Birth. THE NELSON EXAMINER. Wednesday, February 11, 1857.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XV, Issue 91, 11 February 1857, Page 2

Birth. THE NELSON EXAMINER. Wednesday, February 11, 1857.

Journals become more necessary as men become more equal and individualism more to be feared. It would be to underrate their importance to suppose that they serve only to secure liberty: they maintain civilization. De TocauEViLLK, Of Democracy in America, vol. v.,p,230. We believe, though inclined always to look with a certain amount of suspicion on anything like self-gratulation, that we may, within the limits of reason, congratulate the Province of Nelson upon one thing. We allude to the present state of the education question therein. This is perhaps the most trying subject our Provincial Governments have to deal with. It requires them to contrive a system which shall include every one in its operation, yet outrage the feelings or opinions of no one. Other general laws may disagreeably constrain this man's inclination, violate that man's prejudices ; and the inclination and the prejudices may be disregarded, because not involving feelings of so tender and sacred a character as to demand and secure respect, even when advanced by an otherwise insignificant minority. A road act or a customs law may be let have its way, if in accordance with the notions of the majority, even though not founded on the most unassailable principles of abstract justice or good policy. But, in the education question, conscience and its rights are involved, and however unreasonable we may think any set of men, nay, however illogical and wrongheaded we may be able to prove them, to our own satisfaction and that of every one but themselves, still we are bound to consider and accommodate our law to their notions or whims if possible, and hold it defective just in proportion as it fails to do so. And with this kind of obligation to please everybody, to do it is well nigh impossible ; because the question involves another subject — religious opinion — which it is hopeless, in the present age, to expect people to agree upon, and which it seems they are equally determined shall not be separated from it. This difficulty being so obvious, of course we are not going to assert for our Nelson Councillors the merit of having overcome it, We do not congratulate them upon having established any education system any way perfect in theory, because, as we said, we hardly believe it possible to establish, that is, to bring into operation at present, any so theoretically perfect a system. Other systems have been attempted in other provinces, iio doubt more theoretically perfect, always meaning by that phrase more consonant to principles of right, reason, and justice ; but then these other systems seem, so far as we can judge, to have been failures; at least the provinces wherein they have been tried are apparently i either wholesale orbit by bit abandoning them. In Nelson, on the other hand, we do think an amount of practical success has been attained as great as reasonable men could have expected. And on this fact we do congratulate our fel-low-settlers. We published, in a late number, a mass of documents sufficient, in bur opinion, to establish this fact. From the Report of the Central Board of Education, and that of the Inspector of Schools enclosed in it, we learn that "out of nine educational districts into which the province is divided, not one has failed to organize itself; whilst in two only was there any serious opposition to their doing so. In each of them a local committee has been appointed, and a representative returned to the Central Board. A general disposition has been shown to assist in promoting the successful operation of the act." Then again, "the Nelson School Society, which for many years took a large share in the work, with very inadequate means, has cheerfully resigned its functions to its successors, and a similar spirit of co-operation was shown, with one exception, elsewhere." Of schools previously in operation, and thus surrendered to the superintendence of the new boards, there are no less than thirteen; six additional have been lately opened, and there are three now building. Thus there are twenty-two schools in the province under the operation of the Education Act. But this is not all, nor even the most essential point. The attendance of children at the schools, a much better test of the feeling of the population towards the system perhaps than the number of schools even, has increased by fifty per cent.; and this increase is distributed in about the same proportion over all the schools except one, and even in that the number has not diminished. The former total of pupils was 455, the present G9G. These facts, we do think, justify the assertion, in the broadest manner, that the system

