The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-15 00:00:00

THE IRISH CHURCH.

Mr. GLADSTONE, in reply to Mr. Bentinck, said he
had no means of obtaining a return of the sum of money
which would be required to purchase the sites of the
ecclesiastical residences under the provisions of the 27th
clause of the Irish Church Bill. With respect to the
value of the private endowments, it was also impossible to
make a return, as the matter was so purely conjectural.
THE POLICE FORCE.

Mr. HUGGESON, in reply to Viscount Enfield, said it
had been decided to appoint four district departments,
which would obviate the necessity of officers from all
parts of the metropolis coming to Scotland-yard for in-
structions. He thought that great public convenience
would result from the appointments.
AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS. _

Mr. HUGGESON, in reply to Mr. 6;rt;ight, said it
was proposed to extend to Scotland the inquiry now going
on as to the expediency of applying the principles of the
Factory Act to the regulation of the employment of chil-
dren and young persons and women in agriculture.
BANKRUPTCY (IRELAND).
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL for IRELAND, in an-
swer to Mr. F. Dlcx, said he did not mean immediately to
introduce a bill to amend the law of bankruptcy in Ire-
land, but in the event of the bill for England about to be
introduced by his learned friend theAttorintes ey-xlensnerilen forto
i England beiug agreed to he should move
Ireland. (Hear, hear.)
BEVERLEY ELECTION.
The short hand writer's notes of the hearing of the
petition presented againstth ethtaebtestorf the house.
for Beverley was
ordered to be laid upon
CONSOLIDATED FUND BILL.
The F
Consolidatese d and £(8,406,27) Bill was read a
third time and pa
ENDOWED ENDOWED SCHOOLS BILL.
Mr FORSTER moved thesecond readingof this bill,the
object of which was to improve and remodel the endowed
schools throughout the country. The right hon. gentle-
man said it was absolutely necessary some active means
should be taken to carry out the intention of the founders,
and no longer allow them to go on in the state to which
they had fallen. The right hon. gentleman read extracts
from the report of the assistant commissioner who examined
into the state of the endowed schools at present in exist-
ence. In most cases it appeared that most of the masters
were in the receipt of salaries from £2OO to £3OO per
annum, and that the number of pupils averaged from one
to six. In some cases the master was absent
but for a very few minutes during the day, and in
one a portion of the school was turned into a
coach-house, and the large dormitory of the building was
used as a billiard-room. (Laughter.) In one part of the
country the masters in six of the schools were totally in-
capacitated by bodily infirmity of conducting the schools
properly. Of course nearly all the masters were opposed
to any new system - (laughter) - but he had to say that it
was only those who bad failed, or who did not now carry on
the duties of a schoolmaster in a proper way, that need
have any fear of the provisions of the bill. (Hear, hear.)
Those who carried on good schools would find their
position strengtheced by it. (Hear, hear.) Ile thought the
best way to make schoolmasters efficient was to give them
a small salary, but to make the ultimate amount of the
income depend upon the success, the efficiency, ;and the
number of scholars who attended. (Hear, hear.) He
believed it was only the way that the funds left by bene-
v.lent persons for educational purposes wale at present
administered that prevent persons now abstaining from
devoting a portion of their wealth to purposes of educa-
tion. if a good and efficient system was organised he
believed lorge sums would again flow in. He thought it
very desirable to encourage day schools—(hear)—and also
to give girls theia proper share of educational teaching.
It was also, in his opinion, that the rich should not be
allowed to go and receive all the benefits, but to obviate
that he proposed that free admission to those endowed
schools should be by merit, not by payment. He thought
it quite possilile so as to arrange matters that the clever,
but poor boy, might mount to the highest point of educa-
tion. (Hear, hear.)
furr smaxixo.l