Mr. Baines, M.P. for Leeds, and the organ of the
moderate Nonconformists who wish to try the Education Act fairly as it is made a speech on Tuesday, in reply to a deputation of Leaguers, in which he pointed out what ho thought were the shortcomings of the Education Act, and dwelt expressly on the increase of the central grant to denominational schools from 38 to 50 per cent., and on the groat number of new Church schools established in the " year of grace." Mr. Baines apparently thinks that the building grants for denominational schools might have been withdrawn without any increase to the central grant, and that these schools should, have been left to struggle against the rate-supported schools, without any advantage except the old grant, amounting generally to 33 per cent., but conditional on results. Ho forgets, as the Nonconformists forget, that the Bill in order to get through Parliament had to conciliate the denominationalists as well as the secularists, and that if building grants had been withdrawn and a powerful opposition of rate-built schools established, without any compensation to the existing schools, it would certainly have been defeated. Mr. Baines is in favour of School Boards all over the country, and of a compulsory School Board School iu all places where there are enough children whose parents are not Churchmen to fill one. These last suggestions might certainly be adopted by the Government, but they will not appease the political wrath which the great and sudden increase in Church Schools (as unforeseen, we believe, by the Government as by the Noncon- formists, at the time the Act passed) has caused. Unless the shadow on the sun-dial could be put back a great many degrees indeed, there would be no Nonconformist pardon for Mr. Forster.
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