EDUCATION TAX MEETING.

Auckland Star, Volume V, Issue 1480, 7 November 1874, Page 3

EDUCATION TAX MEETING.

The meeting convened by Mr. George Stainea at the Choral Hall last night was very largely attended. It. G. Wood, Esq., M.G.A;, was voted to the chair. On the platform were Messrs Dargaville, Greenaway, Staines, and the Rev Dr Wallia. In opening the meeting the Chairman sketched the history of th.^jjflaction that had been taken eoanter to the "fax. He then referred to the vote of £25,000 granted by the General Assembly last session. It at once occurred to him that this sum would meet the requirements for education. On hi 3 return from Wellington he at once took steps to get his idea carried out, but was met by the objection that the expenditure of the money was specially limited,?to .public works. He thereupon communicated with Mr. Vogel, and subsequently with Dr. Pollen, on the subject, and ascertained that there was no difficulty in the mayi He thought the Provincial Council should be called together to consider »the matter. If this' were their opinion the Superintendent certainly ought to comply with their wishes.—Mr. Dargaville, M.P.C., moved the first resolution :— " That in the opinion of this meeting his Honor the Superintendent should be requested to summon, without delay, the Provincial Council of Auckland, and recommend to that body the appropriation* of so much of the sum of £25,000 (voted last session by the General Assembly as special allowance to the province of Auckland) as may be required to defray all charges on account of educational purposes to June 30, 1875, and so render all further attempts to collect the education.tax unnecessary." He said that the sum granted by the General Government was available for educational purposes, and he thought he was only performing his duty, and those present wer« doing the same in expressing: their views on the subject.—Mr George Staines maintained that tire tax should be resisted t>y. everybody,; and he was prepared to go to Mount Eden rather than ,pay it if others would-do the same. He seconded Mir Dargaville's resolu-' tion.—Dr Wallisi opposed the tax on religious grounds as opposed to his conscience, and maintained that on this ground only could people' reasonably resist the ' tax. He therefore moved as an amendment that 's Inasmuch as the purpose of the householder and bachelor tax is to support a system of education which is doing much harm, dishonoting the Bible and religion, we -hereby declare that our consciences will not permit us to pay the said tax."—Mr Clark, who Baid he Was: better known as " Tinker Clarke," seconded the amendment, and opposed the tax on religious 'grounds.' Mr Beckham had said that those who would not pay must go" to ; gaol and take their consciences with them.

9^# Bo ' -■«&**& m Bible too. WA-thft ot^ ; from "the'Wtilic that fT, nlmm,lgr^tidll Aat to eh°* ttat the GeneraT Government advafice must be expended on nublic worki *fc> dW not con ßl d#;thi 8 Sjagfe^p, but it Was the best one the Provincial Council *ft* able to leyy.,, There, should be no mistake aoout the power to enforce the tax even by the levying M distMnt uJJon goods and sending j;o gaol. About 15 per cent of the money raised under the Act would be absorbed in collection, the remainder would go to support education.- Mr -Dargaville explained that the £25,000 was made payable under the " Payment to Provinces Act, 1572,' and therefore might be used for educational purposes.—The amendment on heing put to the meeting was lost, and the* original motion carried Unanimously.