The Cardiff Times

Education Bill Attack. Religious Teaching in all Schools. HOUSE OF LORDS.-Monday. The opening debate on the Committee stage of the Eduction Bill attracted an exception. ally targe attendance of metnbera, the House presenting an animated a nd picturesque ap. pearance when the Lord Chancellor took hia seat on the Woolsack shortly after four o'clock. 'Before the House went into Committee on the Bill the Earl of CAMPERDOWN asked the Earl of Crewe. who waa in charge of the Bill, whether in the event of the million pounds promised out of the Imperial Exchequer being insujBBcient to defray aIL the expenses incurred under the Bill, the deficiency would fall upon local rates. The Earl of CREWE repUed that the Government considered the million suSicient to meet all the requirements of the Bill. If they definitely offered to recoup any local authority under the Bill, co ioceative to economy on the part of the authority would exist. The Government would have had to make themselves responsible for any expendi- ture, however extravagant. If the consider. able c umber of amendments on the paper were to become part of the Bill, no doubt the ex- penditure by the local authorities would very largely increase. (Laughter.) The House then went into Committee on the Bill. On Clause 1, which provider for the abolition of Voluntary zchools. declaring that on and after January lat. 1908, no school shall be recognised as a pubiic elementary school unleas *t is provided by the focal authority. Viscount LLANDAFF moved that the clause be postponed. The Bishop of LONDON supported the amendment. He did so, be said, in the interests of peace. To pass Clause 1 now and leave the BUlaa it was, would be to pass something which was zoing to offend the consciences of at ieaat one*half the religious people of Eng- land. The Earl of CREWE, on behalf of the Government, said be could not agree to the proposed amendment. The clause contained the main principle of the BU1. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said the fact that Clause 1 was obscure and had been ex. plained in different ways made it more deatr- able that they should lose no time in getting to close quarters with it. He thought the amendment might be withdrawn. CLAUSE 1. The amendment was withdrawn. The House then proceeded to discuss Clause 1. The Earl of CAMPERDOWN moved to substitute 1909 for 1908." The Earl of CREWE said be was prepared to make the foUowing proposition :-To insect after 1908 the words or as respects an area of any particular local education authority on and after such later date not being iater than the 1st July. 1908. as the Board of Education may appoint on the application of such authority." This, said hia Lordship. was ac- cepting in a somewhat modified form the amendment on the paper in the name of Viscount Ridley, and wouid give in certain caseo six montha more than at present pro- posed. LordFITZMAt7RICEfa!iy appreciated the argument as to not driving local autbontiM too hard. He admitted that circumstances had attered since the Biit was introduced. The assumption WM that theie would be* a reason- able chance of the Bill being placed on th<) Statute Book before November. Under clause 11 there wa3 power to prolong the of the Commons. The Marquis of SALISBURY inquired what would become of the Voluntary schools in the meantime. Lord FITZMAURICE said they were quite clearly within Clause 11. The Esri of CR.EWEs.2idinvievv of all the circumstances he was quite willing to postpone the consideration of the whole matter unfit the report stage. The Earl of CAMPERDOWN said ib appeared that the House preferred an elastic period to a fixed date, and he would withdraw his amendment. The amendment was with- drawn. Lord EMLY moved an amendment limiting the application of the clause to districts 'n which there was but one public elementary schooL He said white they had every desire to respect the Nonconformist conscience, they desired Noncontormists to 'how respect for their consciences. Speaking on behaif of French CathoUca. he entered an indignant pro- teat against certain remarks by Mr Lloyd George when be declared that clericalism was the enemy, which was the war cry of the revo- lutionaries and to-day was the war cry of in8- delity in France and of Atheism and materiai- iam, The amendment was withdrawn. RELIGIOUS FLAVOURING. Lord BLENEAGE moved as an amendment to Clause 1. that no school should be recog- nised as a public elementary school unless some portion of the school hours every day was set apart for the purposes of religious instruction. lie drew attention to the' desire of the Wes- leyan body for religious instruction and to the recently issued Noueonforujia& manifesto con- firming that view, arguing that with such a strong and inSuentiaiiy expressed opinion and the fact that the whole Church a.ud the Roman Catholics desired the same, their Lordshipa should endeavour to meet their wishes. It was a question whether the poor should be edu- cated as Christiana or whether the manhood and womanhood of this country should dege- nerate into Soci&iiam. The Archbishop of CANTERBURY was glad that Lord Heneage waa a.o!e to speak of the sentiments of Nonconformists as well aa of Churchmen, lay and clerical. If the Biil was to be regarded as in no sense tJ. secularising Bi)l and one which did not give an inferior place to religion they should put in the forefront of the measure some declaration such as was proposed by this amendment. He was glad that. tsading Nonconformist ministers, whose opinions were entitled to the createst weight, reiterated the view again and again that there ehould be a religious basis in the instruction given. It would be easy to expand the clause, but it was simply sought to have the elementary fact mentioned that there