The sun., 1902-10-16


tary schools have been supported partly
by the proceeds of lands and moneys left
in trust for the purpose, partly by annual
grants from the Imperial Exchequer,
and partly by annual contributions from
members Of the Anglican communion.
The bill now before Parliament proposes
to transfer to the rates or local taxes
the support Of these schools. the tax
payers to be represented by only two out
Of six managers in each parish and the
appointment OF teachers in the case Of
the eight thousand parishes named to be
restricted to the Anglican communion.
Now what, asked DR.. FAIRBAIRN. do
Nonoonformists. on their part, demand9
Simply this, that every school sup
ported by the people shall be man
aged by and for the people, and not by
section thereof DR.. FAIRBAIRN further
insisted that, from the viewpoint Of
public usefulness. the sole test applied
to male or female teachers in schools
supported by the taxpayers should be
that of competence, and that it was
obviously inexpedient to subordinate
that test to the question whether an appli-
cant belonged to the Church of England
1fthe instruction Of children in the tenets
Of particular sect we're desired by pa.
rents and guardians. that instruction
should be impaired at home or at Sunday
school, and not at the expense of tax
payers who might belong to different
sects. Not only was DR.. FAIRBAIRN
convinced that the Education bill in its
present form ought to receive the united
and unyielding opposition of Noncon-
formists, but he pointed out that the
present House Of Commons, having been
elected In 1900 on the mendacious boast
that the South African War was over
had no mandate to legislate concerning
so vital matter as public education.
After listening to DR.. FAIRBAIRN, and
after prolonged discussion of the sub
ject, the Congregational Unions of the
United Kingdom, by a very large ma
jority. adopted resolutions to the effect
that the Education bill had not only been
introduced without warrant from the
constituencies. but was being driven
through Parliament in the face Of unmis-
taxable proofs that the opinion of the
country is opposed to it's main provision
and that the bill violates the principles
OF civil and religious liberty, first, by
placing the entire support of denomina-
tional schools on public funds, without
providing for public control in all respects
Of such schools; and, secondly, by con-
fining the appointment Of teachers in
denominationa schools to members Of
such denominations, The resolutions
went on to call upon bis Majesty's Gov
eminent to withdraw the BILL or forth
with to appeal TO the country upon it.
If the demand should be unhceded, and
the bill should be forced upon the nation,
the resolutions finally declared that the
Congregational Unions would advise
their members TO refuse to pay the rates.
That is to say. the only rates collectible
under the act for the support Of Anglican
schools will be those voluntarily paid
by members Of the Anglican communion
and those collected by disarmament or
brce from non-Anglican members of the
community.
Now it is perfectly true that the Reform
Parliament of the United Kingdom rests
on a very different basis of authority
from that possessed by the Star Cham
ber against the DEGREES of which HAMP-
DEN protested; neither could one listen
without a smile to a comparison of such
Laodicean philosopher as Mr.. A. J.
BALroUR to Archbishop LAuD. Never
theless, the present British Government
will find itself in most unpleasant pre-
dicament if it persist in passing bill to
the execution Of which the Nonconform-
lists OF England and Wales seem deter
mined to make the same infexibe OPP
position which their forefathers offered
to the collection Of Ship-Money and
to LAUD's exasperating regulations.
Nor do we deem il at all improbable that
Mr.. BALFoUR himself regards with serene
indifference the whole subject of the
education of the lower classes, whether
Anglican or Nonconformist, and that
more than once during the heated debate
on the BILL he has been tempted to ejacu-
late A plague o. both your houses!'
Unfortunately for the Unionist party,
it has gone. or its leaders believe it to
have gone, too far to retreat: Mr.. CHAM
BERLAIN declared the other day in Bir-
mingham that, if the Government were
defeated on the Education bill, it would
resign,
From the viewpoint Of expediency, it
might be wiser for the Unionists to let
themselves be defeated on the Education
bill than to subject themselves to tho
necessity Of enforcing an obnoxious law,
the resultant odium of which might
Danish them from Office for many years.
They have given, as yet. no sign, how
ever, of receding from their proclaimed
intention to pass the measure.
In his estimates for next year Rear
Admiral TAYLOR, Chief of the Bureau of
Navigation Of the Navy Department, has
made a new departure by including an item