Debates anti Vrorectrings in Varliament.

EDUCATION.

In the House of Commons, on Tuesday, Mr. HUME proposed a plan of national education ; stating that he had arranged his motion with Mr. Roebuck in the first week of the session but had postponed it to see the result of Lord Ashley's motion, of the Government scheme, and of Lord John Russell's notice : the approach of the recess obliged him to wait no longer—

His opinion was, that education should be a national object ; that any

plan for its establishment should be introduced by the Government, and that its operation also should be superintended by the Government ; but that the details should be carried out by those connected with local interests, and by whom the expense was defrayed. All the attempts made in this country, in which there are twenty different religious sects, to promote any extensive system of educa- tion, bad been defeated by attempting to combine religious and secular education together. He VMS convinced that no one could successfully carry out a ge- neral system of education in which an attempt was made to keep those two principles united. He therefore wished that the House would adopt the ge- neral principle for the establishment of a secular plan of education, and after- wards look to the clergy of the various denominations to impart religious instruction to.them. He took the ordinary acceptation of the term " secular" education, as applied to acts between man and man ; and to that he would con- fine the business of the schoolmaster.

Mr. Hume stated his project. It was—that every parish or set of parishes

should be called upon to take charge of the education of those who had not the means of educating themselves : that schools and schoolmasters should be maintained at the expense of such parish or set of parishes, to carry out the course of education which should be laid down by Parliament : that the ex- pense of this should be met by a tax upon the property of the district—that property which suffered so much from ignorance and its companion crime: he would have no preference shown to any religious sect ; for it would be his object not to meddle with the religious opinions of any class: he would re- quire each district to meet once a year, to appoint a Committee to manage its educational affairs for the following twelvemonth, the members of such Com- mittee to be changed by rotation every three years ; thus the funds locally raised would be expended under the direction of persons locally appointed : he should propose that the Board of Education in London, to whom would be left the general carrying out of the Parliamentary plan, should appoint inspectors to visit at regular periods the various schools throughout the country, and re- port how far the children were instructed in the way pointed out : in each district there should also be an infants school, to bring children into proper training from their earliest years.

Observing that education increases the commercial value of every individual,

Mr. Hume exhorted the House to follow the example of New York State, which expends 200,000/. a year on education, while England spends 30,000!.; of Massachusetts, which expends 102,0001., and secures for every person an excellent education for a sum varying from 3s. to 10s. a bead; of Hol- land, which separates secular and religious instruction, though there is no more orderly and religious people than the Dutch. In Austria, no man was allowed to have any employment who could not read and write and cast accounts; and he thought such a test might be applied in England. He would like to see some law to prevent the people marrying unless they had acquired a certain degree of education ; for, certainly, the want of education led to early marriages and to an excess of population. After some remarks on the effect of education in counteracting an insurrectionary spirit, and on the expe- diency of putting an end to the Welsh and Gaelic languages, Mr. Hume con- cluded by moving for leave to bring in "a bill for the establishment of schools to promote a sound education for the rising generation of the United Kingdom, at the public expense, without wounding the feelings or injuring the rights of any sect or class of the community, but confining the business of the school- master to the secular and moral training of the children, and leaving all reli- gions instruction to religious teachers distinct from the school; to the end that general instruction and a spirit of Christian brotherhood and good-will may be disseminated among all classes and denominations." Mr. EWART seconded the motion ; expressing his dissent from Mr. Hume on some points, lie was proceeding to advocate a general an- nual report on education to the House, by a responsible Minister of the Crown ; when it was observed that there were not forty Mem- bers present, and the SPEAKER adjourned the House.

IRISH ARMS BILL.

On Monday, the House of Commons went into Committee on the Arms (Ireland) Bill ; and proceeded, with less than usual obstruction, to the 66th clause, fixing the duration of the act at five years. Mr. Swint O'BRIEN moved that the duration be one year. Lord ELIOT lagtesd)to reduce it to two years and further until the end of the next . _aassiarref Parliament. The Committee adopted the term last named, by 125 co 8 ; and the clause itself, by 131 to 31. The remaining clauses work disposed of; the House resumed ; the bill was recommitted forthwith„ ord ELIOT making some amendments suggested by Mr. Pinar; aid the House again resumed. On Theiday, on the motion that the report be received, Mr. SHARI 1 MAN CRANORD moved as an amendment, resolutions declaring that thcf .1E-- 1.4iossessieff of arms is a right enjoyed by Englishmen and Scotchmen, isavaiMakialo limit or withhold it in Ireland was to create an unjust and insulting distinction. Lord Eucer declined to rediscuss the principle of the measure. The House divided ; and the amendment was rejected, by 99 to 44.