should be religious instruction, and for that parpose the amend- ment was made as general as possible. It might be said that the administrative ditEculty would be exceedingly great because it was un- destrable to lay down a rule untess it eeuid be enforced. He admitted that argument had some plausibility in it, but there were many cases in which a rule was laid down without the means of really enforcing its performance. The Earl of CREWE said the amendment would involve not merely a considerable altera. tion of the Bill but a considerable alteration of the taw as it existed at present. The amend' ment made provision for what was called Cowper Temple religion being compulsory in t;ounciiscboois. UodJd not deny that that was a proposition that had an attraction for many persona, but to a considerable body of persons it was very much the reverse of attractive, ani in new of what wss said no ister than yester- day in Trafalgar- square. he was surprised that the proposition shcuid be considered as one which aU the members of the Church of Eng. land were likely to accept. Lord HERBAGE said he did not specify any particular kind of religion whatever- It re mained for them to deat with the question when they came to other ctauses. The Earl of CREWE said there was nothing in the amendment to prevent the religln taught beioc Mohammedan or Baddhiat pro- vided it did not inctude the catechism of any denomination. What was the quality of thia religious instruction to be ? What was the de nitten of reUgioua inatruction.and how wefe they going to enforce it ? If any persons were dia satisfied with the kind of:religious inatraction given, what ateps were they to take in the master ? The Board of Education wocdd have to set up a minimum tyUabus and see that the schools comptied with it. That was a work which the Board of Education could not and, would not undertake. He could not coo<'ei ve anything which would be more likel-y to iD- crease the spread of secutariam or aecuiar ideas in this country. Lord LANSDOWNE said by the amendment they simply desired that tho .chiidren should have an opportunity of receiving religious iostruction. He thought when the Earl of Crewe and his friends talked about public con- trol what they had in their minds was that they should submit all these things to the despotic jurisdiction to a provincial bureaucracy—a bureaucracy which might be entirely out of touch with the real state of the feetinga in the particular school with which it had to deal. They wanted to make that impossibto They wanted the Btii to be so framed that there should be an opportunity for givin? reiigiom insia'action to these children. By paasing the amendment they would not be acting in the teeth of the opinion of the majority of the representatives of the people in the House of Commons. This amendment was a teat of the sincerity of noble Lords opposite (Opposition cheers.)-j If they were unwilling to concede what was asked, the House woutd know what amount of I confidence to repose in their frequently reiterated professions that religious instruction was an essential part of the education of the children of the country. < The LORD CHANCELLOR remarked that for the last 36 years the schools of the country had been carried on without a declaration of this kind being !&id down m any Act of Par. liament, and the result had not been unsatis- factory. If the noble Marquis bad this deep, strong samse of the injustice of allowing the schools of the country to remain without a declaration tiMt there should bo religious ment in the Act of 1902 <? (Mimsteria) cheers.) The real dimculty in bis way then. and in the way of the Government now, was that they might put in any number of words—they might insert a declaration that there should be rel?iou." instruction, and they would be of no effect if they were only kept Reneral enough. They refused the amendment because it waa not business. (Ministerial cheers.) Viscount HALIFAX remarked that the position was perfectly simple. All they desired to lav down was that education, to be worth anything, must he religious. How it was to be given wa3 not touched bv the amend- ment. The Bishop of RIPOX warned the Govern- ment that the Bill a* it stood would inevitably rrrtvnko a ruction, which would mean victory '1(' ',Co \i(rtç':1:1:'r;1('

Lord Lan?owne..? LordChanc?!or. )' Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY opposed the amendment on the ground that it would set up a new State retigion invoking new eontro- v?Miea ariamg from a repeat of part of the Act of 1370. and would be in opposition to the attttude of the Sta.te observed since that year to the question of education, which was one of secu)ar)ty. The Marquis of NORTHAMPTON believed the va-1 majority of the people wished to have stmpie Bibte teaching given in the schools.'but If they added this vagoe amendment of the clause it would only do barm and accentuate the strife between the dtgerent sectiona. Earl RCSSELLwjMBot at all sure that the amendment had not been proposed with the intention of going to the country with the crv that the Government by opposing it had rl repudiated religion. (Ministerial cheers.) I The Marquis of SALMBUftY said local authonties often imposed their religious views upon todtVjduata. and the ameadmeat would dop that kind of tyranny. (Opposition cheers.) The Marquis of RfPON doul)ted whether it wou!d be possible to carry out the proposal in the amendment. What was meant by reli- gious instruction had not been d(;Sned. and it seemed to him almost childish that this serious subject should be put into an Act of Partia- ment in words so vague as those in the amend- ment. At 11 o'clock the House divided. and there voted— For t he amendment. 256 Against 56 Majority against the Government 200 The Hoase adjourned at 11.25.

