§ Bill considered in Committee, and reported, without Amendment.
§ THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Mr. Acland, York, W.R.,) RotherhamI would ask the indulgence of the House for the Third Reading of this Bill.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Bill be now read the third time."—(Mr. Acland.)
* Mr. CARVELL WILLIAMS (Notts, Mansfield)said, he had no wish to prevent or delay the passing of the Bill which the Honse was now asked to read a third time; but he Thought it right to point out that the measure embodied a 408 principle to which all Liberals should be strenuously opposed—namely, the granting of money out of public rates for the support of privately-managed denominational institutions. [Cries of "Agreed!" and "I object!"] At the same time he admitted that the case was a peculiar one. The class dealt with was a special class, and a very limited one, and was scattered over the face of the country. For that reason he did not think that the measure, if passed into law, could ever be appealed to in the future as furnishing a precedent for the extension of the principle to which he had referred. [Cries of "Agreed!" and continued interruption.] While the friends of unsectarian education might refrain from opposing the Bill, they had a right to expect that the Minister for Education would stand by the safeguards contained in the Bill, and not be a party to the carrying of a measure, possibly harmless now, but which might become a dangerous one, as the result of alterations made in another place. [Cries of "Agreed!"]
§ Motion agreed to.
§ Bill read the third time, and passed.