has been eminently successful. We beg our readers not to forget the almost infinite difficulties of making any system generally successful, and to understand, that in asserting this success, we keep in mind the failure in England and elsewhere to get or keep any national system on foot at all. Nor let it be objected, in derogation of this success, that so large a proportion of children were receiving education before ; for, from many causes perhaps then unavoidable, the education then given appears to have been very imperfect and unsatisfactory, and the schools were apparently becoming gradually deserted. But the very merit of the new system is especially that it seems to have been so well calculated to absorb into itself these earlier efforts at organized education, and to impart fresh life and vigour into the incomplete and decaying organizations. We think, then, that to have got a system of general education constructed, passed into law, and actually brought into operation with something like general acceptance, deserves to be characterized, under all the circumstances, as an eminent success. We claim this for our Council and community, and we maintain that it is a most important advantage gained, that we have got at least a basis laid for future operations ; a foundation whereon a complete structure or something like one can be erected. It is a grand point now, if we have got into a position to be able to give all our attention to amendment and amelioration, to remove difficulties here and add conveniences there, instead of fighting about fundamentals and having to overturn and throw overboard the results of all our previous efforts and designs. We do hope the whole community, or at least an overwhelming majority of it, will unite in determination to hold fast by this great gain, not to let go this solid and practical acquisition, not to be thrown back again into the vague and vexed region of mere abstract theories and conflicting principles, the array of irreconcileable arguments, and the wordy warfare of sectarian or catholic predilections. And now, this granted, and it being understood that our future work is amendment, not reconstruction, let us be as ingenious in inventing, as patient in listening to, as liberal in accepting improvements, as possible. It appears from the Report of the Central Board that the Roman Catholics are the most, if not the only greatly dissatisfied portion of the community; in themselves comparately not numerous, but yet, as their scruples are conscientious and such as they have the most 'perfect right to entertain, deserving of cur utmost consideration, and by all means, if possible, to be won into acquiescence. The Board, to meet their requirements, or at least to nullify their opposition, propose the introduction of another feature into the present scheme, a plan they say has been found to work well in Canada, that of allowing the minority of ratepayers for education in any district, if after all dissatisfied with the school or schools established by the majority, to take their own portion of the rate out of the com,tnon fund, to be applied to the formation of a school "to their own liking, denominational or not." We do not intend to discuss this proposal at present, because no doubt numerous opportunities of doing so will occur. We shall only say, consistently with the course of action we have been advising, that if no better mode of neutralizing the opposition of the religious body alluded to can be found, and this one does not involve any abandonment of the present scheme as a whole, or seriously interfere with its operation, it would be wise to adopt it, always adhering to the great principle, that not theoretical perfection, but practical efficiency, should be the end and goal of all our efforts and strivings. The next improvement proposed by the Board is to substitute a real property-rate for the household-rate at present required, and to levy a school-rate in addition for each child between 5 and 14 years of age. They further recommend, as many of the schoolhouses transferred by the Nelson School Society are very imperfect or out of repair, that a loan of at least .£3,000 be raised to be paid out of provincial funds during a period of ten or fifteen years ; and that the sum given for education from the public funds should be by permanent act, not by annual vote. All these amendments we shall consider hereafter. At present we shall say no more than that we believe every one who reads attentively all the documents alluded to must agree that the different Boards and the Inspector of Schools are doing their work well, and meriting the thanks of the community. The importance of maintaining an officer to inspect these establishments indeed seems to come out in striking relief in these Reports. [At any rate a moment's reflection will convince [anyone that frequent visits of an Inspector must awaken emulation in the schoolmasters themselves ; ensure appreciation and acknowledgment of superior merit and increased exertions; give opportunity for the manifestation of sympathy, and the communication of experiences gained in other similar establishments ; provide a judge and standard of qualification and work, unbiassed and free from local influence or personal prejudice; and, while it furnishes all this to stimulate the

zealous and good among them, still further to remove the chance of neglect of duty, and indifference, and unfitness being overlooked or connived at from personal friendship, carelessness, or even excusable motives. If his work be really well done, we can hardly conceive any more effectual instrument of good, any more certain security for the proper working of any general educational system, than an itinerant Inspector of Schools. We implore then all our fellow-settlers to lend their aid in this good work. "The course is open before you, the race is glorious to run." A fair, a capital start has been made ; do not relax in your efforts, do not flag until you shall have it to say, there is no country or community in the world, large or small, that is a-head of you in this magnificent and noble work. The more political freedom you have, and you have it in as high a degree as any set of people under the sun, the more absolutely necessary — absolutely necessary as the only preventive and safeguard against the most frightful evils — does Education of the whole mass become. That is true and God's truth — think what you may of any other assertion or any other principle. Go on then — go on as you have commenced ; "Go boldly, go serenely, go augustly — what shall withstand you then !"

" Better late than never," says the proverb, and it must have been in this spirit that a meeting of merchants and other influential gentlemen was held yesterday at Messrs. Nicholson and Ridings' warehouse, to consider the subject of steam navigation between this colony and Australia. The short time which elapsed between this meeting and the hour at which we go to press, prevents us from doing more than briefly referring to the proceedings. In the account we have given of this meeting will be found the resolutions passed on the occasion, and the scheme which the meeting adopted, which had been prepared by Mr. Mackay. The recommendation of this scheme is its economy, and that with one steamer it secures nearly the same inter-provincial communication which could be afforded in some of the schemes proposed by two steamers. Between Nelson and the other Southern provinces a fortnightly communication would be maintained, and a monthly communication between the Northern and the whole of the Southern provinces, while this plan would secure to the whole of New Zealand the most perfect equality as to the time of receiving their letters from England, and the period within which they could send their replies. Mr. Mackay appears also to have allowed ample time for the various trips of both steamers, and in ordinary weather, the periods calculated for all the voyages would be considerably shortened. We hope this scheme will be fairly considered on its merits. Auckland may demur at not being the first port at which the mail steamer should call, but, she must remember that the southern provinces are as deeply concerned in a rapid intercourse with England as herself, and between the time of a steamer reaching Manukau by the route indicated in the resolution passed by the meeting yesterday and by a direct voyage to Auckland by the North Cape, there would not be a difference of more than two days, while the southern provinces would be placed by it on terms of equality. We shall endeavour to find time to recur to this subject again.

The Monsoon and John Masterman both arrived from London on Sunday last, the former after a voyage of 124 days, and the latter after a voyage of 104 days. The John Masterman, in addition to a few cabin and intermediate passengers, has about 115 immigrants for Nelson, with the shipment of whom the labours of Mr. Macdonald, as Immigration Agent for Nelson, was brought to a close, by the funds at his disposal being exhausted.