SIR ROWLAND BLENNERHASSETsaid, he would beg to ask the Vice President of the Poor Law Board, Whether, considering that a Committee of this House, so far back as 1864, has made certain recommendations with the view of giving full effect to the obvious intention of the Legislature in regard to the religious rights of those inmates of workhouses and district schools who are not members of the Church of England, it is the intention of the Government to introduce a Bill embodying those recommendations early next Session?
§ MR. SCLATER-BOOTHsaid, it was perfectly true that elaborate recommendations on the subject to which the hon. Baronet referred had been laid before Parliament as long ago as the spring of 1864, and had been under the consideration of three successive Presidents of the Poor Law Board. They were submitted formally to Parliament by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Wolverhampton (Mr. C. P. Villiers), in 1865, and were withdrawn only because of the Dissolution which was at that time impending. In consequence of the change of Government last year nothing had been done with respect to them, but they formed part of the Bill which was brought in this year and was withdrawn with other clauses, simply because it had been found impossible to secure an opportunity of procuring for them that full discussion which their importance demanded. It was, however, the intention of his noble Friend at the head of the Poor Law Board to lay them again before Parliament, together with other recommendations made by the same Select Committee as soon as possible after the commencement of next Session.