Sir John Garet was discussed in the House of Lords
on Tuesday, the Archbishop of Canterbury wanting to know why he had said that the religious instruction in Board- schools was better than in voluntary schools. In making that statement the Vice-President had stepped altogether beyond his functions. The Duke of Devonshire, in reply, read a letter from Sir John Gored, in which he stated that he had given his opinion not as Vice-President, but as a private member. The Duke thought that answer sufficient, but rebuked with official " regret " his remark that squires and farmers were no friends to education. That was not true, and had it been true could not be known to the speaker. Lord Kimberley thereupon dotted the "i's" of the rebuke, declaring that a Minister of the Crown had no business to express private opinions upon public matters. It seems to us that Sir J. Gorst's excuse makes matters infinitely worse, because, if accepted, it would destroy all con- fidence in any statement made by a Minister of the Crown. We can only trust that the next time he states Cs private opinion it will, for obvious reasons, not be mis- taken for that of the Vice-President of the Council. It is more convenient for the public service to fill that great office, which is really that of Minister of Education, with a gentle- man who has not two voices, and does not, as a rule, disagree with himself.
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