PEERS IN A MUDDLE. Sudden Adjournment of the House HOUSE OF LORDS—Tuesday. The Lord Chancellor took his seat on the Wooisack at 4.15. Their Lordahipa aloiost immediately went into Committee on the Educ.&tion Bill. On the motion that Clause 1 stand part of the Bill, The ArchbMhop of CANTERBURY ex- pressed himself as more than ready to vote for the clause, be<:a.tMe it embodied two great prin- ciples which he and m&Qy others had long enp- ported. namely, the prmcipte of popular con- trol and the &bsen;e of retigious teats for teachers, ife wished it to be perfet'tty cte&r, however, that be supported Ctause 1 with the cfear understanding that complete popular con- trol did not take away the necessity that dif- ferent proviaionssboutd be made or bo capable of being ma.de in the case of different ciaasea of schools. The principle of no retigious teata [nuat be compa.ttbie with some ascertaining by somebody that a man or a woman who was goiog to give religious teaching was qualified for the particular work. (Hear, hear.) TheDukeofNORFOl-E. W)sbed to make it clear, on behalf of those for whom he spoke and who regarded the matter as he did, that in not opposing the motion to pass Clause 1 they were not in any way supporting or approving the clause. They reserved the absolute right when they came to consider the other claugen of the Bill to endeavour to make them more accept- able and to endeavour to modify them M they thought right. The Earl of CREWE, replying to the Arch. bishop of Canterbury, lJaid if the reverend Prefate was of opinion that the drafting of C)a.uae 5 was inconsistent with the Act of 1870 he was prepa-fed to propose a small verbal amendment. The Archbishop of CANTERBURY It is not a question of opinion, it u a question of plain fact; the two thinga are contradictory. Clause I as amended was then agreed to. ANOTHER CLERICAL SHOT. On Clause 2 The Archbishop of CANTERBURY moved an amendment making it compulsory on the Local Education Authority to continue any existing votuntary school as a provided school if required by the owners so to do." He explained that he desired to make it obligatory on the Loca! Education Authority to take over a school if desired by the trustees and if the school waa in itself suitable. They were not asking that the local authority should be com- pelled to take over any school however bad and insanitary it migbt be. He had taken the greatest care to guard againat anything of that sort because he had provided for an aooeai to the Board of Education What he asked was that in ordinary circumsbmce. where & building was suitable it should act be in the power of a Local Education Authority to decline to take over & ecboot for some reason of their own which need not be aligned. There might be iarge parts of the country in which the facilities clause would become inoperative, because the local authority aught not desire to take over the schools there. Therefore the gravest possible wrong would be inflicted on the parents simply by the action of the local authorities. Even if the local author!. ties were not ultimately to decline to take over the schouls they mic;ht bring pressure of the most unfair -kind to bear upon the owners and managers of the schools. Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY said the proposal of the Primate was absoluteiy inatd- Tniastble, and was a serious violation of the Act of 1902. It would be a great hardship if the local authorities were competed to preserve all the Voluntary schools as they existed at pre- sent. In hia opinion this proposal, if carried. would throw an additional charge on the rates. and if their Lordships passed it they ran the ri?k of being bo)d that they had acted outside their province. (Opposition criea of "No. no.") TheEarlofCAMPERDOWNand the Earl of JERSEY believed that an appeal to the Board of Education would satisfy the juatice of the case. Lord BELPER professed alarm at the bold proposal of the amendment. The Bishop of REREFORD took the view that the Primate's amendment would unduty hamper local authorities. Viscount ST. ALDWYN foresaw difficulties which the amendment might place in the way of local authorities who wished to amalgamate amal) schools for educational and economical reason3_ and suggested that local authorities should be permitted to refuse to take over schools which were not required for the par- pose of providing suaSciont public school accom- modation provided that in such cases facilities were afforded by the authority for apectat reli- gious instruction being given in some other acceptable school to the children hitherto attendtng the school not taken over. The Earl of ORE WE considered that the amendment proposed by the most Reverend Primate was of an extreme character. It was a rehef to Ministerialists who sat in isolation to nnd that the big battalions opposite were not entirely of one mind with regard to the Archbishop s proposal. The effect of that amendment was that economy waa not to be considered in any way. The demand to be taken over at any rate disposed of the conten- tion that the taking over was conSsca-tion." (Ministerial cheers.) The Marquis of LANSDOWNE WM dis- poaed to go great lengths in the direction in which the Archbishop desired to travel. Lord HERRIES declared that nothing would satisfy the Catholics but their own achoo!s staffed by their own Catholic teachers. The ArchbiiohoD of CANTERBURY aaid when he r&iaed this question he was perfectly prepared to accept any material suggestions which would modify or improve on what he had proposed. After the suggestions made by Viscount St. Aldwynhe suggested that it would be better to postpone the whole matter until the report stage, ao that they ceuid see the noble Viscount's amendments. The amendment was by leave withdrawn. Viscount R! DLEY said there seemed to be consideraMedifSeuLtyin the course proposed. He had amendments to the clause which be was anxious to move. If the ciause was pasaed as it stood, those who strongly objected to it would be in a position of great embarrassment. I Lord HENEAGE suggested that they should pD :?)'