The Clutha Leader BALCLUTHA: FRIDAY, JAN. 31, 1879.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 283, 31 January 1879, Page 5

The Clutha Leader BALCLUTHA: FRIDAY, JAN. 31, 1879.

Many of our readers are aware that when Canterbury and Otago were first colonised, their settlement was based upon the condition that a certain proportion of land should be set apart for religious and educational uses in connection with the Church' of England and the Free Church of Scotland. This arrangement was made between the ISew Zealand Company on the one hand, and- associations in England : and Scotland on the other— the one acting f or the settlement of an Episcopalian colony in Canterbury, and the other for •ihe settlement of a Presbyterian colony in

5 Otago. The arrangement thus instituted was carried into effect up to the time when the New Zealand Constitution was pro- ! claimed, when Canterbury and Otago ceased to be " class settlements," as they ! were called, and fell to be administered according to the general laws of colonisation mado applicable to the several provinces into which New Zealand was divided. Daring the period of operation of the " class settlement " principle, in accordance with which Otago and Canterbury wore founded, twenty-two properties, including rural, town and suburban sections, were secured to the Presbyterian Church in Otago, and crown granted to it according to the terms of tenure, on which the original settlers of Otago hold the several properties they own. We are not certain how many properties were secured to the Church of England in Canterbury. We understand, Tiowever, that a much larger estate belongs to that Church than is owned by the Presbyterian Church here, the result of a larger number of purchases made under the original terms of purchase. In consequence of the conditions of settlement in the two provinces, the first, settlers had provision made for them for the exercise of their religion, and the education of the young. Dr Burns and Mr Blackie, the one as •minister, and the other as teacher, sailed from Scotland with the first emigrant sliip that left the Clyde for Otago. On +heir arrival they entered upon their respective duties, and for a time were supported from the funds accruing from the portion of the purchase price paid for sections by the immigrants, and set apart for educational and religious uses. We take it for granted that the like took place in connection with the settlement of Canterbury. When the "class settlement" principle ceased to prevail, and the churches ceased to obtain further support from the sale of lands, it became necessary to adopt other arrangements for supplying and supporting ministers and teachers, as the estate secured was wholly inadequate to meet the necessity for more ministers and teachers. These, accordingly, were adopted, the church in Otago instituting its Sustentation Fund, and the Provincial Council of Otago instituting the educational arrangements, which have proved so great a boon to Otago. The Presbyterian Church, ever alive to the benefit of a sound education., and ever in favour of a national system of education, fell in with the proposal of the Provincial Government to institute such a system, and ceased to carry on the schools she had established. Having, however, funds at her disposal for the benefit of education, at the time small indeed, but having the prospect of increasing, it became a question how best those funds could be , utilised for the purpose for which she had received them. In the original .settlement of Otago it was contemplated that the scheme which it worked in connection with education should include provision for primary, secondary, and a university education — Le. , for the instituting of , district schools, high scheols, and a university. For the first two of tliese, the funds at the disposal of the church woidd have been of little avail, while for both the Provincial Government proposed to make, and did make, ample provision. At the time the Provincial system came into operation, it contemplated the forming of a university in Dunedin. This presented to the church the line in which it might utilise the funds at its disposal for education, and accordingly its highest court, in whose hands their administration rested, resolved to seek from Parliament such an alteration in the original Trust Deed, which defined the application of the educational funds, as would enable it to erect and support a chair, or chairs, in the University of Otago, according as the funds would allow. Parliament granted the application, passing an Act in the year 1866 — though not without opposition on the part of Episcopalian and Roman Catholic members of the House, who sought to rob the Church of what her own members had purchased for her, and the arrangement for which was not the least condition that induced so many of them to leave Scotland with its religious and educational privileges, and to emigrate -to this distant land. Space v/ill not allow us to continue what we have yet to say in connection with this subject. We shall return to it in next 1 issue. 4 . We have during the week had numerous enquiries from all parts of the district regarding Mr Conyers. Up till Sunday he continued in tho most critical state, but on that morning a considerable improvement was manifest. He then so far recovered consciousness as to be able to recognise his friends in the room. The weather in the beginning of the week ■ being very warm had a very injurious efFect, causing a relapse of the fever. On Tuesday he had quite recovered consciousness and conversed about the accident, but had no l-ecollection of how it occurred. On Wednesday Ins condition was less hqpful, but an improvement was observed 1 towards evening. The medical gentlemen » then said he had arrived at a most critical ■ stage and anticipated that the next twenfcyl four hours would decide his fate. We . hope that fate*is indicated by the foliow- , ing telegram we received in reply to our enquiry yesterday afternoon : — " Gore, 1 Thursday, 3.30 p.m. Mr Conyers has } considerably improved since yesterday i | evening. He is stronger and more rational I ! to-day. N. W. Werry." It will thus be r ; seen that while his case is undoubtedly ' | critical, a change for the better -has oc--1 j curred at the exact stage when it was r anticipated a change for the better or the l I worse would decide the case.

