it would be mere repetition, it is not necessary to
detail any portion of the speeches delivered. In the end the cabinet was
reconstructed, and the first act of the house of commons, when it again
met, was to elect Mr. Shaw Lefevre to the office of speaker, in the
room of Mr. Abercrombie, who had three weeks previously declared his
intention of resigning. Mr. Goulburn was nominated by the Conservatives
in opposition to Mr. Shaw Lefevre; but the latter gentleman was elected
by a majority of three hundred and seventeen against two hundred and
ninety-nine. Mr. Shaw Lefevre took the chair accordingly.

NATIONAL EDUCATION.

Since the year 1833 parliament had granted annually the sum of L20,000
for the purposes of education. This money had been equally divided
between the National Society and the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Government, however, were not satisfied with merely asking an increase;
they required liberty to change entirely the mode of its distribution.
Their views on this subject were first made known to the house on the
12th of February, when Lord John Russell, in presenting certain papers
connected with education, gave an outline of his views upon it, and
stated the determination of himself and colleagues respecting it.
His lordship proposed that the president of the council, and other
privy-councillors, not exceeding five, should form a board for the
consideration of the manner in which the grants made by parliament
should be distributed. He further stated that the first object of such a
board should be the establishment of a good normal school; and, in order
to make that as perfect as possible, attention should be mainly directed
to four objects--religious instruction; general education; moral
training; and habits of industry, applied in learning some trade or
profession. This brief outline was regarded with various feelings by
the house and the public. Sir Robert Inglis confessed the noble lord
had proposed to do less evil than he expected; while Mr. Wyse complained
that he proposed much less good than was hoped for. The manner in which
this step was followed up by the government subsequently was unfolded in
a minute of the privy-council. This minute recommended that the sum of
L10,000 granted by parliament in 1835 towards the erection of normal
or model schools, should be given in equal proportions to the National
Society and the British and Foreign School Society; and that the
remainder of th