Mr. Ashley warmly supported Mr. Mundella, but the debate was
not at any time brilliant. Mr. Ridley (the Oxford Uni- versity Commissioner) languidly defended the measure of the Government, though he thought there would be no inconsistency in their accepting grave amendments from their opponents.. He did not believe the country was ripe for universal compulsion, nor did he think that even School Boards, if made universal, would adopt compulsion universally. Lord F. Cavendish quoted Mr. Tufnell's authority against the principle of " labour-passes," and stated that there were still 865 civil parishes without elementary schools, and a parent could evade Lord Sandon's Bill by at once migrating to such a parish, and pleading the non-existence of any- school for his children. A child above ten years of age ought, if well_ employed, to be allowed in every case to go on with his employ- ment, and claim the right of only half-time attendance at school... Mr. Heygate (M.P. for South Leicestershire) intimated that Lord Bandon was to be praised for doing so little towards compulsion, and to be blamed for not doing something to secure religious instruction ; and Mr. Onslow (Guildford) heartily approved of the mildness of the measure, and objected to anything like direct compulsion.
