HC Deb 15 June 1904 vol 136 cc223-44

Considered in Committee.

(In the Committee.)

[Mr. J. W. LOWTHEE (Cumberland, Penrith) in the Chair.]

Clause 25.

Amendment again proposed— In lieu of the words omitted in page 11, line 1, at commencement, to insert the words 'In the case of an enumerated district according to their respective valuations in the valuation roll last available, and in all other cases one-half according to their respective populations as ascertained at the last preceding census, and one-half according to their respective valuations in the valuation roll last available; provided that in the case of portions of parishes the populations shall be taken as may be agreed upon between the school board and the parish council, or failing agreement as may be determined by the Secretary for Scotland.'"—(Mr. A. Graham Murray.)

Question proposed, "That those words be there inserted."

DR. MACNAMARA) )(Camberwell, N.)

moved to amend the Secretary for Scotland's Amendment to Clause 25, by substituting one-fourth for one-half as the rate in respect of population. Broadly, he submitted that the effect of the right hon. Gentleman's Amendment would be to put heavier rates on the densely-peopled parts and lower rates on the sparsely-peopled parts, or in other words, to mitigate the incidence of the rate upon landed property. He thought they ought to stick to the old method of levying the rate upon the rate able value. The effect of this proposal made by the Government would be, in his opinion, to make the rate heavier in the rural areas, although he agreed that they would get the benefit of a better system of administration. Because he could not get any satisfactory statistical information as to what this great revolution meant in regard to the incidence of taxation in Scotland, he was bound to oppose this Amendment. He begged to move.

Amendment proposed to the proposed Amendment— To leave out the first words 'one-half,' and insert the words 'one-fourth.'"—(Dr. Macnamara.)

Question proposed, "That the words 'one-half' stand part of the proposed Amendment."

MR. McCRAE) )(Edinburgh, E.)

pressed the Secretary for Scotland to give the data upon which he had made up his mind that the method of assessment he proposed was a fair one. He thought they ought to know exactly which counties were to be benefited by this proposal, and what would be the result of it. It was only fair that the Secretary for Scotland, in making this proposal, should place before the House the information, which he no doubt possessed, upon which he made this proposal. The right hon. Gentleman had told them that he was not able to give them definite figures, but surely he must have had some kind of statistical information to convince him that this was an improvement upon the method of rating now in force. He respectfully asked the Secretary for Scotland to give the House that information, so that they might be in a position to decide what was a fair proportion to take between population and valuation.

THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (Mr. A. GRAHAM MURRAY,) Buteshire

said he could only repeat that the effect of the Amendment would be to mitigate the extent to which rural districts would suffer and burghs gain under the method of assessment upon valuation alone. When they put together a number of districts, say A, B, C, D, and E, the result, of course, was that the rate became an average rate. Roughly speaking, he thought it would be found that the high rate was the burgh rate and the low one the rural rate.

MR. McCRAE

said the right hon. Gentleman appeared to have misunderstood the position. His point was not as to what would be the effect of this proposal as compared with the existing method, but he wanted to know its effect as compared with the assessment of the new rate on the old basis of valuation under the Bill. That point had been entirely ignored by the right hon. Gentleman. They wanted to know the result of the change taking assessment and valuation and comparing it with the process which for the first time to-day they were being asked to pass into law.

MR. BRYCE) )(Aberdeen, S.)

said the Secretary for Scotland had argued this case as if this new principle, now being introduced for the first time, was going to be confined to the present Bill. Once they introduced this principle it might be made a precedent hereafter, and therefore they were bound to scrutinise it very closely and consider what its effect would be if applied more generally. Therefore he thought the demand that there should be some further data given to the House before they adopted this somewhat novel departure was a reasonable one.

