IMPERIAL POLITICS

Otago Witness, Issue 2856, 9 December 1908, Page 19

IMPERIAL POLITICS

THE EDUCATION BILL. LONDON, December 1. In the House of Commons the first clause of the new Education Bill, giving State- aid only to publicly-controlled schools, abolishing tests for teachers, and making the Cowper-Temple system of teaching compulsory for three-quarters of •an hour daily, was carried by 238 votes to 144 after a sharp and acrimonious debate. "Mr Asquith implied that Mr Balfour ivas trying to wreck the measure. Mr Balfour declared that Mr - Asquith •would not dare to use such offensive language if the committee was not working under a gag. He urged the Government to say, whether a complete understanding toad been, reached with the Anglican and Catholic Hierarchy regarding the adequacy of the Government's financial terms. Mr Asquith denied representing that the bill was the result of a complete agreement. He regarded the principle in the first clause as representing a concession *>y the ChuTch made to Nonconformity in return fo.r corresponding sacrifices in the latter clauses made by the Nonconformists to the Church. He was anxious that the right of entry should be adequately safeguarded. He considered thai contracting out was an essential feature of the com- ■ promise. The Exchequer would pay con- 1 tracted-out schools 85 per oent. of the cost per child, leaving only 15 per cent. to be provided by subscription. Mr Dillon and other Catholic members pleaded for more generous treatment of ' Catholic schools. Mr Runciman said he was confident that Catholic subscribers would not be called < on to provide £300,000 a year to keep their schools in existence •if the grant were increased to 50s. i Most of clause 1 had not been discussed when the closure was applied. Mr Runcwnan said he hoped that before the bill left the House of Commons be •would be able to state whether the Church representatives accepted the Government's terms. All outstanding questions had now been settled', excepting that of the rent to be paid for ferred schools and the amount of. the grants for "contracting out" schools. December 2. On clause 2 of the Education Bill a stron-g Nonconformist and Radical attack was directed against the concession of • the righ^, of entry to country schools for : religious teaching. The" Opposition chiefly ! supported the Government December 3. The second clause of the Education Bili was carried by 276 votes to 66. A lively debate took place on the Government's resolution authorising the payment of grant 6 for education. Mr J. Redmond complained that a 50s grant meant the ruin of the Catholic j schools. i Mr Lyttelton read an important com- j nvunication from th<? Archbishop of Canterbury to Mr Runciman complaining ; that the payments on account of trans- i i erred voluntary schools were utterly in- | i ufficient, involving an annual average deficiency of 14s 6d per child. Regarding contractinig-out schools, if they were to maintain efficiency without an impossible ] 6train voluntary subscribers' grants must i be increased by at least Bs, and must rise automatically year by year. The Archbishop of Canterbury concluded by stating that unless these essential demands were ! conceded he would be forced to the conclusion that the schedule took away what the bill purported to give, and consequently a settlement which was seemingly attainable could not be carried out. During the discussion on the Education Bill Sir G-eorge White indicated that if the demand for an extra 7s were pressed the Nonconformists would not adhere to the compromise. . Mr Runcdmaa said thai the Government •was unable to. satisfy Roman Catholic demands by making the increased grant equivalent to the amount of the existing grant plus the rates. He thought that a 50s grant to the contracting-out schools erred on the side of liberality. To offer a larger grant would be putting a premium on oontracting-out. The Government was ireally offering to provide five-ir'xths of the cost of maintenance, leaving onesixth to fee derived from voluntary subsiriptioos, *ndowment&, and fee*.

The financial resolution was then carried by 241 to 119. The Times declares that if the arranged settlement breaks down it will be on a point of petty finance, not one of principle. ' The Daily Chronicle (G.) says that if j the Archbishop of Canterbury persists in his ultimatum, or anything like it, all . hope of a settlement by mutual consent [ is dead. [ December 4. ' j Mr Asquith moved that further con- ' , sideration of the Education Bill be postponed till Friday, the Prime Minister ' remarking that it would be a waste of time to proceed until some settlement j had been reached, as he hoped there . might yet be. The Archbishop of Canterbury, address- ■ ing the representatives of the Church . Council, at the Church House, said he [ was not prepared to abandon hopes of a settlement, even after Mr Eunciman's last letter, though the negotiations had never been more dispiriting than they were now. While believing that a settlement was absolutely needed for England's sake, he said it was possible to &3cure educational peace at too great a cost. - The. Rev. C. A. Oripps, Vicar-general of Canterbury, moved that the- council [ do not accept the compromise embodied - in the bill. The Bishop of Salisbury moved an amendment that the bill was unacceptable I without serious alterations. I The amendment was lost by 187 votes to 216. The Rev. Mr Cripps's motion was carried by 189 to 99, but was declared ' lost because it did not obtain a majority , of the three orders — bishops, clergy, and laity. The council deprecated proceeding with th« bill this session. The Council Schools Protection Committee has issued an important manifesto j urging all friends of national education i to prevent ecclesiasticism from securing the right of entry into council schools. Dr Clifford declares that the Government had better fling its bill to the winds than yield any further. i The Daily Telegraph (0.) states that a majority of the Cabinet are prepared to increase the grants to contracting-out schools by 2e 6d. It is reported that the t only optimists in the Cabinet are Mr A6quith and Mr Runciman. Others are ' indifferent, and some are hostile to compromise. The Daily News (G.) declares that there will be no tears even if tho bill dis- • appear*. j It is officially announced that the Edution Bill has been abandoned. The Cabinet's decision, which was practically unanimous, was due to the impossibility of arranging contracting-out terms. December 5. Mr Runciman, in a letter to the Primate, remarked that it was understood that the number of schools contracting out ] was to be strictly limited. The State ! i promised to give them a reasonable I i chance for existence. No facts had been J 1 produced showing that tho proposals Ln j i the bill were inadequate. The meeting of j the Church Council altered the whole I situation, and seveial new claims had been advanced -with the support of the majoiity i of the bishops; hence tho Government's i conclusion that tho Archbishop ot C.uitei - i I bury did not find it possible to obtain j an adhesion to the terms of the pioposed ' settlement. I The Primate, replying on Friday night I and surveying the details of the meeting, j declares that Mr Runcunan"s view concerning the council vote is based on a complete misapprehension of the facts. He says that more rc-gi'ets over the less of the Education BUI weie expressed among Churchmen than ainor^t Nonconformists, many of whom threatened to revolt if further concessions were granted. Mr Alfred Lyttelton, in a letter to The Times, deprecates the abandonment of a final settlement merely owing to differences in figures which have been hastily collected by both, tides. Dr Clifford has advised a resumption of passive resistance. The Times suggests the reintroduction of tlse bill next session. The Telegraph declares that several members of the Cabinet are in favour of a dissolution in January on the ground that the Government will then be able to retain the support of that section of the Nonconformists who, if the education qjoeptJpn ha.d fe#?n settled^ would have

left it owing to the Socialistic tendencies of its legislation.