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The Advertiser
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1870.
PROCEEDINGS IN PARLIAMENT.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21.
In the Legislative Council—
The Hon. J. H. BARROW presented a petition
from persons residing in various parts of the
colony, praying that a bridge might be erected
over the Murray near Wellington.
The Chief Secretaet laid on the table the
telegram from the Agent-General, stating the
circumstances under which the bonds for the j
telegraph loan were unsuccessfully offered in
the London market.
The motion of the Chief Secbetabt for the
Council meeting from day to day was lost.
The Abolition of Primogeniture, Dower, and
Courtesy Bill was read a second time, and a
number of clauses passed in Committee. '
The Port Augusta Railway Bill was read a
first time.
The Gold Mining Bill was read a first time.
The House adjourned at about 10 minutes
to 5 o'clock till next day.
In the House of Assembly-
Two petitions were presented, one praying
that the Murray Bridge might be erected at
Wellington; the other praying that the low
railway tariff for cereals might continue in force
till September next.
Mr. Bbiobt's motion that all Crown lands
should not be surveyed in large blocks, was dis
cussed and carried.
Mr. Dtjffibld's inot'on for £5,000 for the road
between Gawler and Tanunda was negatived.
The Port Augusta Railway Bill was passed.
The Gold Mining Bill was passed.
The Hon. Mr. Stbanowats's metion respect
ing the drainage of the city was carried.
The Attobket-Geseral moved the second
reading of the Insolvency and Debtors BO!,
after which the debate was adjourned.
The House adjourned at 5.45 till next day.
Next to the interest excited by the great
European war, is that which the new
Education Act has called forth in the
mother country. The papers abound
with leaders, letters, speeches, advertise
ments, and reports of every kind in refe
rence to this subject. The extraordinary
zeal thus newly enkindled is an augury
for good. No one now attempts to
palliate the deficiencies of the existing
system, or to throw obstacles in the way
of a wholesale educational reform. The
sudden inspiration of the numerous con
flicting and diverging friend's and expo
nents of popular education is really some
thing wonderful, and it is by no means an
easy task to marshal the facts or classify
the arguments which this new era in the
history of education has brought to
light. Men of all creeds and of no
creed at all are agitating, organising,
and working, until there is really Borne
danger that the end in view will be lost
sight of in the universal upstirring of
sects and parties. It is as though people
had suddenly awakened from a dream of
years, and were resolved by the rapidity
and energy of their present movements
to compensate for past indifference and
neglect. Catholics, Protestants of all
denominations, Jews, Secularists, &c.,
&c., are all in the field, not merely as
spectators of the strife, but as eager par
ticipants in the fray. The new Act is
peremptory; it sets all to work, either
on the voluntary principle or upon com
pulsion ; and it sets all to work at once.
At a recent meeting at Preston, Lord
Derby said that the object of the Act was
not merely to ensure the education of the
[ people, but uto increase in various ways
the efficiency, and to add tothe number -
of tixe elementary schools in this part of
the country, which are in connection with
the Established Church." Lord Derby
rightly describes the opportunity which
Parliament has given for this separate
denominational action on a national
question. The object of Mr. Forster's
Act is to have every child in the king
dom taught —by the denominational
system, if that system can do it; by the
system of School Boards, rates, compul
sion, and onsectarian teaching, if deno
minationalism fails. The new system is
an alternative, and only an alternative.