MR. WHITLEY (Halifax)

said as this question did not involve any difficult Scotch pronunciation he might, as an English Member, be justified in intervening in the discussion. He had had brought to his notice some very great I injustices which were due to inequalities in rateable value. He had followed this discussion with very great interest, and he merely wished to put to the Secretary for Scotland a hypothetical case which he thought would give the House some guidance in the matter. Putting aside the question as between town and country, supposing you had two parishes in a certain district of equal valuation, I each valued at £10,000, one with a population of 100 and the other 500. In the one case deer forest or sport might be keeping the population at a minimum, while in the other the owner might be encouraging as many people as possible to live upon the land. Would it be the case under the present proposal of the Government that the parish which encouraged the use and development of the land and a larger number of inhabitants would be mulcted in favour of the parish with equal rateable value, but with a smaller population? Obviously, without considering the mere rights and wrongs between one policy and another, this proposal did affect a great principle of public policy, and this House ought not to adopt a system of rating which encouraged a single owner to discourage the cultivation of the land, and which penalised the individual who encouraged the development of population and the cultivation of the soil in agricultural districts. That would be the obvious effect of the proposal put forward by the Government, and unless the Secretary for Scotland could convince him that that was not the case he should certainly oppose this proposal.

SIR CHARLES RENSHAW (Renfrew, W.)

said that, with the permission of the Committee, he would take an actual case in each one of the four districts of a county. In number 1 (Dundee) district of the county of Forfar the valuation was £338,671 and the product of a penny rate on the assessable rental was £352 10s. The population was 23,736. The valuation of the burghal area was £145,122 and of the landward area £193,549, so that if the assessment were levied on that basis the amount raised in the former would be £151 0s. 11½d., and in the latter £201 9s. 0½d. If the assessment were calculated on the basis of population, the burghal area would contribute £187 7s. 9d., and the landward area £165 2s. 3d. In number 2 (Forfar) district the population was 27,322 and the total valuation was £323,537, giving a product on a penny rate of £336 10s., of which on the basis of valuation the burghal area would contribute £115 14s. 10½d., and the landward area £220 15s. 1½d., while on the basis of population the contribution of the former would be £190 16s. 3d. and of the latter £145 13s. 9d. In number 3 (Brechin) district the population was 33,851 and the total valuation was £390,952, giving a product of £407, of which on the basis of valuation the burghal area would contribute £178 2s. 11d. and the landward area £228 17s. 1d., while on the basis of population the former would contribute £256 12s. and the latter £150 8s. In number 4 (Montrose) district the population was 36,508 and the total valuation was £359,212, giving a product of £373 10s., of which the burghal area on the basis of valuation would contribute £237 3s. 10d. and the landward area would contribute £136 6s. 2d., while on the basis of population the former would contribute £283 18s. and the latter £89 12s. The proportion in the last mentioned case, if divided half and half, would be that the burghal area would raise £521 1s. 10d. and the landward area £225 18s. 2d. That was the only case out of the four in Forfarshire in which owing to the peculiar proportion of the burghal and the landward districts the proposal would work in that way. In the other three districts it would work in the direction of equalisation. His right hon. friend was perfectly right in saying that unless something of this kind were put in the Bill, in those counties which were largely burghal and rural in their character they would put an enormous additional charge on the rural population, while they would relieve the burghs to a very considerable extent. The result of that would be a rankling feeling of injury on the part of the rural population. He appealed to the Committee to allow the matter to be dealt with in the way suggested.

