The Scotch Education Bill was introduced by the Lord-Advocate last
Monday, and met, on this its first appearance, with the mildest possible treatment by the Education League party. It provides a School Board for every burgh and parish, and leaves the School Board so appointed absolutely master of the situation iu regard to teaching, imposing no restriction on the religious teaching except the Time-Table Conscience Clause, and making no con- ditions about the proportion of the teachers' salary (if any) that is paid in consideration of the religious teaching imparted. Mr. Dixon, we suppose, intimated the intention of himself and his brother Secularists to insist on excluding the religious teaching from the duties of the schoolmaster, and on providing that no part of the rates or taxes shall go to the teachers of religious subjects, but he put his protest into language so genial and general, that it was not understood as a declaration of war. Yet the restrictions on religious teaching by the State schoolmaster and on State payments for that religious teaching, are far slighter than under the English Act. Is the Manchester Conference going to open the campaign with Scotland or not ? If not, it will be very difficult to do much with either England or Ireland.
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