§ SIR HARRY VERNEYwished to ask the hon. Secretary to the Treasury what was the present state of the question which had arisen with respect to the sale of the publications of the Irish Board of Education, and whether the plan submitted to the Treasury by the Committee of the Irish Board was likely to be carried out?
§ MR. G. A. HAMILTONsaid, that the hon. Baronet who had put this question, was probably aware that the subject was involved in considerable difficulties, and that connected with it there were several parties whose interests it was not very easy to reconcile with each other. First, there was the book trade, who very naturally expected the the arrangements for the sale and publication of the National School Books should be put upon a strictly mercantile and commercial principle. Then the House would recollect that it was a fundamental principle of the National System of Education in Ireland that the Commissioners should have the complete control with reference to the subject-matter of the books which they published; and the Board, having this responsibility, which involved very delicate considerations connected with the contents of these publications, very naturally and rightly required that no arrangements should be made which should interfere with their complete control over them. They also expected that no arrangements should be made by which the price of these books should be enhanced to the poor of Ireland. There was next the Privy Council of England, who were also opposed to any arrangement by which the price of these books might be enhanced; and, lastly, there was the contract for printing, which had two years to run. The noble Lord the late Prime Minister, having taken the subject into consideration, expressed an opinion that the supply of books to be published by the 630 Commissioners should be limited to the quantity required for their own schools; but he added that he thought it desirable that means should be also taken by which the sale of these books in other parts of the United Kingdom should be secured. Since he (Mr. Hamilton) had held his present office, the subject had been under the consideration of the Treasury, who had received several communications on the subject within the last week, and although he could not say that the difficulties of the subject had been surmounted, he thought that in a short time—he hoped, within a few days—he should be able to submit to his right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer a plan by which they might be overcome.