MR. A. GRAHAM MURRAY

said he was going to make an appeal to the Committee of another kind. It was perfectly clear that if they went on discussing this clause they would make no progress with the Bill. He could assure the Committee that he did not put the clause down with any Macchiavellian intentions, but simply to do what he best could to try and conciliate the various interests that he thought were affected by the Bill. He wanted to make the Committee this offer. If they would allow the clause to pass, he would give them the promise to recommit the Bill on Report in respect of this clause. It would be perfectly understood that, in allowing the clause to pass now, hon. Members were not committing themselves at all to the principle of the clause. By that time they would have had ample opportunity of looking into the figures, and, for himself, he would say frankly that if he found that the clause was provocative of injustice instead of justice he should reconsider the situation. At present he did not think that it was. In regard to what fell from the right hon. Member for Aberdeen he would say that he did not think, when they came to consider it, that this was a case of insidiously introducing the thin end of the wedge because he did not see what else could be applied in Scotland except the particular condition they were here dealing with. They were here dealing with the incidence of the school rate in respect of the new district where the rating area was an agglomeration of districts. They could not introduce the question of population in an ordinary question of rating. The distinction which he drew at the beginning when he said that this was not a question of rating, but a question of apportionment, was not on the face of it a mere juggling with words. What was proposed was not introducing a new principle at all, but simply making less disturbance than would otherwise be the case. He hoped the Committee would fall in with the suggestion he had made, because it seemed that it would give hon. Members as much opportunity for discussion as they would get now, and they would then be able to deal with the subject in the light of any figures they might choose to get.

MR. McCRAE

thought the right hon. Gentleman had made a very fair suggestion if he accompanied it with a promise to lay before the Committee tables bringing out the very valuable results similar to those presented by the hon. Member for Renfrew. Perhaps even a better course would be to postpone the clause.

MR. CATHCART WASON (Orkney and Shetland)

said he had unbounded admiration for the manner in which the Secretary for Scotland had conducted the Bill. The right hon. Gentleman had given every possible opportunity for submitting the Bill to the constituencies and finding out their opinions upon it. This was not a matter which should be decided now. The hon. Member for Renfrewshire had given the figures in regard to a particular constituency, but they could not follow them, and they could not tell whether they might be taken as representing the situation in other constituencies. The hon. Member had the figures at his finger ends, and on the strength of what he had said he expected them to hurriedly swallow this intricate clause in the Bill. He urged that they should be allowed time to ascertain what the opinions of their constituents were in regard to the proposal.

SIR CHARLES RENSHAW

said the County Councils' Association for the whole of Scotland at a recent meeting in Edinburgh had by a unanimous resolution expressed satisfaction with the proposal.

MR. CATHCART WASON

said all the counties were not represented in the association. The county councils all through Scotland were not particularly popular bodies, and very often they did not at all represent the opinion of the the counties. He did not doubt the good faith of the right hon. Gentleman in making the offer he had made, but it did not amount to anything, and he thought it would be very much better to stick to the proposal in the Bill as originally introduced. If the right hon. Gentleman found it unworkable he could bring in an amending clause later on.

SIR ROBERT REID

said that in his opinion the proposal of the Secretary for Scotland gave a fair basis for dealing with this matter. He would prefer that the clause should be postponed. He did not know whether the Secretary for Scotland had so strong a view that he would decline to accept that suggestion.

MR. A. GRAHAM MURRAY

said he was afraid the suggestion was not in order. So far as he was concerned it would be absolutely the same. The acceptance of his own offer would give hon. Members more time to consider the question.

SIR ROBERT REID

thought there was force in what the right hon. Gentleman said. The point was to get an opportunity not only for themselves, but for those whom they represented, to consider what was acknowledged to be a novel and important proposition, He hoped the Secretary for Scotland would try to place in the hands of hon. Members as early as possible the best statistical and other information he could furnish so as to enable them to form an opinion as to how this would work. He wished to know how the new proposal would operate not only in the burghs and counties generally, but also in the congested districts.

MR. A. GRAHAM MURRAY

said he would furnish such information as he had. So far as he was concerned it would be a Return of the values in the areas.

MR. DALZIEL

thought the suggestion of the right hon. Gentleman was, on the whole, a good one. At the same time he believed it would greatly assist the right hon. Gentleman if hon. Members were allowed to express their views in regard to the proposal now.

DR. MACNAMARA

said he should withdraw the Amendment on the understanding that in accepting the offer of the right hon. Gentleman they did so without prejudice in respect to the proposal in the clause, and that they should be able to discuss it afterwards.

