The House of Commons during the past week has been
occupied chiefly with the London Education BilL On Monday, however, Mr. Asquith moved a vote of censure on the Govern- ment because the President of the Board of Trade had not intervened as a conciliator in the dispute between Lord Penrhyn and the Bethesda quarrymen. We have dealt with the matter elsewhere, but may note here that the Opposition made out a very poor case against the Government, and that ultimately Mr. Asquith's Motion was negatived by 134 votes (316 to 182). On Tuesday and Wednesday he London Education Bill was discussed on the second reading. ]fir. Balfour on Tuesday and Mr. Long on Wednesday asserted in the strongest way the willingness of the Government to modify the Bill, provided that its essential principles remained intact, one of those principles being that the Borough Councils should have a share in the work of educating London as well as the County Council. We have suggested elsewhere one way of preserving the Government's principle while meeting the objections against divided authority which apply to the Bill as it stands, and trust that the Government may be able to adopt amendments drawn on some such lines. On Wednes- day the Government carried the second reading by a majority of 137 (300 to 163). That is satisfactory, and for ourselves we do not doubt that if the Government are judicious in their handling of the Bill in Committee, a reasonable and workable measure will emerge from the ordeal.
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