged ourselves to any particular mode of elec-
tion of school boards in the metropolis. I have always
said that one of the greatest practical difficulties was the
state of the metropolis, not merely in education, but in
ordinary respects ; and all I can say is, that if we can
find a better way of dealing with the matter, I -shall be
very glad to do so. The principles on which we desire to
elect the school boards throughout the country are to get
the best boards possible, and to get them by the expres-
sion of the wish of the parents. If that be not according
to the present plan in the metropolis, I dare say we may
find out something better. But as regards elections
generally throughout the country, there is no qualifica-
tion or restriction whatever 'on the members of the
board They may be, and no doubt often would be,
working men who have gained the confidence of their
neighbours by their knowledge of education. There is
nothing even to prevent there being women, if they had
a lolowledge of the question. 'With regard to the con
science clause, it is a mistake to suppose it does not
carefully provide that there should be no compulsion of
any kind on a parent to send his child to any religious
teaching, denominational or otherwise, Bible-reading, or
sectarian, which he dislikes. That was the original inten-
tion of the bill, and the conscience clause as now framed
makes it impossible such a thing could happen. All
that a parent has to do is to keep his child away, or
to tell'the schoolmaster that he is to be kept away. The
punishment to the schoolmaster and the school,if they do
not obey the injunction is the loss of all the money to be
received from the Government • the penalty, therefore, is
of the strongest description. Arith regard to compulsion,
I may acknowledge that I have a more advanced opinion
about that than many other persons, but you cannot
compel attendance till you have compelled provision for
the school.
The deputation then withdrew. .

The Echo believes that the Government intend to
accept the amendments of Mr. Torrens with reference to
the electionof a School Board for the metropolis, adopting
the ,Parliamentary divisions, and election by the rate-
payers, the expense to be defrayed out of the Common
Poor Fund.