r XV THE SCHOOL BOARDS 385 



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. 1 



Now 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- 

 tains, as it probably will do, a majority of sectaries ; 

 and that they carry over the heads of a minority, 

 a resolution that certain theological formulas, about 

 which they all happen to agree, say, for example, 

 the doctrine of the Trinity, shall be taught in the 

 schools. Do they fondly imagine that the minority 

 will not at once dispute their interpretation of the 



1 A passage in an article on the ' ' Working of the Education 

 Act," in the Saturday Review for Nov. 19, 1870, completely 

 justifies this anticipation of the line of action which the sec- 

 taries mean to take. After commending the Liverpool com- 

 promise, the writer goes on to say : 



' * If this plan is fairly adopted in Liverpool, the fourteenth 

 clause of the Act will in effect be restored to its original form, 

 and the majority of the ratepayers in each district 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 members of the Board, and 

 seems to anticipate " accusations of dishonesty." If any of the 

 members of the Board adopt his views, I think it highly 

 probable that he may turn out to be a true prophet. 



