Tuesday, October 5.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 142, 9 October 1847, Page 2

Tuesday, October 5.

The Council met pursuant to adjournment. Oa the motion of tbe Colonial Treasurer, an addition was made to the Debenture Bill, fixing tbe date of payment of interest on the altered 8 percent, debentures, from the 3oth September last. The Council then went into committee on the Education BilhThe Attorney General proposed to include, after tbe Bishop of New Zealand, the Roman Catholic Bishop, and Superintendent of the Wesleyan Mission, the words " bead or other minister of religion, who shall have been engaged in tbe work of education and whom the Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council, may approve." ■ ' - The Governor was'not sure that this was au improvement upon the schedule, as it stood. , Ha thought it would be giving the Governor and Executive Council power to form new religion*, which it might not be advisable that they should have. A number of Scotch ministers were to bo expected out here, especially to the southern settlements ; and it might be as well to mention Presbyterian ministers and ministers of the Free Chinch at once in the schedule to the bill. Mr. Brown preferred the bill without' this amendment. He was greatly disappointed at not finding it a more comprehensive measure. He thought there never could be a more favorable opportunity foi merging all religious difference in one good scheme of general education, embracing not reading, writing, and arithmetic alone, but chemistry, mineralogy, and the like*

Mr.Merriman was surprised to hear Mr. Brown supporting the original form, when it was that' which had caused so much disturbance already, and which Mr. B. had before opposed. An objection was} taken to the title of thebill, as implying more than it intended, which the Attorney General proposed meeting by introducing the words — " Native half caste, and others ;" and to the word " shall," as being of too compulsory a nature, substituting the word "may." The Attorney General wished to shew that neither the Council nor the Governor were swayed by any sectarian views in the matter. The bill was finally reported as amended, and the report adopted. . An ordinance to naturalise" a certain person passed a second redding, and was postponed to have time and 'opportunity for further applications. The Births, Deaths, and Marriages Bill was read a third time and passed. His Excellency laid on the table a Bill for protecting Foot Paths, which was ordered to be printed, and appointed for a first reading on Thursday next, with the Education and Debenture Bills.