-f t c c'i-tu?e ?uLo?r' The Ezrl of CREWE aaid Clause 2 was ex- tremely important and intricate, and it would be most unfortunate if it stood over ahogatber. The Marquis of RIPON said there seemed to be no alternative but to adjourn the debate or to take a division on the Archbishop's amendment. Lord HARRIS suggested that the Commit- tee should adjourn the debate to <'nab!o the amendment to be printed on the order paper by the foUowmg day. The CHAIRMAN (the Earl of Onatow) waa proceeding to put the Archbishop of ? anter- bury'a amendment, to the Committee when he was interrupted by cries of No, no from the Opposition aide of the House. Lord HARRIS: I have moved That the Lords do now adjourn," but if these are not the proper words I wiU substitute othera. (Laughter.) The CHAIRMAN The proper phrase :a That the House do now resume." Lord HARRIS: Very weH, I move that, (Laughter.) Lord AS HBOURNE: I believe that if the adjournment is moved and carried in the House of Commons :n the middle of a Bill that finishes it. (Laughter.) The CHAIRMAN then put the question that the House do now resume. The Committee then divided.and there voted For the motion.215 Against. 58 Majority for the motion. 157 The House having resumed The Marquis of RIPON, in moving the adjournment of tho House, said he could understand that the noble Lords of the Opposi- tion found it convenient to have further time to consider the course they were goin? to take The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said the cir- camstances were unusual, and he could not sec the course take.i was inconsistent with the dignity of the House. The House then adjourned,

HOUSE OF LORDS-Wednesday. The Lord ChanceHor took his seat on the Woolsack shortly after 4 o'clock, and the Hou'e went immediately into Committee on the Education Bill, proceeding to consider the amendment to Clause 2, which details the arrangement to be made by the local authority for renting Voluntary schools. The Archbishop of Canterbury had moved an amendment 011 Tuesday makin it obligatory upon tho local education authority to take over a Voluntary school if desired by the trustees, provided the school was stractur- RUy fit. Viscount St. Aldwyn had proposed to amend the amendment by two provisos, the nrstfxceptmg schools not required for tbo purpose of supptyinR sufficient pubHc school accommodation, and the second requiring the local authority to give facilities for special reUgious instruction in schools accessible tn those children hitherto attendms the schools not taken over. Alter much desultory talk. The Archbishop o[ CANTERBURY again moved bts amendment. The Committee divided on the Archbishop's amendment, and it was carried by 209 to 47. After a fort her period of confused ta.lk. Lord BURGHCLERE was constratned to ask the Chairman what motion was before the House. The CHAIRMAN The amendment before the House is the insertion of words that have already been inserted. (Laughter,) Viscount RIDLEY then withdrew an amend- ment. The Bishop of WAKEFIELD, in a maiden speech, moved to insert words providing that a transfer should have the consent of any per- son whose consent would have been required for the purposes of a transfer under section 23 of the Efementary Education Act, 1S70." He deaired to facilitate the transfer of schools it he could, white at the same time safeguarding the rights of those who desired denominational instruction for their children. The Earl of CREWE said he could not agree to the amendment. Their Lordships had made it imperative on a local authority to take over ¡the schools, and surety they did not mean to require a great number of separate consents before the unwiM'og local authority was to be forced to take over the schools. Lord ALVEBSTONE advised the withdrawal of the amendment. The Bishop of WAKEFFELD thereupon withdrew the amendment. QUESTION OF ALTERATIONS. The Bishop of WAKEFIELD next moved an amendment to Clause 2 providing that trustee owners—aa well as private owners—of trans- ferred schools should have the option of them- selves carrying out necessary alterations and improvements to the school buddings, recover- ing the cost of the same from the local educa. tion authority. Se argued that this provision would tend to increase local inttirest in the school buildings, and might tacilitate the em- bellishment of viUage schools by local eSorts, while it would in his opinion !ead to economy. The Earl of CTLEWE was unable to accept the amendment. He pointed out that the option was given to private owners because in many cases they commanded the services of a staff of estate workmen who could carry out the repairs and improvements in accordance with the ideas of the owner, and in a more economical way than couid be done by the local authority. Trust owners were not in that position, however, and he couid not eee that they had any grievance under the Bill as it stood. The Archbishop of CANTERBURY ex- pressed disappointment that the Government were not prepared to accept the amendment. The Marquis of SALISBURY supported the amendment, which was carried without a drvi- aion. EXCEEDINGLY