§ MR. POWELLsaid, he would beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education, Whether Government intend to afford any information to Managers of Schools as to the nature of the accounts which, under Article 51 D of Revised Code, 1866, will be taken as "kept with sufficient accuracy to warrant confidence in the Returns," and to secure Managers from entire withholding of Grant on the ground of insufficient accuracy in such accounts?
MR. H. A. BRUCE,in reply, said, the article in the Revised Code originally stood thus—
The grant is withheld altogether if the registers be not kept with sufficient accuracy to warrant confidence in the Returns.The word "accounts" was now added, and the article reads thus—The grant is withheld altogether if the registers and accounts be not kept with sufficient accuracy to warrant confidence in the Returns.The addition of this word introduced no change in practice. By Article 52C the grant was reduced by the amount of school fees and subscriptions, or by the amount of the annual endowment. It was obvious, therefore, that the amount of the grant depended on the accuracy of the accounts rendered; and that where they were grossly inaccu- 1394 rate, and more especially if they were dishonest, it was competent to the Committee of Council to withhold the grant altogether. The present article stated clearly and substantively what was before a matter of inference only. The forms of account were published in the Instructions to the Inspectors, and were to be found in the Report of 1863, and these forms had been widely distributed amongst managers of schools throughout the country. He might state that at no time had accounts been objected to that were intelligible, and that only when they were grossly inaccurate and wholly untrustworthy had the penalties been enforced.
§ MR. POWELLWill the right hon. Gentleman lay the forms on the table of the House?
MR. H. A. BRUCEThey can be if the hon. Gentleman wishes it, but they have been already widely distributed.