MR. A. GRAHAM MURRAY

The hon. Member is not committed to anything in the clause.

DR. MACNAMARA

asked leave to withdraw the Amendment.

MR. JOHN DEWAR

asked whether between that time and the Report stage it would be possible to exempt the crofting counties from the operation of the clause.

MR. A. GRAHAM MURRAY

I will consider the whole matter.

Amendment to the proposed Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Proposed words inserted.

Clause 25, as amended, agreed to.

Clause 26.

Amendment proposed— In page 11, lines 23 and 24, to leave out the words 'allocating and.'"—(Mr. A. Graham Murray.)

Amendment agreed to.

Clause 26, as amended, agreed to.

Clause 27.

Amendment proposed— In page 11, line 35, to leave out the words 'annual value for that year,' and insert the words 'valuation as in the valuation roll last available.'"—(Mr. A. Graham Murray.)

MR. A. GRAHAM MURRAY

said this, was a mere drafting Amendment.

Amendment agreed to.

Amendment proposed— In page 11, to leave out lines 37 and 38."—(Mr. A. Graham Murray.)

Amendment agreed to.

Clause 27, as amended, agreed to.

Clause 28.

Amendment proposed— In page 11, line 41, to leave out from the word 'powers' to end of clause."—(Mr. A. Graham, Murray.)

Amendment agreed to.

Clause 28, as amended, agreed to.

Clause 29.

Amendment proposed— In page 12, line 5, to leave out from the word 'school,' to the second word 'the' in line 11."—(Mr. A. Graham Murray.)

Mr. A. GRAHAM MURRAY

said he moved this as a drafting Amendment.

Amendment agreed to.

Amendment proposed— In page 12, line 14, to leave out from the word 'powers,' to the word 'to' in line 20."—(Mr. A. Graham Murray.)

Amendment agreed to.

Amendment proposed— In page 12, line 20, after the word 'committee,' to insert the words 'or committees.'"—(Mr. A. Graham Murray.)

Amendment agreed to.

Amendment proposed. In page 12, line 21, after the word 'committee,' to insert the words 'or committees.'"—(Mr. A. Graham Murray.)

Amendment agreed to.

Amendment proposed— In page 12, line 28, to leave out from the word 'powers,' to the word 'shall' in line 29."—(Mr. A. Graham Murray.)

Amendment agreed to.

Amendment proposed— In page 12, line 31, to leave out from beginning of line to end of clause, and insert the words 'upon the school attendance committee, or committees.'"—(Mr. A. Graham Murray.)

Amendment agreed to.

Clause 29, as amended, agreed to.

Clause 30.

Amendment proposed— In page 12, line 36, after the word 'shall,' to insert the words 'from, and after the date of that Act.'"—(Mr. Bryce.)

Mr. BRYCE

said that this clause was a very valuable one, and his Amendment was designed to make its provisions retrospective. There could be no hardship in that, and it would be a considerable convenience and advantage to school boards.

Question proposed, "That those words be there inserted."

Mr. A. GRAHAM MURRAY

said he accepted the Amendment.

Amendment proposed— In page 12, line 40, after the word 'playground,' to insert the words 'or recreation field.'"—(Mr. Parker Smith.)

Mr. PARKER SMITH (Lanarkshire, Partick)

said that in these days when they wished to give as much attention as possible to the physical training of children recreation fields ought to be provided as well as small playgrounds at the school, and the cost be spread over a considerable number of years.

Question proposed, "That those words be there inserted."

Mr. A. GRAHAM MURRAY

said he accepted the Amendment.

Clause 30, as amended, agreed to.

Clause 31.

Amendment proposed— In page 13, line 4, after the second word 'out' to insert the words 'or in combining with one or more school boards to carry out.'" (Mr. A. Graham Murray.)

Amendment agreed to.