Some amendments moved by Lord ELIOT, to meet objections urged on the other side, having been agreed to, Lord JoHN RUSSELL renewed his proposition for limiting to disturbed districts the operation of that part of the act which authorized domiciliary visits. He repeated various arguments for the limitation, especially the one that the enactment was likely to be enforced almost exclusively against the poor, whose wives' and sisters' bedrooms might be invaded at night in the most offensive manner. He moved a proviso, that no power of entering any house or grounds should be allowed, unless the Lord-Lieutenant, on the repre- sentation of Justices assembled in Quarter-Sessions, should have pro. claimed the district to be under the operation of the act. Lord ELIOT explained, that the new enactment was less stringent than the existing law, which authorizes such visits to search for arms by anybody to whom a Magistrate might delegate the authority ; whereas the bill re- quired the presence of a Magistrate by night, and a Sub-Inspector, or duly authorized officer, by day. The Magistrates, however, had for fifty years exercised the more stringent law without complaint against them. It might be very necessary to search for arms in districts where there was no such general disturbance as to warrant the proclamation of the Lord-Lieutenant. The proviso was supported by Mr. M. J. O'CoNNELL, Mr. Ross, Lord CLEMENTS, MT. EWART, and the O'CONOR DON. 011 a division, it was rejected, by 109 to 65.

Mr. M. J. O'CoNNELE, in a long and somewhat discursive speech, moved to strike out the provision for branding fire-arms ; one of his strongest reasons against it being, that after the operation of the act should have ceased, the brand, a source of irritation, would remain. He was opposed by Lord &sox, and supported by Lord CLEMENTS ; and the amendment was negatived, by 74 to 37.

The report was received; the bill was ordered to be engrossed ; to be read a third time next day.

husH Poolt-EAvr.

The order of the day for going into Committee on the Poor Relief (Ireland) Bill having been read, on Thursday, various by-discussions were interposed. Mr. F. FRENCH made an inaudible complaint of the conduct of Mr. Hancock, an Assistant Commissioner, and of some statements by Mr. Cornwall Lewis. He was opposed by Lord CLEMENTS and the O'CoNcat DON, who defended Mr. Hancock ; and by Sir JAMES GRAHAM, who said that the supposed misstatements of Mr. Lewis were Mr. French's own misconceptions.

Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD complained of hardships endured by three hundred persons ejected from Lord Lorton's estates. Mr. LEFROY de- fended Lord Lorton ; who had let land to respectable Catholics in settings as small as seven or eight acres, and had offered emigration to those who were obliged to leave the estates.

Mr. MORE OTERRALL complained of mismanagement in building the Workhouse of Edenderry Union ; condemning the architect. The Poor- law Commissioners had called for 1,200/. to be paid for the Workhouse by the Guardians, although the act only authorized them to levy 400L; and the Guardians had carried the matter to the Court of Queen's Bench, but the Court decided that it had no jurisdiction. He contended that the new bill ought to provide a cheap appeal from the decisions of the Poor-law Commissioners. Sir JAMES GRAHAM admitted that Edenderry Workhouse was in part ill and in part expensively built. The architect was appointed by the late Ministers : he was an able man ; but he had had to superintend the building of eighty workhouses at once ; and some confusion was inevitable in the first working of a measure like the Irish Poor-law. The Commissioners were restricted to levying no more than 400/. to be expended in building, without the consent of the majority of the Guardians ; but there was an exception that they might levy sums to meet the original outlay. As to an appeal against the Commissioners, there was one to the Secretary of State. Sir DENHAM NORREYS and Mr. SMITH O'BRIEN supported Mr. O'Ferrall. Captain JONES declared that there were many cases similar to that of Edenderry. Lord JoHN RUSSELL thought that such an allegation called for inquiry : at the same time, he generally vindicated the appointments made by the Commis- sioners, as guided solely by a view to fitness. After a few more words, the matter dropped, and the House went into Committee.

Mr. COLLETT moved to strike out clause 6th, which enacted that goods found on premises might be distrained, to whomsoever they might belong ; but the clause was affirmed by 99 to 81.

Mr. MORE OTERRALL disapproved of clause 8th, fixing the valuation ; because it was to be applied as a basis for an amended franchise, and he objected to mixing up the Poor-law with politics. After a short dis- cussion, in which Mr. O'Ferrall was opposed by some on his own side, the clause was agreed to. Clauses down to the 9th having passed, the Chairman reported progress ; the Committee to sit again on Thursday next.

