BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Mataura Ensign, 3 July 1914, Page 3

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

THE REFERENDUM BILL. Tl:e following is the full text of the Religious Instruction in Schools lleferHou&e of Representative:* by Hon. J. Allen (Minister for Education) : •Be it enacted l .by the General Assembly of Near Zealand in Parliament assembled, and' by the authority of the same, as follows : 1. This Act may be cited as the Religious Instruction in Schools l Referendum Act, 191-1. 2. (I) On the clay appointed for the taking of the noil (-hereinafter called the electoral pull) of the electors for the return of members of the House of Representatives at the first general election taken after the commencement or this Act, and simultaneously therewith, a poll (hereinafter called the referendum poll) of the electors of •each electoral district shall also be taken upon the question to he submitted to them under this Act. (2) The referendum poll shall 'he taken in every district, notwithstanding that in any district ■ no electoral poll way lie required to be taken for such election as aforesaid. ;S. At the referendum poll the said question siiall 'he submitted in the form set fortli in the .schedule to this Act. 4. (D The returning officer of each electoral district shall, upon the day wpipninteil, proceed to take the referendum .poll in the manner provided ibv the Legislature Act, 1908, for taking the electoral poll, nnd shall appoint such deputy-returning officers and other officers as lie deems necessary, and shall provide voting-papers and all other things necessary for taking the said poll. (2) TVery person who. at t'he time •when the referendum poll i» taken, is entitled to vote at-'thb electoral poll shall he entitled to one vote at the referendum (poll. (3) All the provisions of the- Legislature Act, 19US. as regards taking a. poll shall, with the.necessary modifications, apply to the ticking of the referendum poll under this Act. 5. As soon as practicable after the result of the referendum poll has 1 been ascertained, the returning officer shall give public notice of the total numlb or of valid vcjtes recorded, the number of valid votes respectively recorded for and against the saicl question, and the. number of informal votes, and shall also Forward to the Minister for iKducation a statehiorfV of the same particulars. . , ' " 1 ! " C. As soon/as'conveniently may be after the Minister, has received the saicl statement from..the returning officers oil all the electoral districts he shall cause a. statement t-o'be prepared showing the particulars mentioned in the hist preceding suction in respect, of each electoral district, and also the total number of valid, votes respectively recorded for and against- the said question in all the electoral districts, and the total numlber of' informal votes. Such' statement shall ibe puiblislied in the 'Gazette' and ,shn 11 he laid before Parliament on the first- day of its session pi the year nineteen hundred and fifteen. SCHEDULE. YOTIXXj-PAPKR. Religious Instruction in Schools Referendum. Scheme cf instruction. Provision to .be made for the reading in public schools, .within school hours,;' of selec ted Bible lessons from a read-ing-book to be provided' bv the Krtilea tion Department. Such "reading to be .conducted under the supervision or the public-school teacher, but no sectarian teaching to be allowed. Provision to he made for religious' instruction to he given within school hours to children by a- .minister of their own denomination or by an accredited substitute. Any parent to have the right, if j:e. chooses' so to do, to withdraw his child from the Bible-reading, or from the religious instruction, or" from'both. 1 vote in favor of the above system. " 1 vote against the above system. Directions. The. voter must strike out the proposal for which, lie does not wish to vote. If the voter strikes out both or faik to strike out one of. the proposals, the votmg-paper .will be void, and his vote will not be recorded. - to be OHipped by the voter into the separate 'ballot-box ,prepared for it, and not into the same, box as that into which lie drops his electoral ballot-paper. Ihe, voter is, not allowed to take this voting-paper out of the polling-ibooth.

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