OBJECTIONABLE. The Archbishop of CANTERBURY moved the amendment of which be had given notice, including tbe;worda which Viscount St. AIdwyn proposed should be added to it, the whole read. ing as follows If the local education author- ity iail to make a.n arrangement by agreement with the owners of the sehoolhouae tbejarrange. ment shaU be made by the Commissioners &p. I pointed under this,Act, and the provisions of this Act with reference to schemes stud! apply to any arrangement made by the Commission, provided that tftbe local education emthohty consider that the schoolhouse of any existing Votuntary school is on account of its struc- tural condition not soiled for continued recog- nition aa a public elementary school or M not required tor the purpose of providing wuBSLcient public school accommodation they may appeal to the Board of Education, and that Board may. it they think fit, appoint a date at which the school shan cease to be recogniaed, and the authority shall be under no obligation to continue any such school under this Gection. The Eart of CREWE said the Government considered the amendment exceedingly objec. ticnable. The Biahop of ST. ASAPH viewed the amendment with grave misgiving. The proviao practically meant the suppreaaion of sma.U schools in the name of economy and educa. tional eBEciency. It meant the eart&biiahoMnt of large central schools with a rigid cast tron system. Cantrl\Hsa.tion waa not necessarily an index of merit. There were many cases wnere, from the special circumstances of the locaHty, amati schools were educationally beat because of the persona,! influences that were exercised, Those personaA inBuencaa would be lost if they suppressed the smati schoo!s. Still more im. portant w..ts it to have variety of types in their educational system, and the very last thing they wanted to establish in their elementary school system was a rigid uniformity. The Ear! of CAMPERDOWN proposed an amendment to the amendment empowering the Board of Education to consider all the cir- cumstance3 of the ca=e 90 that the Board might have pJwer to deal with other circnEastanccs than those mentioned in the amendment. The Bishop of ;LONDON;said those who were i familiar with the sluma of great cities knew that smaH schools exerted a srreat personal in- l1L,r;:cc in tLa of C[i'i?tiat":t\' nd I the moulding of character. He thought that even the suggestion of the Earl of Oamperdown I was not enough, and bo asked Viscount St. Aidwyn to consider whence he would not accept in addition to the words proposed by the Earl of Camperdown three lines in the amendment which the Bishop of Southwark had put down, namety. the Board of Educa- tion, in deciding whether their consent shall be given, ahait have regard to the interest of secular instruction, to the wishes of the parents as to the education (including the religious education) of their children, and to the economy of the rate*. He moved the addi. tion of those words. The Bishop of SALISBURY thought the danger wouM be obviated if they provided that the Board of Education might consider all the circumstances of the case, including the wiahea of the parents. &c. ) The Marquis of L.ANSDOWNE thought the simptest solution of the dtmcuity was to i support the Bishop of London's amendment to Viscount St. AIdwyn's amendment, using the word inctudmg as suggested by the Brshop of Saliabary. The Earl of CAMPERDOWN withdrew his I amendment, a.nd Viscoumt St. AJdwyn's amend- BMnt down to the words They may appeal to the Board of Educatton and the Board wa< aMented to. The Committee then proceeded to consider the Bishop of London's amendment to Viscount Mt. Aldwyn's amendment, to add the words, May, after consideration of aU the circum. stances of the case," &c. The Eari of CREWE aaid that so far as the amendment of Viscount St. Aldwyn was con- cerned they did not object to it, because it waa a distinct improvement of the clause as it originally stood, buf it waa impossible for the Government to agree to the insertion of the further words proposed by the Bishop of London. The Committee then divided, when there voted— -For the amendment 197 Against 52 Mttjoritvag&niettheGovenmient 145 The fitting was suspended at 8 o'clock. I When the sitting was resumed at a quarter past9. The CHAIRMAN put the remaining part of the original amendment, which was carried without a division. The amendment provides that "the Board may, if they think fit, appoint a date at which the school shall cease to be recognised, and the authority aha)! be under no obligation to continue any such school under this eection-r" Lord BARNARD moved an amendment to Clause 2 providing that the power given to I owners of school houses subject to charitable trusts to make arrangements with the Local Education Authority should be subject to the approval of the Board ot Education. The amendment was agreed to. Lord BARNARD moved an amendment to omit, that part which gave the owners the right to use the ecboo! bouse for purposes of public or social utii'ty, and to insert words providing that i he arrangement to use the school bouse should include adequate proTlsioÐS for the preservation of the trusts and the protection of the endowments subject thereto. He moved the omission because the right praettcaHy existed at present, and the addition because the trustees should be explicitly told it was their duty to preserve the intentions of the donor of the land and the building}. Lord FITZMAUBICE could not accept the amandment. Lord BARNARD withdrew bis amendment to leave out the words at the end of the sec- tion, and the addition he proposed to make