HC Deb 25 February 1864 vol 173 cc1067-8
MR. LESLIE

said, he wished to ask the Lord Advocate, Whether Her Majesty's Government will agree to issue a Royal Commission to inquire into the state of Education generally in Scotland, and will consent to defer the application of the New Revised Code to Scotland until the Report of said Commission shall have been submitted for the consideration of Parliament?

THE LORD ADVOCATE

said, in reply, that in conformity with the wish expressed by the Scotch Members at the close of last Session, he proposed to Her Majesty's Government to issue a Commission on the subject of Scotch Education. The proposal was deliberately considered, but it was not thought necessary to inquire in such a formal shape, as any facts needful to be ascertained might be learnt otherwise. He had no reason to suppose the Government had since changed their intention. The question as to the Revised Code was more properly in the Department of his right hon. Friend the Vice President of the Committee of Council for Education, but he appre- hended that there was no intention of postponing its application to Scotland.