The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-31 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

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HOUSE OF COADIONS.-THIS DAY.

The SPEAKER took the chair at 12 o'eh.ck.
AGRICUL'T'URAL CHILDREN'S EDUCATION BILL.
Mr. FAWCETT moved the second reading of this bill,
the object of which was to make provision for the com-
pulsory education in the rural districts, and the bill further
provided that in places where there were no schools the
retepayers should be called upon to provide means for the
education of children engaged in agriculture.
Mr. ARTHUR PEE'', cordially supported the motion
for the second reading of the bill, and said it was the right
of every child in the State to have the opportunity afforded
then of taking advantage of the benefits of education to
the extent of reading, writing, and arithmetic.,
Mr. BEACH moved that the bill be read a second time
that day thr,e months, on the ground that the provisions
of the measures were solely inadequate to effect the object
it had in view. He contended that the services of a certi-
ficated schoolmaster ought to te engaged, but in small
agricultural parishes the means of paying the salary of
such a competent person were entirely wanting. It was
true that objection did not apply to large parishes, but
because that was the ease he did not see how it was to be
expected that parishes not of such dimensions should be
called upon unaided to do the same. It had been
stated that the children of the agricultural labourer
were taken too early from school, but from
the report of Mr. Sandford it appeared that the
children in the mining districts wore removed from the
means of education much earlier than those in the rural
districts. Ile did not say this to justify the system, but
only for the purpose of mentioning a positive fact, when it
was proposed to deal generally with the question of the
education of children. The bill proposed that the children
in the agricultural districts should only bo allowed to
work every other day, but as the weather was an impor-
tant matter in agricultural operations, the farmer would be
called upon to employ a double set of children to make
up for the loss of labour that would be incurred on wet
and stormy days. He thought it would be impossible to
carry out the bill in an efficient manner, and he gave it
his strongest opposition.
Mr. B. STANHOPE said that the great principle of the
bill • that the children should only labour on alternate
days—was quite impracticable. Ho could have understood
a proposal for the education of the children in the winter
season, when these children cortrinly would have the
'opportunity of attending school ; but the bill did not con-
tain such a practical proposal. He thought the bill would
work very objectionably, and therefore he could not sup-
port it.
After a discussion the motion for tho second reading
was withdrawn, and then the bill was ordered to be dis-
charged.
MASTER AND WORKMEN'S BILL.

The bill which was to carry out the recommendation of
a select committee to form councils of arb:tratiun and
conciliation for the settlement of trade disputes passed
through committee, on the understanding that, in the
event of the Government objecting to the bill, the discus-
sion should be taken upon the bringing up of the report.
SALE OF LIQUORS ON SUNDAYS BILL.
Mr. J. A. SMITI.I moved the discharge of the order for
the second reading of this bill, as he felt that it was
impossible to secure the passing of the measure during the
present session. lle intended, if his life was spared, on the
first day of the next session to move for leave to re-intro-
duce the bill, but it would be in a❑ improved shape, as
some of the mistakes iu the present bill would be remedied.
Major JARVIS hoped the bill the hon. member had
given notice of his intention to introduce would be more
in accordance with the petitions which had been presented
in its favour.
The order of the day was then discharged and the bill
was withdrawn.
The other orders were disposed of and the house ad-
journed.