was then agreed to without a division. Clause 2, as amended, was then added to the BiU. CLAUSE 3—FACILITIES. On Cta.ua<* 5, which provides that if the afford- tng of facilities under the section for the giv- ing of religious instruction of some special character had been made the condition of &ny arrangement for the u:e by the locaL education authority of the schoothouse of a transferred, Voluntary school, That authority shaU afford these facilities by enab- nng children whose parents wish them to re- ceive religious instruction of a special charac- ter to receive the instruction on not more than two mornings a week, and the mornings fixed by the local education authority snail be the same morning in the week for all children unless the authority, on account of the accom- modation in the school or the number of I' classes in the school consider that the instruc. I tion cannot be eSicientiy given on the same mornings to all the children whose parents wish them to receive it. and that no part of the expense of giving religious instruction of a epeeiat character under the section should be paid by the local education authority," Viaccunt Halifax bad on the paper an amendmon providing that every public ele. montary school should have three or more managers elected by the parents of the school, and that the managers should have control of the religious instruction that the local edu- cation authority should afford facilities for the giving of auctt religious instruction within the ordtnary houra of school attendance, and that the consent of the managers should be required to the appointment of teachera. He bad intended to move, he said, that his amend- ment should be inserted at the beginning of the e!aua< Ic order, however, to facilitate the discussion on this important clause he would withdraw his amendment on the un- derstanding that he could bring it up in the report stage. The amendment was then by Ie&.ve with. drawn. Lord BALFOUR of BURLEIGH moved an amendment to Clause 3 providing that in addition to the ordinary facilities for special religious instruction in transferred schools like provision should -,be made in the case of any public elementary school in which extended facilities are not affordfd under the Act, where the parents of not less than twenty children requite snch facHities. Although Cowper- Temple teaching was sufficient fop him, it was not aufHcient for many persons, and it waa otily by allowmg full play to the conscientious convictions of all classes that they could have a really satisfac- tory national settlement. (Opposition cbeefs). He hoped that reigioos education be given in schoot hours by competent teachers, preferably those of the ordinary staS. (Renewed Opposi tion cheers.) Regarding tests he contended that a oualiScaMon should be exacted from the teacher. (Opposition cheers) They ought not to run away with the idea that the teachers were made for the school and not the school for the teacher. The teaching profession was for the pubHc, not the public for the profession, and if the overwhelming majority of-the people of the country desired to have religious wduca. tion the teaching profession must expect to conduct it under these eoBditiona, Something more was wanted than mere moral principles— nothing less than the Christian religion ttself. (Opposition cheers.) There was no Roaltty in the Bill. and unless greatchanges were made in it finality could not be approached. (Opposi. tion cheers.) The House adjourned at 11.5.

t NAKED LIGHTS IN MINES. In the Mouse of Commons on Honday, Mr MARKHAM inquired whether, seeing that Mr A. E. Stokes, H.M. Inspector of Mines. in his .report for 1905. stated that the disastrous exptosion at the Manner's CoUiery showed that oven a well-ventilated mine could not be trusted with naked tights, and that reporta had been made by other inspectors of mines as to the danger to life caused by the use of naked lights, some action would be taken. Mr GLADSTONE replied that the danger of the use of nùed Ughta in minea which were subject, to fire damp was one to which atten- tion was frequently called by the inspectors of mines. Mr MARKHAM inquired whether, seeing that a report received by the Government on the Courrierea diafaster attributed the cause of the disaster to coal dust explosion without any evidence of gas being present, any steps had been taken to get special rutes established pro- hibiting the use of naked lights in all British mines. Mr GLADSTONE in reply said it would be impracticable to attempt to establish a special rule prohibiting the use of naked lights for every mine in the country. Special rules bad to be proposed separately for each mine, and must have regard to the particuJar state and circumstances of the m'.ne. If the owner objected to a rule proposed for hia mine he had the right to take the matter to arbitration. It was by no means every mine in the country that was liable to a coal dust explosion. In those that were so liable the mere prohibition of the use of naked lights alone would not be sufficient protection. The question, however, whether the existing rutes as to the use of a&fety iampa required amendment had been I referred to the itoyal Commission on Mines now sitting. Mr Y"EN WICK inquired whether there w S any case where coal dust explosion had been caused otherwise than by shot.Bring, and whether legislation would be introduced to deal with shot-firing in minea. Mr GLADSTONE replied that this subject had atso been under the consideration of the Royat Commission, and, of course, no legista. tion could be undertaken before the report was received.

