The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-16 00:00:00

NOTICE,

The Third Edition of " The Sun" of last Evening, con-
taining the Latest Betting at Tattersall's, &c., and Ar-
rivals at Windsor, was published in time for delivery in
town at 7.15 p.m.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORUS —('tars EVENING.)
The Lon) CILINCELLOA tOOk hi seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

PETITION

Earl STANHOPE presented a petition relative to the
Ecclesiastical Titles Bill.

POOR RELIEF BILL.

On this bill being commitTed:Lord PORTMAN moved
that certain clauses inserted by Lord Carnarvon 133 struck
out; and Lord Devon agreed with him that the bill was
better as it originally stood.
The Earl of CARNARVON said that he had added
these clauses because hs considered that the Court of
Quarter Sessions ought to have the control of certain por-
tions of the asylums to which the local rates were devoted.

The M irquis of 8.1. T If Tlis ae•-reed with his noble frierd,
and s'iould support the anieLidnlent of the noble lurd
opposite,

. • The .E-trl of STRADBROKE inad3 a few ramarks in
favour of the clauses.

The E u• 1 of SHAFTESBURY said that it was well
known that the general opinion was that all lunatics
should be under the superinten•ionce of the magistracy.
(LEFT SITTINGv)

HOUSE OF CONINIONS.—(Tais DAT.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at two o'clock.
PUBLIC SCUOOLS BILL.

On the motion for going into coal nittee on this bill,
Mr. NEATE moved that the bill be referred back to a
select committee. He contended that, by the bill now be-
fore the house, the property of the old schools at Win-
chester, Eton, Harrow, Rugby, and other places, was to
be transferred to the new governing body set forth in
the measure, which might be made quite independent of
the present masters and fellows of the schools at the places
he had mentioned. Ho did not desire that undue rover-
once should be paid to old things, yet the summary way in
which the property of the schools and colleges was
diverted from its original purposes was a proceeding that
could not but receive ;he strongest opposition in the
different schools. It was no trifling matter that could be
dealt with if the bill passed, as it amounted to upwards
of .£89,000 per annum, and the sum being so large he
strenuously objected to go into committee, and therefore
he proposed that the bill should go through a searching
inquiry, that it should be referred back in order that
clauses might be inserted in is giving power to the new
governing bodies and commissioners to be appointed by
the bill to deal with the constitution and revenues of Eton
and Winchester College!.
Mr. MOWBRAY defended the bill, and said he be-
lieved that most of the schools were anxious for legisla-
tion, and under such circumstances ho hoped the house
would not agree to the recommendation of the hon. mem-
ber fcr Oxford. The hon. gentleman had urged matters
that ought to have been considered four years ago, and
after the exertions that had been necessary to advance the
bill to the present stage ho hoped the house would refuse
to agree to take the course proposed by the hon. member
for Oxford city.
Mr. NEWDEGATE objected to the bill, but he did so
on different grounds to the hon. gentleman opposite. He
dissented from the provisions of the bill, because excep-
tions were made in favour of one school in preference to
another.

Mr. AYRTON said the present arrangement of the
pubic schools was altogether a fashionable one, and the
sooner it was more useful to the public in general the
bet ter.

Mr. GOSCIIEN was very anxious to go into committee
on the bill.

