XV THE SCHOOL BOARDS 385 



that I do not misrepresent him, when I say that he 

 also thinks " that it may yet be, in many cases, both 

 lawful and expedient to teach religions formularies 

 in rate schools under these circumstances." 



It is not uncharitable, therefore, to assume that, 

 the express words of the Act of Parliament not- 

 withstanding, all the sectaries who are toiling so 

 hard for seats in the London School Board have 

 the lively hope of the gentleman from Steyning, 

 that it may be " both lawful and expedient to teach 

 religious formularies in rate schools; " and that 

 they mean to do their utmost to bring this happy 

 consummation about.* 



iSTow the pathetic emotion to which I have 

 referred, as accompanying my contemplations of the 

 "violent struggles of so many excellent persons, is 

 caused by the circumstance that, so far as I can 

 judge, their labour is in vain. 



Supposing that the London School Board con- 



* A passage in an article on the " Workinc; of the Edu- 

 cation Act," in the Sahirday Review for Nov. 19, 1870, 

 completely justifies this anticipation of the line of action 

 which the sectaries mean to take. After commending the 

 Liverpool compromise, the writer goes on to say : — 



"If this plan is fairly adopted in Liverpool, the four- 

 teenth clause of the Act will in effect be restored to its origi- 

 nal form, and the majority of the ratepayers in each dis- 

 trict be permitted to decide to what denomination the 

 school shall belong." 



In a previous paragraph the writer speaks of a possible 

 "mistrust "of one another by the membei's of the Board, 

 and seems to anticipate "accusations of dishonesty." If 

 any of the members of the Board adopt his views, t think 

 it highly probable that hs may turn out to be a true 

 prophet. 



