figure originally proposed of 20,000 to 100,000 and upwards.

It had been part of Sir Charles Dilke's plan to include education within
the framework of the Bill, making the Borough and District Councils the
local education authority, with a limited superior jurisdiction in the
County Council. But it was found that almost insurmountable difficulties
would arise in adding so immense a proposal to an already large measure,
and it had to be abandoned.

Mr. Gladstone expressed a decided view on one portion of the Bill only.
He gave his strongest support to the proposal that the price of any
increased contributions in the shape of Treasury grants should be the
complete reform of the conflict of areas and jurisdictions, which added
so much to the difficulties and the cost of local administration.
[Footnote: In a speech made at Halifax on October 13th, 1885, which
occupies nearly the whole of a page of the _Times_, Sir Charles Dilke,
after the fall of the Government, gave a full account of the proposed
measure.]

The question of female councillors inevitably found its way into the
discussions, and it was decided in their favour, notwithstanding much
divergence of opinion.

'"I am sorry," Childers wrote, "about female councillors, but I
suppose I am in a minority, and that we shall soon have women M.P.'s
and Cabinet Ministers." This shows that we had decided to clear up
the doubt as to the possibility of women serving as councillors, and
distinctly to give them the opportunity of so doing. When Ritchie
afterwards introduced portions of my Bill, he left this doubtful,
and the Lady Sandhurst decision was the result.' [Footnote: See for