The Birmingham School Board are about to restore the reading
of the Bible in the Board Schools. This is the re- sult of an offer made to the Liberals by the eight Conserva- tive candidates, who were the advocates of Bible-reading in schools, to withdraw three of their number, and so avoid a contest, if the Liberals would but agree to the restoration of Bible-reading in the schools. This offer, we are informed, has been accepted. The daily reading of the Bible is to be restored, and the next Birmingham School Board, consisting of eight Liberals, five Conservatives, a Roman Catholic, and a " labour " candidate, will be elected without a contest. The compromise appears to indicate that the Liberal party in Birmingham are aware that the attempt to exclude undenominatioual religious teaching in Board Schools is not popular in the town, and might, if renewed, have exposed the Liberals to defeat,—a very notable fact for the consideration of democrats. We can only hope that the restored Bible-reading will be of an intelligent, and not a routine, kind. The Bible "without note or comment," is not a suitable book for the education of children.
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