8 JUNE 1872, Page 3

The Scotch Education Bill is going favourably to the Govern-

ment. At least Mr. Gordon's first resolution for carrying out his narrow scheme for foisting "The Shorter Catechism" on all Scotch schools was defeated on Thursday night by 44 (204 to 160), in a not very full House. It is true that the resolution on which the division was taken did not go the length of the Shorter Catechism, and only positively excluded purely secular schools, by insisting on teaching in the Bible, but that, perhaps, makes it the more strange that the voting was so decisive. If in any subsequent stage of the Bill Mr. Gordon returns to his wish to impose on the school- masters an undertaking to teach in conformity with the Shorter Catechism, we trust that Dr. Playfair will move that that docu- ment be read to the House by the Clerk at the Table. It would teot command a very strong vote after that.