27 APRIL 1872, Page 3

Mr. Forster's speech was exceedingly good in tone, frank, -courteous,

firm. He pointed out that it was absolutely essential -to a policy of compulsion to give the poor parent all the freedom -of choice there was to give, that it would literally be impossible to put him in prison for not sending a child to one school when he professed his complete willingness to send him to another qualified school, and on this he gave no hope of ever giving way. The -compromise suggested by Mr. Dixon, however, he was quite willing to consider carefully next year, when there would be more experience before the Government and the country of the action of the School Boards,—in rural parishes as well as in towns,—but he declined to distract the School Boards from their work now by reopening so soon a question provisionally settled. He rallied Mr. Dixon gently on making so great a merit of the support given by Dis- senters on principle to the Government, support which they could not conscientiously have withheld, but the tone of his speech was opite as cordial and courteous, as it was firm and dignified.