THE EDUCATION BILL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13631, 28 June 1906, Page 7

THE EDUCATION BILL.

DEBATE ON CLAUSE i Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, June 86. (Received June 27, at 9.39 a.m.) A debaLu is procer/ling in the House of Commons on Mr Evelyn Cecil's amendnient. to make clause 4 of the Education S'.ill mandatory. He, said that the liirvcH clause was an excrescence on the hill, and his amendment was an exception grafted on an exception, H« predicted that- the local authorities #ould prove reasonable in limst cases. Mr 11. \V. Paul (L.), Dr Macnamara <L.), Mr ITillaire Belloc (L.l, and the Irish Nationalists all stated that they preferred Mr Ocil'B amendment to the •Government amendment. Mr Chamberlain said that the bill was drawn on wrong lines, and was not anionsiblo to the logical sequence of M. Cecil's amendment, -which would prove, to he an assimilation of country and urban schools. "What would the passivo resislers then ja_v?" he ashed. A conference of Nonconformists almost unanimously urged tho withdrawal ol clmisd 4 from (lie hill. The Rev. Harst llallowes said that, the Government should reconsider the question and produce a bettor bill. LONDON, .Tuna 27. (Received .Tune 27, at 10.36 p.m.) ?dr Cecil.',s amendment was negatived by 740 votes to 237, amidst loud Opposition cheers, this being the lowest Ministerial majority on any important division tnis session. lln> minority consisted of Hie 'Unionists, 68 'Nationalists, 20 Independent Labour members, and 27 Liberals and the. majority included two Catholics—Colonel Herbert and Mr C. O'Donnell.