BRITISH POLITICS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8284, 12 November 1906, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

THE EDUCATION BILL,

LONDON, November 9,

Id the House of Lords clause 7, providing that; the attendance of obildren dur«ng the time of religiouß instruction shall not be aompalßory, was struck out. The voting was as follows: For. . 31 Against 153 Ibe Uishop of Ripon voted with the majority. (Clause 7, as it emerged from the House of Commons, read as follows: "The parent of a ohild attending a public elementary school shail not be under any obligation to cause the ohild to attend at the schoolhonse, except'during the times allotted in the time-table exclusively to secular instruction." In other words, it jieant that if in any school the religious instruction begins at nine o'olouk and goes on until half past nine, no ohild need go to school until half-past nine. Under former regulations any child withdrawn from religious instruction Was stiU compelled to attend [school while such instruction was being given, but provision for his instruction in other subjects had to be, made. Foi two or three year?, however, local authorities had- the power to by-lawa counting as a full attendance presence at secular instruction only. Only sixty-four authorities adapted that by-law, but |the clause in the Bill was designed to make its application universal.)

TiIADES DISPUTES BILL. Received November 11, 4.39 p.m. LONDON, November 10. ' In the House of Commons the Trades Disputes Gill was read a third time without division. The surprise of the sitting was Mr Balfour's declaration that it was too late to obange or rejeot the Bill, and that he was unwilling to imperil the benevolent funds, The Govern* ment might have dealt with the latter separately. Mr Balfour emphasised tbe faot that the employers' spokesmen in tbe House of Commons had not expressed dislike to the Bill unless foolishly and meanly silent because they relied on its rejection by tbe House of Lords. He must be assured they did not think tbeir interests were assailed, and trusted that English* men's good sense in the paat would again be shown in a moderate use of exceptional powere conferred by th* Bill. Messrs J. Lawson Walton and R. Bell appealed to Mr Balfour to use his influence to secure the paosage of the Bill througb the House of Lords. Received November 11, 4.54 p.m. LONDON, November 10. Tbe Dajly Mail advises tbe House of Lords tu pass tbe Trades Disputes Bill, leaving the common people to learu wisdom by bitter experience., The Times says the House of Lords would be absolutely justi; fled in rejecting the Bill. The Morning Post blames the Unionists for disregarding tbe reasonable demands cf the Trades Unions two years ago, resulting in< the formal&tion of unprincipled proposals later.