Saturday, October 2.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 141, 6 October 1847, Page 2

Saturday, October 2.

Present-— Hit Excellency the Governor, and five members. On the motion or the Colonial Treasurer, Council resumed in Committee on the Debenture Bill. The Colonial Secretaay stated that he bad corresponded with the holders of the special debentures, and they had expressed their readiness to agree to what hud been proposed by his Excellency on tbe last »itfing. On the motion of the Colonial Treasurer) the Special Debentures, which had been issued in retirement of unaccepted drafts on the British Treasury, amounting in all to £3,103 14s. 4d. were arranged in order for payment, and 8 per cent, interest ordered to be paid upon them from 30th Septembar, 1847, until notice should be given by the Government that they were prepared to discharge them j the other debentures, issued at eight per cent., amounting to £22,829 7s 9d, were ordeied to be paid according to priority of date, but subject to tbt same regulation as to ceasing of interest, after uotice of payment being given* Committee adjourned.

Education Bill. On the motion of the Colonial Secretary, Council returned in Committee on this Bill. . , On the 9th clause being read, which provides that a portion (to be named by the Council), of the Revenue should be applied to the purpose* of Education, Mi*. Brown observed that as the' object of the Bill was clearly for the education of the Natives, he did not think that the Council should set apart more than £500 for that purpose, at the.present time. He did not know what the estimated revenue of the next year amounted to, and therefore felt the greater hesitation in setting apart any specific portion of it for the purposes of the Bill. The Governor said that the Revenue for the next }ear would be no fair criterion for that of future years. He had every good reason to believe, that emigration on a large scale would soon be directed to New Zealand, and with an increase of population, the Revenue would be augmented. But, however it might be, if the Council now fixed upon any fractional part of the revenue to be devoted to educational purposes, that portion would of course rise or fall, according to the increase or decrease of the revenue. The Colonial Secretary thought that one twentieth part of the revenue should be set apart for the purpose. Mr. Brown would prefer an annual grant, so that the Legislature would have an opportunity of voting just so much as they thought requisito for every yearj for, however desirable and philanthropic the undertaking of instructing the Natives might be, yet the Colony was not in a position to spend much upon it. ' , The Governor did not know why the Bill was supposed to be intended for the Native* only*-. there were only two words in it that might lead to such a conclusion, and those were 'industrial training j' but in his opinion that would not be an extraneous branch, even in the education of Europeans— >he thought that the words were as applicable to the one race as the other. The very object of now fixing a. scale of funds was, to prevent an annual derangement of an "established system, for, should the grant be brought forward every year, the whole that might be done before, would stand the risk of o vet throw, even before any sys:em could be matured or brought into play •—there would, most likely, be a constant oscillation between different projects, and' nothing definite obtained. Any amount the Council might now fix, could not be exceeded— but as report* of the schools would be produced each year, the Legislature might cease to assist any that were inefficiently conducted. ' Mr. Merriman could see that the Bill was apt plicable to the two races, and he thought thai* one-twentieth part of the revenue was a reasonable portion to set apart for so desirable a purpose as the education of the population. The Attorney General thought that it was clear the bill was intended |for the two traces, from tlie amendment which had been made to enable parent* to send their children, as day scholar* to schools conducted by denominations from wham they differed iv religions views. At the same time, he held that only- those European children should be educated at the expense of the colony, whose parents were unable to provide for their schooling— as well a* destitute i nd half caste children. If the bill vvai intended

