POSTSCRIPT.

SATURDAY NIGHT.

In the House of Lords last night, the Marquis of LANSDOWNE produced a series of minutes by the Educational Committee of Privy Council, setting forth the plan finally adopted by Government for the extension of educa- tion, and which would require no fresh act of Parliament to carry it into effect—

Eh began by expressing his regret that Government could not bring forward a plan of universal education; and he glanced at the obstacles to so comprehensive a project—principally the sectarian jealousies between the two great bodies of Churchmen and Dissenters.

Lord Lansdowne took a very brief and general glance at the results of the pre- sent system. From 1833 to 1846 the gross amount of Parliamentary grants was 490,0001.; the school-houses for which grants had been made would, when com- pleted, accommodate 550,000 scholars. There are also 3,500 schools acconinioda- tag 150,000 scholars, which have invited inspection, though without grants. owing for errors in this calculation, there is accommodation for 500,000 scholars, besides several normal schools.

He described the plan. The system of inspection, which has worked very well, is to be extended; and he thought that it ought to be so far extended as to secure an inspection of every school once in the year. Be could not, however, say that, even with the assistance of three or four more inspectors, this was an object likely to be accomplished. Hereafter it might; but at present the addition to the ex- isting number of inspectors would be such as to insure an inspection of the most important schools, and an approach towards that most desirable object a general inspection annually. It is amain object to raise the standard and condition of schoolmasters. In order to secure a good phalanx of efficient schoolmasters, it was also proposed that, whenever it should appear that a teacher had ably and successfully con- ducted his school, liberty should be given him to select from the most promising of his pupils a certain number of apprentices, who should be trained under him, for the purpose of preparing them to take charge of schools when found com- petent for the task. An additional allowance should be made to the teacher for each apprentice; the selection of apprentices to be made by the guardians or patrons of the schooL In selecting future schoolmasters from these apprentices, their genernal attain- ments were to be considered; but at the same time their fitness for teaching was not to be overlooked. Such of them as were of good attainments, but were not considered as fully competent to teach, would be provided.with employment in the revenue departments of the country. It was proposed that pensions should be allowed to well-conducted school- masters and schoolmistresses who should be reported as having for fifteen years conducted unexceptionably schools of a certain size. Besides these retiring pen- sions, it was proposed that a certain number of gratuities should, on the report of the inspectors, be given to schoolmasters who had not retired, but who should have been declared to have exercised their vocation creditably to themselves. It had often been made the subject of application to the Privy Council that the schools should be provided with a species of industrial ap rates, includi that which was necessary for the cultivation of the soil, an means of whi instruction might be conveyed to the scholar- on subjects.' Hy included in any system of education. Such plans would be aided by Gov cut with grants any system of education. Such plans would be aided by Gov cut with grants

equal in amount to the voluntary contributions. In towns. it would necessarily be the most convenient course to supply the schools with industrial apparatus and to hire workshops for their use—in agricultural districts to hire fields for the ex- ercise of industry and the cultivation of skill during the leisure hours of the pupils. Such arrangements would not in the least degree interfere with the literary avocations of the children; and in his opinion there was nothing would more reconcile parents teeny system of education than that the children should, during their condition of pupilage, acquire the knowledge of sonic useful trade, by. which they might subsequently obtain the means of being serviceable to their

It was also intended to improve the condition of workhouse-schools. This was all that the Government was at present prepared to propose.

Lord Bnonowast regretted that Ministers were unable to produces general plan. But he admitted that no such general system was possible, because society- is divided into two great classes—Churchmen and Dissenters—who loweeducation much, but controversy more. He approved of the details explained by Lord Lansdowne.

Approval was also expressed, by the Bishop of Lowoort and the Arch- bishop of CANTERBURY. The Bishop of ST. AsAPH made a, slight ob- jection on one point—the prospect that all schoolmasters would be drawn from the lower classes of society; implying approval of the rest. The Ewa of WINCHILSEA wished for a general system of national education in direct connexion with the Established Church.

The minutes were ordered to lie on the table.

Sarlier in the evening, Lord BROUGHLML moved for an account of the premium on Exchequer Bills on each day from the 1st to the 5th of Febru- ary; for an account of the dividends actually paid on all railway stock in the United Kingdom during the two last years; and for an account of the names of all persons holding stock in Irish railways on the 1st of February 1847.. His object was to elucidate Lord George Bentinck's project, which was advocated in the other House on the ground that it would enable Irish shareholders to turn their shares into money. The returns were or- dered. In the course of conversation on the motion, Lord George Bentinck's plan was eulogized by the Duke of &custom), Lord STANLEY, Earl FITZWILLIAM, and the Earl of WINCHILSEA.

In the House of Commons, before going into Committee on the Des- titute Persons (Ireland) Bill, Mr. HuTz urged upon Ministers the adop- tion of a systematic plan of emigration, as the only means of effectually meeting the distresses of Ireland. There could be no increased produc- tion in Ireland without improved cultivation, and no improved cultivation without a consolidation of small holdings: this involved the removal of cottier-tenants, who must of course be provided for. Foreign colonization offered the only means for doing this effectually. Properly conducted, the whale cost might be defrayed by the operation itself, as in South Austra- lia. If colonization were not adopted, the transition from potato culture would be attended by the greatest calamities; and if Ministers should come down next year and ask for another gift of 10,600,000L to Ireland, they would throw the country into such a state of alarm that it would be difficult to,oarry on the Goverrunent. Sir GEORDE GREY admitted the importance of the subject—it was too important, indeed, to be discussed incidentally ;

and he hoped that the House would now proceed with-the business actuallie before it.

[Mr. Hutt has done good service in drawing attentioa distinctly and' forcibly to an important subject specially bearing upon Ireland-and her ex- trication from the present disastrous state of matters, though singularly neglected by the Government. His speech made a strong impression on the Treasury bench, we believe, as well as on other parts of the House; and out of doors it is hailed as giving expression to a very prevalent opinion.]

Next, Mr. STAFFORD O'BRIEN insisted on reducing the size of electoral% districts for the purpose of poor-relief rating. Mr. LABOUCBERE said than the Government would stand firm against Mr. O'Brien's propobinom. Townland divisions were in general conterminous with individual prcpec- ties: a resort to that mode of division, therefore, savoured-of serfage and feudalism, and was not applicable to a country like Ireland in the nine- teenth century. Besides, it would act unjustly in many cases, and would! put an end to the concert and cooperation which were springing up in Ire- land in consequence of its proprietors now being forced, as it. were, to meet in their electoral districts.

A lengthened discussion followed; many Irish Members, including MIN. MORE O'Feanatt, supporting Mr. O'Brien's views. Nothing, however, came of the matter; and the House went into Committee.

In Committee there was a good deal of sharp discussion, without, how- ever, any tangible result. On the third clause, Mr. STAFFORD OBRi EN, moved an amendment, the effect of which was to admit clergymen to Relief Committees. On a division, the amendment was lost, by 128 to 32.

At midnight, on the motion of Mr. ROEBUCK, the House resumed, and immediately adjourned.