Page:The Conscience Clause (Oakley, 1866).djvu/19

7 and in union with the National Society, and applying for Government aid.

The case as I understand it arose as follows:—The principal operations of the Committee of Council had hitherto been in large towns and populous parishes, where, from the facilities for erecting other denominational schools, the need of such a stipulation with regard to Church schools was obviated. Comparatively speaking, few of the smaller parishes, or one-school cases, had up to this time been helped. They now began, and still continue, to apply constantly. Moreover, Parliament began to complain of the rapidly-rising Education Estimates. I cannot now discuss the justice of the complaint, but I suppose no one would contend that the vast amount expended had produced the results that might have been expected from it. Anyhow, the first item on which the finger of economy was naturally laid was that of building two small schools in a district where, with proper regulations, it was natural to suppose that one larger one would suffice. Meantime the Education Commissioners had met, and had reported strongly against the "manifest injustice" to Dissenters "where, in places too small to allow of the establishment of two schools, the only one to which the children of the poor in those places can resort (although provided in part by public funds), is placed by the managers under regulations which render imperative the teaching of the Church Catechism to all the scholars, and the attendance of all at church." The Committee of Council addressed itself to remedy these defects in the system. The National Society, learning from applicants to themselves for aid that the principle of the early trust deeds to which I have referred was being revived, and that the introduction of it was proposed to schools to be in union with their society, determined to resist the proposal on the ground of its incompatibility with their terms of union, and to take their stand on the trust deed accepted by them in 1850. They chose to