In Lord Derby's words, Parliament says
to the ratepayers, "We do not want to
tie you up tightly as to the means you
shall employ. If you can get on without
compulsion, so much the better; if you
cannot, you are authorised to use com
pulsion ; if you can work through, the
agencies actually existing, do so at once;
if you cannot, or had rather not try,
there is provided in the School Board a
new machinery which will be effective; if
voluntary funds aided by the State will
suffice, then go on with your voluntary
arrangements; if that breaks down, then
there is a system on which you may fall
back." The Church of England and
the Roman Catholics are especially
raising large sums for schoolhonse
extension, as after this year no State
grants will be given for educational
buildings, and no State aid will be given
for teaching after April 1, 1871, except
in "public elementary schools." Hence
every effort is being made by the deno
minations to qualify themselves for the
Parliamentary grant. To constitute a
''public elementary school" the atten
dance of the scholars at any Sunday
school or place of worship, or at any reli
gious observance in the school, cannot be
required ; religious instruction must take
place at the beginning, or end, or both,
of the school hours; and "no child
withdrawn by his parent from any reli
gious observance or instruction is to
forfeit any of the other benefits of the
school/ But there is this additional
tegulation in reference to rate-aided
schools—that " no religious catechism or
religious foramlary, which is distinctive
of any particular denomination, is to be
taught." j
There is to be a census of every school
district, and every deficiency will be
made good by a School Board. These
bodies are also allowed to take over any of
the present voluntary schools which wish
to be transferred, and it is said to be pro
bable that nearly all the schools of
London will in course of time be thus
absorbed. They have also the power to
decree compulsory education in their
own district, subject to the approval of
the Educational Department, and the re
strictions laid down in the Act. In fact
the measure of last session is so framed
that in course of time all the present
schools are likely, to be absorbed in dis
trict rate-aided schools, except in small
parishes.
Whilst the whole country is more or
less agitated, London is the scene of an
unparalleled contest, owing to the forth
coming election of a School Board. The
Education Act of last session provided
(at the suggestion of Mr. McCullagh
Torrens) that there should be one Board
for the whole of the metropolis, chosen
by direct election. The Board was to be
elected on the 29th November. The
divisions of the metropolis correspond
with the ten Parliamentary boroughs.
The City will return four members;
Marylebone, seven ; Finsbury, six;
Lambeth, five ; Tower Hamlets, five;
Hackney, five; Westminster, five;
Southwark, four; Chelsea, four; and
Greenwich, four—making a total of j
forty-nine members. In the City the
voters are to be those persons qualified
to elect the Common Councilmen, and
their decision is to be given by voting
papers signed. In all the other divisions,
the electoral body will be the ratepayers,
or persons rated to the poor-rate, and
the voting will be by ballot—that is, by
means of a paper filled up in the polling
booth, but not signed. In all cases the
votes can only be given for candidates
nominated in writing on or before
the 17th of November, but they
may all be bestowed on one candidate,
or distributed at pleasure. This provision,
which is called the "cumulative vote,"
will tell greatly in favor of the supporters
of the denominational system in London.
Thus, the Wesleyans intend to give all
their votes in the several divisions to their
own men, and other bodies will do the
same. The new Board wQI be a kind of
metropolitan Parliament, and London is
called upon to set an example to the
country. Eminent men in politics, lite
rature, science, and education are coming
forward as candidates, among whom may
be mentioned Sir C. Trevelyan, Professor
Huxley, Lord Lawrence, Tom Hughes,
Mr. Froude, Mr. Hepworth Dixon, Mr.
Geo. Moore, Mr. Torrens, M.P., Mr.
Neve Foster, Mr. G. W.* Hastings, Dr.
Angus, Mr. C. E. Mudie, Viscount
Sandon, Dr. Bigg, Sir S. Waterlow, &c.
Then there are one or two ladies, such as
Mrs. Grey and Mlbs Garrett, M.D., and
a phalanx of artisan representatives, in
cluding Mr. Applegarth, Mr. G. Potter,
and Mr. Cremer. Election Committees
and Societies have been formed, and the
addresses are quite a feature in the daily
papers. The secular party pure and
simple seem to be nowhere. Most of the
candidates go on the principle of unsec
tarian religious education, and even Pro
fessor Huxley assents to the reading of
the Bible in schools. A kind of tacit
compromise seems to have been come to
already on this religious question, and
nearly all whose candidature is really
serious, advocate the retention of Bible
reading and the exclusion of theological
drilling.
We shall have other opportunities of
directing attention to this very remarkable
movement; to point out what may be re
garded as its dangerous or doubtful ten
dencies ; and to consider what is likely
to be the final outcome of good. The
opinions of the leading journals greatly
differ; but the balance of conviction is,
that a most important step has been
gained in melting the icy bonds of indiffe
rence ; in overthrowing sectarian preju
dices ; and in inducing thoughtful men
of all shades of opinion to present them
selves as co-workers in a much-needed
and too-long-delayed reformation.
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