The Government have hit en a- via media,--if it be
a via- rnedia,—in relation to the O'Keeffe case, and the evidence on which we commented last week. The Marquis of Hartington, has addressed a letter to the Commissioners of National Educa- tion, stating that "the Government entertain no doubt that the- Commissioners have acted throughout this controversy, not only r" in accordance with their own convictions, but in accordance also with a course of practice which would have been broken by the continuance of Mr. O'Keeffe as the recognised manager of the Callan schools "; i.e., they have been strictly consistent, and not guilty of the subservience so freely attributed to them ; but as- there appears to be no specific rule for the case of withdrawing their recognition from an unsuitable manager, and there- ought to be a regular mode of action followed in all such cases, Lord Hartington proposes a new rule, which the- Commissioners have adopted unanimously. The rule is this :— " The Commissioners also reserve to themselves the power of' withdrawing the recognition of a patron or local manager, if he shall fail to observe the rules of the Board, or if it shall appear- to them that the educational interests of the district require it ; but such recognition will not be withdrawn without an investi- gation into the above matters, held after due notice to the patron or local manager, and to all parties concerned." Under that rule, Mr. O'Keeffe would have had due notice, but would have, been superseded for precisely the same reason for which, as a. matter of fact, he was superseded. Mr. Gladstone told Mr. Bouverie last night that Mr. O'Keeffe would have "the full benefit" of the rule ;—i.e., we suppose that he will be restored for a day or two, will have notice that the Board think him unfit, will protest against that view freely, and will then be removed.. Mr. Bouverie expressed himself quite satisfied with having got so. much cry and so little wool out of his threatened motion.
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