The debate was continued on Monday by M. Groussau, who,
we learn from the Times report from which we are quoting, is a Professor of Law at the Roman Catholic University of Lille. He said that the whole difficulty arose from the fact that in many places the provided school is the only one available. Jules Ferry, he reminded the Chamber, had addressed the school-teachers in these words :—" When you are minded to bring forward a precept or maxim, ask yourself whether any father of a family could take exception to the words. If he could, refrain." The question was whether the spirit of that instruction had been observed. Here M. Briand interrupted to point out that in response to Roman Catholic representations certain passages in a school-book bad been changed. M. Groussau retorted that nevertheless the spirit of Jules Ferry had not been observed. For example, in the case of an essay on " An Honest Man" the children were given the following hint as to the sense of the essay :—" John is good, just, upright, and so forth. He is neither Catholic, nor Protestant, nor Jewish ; he is virtuous, which is enough."
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