§ MR. BUXTONsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether he has considered the great facility with which London has been provided with the requisite organization for the election of the School Board; and, whether he does not think it probable that he may be able to prepare a measure for the creation of a constitution for the Metropolis in the present year?
MR. BRUCE, in reply, said, his hon. Friend would, he trusted, excuse him if he failed to see the analogy between the creation of a school board and the carrying out of a scheme for the local government of London. The London school board was a mere addition to the existing powers—an addition that was hailed with satisfaction by all the existing authorities. Any system of local government for London that would be worthy of acceptance by the House must interfere with existing institutions, both ancient and modern; and no Government could exercise ordinary prudence which did not foresee that there would be to any such measure a considerable amount of opposition, involving, of course, a great consumption of time. It was after a full consideration of all these circumstances, and with the utmost reluctance, that the Government had decided that they would be unable in the present Session to introduce, in addition to the other measures they intended to propose, a measure of such great importance.