In the House of Commons on Wednesday, after the King's
Message regarding the grant to Lord Kitchener had been re- ferred to Committee of Supply, the debate on the Education Bill in Committee was resumed. Dr. Macnamara moved an amendment limiting the right to claim to be local educational authorities to boroughs of twenty thousand and over, but this was rejected, and the Government maintained their clause allowing the option only to boroughs of ten thousand and over and urban districts of twenty thousand and over. The amendment was rejected by a majority of 196 (277 to 81). Majorities nearly as large supported the Government in de- feating other amendments. In the evening of Wednesday the Chancellor of the Exchequer, speaking on the Loan Bill, announced that he must for fiscal reasons maintain both the extra penny on the Income-tax and the Corn-duty. He should, however, stop the suspension of the Sinking Fund, which Fund should always be in operation in times of peace. As soon as civil administration was established in the new Colonies the Government intended to ask Parliament to guarantee a loan to be raised in the Colonies for the conver- sion of their Debts, for the acquisition of their railways, and for other beneficial purposes,—i.e., for the rebuilding and re- stocking of the farms.
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