I A report of a trip to the Lakes is unavoidably held over. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Clutha County Council will bo held to-day. The Clinton School Committee have nominatsd Messers Green aad Fraer for the vacant seats at the Education Board. Mr Thomas Stanbrook, of the Railway Hotel, Milton, passed through here on Wednesday en route for England. We understand the Clutha Presbytery will meet on the 17th February to consider the call addressed to Mr John Lothian to Cromwell, and for other business. We regret to learn that on account of it being the first day of the new mail arrangements a number of our papers were delayed a day last week. We believe this irregularity will not occur again. The deputation from the Borough Council that waited upon Mr Macandrew yesterday succeeded in making very satisfactory final arrangements for commencing the filline 1 up of the streets in ten days. A meeting of -householders in the Waitepeka district was held on Monday evening for the purpose of electing a School Committee for the ensuing year. The following gentlemen were uuauimously re-elected :— Messers Dalgleish, J. Somerville, Grant, Browu, Stewart, W. Morton, and Quertier. It will be noticed from our report of the meeting of Synod that the Rev. C. Connor has resigned his charge in his present parish. The Rev. J. Chisholm occupied his pulpit last Sunday, and intimated the resignatiou to the congregation. No doubt immediate steps will be taken to fill the pastorate. We understand numbers of the settlers in the Warepa district have been endeavouring to procure trucks to convey grain, wool, &c, from that Station. They have not yet been successful. We bslievo, however, a Stationmaster will be in charge there in a day or two, when no doubt all the requirements of the district will be attended to. By a telegram from Auckland, we learn that at the recent Wesleyan Conference in that city, the following appointments were made for the ensuing year : —Trinity Church, Dunedin, Rev. J. Crump; fort Chalmers, Rev. Tinsley; Blenheim, Rev. T. G. Can*; Balclutha, Rev. J. N. Buttle. These appointments will take effect on the first Sunday in April, Harvesting commenced in the Tokomairiro district last week, Mr James Drinnan being first with a field of winter sown oats, which is a fine crop. Messrs Salmoud, John Murray, Gray, Mrs Robinson, and several others have also made a start. The crops all over the plain are much better than was anticipated a few months ago. Some of them, indeed, are far above an avei-age. We have been asked whether a gentleman can be elected a member of School Committee in his absence, or without his consent? We reply that he can, but it would be very unwise so to elect, as the party elected might not act and thus an extraordinary vacancy would occur. In the event of sucli a contingency, or of any extraordinary vacancy occurring, it falls to the Committee to fill it. Another Hasborough road accident occurred on Monday afternoon, when a horse and dray belonging to Messrs Smith. Bros., Inch Clutha, went over the precipice into the river. The driver leaped out of tho dray on its flight down the p-ecipice, and getting hold of a shrub was savod. The river at tho spot is about 50 feet deep. The horse was of course dzowned, and the dray has uot yet beeu recovered. It will be observed from reports in this issue, that the Government are to fill up the gaps in the river banks, Inch Clutha, and to lend the local Buard L2500 for necessary works. Well deserved were the hearty cheers given for the Government, and Mr Macaudrew, at the meeting ou Monday evening. Surely the public will now fully see and appreciate the difference between the present liberal energetic Ministry and the conservative theorists they replaced. The ceremony of turning the first sod of the Waimea Plains Railway was performed amidst the demonstrations usual on such occasions, by the Hon. Mr Ballance, at Gore, on Monday. There was a large crowd present. This line will be the first constructed under the District Railways Act. It will be 3b"^ miles long, extending from Gove, along the Waimea Plains to the Elbow, and will very much shorten the journey to the Lake district from the South. The Friendly Societies annual picnic took place in Mr Watt's bush, Inch Clutha, yesterday. The weather was unfavourable, being very stormy and showery. Notwithstanding this, about 300 arrived by special train from Lawrence, and were joined by about 70 from Balclutha. The usual games were indulged in, and all enjoyed themselves as well as possible under the circumstances. Tlie proceedings were wound up by a special gathering in Barr's Hall here m the evening. At the meeting of the Education Board yesterday, a deputation irom Inch Clutha asked the Board to re-consider a former resolution to have the new school erected at Stirling. The Board adhered to its former resolution. Messrs Moir and Potter, as a deputation from the east side of the river at Balclutha, asked the assist- 1 ance of the Board in arranging for a temporary school to be held on that side in a seven-roomed house, which had been offered at a rental of 20s a week, half of which tbe settlers were willing to pay. The Board agreed to grant the request. At East Chitha School, Puerua, the following gentlemen were elected on Monday evening last to tha Education Committee:— Rev. WT Bannerman, and Messrs Henderson, Hay, Anderson, Jas. Johnston, Ledingham, and Wilson. The attention of the meeting was called to to the proposal made by Mr Bannerman at the, late meeting of Synod to seek power to devote the Educational Fund in the hands of the Synod to the instituting of bursaries in connection with the District and High Schools of Otago and Southland insteadof erecting and supporting an additional in the University of Otago. It was unanimously agreed to approve •of the proposed alteration and to recommend it to the consideration of the committee, with the view df their using •all efforts 'to secure its accomplishment. The suggestion was thrown I out that the Committee should put itself into | communication with the other school committees j to secuie united action to obtain the proposed '.alteration .in the event of any attempt being I made to induce the Legislature. to interfere with ■this .portion of the Church's Trust.

