DR. CAMERONasked the Vice President of the Committee of Council, Whether Ayr (Landward) is a School Board district distinct from Ayr (Burgh), and how many children of school age are comprised in its population; whether it is true that beyond appointing a secretary and levying a small rate once in three years to pay his salary, the Ayr (Landward) School Board have done nothing to meet the educational wants of the district; and, whether it is the case that children belonging to Ayr (landward) district are educated at the schools and at the expense of the ratepayers of Ayr(Burgh) and Alloway; and, if so, whether he will take steps either to amalgamate the districts so as to make all the ratepayers contribute to the cost of the public education provided, or compel the board of the landward district to provide education for that district at its own cost?
§ MR. MUNDELLAAyr (Landward) is a school-board district, and distinct from Ayr (Burgh), and contains 161 children of school age. The hon. Member is quite correct in his statement of 217 the facts of the case, and the Department would before this have issued an order of amalgamation; butt there is now before Parliament a Bill for the extension of the boundary of the borough which may affect the question. The issue of the order has, therefore, been postponed until the fate of the Bill is decided. Should the Bill be rejected the order will be issued.