ABSTRACT
1856 saw a definite change in the position of the Committee of Council on Education. Up till now Parliament had had very little influence on its workings. When the estimates came up they could be debated; but they generally only covered sums which had already been promised or spent, and it was very difficult to refuse them. As the Chancellor of the Exchequer was a member of the Committee, he had, in theory at least, the opportunity to comment on the estimates before they came to the Commons; but there is nothing to say how often he, in fact, considered them. It was felt that the position was not satisfactory. Education was getting out of hand. It was proposed that now there should be a Vice-President of the Council who was to be a member of the Government, and to be answerable to Parliament for the affairs of the Committee. The Bill creating this office originated in the Lords, 1 and was passed with great speed and unanimity by a Parliament which was distracted by the Crimea War.
