Page:The "Conscience Clause" (Denison, 1866).djvu/34

30 Now, observe, I am quoting from a "Paper" supplied to me from the Council office, and entitled "Paper, being a Consolidation of Minutes and Regulations now in force of the Committee of Council. Presented to Parliament by Her Majesty's command, and ordered by the House of Commons to be printed, April 14, 1858," i.e., just when the Committee of Council was hard at work to make them not "of force" by imposing the "Conscience Clause."

"8. The Committee of Council have further deliberated on the subjects adverted to in the sixth resolution of the United Committees of Privileges and Education, on the 31st of March and 1st of April, 1847.

"It cannot fail to be known to the United Committees, that the regulations of Church of England schools, in connection with the National Society, which render instruction in the catechism of the Church of England a condition of admission to the advantages of other instruction given in such schools, were not imposed upon that Society by the Committee of Council on Education. The maintenance of this condition has on more than one occasion been the subject of discussion in the Committee of the National Society, and it is material to the consideration of this subject that a large body of the clergy consider themselves to be under obligations of conscience to make this requirement; consequently, after repeated discussions, this rule has been maintained by the National Society, though the managers of each school are, with the concurrence of the Diocesan, at liberty to admit scholars who do not attend the Sunday-school or Divine worship according to the doctrine and ritual of the Church of England.

"Under such circumstances, my Lords, having regard also to the fact that national schools thus constituted have enjoyed the advantages derivable from Parliamentary grants since 1833, have not considered it their duty to make the admission of children of Dissenters into such schools without these requirements a condition of grants under their Minutes for August and December 1846.

"Their Lordships greatly regret that the children of Dissenters are not admissible into Church of England schools without these requirements, and they would rejoice in a change in the regulations of such schools, providing for their admission.