MISCELLANEOUS.

farm SPIRIT-DUTIES. In the House of Commons, on Monday, the resolu- tion for altering the Irish Spirit-duties, adopted in Committee of the whole House on the Excise, was brought up. Sir ROBERT FERGUSON moved the recommit- tal of the report, on the ground that the duty ought to be reduced from 3s. 8d., the present amount, to 2s. 4d. instead of 2s. 8d., and that the drawback on malt ought to be restored ; contending, with copious reference to figures, that his proposition was necessary to the effectual repression of illicit distillation, to the suppression of crime, and to the production of the largest revenue. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER opposed the motion ; remarking that Sir Robert Ferguson's arguments were grounded on the condition of Ireland in 1825, when there was not so perfectly organized a police force to repress illicit distillation as at present. The increased number of convictions, quoted, by Sir Robert to prove the increase of illicit distillation, proved rather the activity of the police. Captain JONES contended that it would be necessary to go below is. duty to repress illicit distillation. Mr. F. T. Batumi supported the Government. Eventually, the amendment was withdrawn, the report was affirmed, and a bill was ordered to be brought in.

PROFESSORS SECEDING FROM THE SCOTTISH CHURCH. Mr. BANNERMAN

asked, on Wednesday, whether Professors in the Scottish Universities who have adhered to the Free Presbyterian Church would be removed by Government ? Sir JAMES GRAHAM said, that several persons had voluntarily surrendered their appointments, on conscientious grounds; but he could not give a general answer to the question, as many of the Professorships were held by particular tenures. Some of the Professors had not originally been members of the Beta-

Wished Church of Scotland : the Greek Professor in Glasgow University, for instance, was an Episcopalian. The subject had been referred to the Law Officers of the Crown.

YEOMANRY. In answer to Mr. Fox Menke, on Tuesday, Sir JAMES GRAHAM said that the Yeomanry cavalry were about to be reorganized to the extent of 1,200 men who would receive the usua !pay and allowance. The cost to be incurred had been included in the Estimates of this year. On Wednesday, Mr. FOX MAULE recurred to the subject ; moving for returns of names, pay, and allowances of the different Yeomanry Corps that have been or are to be reestablished ; objecting to the additional expense of 25,000/. at a time when economy was so desirable; and especially condemning the revival of Yeomanry in Mid Lothian, where there was no disturbance. Sir JAMES GRAHAM reminded the House, that when the augmentation was determined upon, the manufacturing districts were in a disturbed state. He read a letter from the Duke of Wellington, expressing high approval of the conduct of the Yeomanry during the outbreak. It had been thought necessary to organize the Yeomanry near the capital of Scotland, because in that country there was only one regiment of cavalry, and in case of any disorder it might be necessary to employ the Yeomanry. He did not oppose the motion ; and the returns were ordered.

PURCHASE OF LANDS FOR rnk ADMIRALTY. On Monday, on the motion to go into Committee on the Admiralty Lands Bill, (the object of which is to enable the Crown to purchase lands contiguous to certain dockyards,) Mr. BARNARD complained that the bill was unconstitutional, as it did not define what lands the Crown might thus assume; and Mr. HUME moved that the further consideration of the bill be postponed for six months. Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT justified the measure by precedent, and offered to introduce a clause which would limit the lands to be taken to a space within 700 yards of the docks. The original motion was carried, by 59 to 28. In some discussion on clause 1st, Sir ROBERT PEEL promised at a subsequent stage to specify the . places to which the bill was to apply. The several clauses of the bill having been disposed of, Mr. HOME moved the insertion of a clause, enacting, "that all land and other property which may be taken by the Government under the authority of the bill shall remain and continue liable to the payment of the land-tax and the parochial assessments, notwithstanding the occupation of such lands for public purposes." The Committee and the discussion on the clause were adjourned.

LANDLORD AND TENANT. On Tuesday, Lord PORTMAN withdrew the bill which he had introduced to the House of Lords on Friday, for amending the law of landlord and tenant ; there not being sufficient time to discuss the measure this session.

ALLOTMENT OF LANDS AND LOAN FONDS. In the House of Commons, on Monday, Lord ASHLEY obtained leave to bring in a bill to establish, regu- late, and protect societies for the improvement of the industrious classes, by extending the allotment or field-garden system, and the more general establish- ment of loan-funds in England and Wales. This bill he withdrew on Wednes- day, to be reintroduced next session.

Tnk DRAMA. On Wednesday, Sir JAMES Gasnam obtained leave to bring a bill to regulate theatres.