Amendment proposed— In page 13, line 7, after the word 'managers' to insert, 'books or apparatus, or.'"—(Mr. Crombie.)

Mr. CROMBIE

said that no need had been more strongly expressed in Scotland than the need for books in the schools.

Question proposed, "That those words be there inserted."

MR. A. GRAHAM MURRAY

said he did not see his way to accept this Amendment. There was a possibility of getting books, but through another Department. That was to say, the expense of providing the children with books might be a reasonable Poor Law expense. It seemed to him that there really was a limit to the propriety of providing books free. He could not see why the child should be provided with books free any more than he should be provided free with clothing, which was even more necessary than books, to enable him to go to school. Hon. Members should not forget that, as a matter of fact, there was really no obligation whatever on the State to provide free education in Scotland. There was simply a Treasury contribution, known as the free grant, which freed parents from the school fees which they formerly had to pay; and the school boards were given power to put on a rate. To give the school board power to provide the children with books out of the rates would not be only an additional burden upon the general ratepayers, but would still more lessen the responsibilty of the parent to provide for his child. That was a really far higher question then making a case for the supply of books, for it was easy to say that a child could not be taught without books. He did not think it was at all necessary to go beyond the State aid which had already been given. The line must be drawn somewhere, and he was inclined to draw it here, and not put a further burden on the ratepayers.

Mr. THOMAS SHAW

said he was sorry to hear that the right hon. Gentleman could not accept the Amendment. He knew that there was a widespread and strongly expressed feeling among the school boards that education could not be made efficient unless books and apparatus were provided for the children. In many cases there was a small reference library provided in the schools for the children. He wholly dissented from the idea that this was to be dealt with as part of the Poor Law expense of the country. It was nothing of the sort. He objected to the school boards being pauperised by this charge being placed on the Poor Law.

Sir JOHN GORST

said it was refreshing to find some educational matter in which England was in advance of Scotland. The English school boards for a very long time had had the power of providing books and apparatus for scholars, and had largely exercised that power to the great advantage of education. He was sorry that Scotland was to be in so benighted a condition that the school boards were not to be allowed to provide these first necessities of education. He should have thought that the Secretary for Scotland might have objected to the Amendment on the ground that it was unnecessary, because the general powers given to the school boards in Scotland to provide education for the children would involve, as a matter of course, the provision of books and apparatus necessary for education, and that the greater must include the less. He earnestly hoped that the Secretary for Scotland would reconsider his decision. The great advantage of allowing the school boards to provide books and apparatus was, that they could give the very best apparatus and the very best books. He was quite astonished to hear the right hon. Gentleman say that in providing books for the children it would pauperise the parents.

MR. HALDANE

said he thought the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary for Scotland would see that there was strong sense, not merely on the part of the Scotch Members, but of the Committee generally, that the Amendment should be accepted. It was their duty to take care that the education given was efficient. It could not be efficient unless the means were provided. He knew that there was a class of parents who grudged that the children should be taught in school, and would rather keep them at home to earn money. That was the very evil which had got to be met, and it could not be met if such parents were compelled to buy books for their children. As to the addition to the rates caused by free books, that was a very small matter indeed. He hoped the right hon. Gentleman would recognise that there was a strong feeling in the Committee on all sides in favour of the Amendment, and that he would not insist in drawing an abstract distinction between one kind of education and another.

SIR J. FERGUSSON

said he should not have thought that one so well informed as the right hon. Member for Haddingtonshire believed that in Scotland there was any large number of parents who wished to keep their children from school in order to earn money. In his experience money had never been grudged by parents for the education of their children, and there was no desire on their part to escape from that duty. If they went on in this way relieving parents from the duty of educating their children, where would they stop? It was not reasonable to ask that parents should not pay the cost of the books.

