§ Mr. BOLANDasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he was aware that the Jersey States, by a majority, recently determined that the education committee should draw up a reply to the Privy Council with reference to the Petitions against the Education Bill; could he state whether this reply was submitted for confirmation by the States; and, if not, what steps he proposed to take in order to secure that the opinion of the States, and not that of a small committee, should be submitted to the Privy Council?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Gladstone)It is the case that the States of Jersey referred the Petitions against the Bill to a committee, and empowered the committee to prepare a reply and transmit it to the Privy Council in the name of the States, without submitting the reply to the States. This is in accordance with the practice always followed by the States when Petitions are received against a Bill, and I have no power to interfere with their procedure. The full consideration of the Bill by His Majesty's advisers will not in any way be affected.