On Monday Sir William Walrond made an interesting speech to
his constituents in the Tiverton division of Devon on the Education Bill. " He was quite sure Mr. Balfour had a very open mind on these questions. Mr. Balfour was very anxious that religion should be taught the children. He hoped, therefore, that Mr. Balfour would be able to adopt the suggestion, such as he had made, of Nonconformist ministers being allowed to go into voluntary schools and clergymen into Board-schools, if it could be found at all practicable and workable. Personally he believed there would be no difficulty in carrying it out." In our view, this would be the best and fairest solution of the problem, and also the one most likely to prove permanent and to allay religious controversy. We fear, however, as we have pointed out elsewhere, that in the present temper of the Nonconformists it is not one which is likely to be accepted. In their present mood they will hear of nothing that does not seem to promise a death-blow to the voluntary-school system.
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