ME. TENNANT (Berwickshire)

said it was suggested that his right hon. friend stated that parents in Scotland grudged sending their children to school when they might be earning money at home. That was not what his right hon. friend said. He said that he thought there were cases where the parents did not wish a child sent to school when he might remain at home and earn something. Was this a question of principle or not? His hon. friend said that it was merely an isolated item in the Bill. Was it not, however, really a case of a principle which they desired to foster more than at present? He believed that if the Committee did not allow this charge to fall on the rates they would be grudging the education which they claimed to be setting up, and would be really deluding themselves. They would be depriving a most deserving class of parents from the power of educating their children. He hoped the Secretary for Scotland would give way.

MR. A. GRAHAM MURRAY

said he did not regard with favour the idea of putting the cost of the books on the rates as a uniform practice, and where parents were able to supply their children with them. He, however, appreciated the view that there were cases where the efficiency of a school could not be secured without making some such arrangement; and he would endeavour to insert some words empowering the school boards to give books where they were needed. Further if the Board schools were to be given books at the public expense the voluntary schools should be given a similar advantage. He did not know how that could be managed; but he would reconsider the matter and bring up a clause on Report.

SIR ROBERT REID

said he hoped the right hon. Gentleman would also consider the desirability of providing a little library in each school at an insignificant outlay.

Mr. A. GRAHAM MURRAY

said he would look into that.

MR. BRYCE

said he wished to make a further suggestion. In the technical department of the schools it would be absolutely necessary to provide apparatus which could not be provided by the children themselves. He hoped that the clause which the right hon. Gentleman would introduce would cover that.

MR. PARKER SMITH

said he was glad his right hon friend was going to consider the question. He trusted that the Committee would not spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar. If money were not to be allowed to be spent on books and apparatus it would have a most injurious effect.

MR. BOLAND) )(Kerry, S.)

said he was also glad that the right hon. Gentleman had agreed to reconsider the matter, and that the voluntary schools would participate in the advantage.

ME. CROMBIE

said as the right hon. Gentleman had practically yielded, he would withdraw the Amendment. He understood the right hon Gentleman would deal with the matter very seriously.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

MR. WEIR

said he wished to move in Clause 31, page 13, line 7, after "instruction," to insert "including the teaching of Gaelic." He could not for a moment imagine that the right hon. Gentleman would refuse to accept the Amendment. He had seen little children in schools in the Highlands who only knew Gaelic; yet they were plunged at once into English. Was it intended to crush out the Gaelic language in the Highlands? A boy or a girl had a very much better chance in life if he or she knew two languages instead of one. Therefore, every facility should be given in the Highlands for teaching the children Gaelic. The Secretary for Scotland had arranged for the training of Gaelic-speaking teachers, and why, therefore, should not the right hon. Gentleman accept his Amendment, which would not be compulsory on the school boards. He was most anxious to assist the Government in passing the Bill, and he hoped the right hon. Gentleman would accept the Amendment.

Amendment proposed— In page 13, line 7, after the word 'instruction,' to insert the words 'including the teaching of Gaelic'"— (Mr. Weir.)

Question proposed 'That those words be there inserted."

MR. AINSWORTH (Argyllshire)

said he desired to support the Amendment. The matter was one in which the greatest interest was taken by all classes in the Highlands. Only the other day a deputation representing Highland Societies in London was received by the right hon. Gentleman on the subject, and was introduced by the Marquess of Tullibardine. As his hon. friend had stated, it was a distinct advantage to children to know two languages; and it was absolutely necessary if children in the Highlands were to be properly taught the English language that the teachers should themselves know Gaelic. In the ordinary way, teachers who had no knowledge of Gaelic were sent to Highland schools. He hoped the right hon. Gentleman would be able to give the matter his best attention. The right hon Gentleman was a Gaelic scholar himself; and he, certainly, was a distinguished example of the advantage of knowing Gaelic in early youth.

