The Birmingham League have, of course, declared them- selves in
a very exaggerated spirit against Mr. Forster's Education Act Amendment Bill, asserting that it will make matters worse instead of better as regards the fees to denomina- tional schools, which it will now be imperative on the Guardians. of the poor to pay, whereas the School Boards had a choice,—and denouncing the expedient of remitting this duty to School Boards as one that will " brand " large numbers of respectable people as- paupers. We have expressed our own view of this matter elsewhere, but may add here that it is evident that Mr. Dixon is not going to press the whole League policy on the House of Commons, but only that part of it which the League would probably least like to have divorced from the rest and separately enacted. Compulsion in the present condition of things would, in the rural districts, fill far more Church schools than Dissenting schools, and that is just what the Dissenters dread. They would like to end their reforms with compulsion, while Mr. Dixon begins with it. Fortunately for the League, it is not very important whether or not you write "this side upwards" on any bale of goods which you know is going into the Lost- luggage-office to wait till called for ; and therefore you may as
well put the most impressive side upwards, without troubling yourself about which of the two is likely to be first unpacked. In case Mr. Forster's amendment bill is once carried, we doubt whether the Dissenters themselves will adhere to their pet scruple -with any enthusiasm.
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