EDUCATION OF PAUPER CHILDREN BILL. (Hansard, 16 May 1855)

§ SIR WILLIAM CLAY
said, he would appeal to the hon. Member for Malton (Mr. E. Denison) to allow the Church-Rate Abolition (No. 2) Bill, which stood next to the Bill for the Education of Pauper Children, to be taken before that Bill. In practical effect, the Church-Rate (No. 2) Bill was the same as that which he (Sir W. Clay) was about to withdraw, and the only reason for its introduction was to get rid of some errors which had crept into the first Bill.

§ MR. EVELYN DENISON
said, he had no doubt it was the general wish of the House to proceed at once with the second reading of the important Bill for the abolition of church-rates. At the same time it would be a great sacrifice on his part entirely to let slip that opportunity of advancing his Bill for the education of pauper children one stage. The Bill was a very short one; there was no objection to its principle; and he might say, indeed, that 664 he had received very general assurances of support. In acceding, therefore, to the request of the hon. Baronet, he would venture to ask the House to allow his Bill to be read a second time without discussion, pledging himself to give hon. Members an opportunity of expressing their opinions upon the Motion for going into Committee.

§ MR. BAINES
said, he hoped the House would agree to the proposition of the hon. Member for Malton. He was anxious that the Bill should be proceeded with, believing that it was calculated to do a great deal of good, and he would be happy to render his best assistance to the hon. Member for Malton, to whom the country was deeply indebted for introducing his measure for the education of pauper children. It was within his own knowledge that many boards of guardians, including some of the best—among others, that of the township of Manchester—had for years been anxious to possess the very powers which the present Bill proposed to confer upon them.

§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTON
said, he did not think it would be fair or reasonable to call upon the hon. Member for Malton to give up the advantage to which he was entitled, his Bill standing first among the Orders of the Day; but, on the other hand, he for one was willing to accede to the proposal which the hon. Member for the Tower Hamlets (Sir W. Clay) had made.