§ MR. H. GARDNER (Essex, Saffron Walden)I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education whether his attention has been called to an offer made by Messrs. Cassell, publishers, to supply their "National Library" of 200 volumes at half price (£1 7s.), provided the library is vested in responsible persons, and the place one in which no bookseller resides; and whether, in view of the great advantage the possession of a lending library would be to the inhabitants of villages where no such provision now exists, and seeing that such a proposal is in accordance with paragraph 52 of the Revised Instructions to Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools, lately issued by the Education Department, he will authorise and recommend school managers in rural districts where the library exists to include in the school accounts a moderate sum sufficient for the purchase of Messrs. Cassell's or some similar library?
§ THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Sir WILLIAM HART DYKE,) Kent, DartfordI understand that Messrs. Cassell have made such an offer as the hon. Member describes, and I am not aware of any reason why managers of schools should not avail themselves of it for the formation of a lending library, and charge the cost to the school fund.