The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-02 00:00:00

EXPOSITION TJNIVE RSELLE,
PARIS, 1867.

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A4IP:
AUL

LONDON, MONDAY, DEC. 2, 1867.

i'Ve cannot admire the course which Lord Rus -
SELL has thought proper to pursue in bringing the

question of education forward in this premature
fashion. It is not likely that he will gain much by

his ill-judged attempt to forestall the work of the
Government. If the Speech from the Throne had
contained no mention of this important subject, it
would have been very well for the noble earl the
leader of the Opposition to have taken the task

upon himself, but as it is he loses all pos-
sible excuse that can be made for him. No

one expected that her MAJESTY'S Ministers
would bring the question on before Christmas,
but surely there will be plenty of time afterwards for
its discussion ; and, besides this, the Chancellor of

the Exchequer took occcasion to inform the House
of Commons the first night of the Session that the

paragraph in the QUEEN'S Speech was no form of
words, but indicated the firm intention of the
Cabinet to deal with the matter heartily. Whence

- -
came this sudden haste on the part of Lord RUSSELL

then, and why is the House of Lords to be called
upo❑ to consider the question when the specified
time has not elapsed which those most fit to deal with
the affair have fixed upon? We see in all this

the jealousy of a baffled opponent and the illustra-
tion of the bitter dislike which Lord RUSSELL feels
towards any of those measures of Reform, Parlia-
mentary or otherwise, which the Conservatives have
shown such spirit in bringing forward, and promise
to proceed with so far, and as fast as practicable.
Without any disrespect, it may be raid that the
Whigs or Radicals have bad every opportunity
afforded to them which statesmen could demand or

desire. Their ambition has found full hope, and their

activity has had every chance of being manifested.
Either through misbehaviour or neglect they have
forfeited their privilege, and their bounden duty
now is to let their rivals take their turn. They

may depend upon it that they will gain nothing in
the opinion of the Ilouse and the country by rush-
ing forward in an indiscriminate manner, and with
ill-judged zeal to do other people's work before it
has been seen if the parties concerned are fit to do
that work or not. In other words, Earl RUSSELL

objects to the present Government inaugurating the
Reform of Education, and therefore he seeks to com-
mit the House of Lords to some expressions of opinion

that may prejudice the task undertaken by the
Government, and militate against the success of their
scheme when it appears before the public and in
Parliament. This is uncourteous, to say the least
of it ; but it is more than this : it is unfair, and it
is quite against the usual custom of Parliamentary
usage, and the sudden zeal conies with a very bad
grace from one who was for some time a Minister
of the Crown, and yet did nothing to for ward the
work he is now eager to push on.
The time has gone by, however, when the people
of this country will agree to the dog-and-the-manger
policy which has so long flourished under the aus-
pices of recent Governments. As the Chancellor of
the Exchequer appropriately styled it, the " Mono-
poly of Liberalism" has beeu put an end to, and
people are beginning to inquire what these men
have done that no one else should presume to inter-
fere with them. For some years the Liberals had
it all their own way, and yet what measures ema-
nated from their counsels for the improvement of
the people or for the progress of the country ? All
who are at all versed in the politics of the past
must recognise at a glace the unwilling
and ungracious spirit which the leaders of
the Opposition had displayed in the course
of this year while Parliamentary Reform was
on the Lapis ; and it will be, indeed, a matter of
j regret if they pursue the same with respect to educa-
tion, for this is a subject that especially calls for
careful consideration, and the exercise of a judg-
ment unwarped by prejudice. We trust, however,
that the members of the House of Lords will not
be taken iu by the artful dodger who is to try his
claim upon them to-night, but that they will refuse
to commit themselves to anything that may here-
after hamper their course and fetter their pro-
gress. No one can question the skill of the
noble earl who has drawn up these Resolutions, and
they produce in themselves ample evidence of a
practised hand in their arrangement. The first
Resolution contains much that is valuable in itself,
and moreover refers to matters upon which little
difference of opinion will exist. By this time it is
the general conclusion to which we have all arrived,
that the education of the working classes ought to be
extended and improved, and that it is the duty of the
State to guard and maintain the right which every
child possesses to the blessings of education. The
resolution, however, touches upon more dangerous
ground, and suggests obstacles at once. It is said
that Parliament and Government should aid in the
education of the middle classes by providing for the
better administration of charitable endowments.
The third is worse still, however, and, indeed, is like
the trumpet blast that urges the heedless and un-
certain to the contest. It ch trges the Universities.
and deel .res, that, is the opinion of the House,
Oxford anti idge may be made more
useful to the nation by the appointment
of a cotrni:sion to consider the better dis-
tribution of their large revenues for purposes of
instruction in connec!ion with the said Universities.
The fourth resolution, relative to a Minister of
Education, is not in itself so objectionable, but it is
not likely to meet with approval in the form now
presented to us. If the noble lord really wishes to
succeed in his endeavours, he had better not have
been iltrite so sweeping in his proposals, for there is
a great deal in these resolutions —or whatever
they may be called--to offend prejudice
and awaken doubt. It is a mistake besides