Mr Robert Cramond is expected to a-Trive in Balclutlia next week, ft seems but as yesterday since he left for Scotland. . Mr George Capstick was, on Wednesday, elected member of Milton Borough Council for West Ward. There was no competition. We may acquaint those who wish to procure a copy of the N.Z. Postal Guide that the same can he had at the office here, for the small charge of sixpence. The annual Soiree in aid of the Ahuriri School funds is fixed for 9'riday evening, 14hh February. We have no doubt that as usual there will be a crowded attendance. The following are the gentlemen elected as the School Committee for Wangaloa : — Messrs R. Beattie, J. D. Brown, E. Boyd. J. Darling, J, Welsh, T. Johnson, and 0. M'Lachlan. The sale of Mr R. B. Williams' horses and coaching plant takes place at Balclutha today. It will be the largest of the kind eve) held in the district, and will, no doubt, induce a very large attendance. . The following gentlemen were elected a new Committee at Waihola Gorge on Monday evening.: — Messrs W'Moore, W. Smith, George Lindsay, W. Chalmers, .lames Raitt, Gharles Matthews, and J. G. Gray. A correspondent writes : — ln the Waihola Gorge district, several fields of winter sown crops are cut, and the spring-sown crops, although late, appear to be a good fair average. Messrs Blues and Duthie, having a very large crop to cut this season, have purchased a M 'Cormick's reaper and binder, and it seems to do its work splendidly. The turnip crops look really well. j We may mention, by way of a mild hint to Inch Clutha, that the West *i aieri River District comprises 8000 acres. The Board for that district has incurred a debt in the erection of protective works to the extent of £8000. It is confidently believed that through this expenditure their district will be protected from damage by future floods. Should this, however, prove not to be the case, we believe most of the land owners are quite willing to incur several times the amount of their present debt, and have no fear as to being able to repay. They know that a single flood would do more damage than the amount of debt, and that by preventing floods tbe value of their properties will be enhanced fifty per cent. The School Committee,. Warepa, met on the evening of the 27th inst. All the members were present. They imauimously nominated Messrs M. Fraer, Tuapeka, aud K. Ramsay, Dunedin, as candidates for election to the Education Board. Thereafter a public meeting was held according to the School Ordiuance for electing a new Committee. The Rev. John Waters in the chair. A statement of work done by committee for last year was read, showing a balance in hand of L9 12s Id ; but several repairs contracted for were not yet finished and to cover which will require much more thau the balance in hand. The meeting then elected the following committee for the current year:— Messrs Milligan, Jas. M'iN'eil, Christit*. Coustin, Cooper, Crawford, and the Chairman of the meeting At the annual meeting of householders at Kaitangata, on Monday evening, there was a very good attendance. The report of the outgoing Committee showed a most satisfactory state of matters, financial and otherwise. (The report will appear in next issue-) The report was adopted unanimously amidst applause. The following gentlemen were elected for the ensum-. year :— J. Johnston, W. T. Smith, W. M. Shore^ A. Hislop, S. Stevens, H. iierby, and J. I Hislop. Messrs W. M. Attchison, Joseph Robertson, W. M. Shore, A. Hislop, and W. S. Smith were nominated as trustees for the Kaitangata Athenseum Reserve, under the Reserves Act of 1877. The reserve consists of 300 »cres of land, and it is proposed to devote the funds to the public library. This concluded the business.