, 1876-08-12

an alternative which is to be really used in
cases where the indirect %compulsion fails.
The omission in Committee of the previ-
Ously authorised excuse for non-attendance
of any child,-"necessary domestic employ
ment in its own home,'-is an immense
boon to girls. Had that excuse been le-
galised, girls would have had a very bad
chance. They would always have been
kept at home to "mind the baby"
Mr.. Richard opposed the Bill on Tues
day, on the old-fashioned ground that
compulsion in matters of either religion or
education is intrinsicaIly undesirable but
much more strongly Oh the Dissenters'
ground that, at all events, compulsion is
undesirable while its tendency is to
sweep Dissenters into Church schools,
perhaps even High. Church or Ritualistio
schools, with no better defence than the
Conscience Clause. Mr.. Richard, like the
Dissenters generally, ridicules the protec-
ton afforded by the Conscience Clause ;
but the truth is that the protection is most
efficient for those parents who really care
about it, and we do not know why we
should protect those who do not. No
doubt, in nine cases out of ten, Dissenting
parents not only like their children TO
learn the Church Catechism with the
rest, but are exceedingly proud when they
find them taking the prize, as they often
do, for " religious knowledge" OF course
that is very weak-kneed Dissent. But
though it is the duty of the State to pro-
feet the consciences of sincere Dissenters,
it is nobody's duty, that we know of, to
keep half aud-haIf people out of the way
of neutrality-suspicious. the backsliders
be nominally dissenters, or Churchmen,
or Roman Catholics. Mr.. Richard was
beaten by o majority of 218,-(3I7 to 99).
The quarrel in the French Chamber over
the Municipal Bill has been settled as we
expected,-the extreme Left, under plea of
anxiety not to help the Bonapartists, de-
clining to vote, The Government there
fore carried their proposal to appoint ma
yOrs in the chief villages of c~antons, as well
as the chief towns of departments and ar
randissements, by 287 to 1872. It was then
proposed that the prOmulgation of the Bill
should be followed within three months
by fresh elections-so that the electors may
send up none but Liberals-and this a..
mendment being accepted, the Bill passed.
The success of the Ministry is undoubtedly
due to the determination of the President,
announced through the correspondent Of
the Times, to dissolve rather than surren-
der the right of selecting the Mayors,
which, in his belief, would be o direct
concession to Communist feeling.
The surprise of General Custer in the
BIack-HiIls country appears to have inspi-
rited all the Indian nations, and at Wash
ington they expect o great Indian war.
General Sheridan has been ordered to
collect all the troops he can, and take the
command on the frontier, aud the Presi-
dent has been authorised by the House Of
Representatives to call out five regiments
OF Western Volunteers. The American
Government could scarcely do less, but
the whole affair is most discreditable to its
Indian policy. The Sioux were living
peacefully in their reserves, till they were
told they must go, as the Government
could not resist the settlers demand for
the mineral region. They sent a deputa-
ton to Washington to plead for them, but
1t was insulted, and when at last they Of
fered to sell the Black Hills, the price they
asked, 100000 a year, was refused. It
is possible they went back resolved on re-
aiefouco hut WHOM Gonorol Nvn+or 49,.