A TRY-ON IN COURT. A lady plaintiff at Southwark County Court on Tuesday waa requested by Deputy Judge Layman to fit on a bodice (the subject of her summons against a mantte maker) in the robing room, but on the blushing uaher report- ing the presence there of couaaal robing she was conducted to his Honour's private room. On her emerging resplendent in the garment under dispute, the adnnring Judge observed,— "I thought you said the hooka and eyes showed in the front ?" She has evidently altered them since I took out the summons," replied plainttN. There is nothing the matter with it now," urged the Judge poattively. It's all rumpled up here," protested plain- tiS. picking hold of a steeve. But the J udge ruled that the bodice was a very fair fit, and found for the mantte maker. without costs.

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Crash in Cyfta Vattey. ? ROOF GiRDERS FALL. Two Men !njured Narrow Escapes. An accident, in which a number of men had narrow escapes from death, occurred at the new coUiery works of the Poweit DuSryn Company in the CyUa VaUey, near Hengoed, on Wednesday. They were eng--god iym the con- struction of the engine houae, the contract for which ia held by Meaars Morton and Co., Liverpool, when some massive iron standards felt, causing great wreckage and injurin<r two men. The buitding when complete will be 77 feet high, and the masonry had been carried to a- conaiderabte height in readiness for the I reception of the iron spans for the roof. The operation of fbnng these was in progress under <(he superintendence of Mr Thomas Grimths, the foreman, when the MI occurred.. These standards weigh about two tona each, and <(he superintendence of Mr Thomas Grimths, the foreman, when the MI occurred.. These standards weigh about two tona each, and consist entirely of iron work with transverse supports, the whole being rivetted to staunchions embedded in the wall. Eleven workmen were on the wa) ts preparatory to pro- ceeding with the sean'oldittg for the jointing and other work connected with the standards. when, without a second's warning, a standard gave way, and m ita fa)t wrenched away the others, the wboia mass of iron coming down with a terrific crash. Mr GrMSths and a young man named Albert Kitt, who lodges at Gil- fach, near Bargoed, together with another workman in the employ of Messrs Morton, were underneath. The last mentioned made a bold jump for safety, at the same time shouting to his companions. GrUBths. how- ever. was unable to escape entirety, and sus- tained some injuries to his logs, and Eitt was pinned smidst the faHen iron work. He was SnaUy extricated, and after nfst aid had been rendered by a workman named Nash was conveyed home and medicaity attended to by Dr. Reidy. It was found that bo had sustained a fractured thigh. Dr Richards, of Hengoed. attended to Grimths's injuries, which wcra not aerious. Altogether about ?0 tons of iron work fetl to the bed of the engine house. A short time prior to the accident Mr E. M. Hann, the principal agent of the company, with his son, Mr George Hann. were in the vicinity of the fall. Had the accident taken place but Bye minutes ttter about ten men would have been on the iron work. Fortunately they were at the moment standing on the masonry, -vhich did not give way in the ieast degree. The damage is compnbcd at between E500 and JEl.OOOj

FIREWORKS ACCIDENT. Shocking Affair at Cardiff. A shocking burning aocident occurred on I Wednesday evening attheSophiaGardens Field, Cardiff, where a, pyrotechnic display in honour of the South African football team was taking place. There were crowds of people watching the display, and so great was the pressure round about where the fireworks were being discharged Htat the rope barrier was broken down,amd the attendants had the greatest dif&- culty in keeping the peple aw&y from the framewofk. Just before 9 o'clock a youth named William Wiltshire (17), who tives at 7 Planet-street, had the m'sfortune to have bia dothea set on fire by a cqutb, with the reault that be was shockingly burned about the body and neck. Sufferin excruciating pain the lad ran towards the river bank, his clothes being ablaze, and in his desperation contemptated jumping into the river, but a police oSlcer interposed promptly, and extinguished the names. P.O. Thomas then immediately got a cab, and the youth was removed to the In- firmary, his iujuries being of a very aerious nature. At the hospital the lad said that the squib was thrown at hun. Another report states that Wiltshire had some squibs in. his pocket, and that it w&s through these becom- ing ignited that his clothes were set on Sro. There were other boys about at. the time. and it is!tllegcl that some wero even audacious enough to take iighted fireworka from the I framework. On inquiry at the Infirmary at midnight it was stated that there was no change in Wilt- shirc'-i

