It may be well to observe that there is not
really the slightest necessary contradiction between the new proposal as to the Privy Council grants, and Mr. Richard's notice of "instruction" that "without desiring to interfere with the continued receipt of grants by existing schools, subject to an efficient conscience-clause, the House is of opinion that in any national system of elementary education the religious teaching should be supplied by voluntary effort, and not out of public funds." The grant will not cover the religious teaching; it will have no regard to the religious teaching ; it will be given equally to secular schools without any religious teach- ing; and unless the voluntary schools raise a good deal more than enough to cover the expense of the religious part of their system., they will not get on at all. Mr. Richard's instruction would cut off the Bible-classes of the rate-founded schools, and all official connection of the masters with those classes ; but it would be per- fectly consistent with the plan proposed by the Government in relation to the denominational schools.
