§ MR. W. FIELD (Dublin, St. Patrick's)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Government intend to amend the Compulsory Education Act, 1892, and whether it is intended to make the Act effectual to insure attendance, and to provide primary, technical and agricultural education in Ireland, especially in view of the fact that the United States Senate has passed a law against the admission of illiterate immigrants into the United States?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI introduced a Bill last year with the object of amending the Irish Education Act of 1892, and I am ready to introduce a Bill this year embodying those clauses of last year's Bill which were intended to remedy the acknowledged defects in the Act of 1892, provided I receive an assurance that such a Bill would be treated as non-contentious. If, however, it were treated as a contentious Measure and made the battleground for fighting the questions connected with the exclusion of the Christian Brothers' and other schools from the benefits of the national system, it would be impossible for the Government to ask the House to spend over it the time that would be necessary to pass it into law.
§ MR. JOHN DILLON (Mayo, E.)asked whether the Government had definitely abandoned the intention of settling the claims of the Christian Brothers?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOUROh, no Sir.