§ EARL DE LA WARRasked the Lord President of the Council, Whether the Report of Dr. Crichton Browne, relative to over-work in elementary schools could be laid upon the Table of the House? He thought the Lord President of the Council would agree with him that the document ought to be in their Lordships' hands, as it referred to a subject which had lately been much under public notice, and would probably be shortly again brought under the consideration of the House.
§ LORD CARLINGFORD (LORD PRESIDENT of the COUNCIL)said, he could not agree with the noble Earl that this was a document which it was the duty of the Government to lay on the Table. It was not in any proper sense of the term a Report to the Education Department. It was a letter of enormous compass, dealing with matters of the moat controversial kind, containing the theories of Dr. Crichton Browne, and reflecting on various Departments, including the Education Department. He believed that it grew out of a conversation between Dr. Browne and the Vice President of the Council, who was afterwards much astonished at receiving such a document. The Education Department were in no sense responsible for it, and were not going to make themselves responsible for issuing it as a Parliamentary Paper. It would be extremely inconvenient if any gentleman had it in his power to discharge a document of this kind at the head of any Public Department, and then to require that Department to publish it in the form of a Blue Book. Of course, Dr. Crichton Browne was at liberty to make his own document public in any way he pleased. Certain Papers had been promised in "another place" on the subject of overpressure in schools, and whatever was presented to the House of Commons would be laid also on the Table of their Lordships' House.
LORD HOUGHTONsaid, he thought it was only fair to Dr. Crichton Browne 237 that they should know whether this Report or letter was initiated by him or by the Department.
§ LORD CARLINGFORD (LORD PRESIDENT of the COUNCIL)said, that he had had no personal communication with Dr. Browne on the matter; but he had no reason to believe that it originated in any proper sense with the Education Department.