and in every land,
men, deeply imbued with the principles of Christianity, will be found
ready to bear the testimony of the advocate or the confessor, as events
demand. The spirit evinced by Lord Brougham pervaded, to a less extent,
a large number of the members of both houses, and produced impressions
amongst the numerous classes thus contemptuously treated, which worked
deeply into their hearts, and influenced for many a year the votes
at elections, and the general feeling of the people towards the great
historical parties by which parliament had been divided.

The government carried its measure; L100,000 was devoted to educational
purposes on the plan provided by the minutes of the Committee of
Education of the Privy Council. The discussions so long existing on the
question of education received, however, a new impetus, and became
more acrimonious than before. A very large party was gradually created
favourable to a national system of secular education, leaving the
religious care of the scholars to denominational supervision. A very
large class of earnest men became still more devoted than ever to the
voluntary system of education, and prodigious efforts were made to
promote it. It was found, however, that the expense was such as to defy
voluntary efforts, except as sustained through a long period, while
the deficiency to be met was urgent and extensive. To carry out any
government system that would at all meet the necessity, and respect the
scruples of all classes would also entail an enormous burden upon the
nation. In the debate on the question to which this section refers, Mr.
Duncombe depicted the heavy public burdens that would be thus imposed:
Mr. Macaulay exclaimed, "A penny a-head." Mr. Duncombe's retort, that
this statement was a romance was merited. Mr. Macaulay could never have
examined the financial bearing of this great question thoroughly, or his
acute mind must have discovered the fallacy of the opinion he so rashly
hazarded.

The discussions in and out of parliament brought to light a vast mass
of statistics as to the crime and ignorance with which the worthful
elements of society had to contend. The alarm felt by good men in the
result of these revelations strengthened the hands of government
in passing the bill. Objections were raised by many in view of the
magnitude of the evil to be encountered, and a sense of responsibility
in connection with some immediate and extensive action. The reverend