The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-23 00:00:00

POLITICAL STATE OF EUROPE.

Lord PALMERSTON gave notice that on Friday next
he would call the attention of the house to the present
state of European countries, and ask the Government
if they intended to make any communication to the effect
that the peace of Europe would not be disturbed. (Hear.)
In bringing forward his motion, he assured the right bon.
bart. (Sir J. Pakington) that he would not interfere with
the naval estimates which the right hon. baronet was to
lay before the house that evening. '

THE PRINCIPALITY OF DIIAR (INDIA).
Mr. J. B. SMITH asked the Secretary of State for India,
whether any steps had been taken by the Government of
India to carry into effect the orders of the Home. Govern-
ment, to restore the Principality of Dhar to its native
rulers ?

Lord STANLEY said that up to the present time no
communication had been received from Lord Canning as to
what steps had been taken in the matter.
QUEEN'S COLLEGES (IRELAND).
Lord DUNKELLIN asked the Chief Secretary for Ire-
land whether her Majesty's Government proposed taking
any steps to give effect to the suggestions contained in the
report of the commissioners appointed by her Majesty to
inquire into the condition and progress of the Queen's Col-
leges in Ireland ?
Lord NAAS said that the report had recommended that
the principals of these schools should reside in the colleges,
and that the recommendation had been complied with. The
question of the salaries of these gentlemen was under con-
sideration, but it was not intended to bring in any bill in
reference to it.
NATIONAL EDUCATION

Mr. COWPER called attention 'to the circular of the
Committee of Council on Education, dated the 22d day of
May, 1858, and moved that the efficacy of the school inspec-
tion provided at the public cost depending mainly
on the publicity given to its results, the general
reports of her Majesty's Inspectors, when prepared
in accordance with the instructions of the Committee
of Council on Education, should continue to be laid upon
the table of the house unaltered and unabridged; and that
the detailed reports, tabulated according to districts, should
be printed and made public as heretofore. He contended
that the documents in question were of considerable im-
portance in enabling the Government and the house
to understand correctly the position in which the sub-
ject to which they referred stood. (Hear, hear.) He
thought it most desirable that persons who were not inspec-
tors should not interfere with these reports, as they were
not in a position to decide on what portions of the
same should be published. It must be remembered
that these reports were the result of the independent
judgment of individuals who derived their information
from practical knowledge. He did not mean to imply
that the extracts which might be selected would not be
judicious, but still he contended that the house should be
placed in the position of forming their judgment on the
unaltered and unabridged documents which were so im-
portant to the correct understanding of the subject to which
it related. It should be remembered that they were dealing
with no less than £620,000 per annum, and to prevent the
publication of full information on the subject would
be one of the most extraordinary revelations of
the penny-wise and pound-foolish policy that any Go-
vernment had ever been guilty of. This was a question
that did not affect merely particular schools, but one that
applied to schools in general, and the information con-
tained in these reports might prove of the most important
practical utility to the question of national education.
Mr. ADDERLEY explained that the hon. member was
, under some error in reference to the subject, and stated
that the chief value of the reports in question depended
upon their early'publication after the inspectionof the schools,
which was at present not more than 10 days subsequent.
The Government had directed that the detailed reports
should be tabulated and sold at cost price, and there would
also be supplied to the house the substance of such reports.
It would net be advisable to gives these reports literally,
because in many cases they contained dissertations relative
to local development in matters that did not bear on the
subject of education. When anything pertinent was
stated, the ipssissirna verba of the inspectors were
given in the extracts ; and in order to show
how injudicious it would be to give these documents fully,
he would state that one report, which formed a volume and
cost £lOO, .containet? a disquisition on the peculiarities of the
Saxon and Celtic races. The right hon. member's
views 'were based on an entirely erroneous view of, the
functions of the inspectors, and would, if carried out, lead
to positive injury. All that the right hon. member re-
quired that was of benefit to be published was already sup-
plied under the existing mode that had been adopted by the
Council of Education. The reports would be laid before the
house in manuscript, and if it was considered that that
was not satisfactory any hon. member might move that
they be printed in extenso.
Mr. M. GIBSON observed that the main point of diffe-
rence was as to the general reports, which Mr. Cowper
wanted to have entire, while the Government proposed to
make a digest of them. He (Mr. Gibson) preferred having
the report§ in the inspectors' own forms.
The motion was opposed by Mr. BLACK, and supported,
by. Mr. PULLER. ,
Lord PALMERSTON hoped that, as the difference was
slight, Mr, didderley would yield to the motion. It was