MR. JOHN DEWAR

said he wished to support the Amendment. Ho might say at once that he was not so much interested in the Gaelic language as he was in the teaching of the children who only knew Gaelic. At the last census, there were in Scotland 28,000 persons who knew Gaelic only, and 202,000 persons who spoke Gaelic and English, and no doubt most of them spoke Gaelic more freely and fluently than they did English. He was very anxious that children knowing Gaelic only should be taught by teachers who knew both languages. The right hon. Gentleman might say it was a Departmental matter; but the Department had not dealt with it. The great majority of teachers in the Highlands did not know Gaelic, and, therefore, they carried on the education of the children with very great difficulty. He had read of an instance where an inspector visited a school, and hearing the children reading in English asked them what they were reading about. There was no answer; and he asked the schoolmaster for an explanation, and the schoolmaster replied that the children did not understand what the inspector said. Asked if they understand what they read, the schoolmaster said—"Not a word of it." Education could not be carried on successfully under such circumstances. He knew the difficulty of keeping Gaelic-speaking teachers in the Gaelic districts, because when they were offered better emoluments they naturally went away. What was wanted was a better supply of Gaelic-speaking teachers; and that could not be got unless they encouraged the teaching of Gaelic in the schools. He hoped the right hon. Gentleman would accept the Amendment.

MR. A. GRAHAM MURRAY

said he could not accept the Amendment, not because he was not in sympathy with the objects of the hon. Member, but because it was unnecessary. He agreed with what had been said by the hon. Member who had just spoken. The real necessity was to have a sufficiency of Gaelic-speaking teachers, so that Gaelic speaking-children could be properly instructed. The Amendment would not achieve that at all. What would really do something in the desired direction was an Amendment which he proposed to add to Clause 39 and which was as follows— In aid of any scheme for the training of teachers instituted or approved by the Department as calculated to provide a supply of teachers with qualifications adapted to the special requirements of any part of Scotland. He put that down specially in order to assist the training of Gaelic teachers. Instruction in Gaelic was already sanctioned. No doubt Gaelic was a very proper subject to be studied; but there were other subjects just as suitable, such as arithmetic or geography. If Gaelic were to be specially selected, then they would be landed in the terrible question as to the comparative claims of ancient and modern languages. If French were put in, they would be told that they ought to include Latin; and if Latin were put in, there would be a claim for French. Then would arise the question as to whether Gaelic, Latin, or French should be first; and he had no doubt that the hon. Member for Ross would tell him that as Gaelic was spoken in the Garden of Eden it ought to be first. It would be quite out of place to specially mention any particular branch of study when they had included all branches of proper study. The Amendment he had put down to Clause 39 would carry out the promise he gave the deputation the other day.

MR. EDMUND ROBERTSON

said he entirely agreed with the Secretary for Scotland. The words in the Bill undoubtedly would include the teaching of Gaelic, and, therefore, the Amendment was unnecessary. He understood that an unnecessary Amendment was out of order, and, accordingly, they had been wasting time over an Amendment which was not in order. He would appeal to the hon. Gentleman not to divide on the question.

MR. WILLIAM JONES (Carnarvonshire, Arfon)

said it was not exactly a question of comparison between Gaelic and Latin or French. The true nature of education was to teach children to think; and that could not be done except through their mother tongue. That was recognised in Germany, Wales, and Ireland. All that vas wanted was that children who did not know English should be taught through their mother tongue. That was the basis of education; and he hoped facilities would be afforded in the desired direction.

MR. WEIR

said he did not expect to be lectured from the Front Opposition Bench on a question which he had very much at heart. He was obliged to the Secretary for Scotland for the Amendment to Clause 39; and as the right hon. Gentleman had provided for the training of Gaelic teachers, who would be able to instruct the children, he would not press his Amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

MR. PARKER SMITH

asked if the right hon. Gentleman would have the Bill reprinted with the Amendments.

MR. A. GRAHAM MURRAY

said that would be done.

Committee report Progress; to sit again upon Monday next.