THE COMMON SCHOOLS ACT. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Mangapai, JulY 17.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXV, Issue 3752, 28 July 1869, Page 5

THE COMMON SCHOOLS ACT. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Mangapai, JulY 17.

IN accordance with the notice by the DepufcySuperiutendent, published in the provincial Gazette, a meeting was belli at the residence of Mr. Harrison, on the 17th iustant, of the occupiers of landandhouse* holders within the boundaries of the newlyproclaimed Educational Distriot of Mangapai »nd Maungakarame*, to take into corsideration the provision of the 14tb clause of the Common Schools Act, 1869. We noticed present Mr. Ormiiton, J.P,, Mr, Hunter, J\P., Messiv. Harrison, Garter, Enaggß, Cunningham, Miller, Childs, Bent, and all the principal residents of the district. Mr, Cakter, being voted to the chair, proceeded to read the Provincial Qazeite, containing the notice by the Deputy-Superintendent appointing the time and place of meeting, the boundaries of the Eduoationul District of Mangapai and Maungakaramea, and also called the attention of the meeting to the business for which they were present — the appointment of a chairman and the election of a cehool committee, in accordance with the provisions of the Common Schools Act, 1869 .After which Mr. Knaggs be.-ged leave to also call the attention of the meeting to some of the clauses of the Act, which seemed to him to possess some new featuies worthy of being commented upon. He then proceeded to animadvert at some length upon the Act, Several gentloinen then expressed their opinions respecting the Act and Mr. Kuaggs's resolution. Mr. Knaggs wished to hear, with the permission of the meeting, Mr. Hulett's statement before his resolution wat> put by the chairman to the meeting. Mr. Httlett, in reply, said as it was the wish of the meeting he would be happy to state all the steps he had taken in the formation of the distiict into an educational one ; apd stated that, while in Auckland last June, he waB requested by Mr. O'Meara and some other gentlemen to attend a consultation with Mr. O'Sullivon, the Secretary of the Central Board, a? to the requirements of the Mangapai district in the means of education. While there he sfcated it as his opinion that he thought £50 could be r»i->ed by fees, and that if the Government gave some help a school could be established ; to which Mr. O'Sullivan said that the Board could only" grant to the extent of a quarter of the amount paid by the committee to any teacher. And as these had beeu all the Btops he had taken towards the formation of the district, he could not see how Mr. Kuas;gB could designate them, undeihand, and other expressions he had used. Mr. Obmiston called attention to the 40th claase of the Act, in which the Board had at its discretion the grantiug of sums of rnonoy to assist districts in which, from the hcatteied position of the population, no other means of education had been provided. H<s wished to read to them ashortpaperhehad wiitten the night before upon the subject. The meeting being quite willing to hear the paper, he l cad as follows ; "Education: From a very early period education has occupied the attention of all thoughful men. About 3,400 yeais a^o the book of the law was given by God to Moses, and he was commanded to proclaim it to the people ; and, in order to hedge it round, a blessing was promised to those who kept the commandments. The reward of obedience extanded to the Jield, to seed-time, and haivest — peace and plenty, &c. ; but to the disobedient curator were proclaimed, amongst which were— the bringing of a sword upon the hind, eating bread with scarceness, the laud a desolation and an astonishment. As the world got older the people became more enlightened, and many noble names have left their mark in history. Conspicuous amongst the ancients are Neheniiah, the cupbe.uer to Kiug Artaxencee,, and JEzta tho HCiibo. Fzra compiled statistics, made tables and almanacs, which ate to this day in use among the Jews Moreover, who ever saw a Juw that did not understand the law? And how many of the Hebrews aie brought up before a Resident Magistrate or committed for breaches of the peace ? Echo only aosvtt'is — how many? The cubes are few and far between. Every Jewish parent or guirdian mu-t teach his children tho law, that i j , their duty to God and to one another. We have such a result in the general sobriety and peaceable habits of the Jews, that it ought to make us pause and consider how these habits can be grafted on the children of Christian parents. The greatest Teacher the world ever saw taught as one having authority, and not a3 the scribes ; and Paul of Tarsus, who studied under Gamaliel, was especially endowed to preach the Gospel, in order to captivate men and cauad them to thirst after knowledge. We will not follow tho track all the way, but notice more particulaily the &ene?al effect of such teaching. For mi.ny centuries knowledge was confined chiefly to the cleigy and rich : these were called the dark ages — times when superstitious ignorance caused men to perform extraordinary vagariep. Then came the schoolmeu, and after them the schoolwomen, who opened somewhat widar the portals of knowledge, and the youug sons of Adam ran eagerly in to read and learn. The curtain rises in ISOO, and presents to our astonished gaze an aimy of workers in the various fields of civilisation. l<Viemost minds were, incessantly at work doing double duty in bestowing the benefits of education; laws Wcie framed to enable the children of the poor to v\ oik up the highway of life and claim somu of the honours held out by the philanthropist of the 'period. Now wo are struck with wonder at tho progress of enlightenment of the several parts of the globe. Scotland established the parochial system nearly a century &uo, which his bestowed lasting benefits on the poor and their childi'en ; and now the Duke of Argyll is labouring hard to introduce, through an educational system much in advauce of anything that has been in existence there. It is iuteresting to compare the Kegistrar'fl reports of marriages in 1867, not two years ago, According to Dr. Stark'g report, addressed to the Begistrar-General of Scotland, it appears that all the women of the county of Kinross who were married that year wrote their names in the register j the proportion per cent, were also 98 in Peebles, 98 in floxburghsbue, 96 in Kirkcudbright, 94 in Perth, 92 in Fife, 91 in Edinburgh, and 93 in the far off Orkneys, making a very high average ; by the Registrar-Geu6ral's repoit of England, that in 100 of tho marrying women in the county of Bedford only 55 could write their names, Cornwall 80, Stafford 52, Lancashire 53, the West Kiding 57, Durham 62, Monmouth 48, North Wales 51, and South WaL-s 44. I am extremely sorry that I have uot been able to procure any statistics from Ireland: the national schools there have done wonders, but I believe that the rate is still very low, Myown obser nations were commenced just 24 years ago, the children of the lower elates were then very much uegleoted. Prom tho foregoing reports wo leara that Eugland ia very muoh behind Scotland. It is to be hoped that this sterna may be speedily removed, and that she will pour out her wealth in giving to the masses a liberal education. We mi&ht refer with advantage to Austria, France, and Prussia, and see the marked effeots of the compulsory systems there, but aa these are foreign nations we will content ourselves by taking a trip to America. We will land at New York, aDd simply ask the question — What amount has the State of New York voted this year, 1869, for educational purposes ! The chief superintendentwill turn up, and show you. "You rub your eyes, and look again, the pupils distended with wonder, while he calmly says, '« Just £600,000." We are so astounded that we cannot bear more, but for the sake of change we will start for Boston in David Macrea's company: 4< I went," saya Maorea, "to see the 35,000 Lawrence Mill girls. The American system of education ia admirable, and covers the entire area of sooiety — whether they be rich or poor, haa furnished them with a great deal of information, has quickened their desire for more. These mill girls cannot be distinguished from middle-olass young lad.es, bo neat, genteel, thoughtful, and intelligent ure they : they havo a librarj with 5,000 volumes, all the' principal papers — one of them in the Frenon language. When they leave the mill, you may see very m»ny reading books, and would imagine them a congregation coming from meeting, la it surprising then that America has taken tbe lead in nearly every enterprise of the period ?" Leb ua now turn to JNew Eealand— tho land of our adoption —and see how education is encouraged here. The statistics of 1887 have'supplied ub with the population of the several provinces, and the number of children in eaoh supported by Government aid. From these statistics I have framed a table showing at a glance the number eaoh province educates, when compared with Auckland, and the proportion of thoae so educated to the entire population ;—; —