to provide gratuitous education for the Europeans, he questioned if he would vote for it—for lie believed that in a new colony, parents were well able to defray such expenses, and should not burthen the public with them. Mr. Brown, although he would not advocate gratuitous education of children whose parents were fit to pay, yet he would object to some of the sentiments just expressed. He believed that in a young colony, parents were generally careless about the education of their children* although able enough to defray the expense. The Government, which was permanent in the -country, should see to the improvement of the people, and to the establishment of schools, and providing efficient teachers. Individuals whose time>nd minds were fully occupied by their several avocations in anew country, seldom gave themselves the trouble of studying the means of procuring education for their childrens and therefore it was the duty of the Government, who had the power, to set apart so much of it, revenue as could be spared for the establishment ' of proper schools for the instruction of the people under its authority. He did not object to either Native or European children being subjected to " industrial training}" on the contrary, it was most desirable, but he thought that a greater sum than £500, could not be spared from the funds of the country, under present circumstances. The Colonial Secretary thought as the Natives were manifesting an anxious desire to acquire knowledge, the Council should afford them every assistance and facility, for, by the improvement of the race the country would become rich, having within itself the means of developing its own resources. The Colonial Treasurer said that if he thought that the portion of the revenue to be set apai t, was to be applied to the Natives alone, he would object to it, but he understood the Bill to apply to both races, and looked upon the undertaking as the beginning of a wise and philanthropic system, pregnant with the most happy results to both classes of Her Majesty's subjects in this country. The Attorney General said that it appeared that hit former observations were misunderstood. Heobjeeted to the principle of a Government in New Colonies providing gratuitous education for the children of parents who were able to pay for it—but he did not object to the Government establishing schools, and providing efficient masters, in order that the instruction of the rising generation should not be neglected. He thought that the Council were forgetting the principles upon which they should be legislating. If tt portion of the revenue vras'tobe granted for education— wbo.'he would ask, had the best right to the greatest share of itf The natives, in a numerical point of view, and also becaust they contributed the greatest share to the revenues of the Colony. The Governor said that the Attorney General had just expressed the nentiments that he (the Governor) entertained on the subject, He merely asked for the natives what justice demanded. The horn member, Mr. Brown, had said a good deal about the power of the Government to do what they wished— but suppose that the hon. member was Governor himself, and felt a desire. to undertake some measure that he might think good, and came'to his Council for their snpport and advioe,. but was continually met by such opposition as was now incessantly given by the hon. member himself, would ,he not feel comparativelydeprivedof that cordial support which was sufficient to srengthtn his power? From calculations entered into, it appeared that the natives contributed £10,000 a year towards the revenue ; yet it was proposed to set apart £500 a year for their education. He contended that such a proposal was positively unjust towards them, and something more liberal might have been expected from the hon. member. Was it fair that gentlemen should come here, sit down amongst the aborigines, and impose taxes on them, without giving them a fair share in the benefits accruing from the expenditure. He would be in - elined to propose that 20001. a year should be devoted to their instruction ; but he did not think that such an amount could be for tome time set apart, yet ihat did not prove that they were not entitled to it. Parliament granted annually the sum of £400 for education in New Zealand— but the natives got no share in it; onefifteenth of the land fund was to be appropriated for the benefit of the natives, yet that had also been laid out for the Europeans ( it was now full time that the improvement of the natives should be taken into consideration, and he called on the council to exercise the power that belonged to them,?and assist the government to carry out the present measure, wkich was one step towards the culture of the natives— and which would, if properly directed, lead to the welfare of the whole colony. Mr. Brown said that as to the question of power, it was very easily decided—so long as tbe Government could ensure five votes to one in the council. Mr. Merriman wished to have an explanation— he wss the only non-official member, besides the hon. mtnber himself, and he would wish to know if he was included in the five votes which had been referred to. The Colonial Secretary said, perhaps the hon. member (Mr. Brown) had included his own vote, and was abowt to submit it to the Government. Mx. Brown said that he meant a majority of votesThe Governor said that every member of the council had as good a right to an explanation as the learned member, Mr. Merriman. They were all, official or non-official, equally bound by their oatht to assist him to the best of their power by their advice ; if anything offensive was intended for one more than another of the council, it must have been levelled at himself; but he could' say that he had nevar solicited the vote of a member of his council to any measure since he had the honor tolpreside in a Legislative body. H« looked upon the expression of the hon. member as one made in the beat of debate, and consequently should be taken for what it was worth, and that was nothing. Mr. Brown went on to say, that he thought the council had n» right to vote away any of the funds received from home, which wero granted for specific purposes. He had not entered into any calculations, so as to know the amount contributed to the revenue by the natives ; but if His Excellency's figures were taken from tbe imports of the colony, he, as a commercial man, could assure him, that his deductions were wrong ; for the importers, and not the consumers, as jrai supposed, were the persons who pay the revenue. The Colonial Secretary proposed that one-twentieth part of the revenue of the colony should be set apart for educational purposes. Mr. Brown moved, as an amendment, that one-for-tfeth should be the amount, but having no seconder, the motion fell to the ground j and the original motion was carried. Mr. Merriman proposed a schedule to be appended to the bill, containing the names of the Bishop of New Zealand, the Bishop, or ether head within tbe colony, of the Roman Catholic Church, and the Superintendent of, the Weiltyan Miuion, under whose lupirintendtnst the ichools should b« plsff d,