The Escaped ConviotS. TRAPPED AT LYDNEY< Exhaustsd Men's Surrender. CO! J The tour convicts who broke out of alo Dt Gaol on Thursday night bad but *t?? Bpell of liberty, for they were ail re??ft?" on Saturday on the top of a hayrick ? ?t? Farm. Lydney. The town of Lydney p?. ted on the eaatern edge of the Forest ot ?T where the fugitives were supposed ? taken refuge. tC'X A police omcer to!d a, Pressman oo ??''? Bight that alt four prisoners, when ""?t ?,. on the hayrick, seemed ?!ad their ?'-? ? over. They at) presented a woeb?ef? pearance, and were terribly hungry, "je? .1 on a pair of trousers, over ?-.? ?? wore the atolen corduroys, a prison sb"_ (?f?? convict'a cap. the tatter having bee" ? inside out. The three others had ba frOtØ iJi they took with the other clothes ?? fisherman's and railway huts. They )tt?? tattered workmen's clothes. Lond< t? the ringleader, and another had P „ of "o which had been badly gaUed hy waW ad permanent way of tba raiiway. ? !?'b? lame that he had to be MsiateddoT? ? ? None offered any resistance when s?fP. ?c two constabtes on the rick top, with ? surrounding the barn. ?. 'j< The convicts were like rats in a b" ? said, We can see the game's up' < beaten and done down." -j; '?V They were handou?ed and eonvsy? t" wagon to Lydney Polica Station, wD tu" ate ravenously.. biog b;4 A Blakeney correspondent, descrl,,tte,,i. capture of the convicta. saya the quir of ),io remained in biding during a great par 'Of' day. but they made some P'?S'*??? ?p'! between the Severn and the South ''?c'?) line, which were onty a mite apart, ?f!? o* ture was entirely due to infonnatioo jc?,.? on Saturday mominfc by Peter ??0 ?ti- Warren's Farm, Lydney. EnteriM ? ?.? stables at an early hour. Meadows ? << ?? fronted by two shoeless men. ooc ?a? ?. said, We be on tramp, and ha." oxn6 eti, food eince Thursday. Give ua OC ado,, tuals. We bo four of us, a.H you ?t< and want to get to Chepstow. W"' <.<'?.,?' us t Two of our pats are done "P' ?0?-? !ying in the orchard behind the h°?<.jy, ?'? ?p knowing of the mutiny, acted discre??p? ?? ing a big ?faf in four pieces, a.nd, ? to ?? as many pieces of cheese, ho handeo? a.e''?. men, who at hia bidding m&de w??t?i* country. Soon the Blakeney P?'? ?o?? possession of these facts, and h&??'ft ??, catedwithCHoucester, were reinfor tr? dozen coBstabIes sent aowo n?"?'.?' Inspector Seabright then laid Ijy?e line of police guarded the railway '.j???? The river encompassed the other °\.j0????' main body of police be?an a drive ???t? would f or pheMan?. Two hours ?.?t!?,.? Three constables were together ?*nip f?' buildings of Mr Sidney Smith, at ?! ?, when they caught the fugitives. eo0?<? Interviewed, Hazel, one of ?"?itab'?t? said It was all over in no ?°?"f bay' ?< ?) I came to an open sided barn. tu" noted ?-t? a ladder tilted against the side. "?tt ?gt? fresh day on the rnnga a.nd S??,? e? ? arndkeen. There were 2 5 of us vv tht I but we two went up, wilts ir ? hia heels. ,[nop? ??' On reaehin? the top a m*" ?"j. 'b)o?Jtbe aa!d to him, Surrender, or i?'?oC?e bramsout.' With that we boMtsp?? ? man, and found we were ty"?° wb'a???? others were under the bay. ?jco. '?? our inspector was with us '? ?? s<? ? ..?? Put up your hands,' and they ? up ?t. enough. Oneofthemaatd, 1" ? be ?f< We don't mean to resist, we s? ?eo?b' onty give us some ?ctuats. ?jb?? thereupon chained together mt? &ppe?? down. but their tattered a-M? boo?' ?? j waspitiabie. Two were withou??b? ? bad was their condition th? ?, g? e<? and cart and hauted them ??o?d f?. Lydney, where theywerewe?ca? ?

The MerthyrL?ral?j'??? not yet bean forma-iiyopenei?? ?tractive rendezvous ?'-??b? of the town. a.nd sonM ? already been cnrol'ed.