CURRENT TOPICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10601, 9 March 1895, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

■WHSMTANS-I AND EDUCATION, !

Resolutions in favour of scriptural lessons being given in the State schools have been passed by the

Wesleyan Conference now in cession at Adelaide. Apparently the Bible-in-schoole agitation ia gaining strength in Australia. The cry for unaeotarisn Scripture lessons to form part o! the regular school syllabus is,the reply of the smaller religions bodies to the demand of the Anglican and Catholic churches for the endowment of denominational schools. The Wealeyans are evidently acting in concert on the subject, for we observe that at the Wesleyan Conference opened at Hobart some three weeks ago the retiring President, the Eev Mr WitMngton, u raised & protest against the ultra-aocular interpretation of the Education Act in Victoria, and said that the Church must continue to declare that education without religious teaching is no true education; that Sunday schools are inefficient to meet the requirements of the case,, because those most needing religious instruction do not attend them ; that all voluntary efforts out of school hours are ludicrously inadequate ; that the present system is fraught with grave menace to the State; and. that nothing but Biblical teaching, regularly given ia .schools, will satisfy tho Wesleyan demands.” This demand, it will be seen, ia that the State should compulsorily teach religion, and it is ' safe to predict it will never be complied with in any of these colonies, either directly as the Wesleyans desire, or indirectly by means of grants, as asked by the Catholics and Anglicans. The broad, outstanding fact which is emphasised by all these agitations for religions instruction is that the people generally do not desire to have such instruction given to their children. If they wished it, they could easily obtain it. The Wesleyan demand is opposed to oil liberty of conscience, sense of justice and true conceptions of moral methods. Religion is a conviction, and it cannot be crammed into children like the facte of everyday life.

The Czar of Russia, in attempting to introduce a system of compulsory education into his vast empire, is

RUSSIAN IDOLATERS.

doubtless actuated by a desire to dispel the gross ignorance and superstition of large numbers of bis subjects. It is not generally known that many Eussiana are unmitigated heathens, practising idolatry and offering human and other sacrifices. The fact was, however, brought into prominent notice lately during a criminal trial at the city of Vialtra, when eleven persona were indicted for murder. The accused belonged to a peculiar local set known as Yotiaks, who are idolaters, who sacrifice not only animals, but on certain occasions human beings to propitiate the wrath of Kourbane, who is their evil spirit. From the evidence given at the trial it appears that the prisoners induced a beggar man named Matriounine to visit the house of a Yotiak named Moses Dimitrieff. After making the man drunk they cut his throat and then decapitated him. The headless trunk was suspended from the ceiling and the blood was collected in dishes, and, with the heart and lungs, was used in an idolatrous rite. The atrocity was committed during tho famine 62 1804,. the object being to. appease jbbe anger, of Kouvbano and * iprawanfe

another failure off the harvest. The murderers included men of from thirtyfive to forty-five years of age, one being twenty, and several of them were leading, inhabitants of the district. Three of them were acquitted, and of the remainder some were sentenced to penal servitude for life and the others to deportation to Siberia.

A COMING VISIT Oil.

Not an evangelist this time, though a clergyman. The cable informs ns that the Eav E. S. Haweis had

sailed for these colonies vi& America to J engage in a lecturing tour. The reverend; ' gentleman is incumbent of St Jameson Church, Marylebone, London, and is well known not only for his Broad Church views, but for his literary labours, hif enthusiasm in musical matters, and bis deep interest in current public movements, He is a very strong anti-vi viaoctionist, and ,was a short time ago drawn into a sharp controversy with the Lancet concerning the erection of a Pasteur Institute at Chelsea* His visit will not partake at all of a religioua character. The lectures which ha will deliver' have such a varied range of *7 subjects as "Marriage,” "American Humour,” "Tennyson” end "Wagner.” In 1893 Mr Heweis visited America as one of the representatives of the Church of' England at the Parliament of Religions, an account of which he published cri hie return to London. He has made thre» lecturing tours of tho United States, but the present will be hia first visit to ' Australasia.

THE COITMEBOIAI, DarBEBSIOH.

Among the English commercial circulars received by last mail, that of Messrs Leedham, Crowe and Go. is

conspicuous as giving a very comprehensive summary of the events of • 1894 and a thoughtful forecast for the current year. As for the past, the record is not a cheering one. “ The chief characteristic of 1894, and the cause to which depression is principally attributable, may,” the circular esye, “be briefly - summed up in three words, 'want of confidence. 1 ” It goes on to remark that the Australasian colonies, like other countries, “suffered severely from the low price of all produce, the fall in most kind? of which has been entirely unprecedented, and which has been necessitated by the contraction of credit, and the consequent need to sell at any price to meet their obligations,” It ig worth noting that the depression and want of confidence are described as being general or world-wide, and, therefore, the assertion of Conservative organs that New Zealand's modicum of depression is due to Liberal legislation, completely falls to the ground < The cause of general depression must he a general one, and the circular comes near to it when it mentions the contraction of credit that has taken place during the past year. .We quote farther ; —" Financially, the marked feature of 1894 has been the cheapness of money, bank rate remaining for eleven months at 2 per cent, the accumulation of capital lying idle awaiting suitable and remunerative employment, and the diminution in banking profits. Speculation for a great part of the year was almost non-existent, and has only within the last few months revived, operations, however, being chiefly confined to the mining markets. ‘Gilt-edged* securities, have, throughout the year, been in steady demand, and in many instances have touched highest on record. The .. plethora of money has enabled colonial and foreign governments to avail themselves of this market to borrow and convert high-rated loans to a lower scale.” There is thus hope that our Treasurer, when he reaches London, will And' the way open for advantageous financial arrangements on behalf of this colony. The significant thing about these quotations is the support they give to the contentions of bi-metallists* The bi-metallists have foretold that front the steady appreciation of gold there wonld result diminution of banking and trading profits, hoarding of gold, loss of confidence and want of employment for capital and labour alike. Messrs Leedham, Crowe and Co. do not, however, favour bi-metallism, for in another part of their circular they dwell on the advantages of low prices to consumers, and especially to those with fixed incomes -—this being a favourite argument with upholders of monometallism.

Leaving the dead past to

THE OUTLOOK.

bury its dead, the circular from which we have bees

quoting goes on to speculate os the-probable course of events iu 1893, with their influence upon British trade. 1 It draws the following very encouraging conclusions Many of the chief obstacle* in the way of improvement have, daring last year,been gradually removed; Brazil, Chili and Argentina are making steady progress towards recovery, the war in the East seems to be in a fair way of settlement, Australia-ia slowly recovering front the pecuniary collapse of 1893, the M’Einley Tariff in the. United States has been repealed and superseded, the Bering Liquidation has been terminated, and the gold supply of the world promises to receive very substantial expansion before 1896. In the commercial world, timidity is giving place to courage, despondency to confidence, and tho revenue returns dearly indicate that the economic condition oii the country is improving j consumption is increasing, and stocks are being more fully replenished, and provided that no unforeseen troubles arise, we believe the outlook is brighter and more fall of promise than, at any time during - the last few years." We do not like to play the pessimistic rols, but we confess we should have more faith ia this forecast if any substantial reasoning underlay it. But nothing ia disclosed that holds out a prospect of recovery from the universal depression, except the far-off hope that" increased consumption will ia time have Its effect upon prices.” This ia baaed upon the old fallacy that supply and demand have alone to do with the regulation of prices. The present year will probably witness a revival in English commerce, but it bolds no hope for the great producing colonies, save such as may be found ia the proposal to hold an international monetary conference.