The chief incident of importance in the debates on the
Educa- tion Bill in the Commons this week took place in connexion with a concession made by Mr. Birrell on Clause X., which gives the local education authority power to use temporarily a Voluntary school held under charitable trusts for the pur- pose of meeting any deficiency of public-school accommoda- tion. Mr. Birrell stated that when vacancies occurred in a school which was being temporarily carried on by the local authority, teacherp would be appointed to fill them by the managers selected by the local authority. The appointments, however, would be consistent with the terms of the trust, and the head-teachers would certainly be "denominational," and qualified to give the specified religious instruction. Against this concession, as he deemed it, Mr. Perks protested strongly. He declared, indeed, that the benefits which the Noncon- formists were entitled to expect under the Bill were being whittled away. After Mr. Birrell had energetically denied that this was the case, a division was taken, with the result that the Government carried their point by 369 votes against 51. The division was remarkable as showing that the Ministry can, if they like, depend upon the common-sense of their followers, and that they have no real cause to be in terror of the extremists in their own party. We sincerely trust that in other questions as well as education they will take this lesson to heart. On Wednesday, Part I. of the Education Bill having been finished and Part II. dropped, the House began the discussion of Part III. A good deal of debate took place in regard to Clause XXVI., which deals with delegation. Finally, it was decided that there should be a new clause which would set up a regular system of delegation from the County Councils. It is to be hoped that under the new clause provision will be made for giving women their proper share in the direction of education.
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