The Education debate has lasted all the week. It was
resumed on Monday by Mr. Richard, the Member for Merthyr Tydvil, whose speech resembled the whole debate in this,—that it pre- sented a very curious mixture of very different and apposite views of policy. Mr. Richard, of course, objected to the Government's scheme that it favoured the denominational schools, and yet he argued that denominational religion was the only religion worth anything ; ho attached no value to the colourless and neutral teaching which might be aimed at under the name of unsectarian religion. Again, he utterly objected to a non-religious education, and maintained that religious teaching was of the essence of all education ; yet he strongly opposed any action of the Government to secure it, or to help those who aim at giving it. Nothing could suit him but that every child should have a religious education at the expense of some voluntary sect, and a secular education at the expense chiefly of the community, and that the State should refrain from even asking whether the former were given, or taking steps to remedy the neglect if it were not. Mr. Gathorne hardy was dissatisfied, of course, for the precisely opposite reason. The denominational schools were endangered by the measure, and the Privy Council grant on which they would be left dependent might at any time be withdrawn. Mr. Hardy rallied the League on its great expenditure not to create new schools, but to discourage those which now exist.