After tome disoutiion it was agreed that the Attorney General should prepare an amendment to the original clause, by inserting "the head of other religiout.denominations," after the wordi Wesleyan Million. ' The Committee then adjourned. On the motion of the Attorney General, the Fencing Bill was read a third time and passed ; and the Naturalization Bill was read a first time, and notice giren for its second reading on Tuesday.

Smelting Copper Ore by Electricity.— We latelj adverted to some of the most prominent effects produced in England, by the application of this novel and ingenious process, and the great advantages, which its introduction would be calculated to accomplish here in economising time, labour, ships, and money, in preparing and transporting the indigenous minerals of New Zealand to England. A full and explioit account of the process employed most successfully, would be highly desirable— but in the absence of clearer details, a fair idea of it may be conceived from one mode of operation which has been put forth by the inventor. The ore to be operated upon as taken from the mine, is first to be pounded moderately small. If a sulphate, it is to be roasted—and next placed in a prepared crucible, with a little lime or other flux to give it fluidity. This crucible, with its contents, is then placed in an ordinary crucible furnace. An electrical battery of zinc and copper, with five pair of plates excited by very dilute sulphuric acid, is prepared. An iron rod is passed from the zinc plate into the furnace, and touching the side of the crucible. Another iron (or copper) rod is passed with a disk of iron or coke resting upon the contents in the crucible. Thus electricity is collected and passed into the crucible. This fuses the metal, which parts from the ore, and falls to the bottom of the containing vessel— the fusion being commonly completed in an hour or so. The crucible is of black lead, coated inside with fire clay. By this simple process, it is to be presumed, auy other metal than copper and less fusible than iron, may be cheaply and speedily reduced from the crude ore, saving fael, labour, cost of carriage, and so forth. From the success which has attended it in England, (the Swansea smelters reckoning their saving in the year at £500,000) there can be little doubt but the price of copper will be considerably affected. Our miners will have to use every exertion to withstand the general competition. In the Morning Chronicle, of the 24th March, the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty advertise for tenders for seven hundred tons of Welsh coal, for the use of her Majesty's steamer at New Zealand, the coal to be delivered in London by the 1 5th April, to be shipped in equal proportions for Auckland and Wellington.

Taranaki.— The settlement continues dull, or rather becomes more so. The market is well supplied with goods, and a considerable quantity of last year's grain remains for exportation, still tbere seems no prospect or hope of improvement. It is said land is all but secured for the company by the Inspector of Police, on behalf of the Government, but not that paid for in 1840, For several reasons it must remain a useless acquisition, if ever got. It is without roads-- out of the direction of Waif ara— and bearing in mind the irritable state of the natives not merely as regards us, but as between themselves in every question of laud, no man could think of embarking in the duties of a- farm in Taranaki in the year 1517.- Wellington Spectator.