Mr. LOWE said it was useless and impossible to endea-
vour to educate the general public by this method. He
thought it was absolutely necessary that the head master
should be made to feel the necessity of doing all that
was in his power for the commercial success of his school,
irrespective of endowments ; if not, the effect of
an appointment, without reference to that important
prospect, one made merely to look after the endowments
would result in very bad effects. He thought it abso-
lutely necessary that there should be a strict examination
in these establishments every year, but he contended that
it was worse than useless to endeavour to carry out the
public schools solely with a view to endowments. (Hear,
hear.) They must adopt a free trade system in their
public schools, and without they did so they would never
succeed in mlking them what they were intended.
Sir S. NORTHOOTE said he was exceedingly anxious
to got into commit'ee. The great object of the bill was
to improve and not revolutionize the education given
in our public schools, and therefore he hoped no unneces-
sary difficulty would be raised in the way of progress.
Mr. FORSTER thought a great want now was a first-
class establishment where a person could give his son a
liberal education for less than £2,000. He hoped to see
the day when it would be no rarety to see the clever sons
of poor parents so rise up through examination, so that,
with certain improvements to bo introduced, they might
bo enabled to secure for themselves a high class education.
Mr. WALPOLE thought the present discussion might
well terminate, as he had consulted the best authorities,
and he could positively sty that the bill at present gives
the fullest power to the governing body, in conjunction
with the commissioners, of ec arranging all the property
of the different public schools as to secure their being de-
voted to the best purposes.
After some further discussion, in which Mr. D. Griffiths,
Mr. Arland, and Mr. Marsh took part, Mr. Neat° with-
drew his motion. and the house went into committee; Mr.
Dodson in the ch

On clause 1 a sharp discussion arose as to the title of
the bill, Mr. ACLAND contending that there were other
schools quite as much entitled to be consi,lered " public"
schools as those dealt with in the bill. He moved the
omission of the word "public" from the clause under con-
sideration.

The ant mdment was negatived.
Mr. AYEITON wished to know why St. Paul's school
in the City of London was excepted front the operations
of the bill. It was at present under the direction of the
"Mercers' Company," but what that was :to & .aid any
parson in Parliament to find out. He had done his utmost
to obtain same information on the subject, but ho had
been invariably told, when he applies at the "Mercers'
Hall," that they made it a fundamental principle never to
give any information abont the governing body. This
comfortable and no doubt cosy city company had
a sum of nearly .£lO,OOO par annum to administer as
the income of St. Paul's School, and the
number of scholars they undertook to educate
was 153, who swallowed the whole of the .£9,600. (Hear,
hear.) The property from which this revenue arose was
situated in the Tower Hamlets, and it so happened that
there was a very poor charity school on it, which was
actually starving for want of funds. Ile went to endeavour
to get a little assistance from the rich ground landlords
of the poor charity school—viz.' the Mercers' Company
when he was told by a remarkably well-fed looking
personage at Mercers Halt, that he could give him (Mr.
Ayiston) no information as to wliont he was to
apply. (Hoar, hear, and laughter.) He used all
diligence he was able, but ho failed altogether to
discover who and what was the governing body of the
Mercers' Company. They had already been permitted to
treat Royal Commissioners with contempt, so it was not
surprising they did not give him information they denied
other more important personages. He wanted to know
what the Mercers' Company aid ? (Rear, Mar.) They
did'ut assist reduced morcers—(loud laughter)—or do
anything else than receive a largo amount of
money which they expended as they thought fit, without
the slightest statement or balance-sheet over being
shown to any persons. He know they had en-
tirely diverted the original intention of the original
founder of St. Paul's School, because the admission into
that educational establishMent in the City was
only to be had by the securing of the patronage
of ono of the mysterious Mercers Company.
(Laughter, and hear, hear.) It was whispered that two or
three families formed the company, and that they divided
the patronage amongst them. Whether that was so or
not he did not know, but as the school was omitted from
the bill, ho supposed there was some reason for it. How-
ever, as he wished that all educational legacies should be
put to their legitimate purposes, he should move that St.
Paul's School bo added to the establishments dealt with
by the present bill. (Cheers.)
Mr. LOWE said he had an amendment that required
consideration before that of the hon. member for the
'.l.'owin. Hamlets was disposed of. cHe then moved an
amendment to the effect that the appointment of the
government be left with the commissioners.
A discussion followed, after which the house divided.
For the amendment - 69
Against it
Majority against the amendment
After the consideration of clauses 4 and 5, the sitting of
the house was adjourned until 9 o'clock.