question of education. Otago educated 3,298 children, or 1 in 15 of her autire population. Auckland, with exactly the same population, eduoattd only 511, or 1 in 85 of hor population, and t think will not even reach that number at the present time, owing to the influx of diggers on the Thames goldtields. Auckland therefore is immeasurably below all the other provinces, except the pitiy one of Southland. We hay« to thank hi« Excellency the Governor for ths disallowance of the Kural Districts Bill, and other bill>, but it might have furthered the iuteiests of this province, and certainly saved it from additional disgrace, if the Common Schools Act, 1869, had shared the same fate. The country district* have been ignored, and the teachers insulted ; for a more silly Aot could haidly have emanated from the large building on the Whau Road. The Act, as it stands, is "a mockery, a delusion, and a snare." Tho Provincial Council of Auckland ahould be voted a sum for a signboard, to bo placed in front of their chamber, pamted in Urge letters, " Mangling done here," 1 have ever been in favour of a national systom of education, with compulsory provisions ; and oa a tax on land cannot be raised, I would advocate a 5 per cent, on tba Customs revenue, which for the present year -would give nearly, if not quite, £10,000 for educational purposes for the province of Auckland. It is also the duty of tho Government to see at once that provision be made for educating the masses. The tax on the Customs revenue can be collected without any additional expense, and it is simple. Let every district have its public teacher, and parents would soon get into the habit of sending their children. We must not sit still, b*t arise and agitate with all our might for a system that will enable us to get our children an enlightened education, free of charge, and in accordance with resolutions in a paper published by me on the 21st of last October, which I will now read for your information t—lst.t — 1st. That the General Government set aside £10,000 per annum for educational purposes in the province of Auckland. 2od. That teachers, properly qualified and certificated, be placed in every district where a Highway Board exists. 3rd. That ohildren be compelled to attend unless prevented by circumstances over which they have no control. 4th That the Highway Board aot as agents to the Government, aud be general managers and inupectora, &c. sih. That one paid inspector be employed by the General Governmeut. 6th. 'lhata grant be made by the General Government of a sum for the purpose of building schools and teacheis' houses whera thi.y do not exisfci Upon the conclusion o£ Mr. Ormiston's paper Mr. Kerr rose and proposed an amendment upon the resolution to the effect, "That this meeting refuses to carry out the provisions of the 14th clause of the Common Schools Act, 1869." Seconded by Mr. MILLEK. Amendment put and cairied. After a vote of thanks to the Chairman the meeting diapeised.

i *l 1 i ! * "I "Sid 1 » °<J 1 "figs l^i &S| © AS w 0) ■«] Of Auokland Canterbury ..53,866 .. 2,178.. lin 26 .. i to i Otago .. ..48,677 .. 3,298 ..linls .. 6Jtol Auckland .. 48,821 .. 671 .. lin 85 .. Wellington ..21,050 .. 970..11n22 .. Sitol Nehon.. ..23,814 .. 1,668 ..1 in 14 .. 6jtol Southland .. 7,943 .. 73.. lin 109.. less Hawke'g Bay .. 6,283 .. 136).. lin 89 .. ovor 2to 1 Marlborough .. 4,371 „ 233 . . lin IS .. over 4to 1 Taranaki .. 4,369 „ 181 .. lin24 .. owStol From these figures carefqlly taken from the JJew Zealand statistics of 1867, vr© get in knight ink» th< oare bestowed by the provinces «n th« Rli-imporUni