AUCKLAND SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1433, 20 June 1868, Page 5

AUCKLAND SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION.

The third quarterly conference of tho touchers of the Auckland Sunday School Union was held Inst evening at the Wellesloy-street school-room. Mr. S. H. Smith, president, in the chair, on which occasion Mr. Fredk. Battlcy read an excellent paper on tho want, of success in uniting schools. The subject was ably dealt with by the essayist, who gave evidence of a good knowledge of tho practical working of a Sunday-school. The paper was freely criticised by teachers of different schools, who, though they differed from the essayist in some minor particulars, agreed with him in the main, that the " want of success ,, was owiug to the abeeneo of faith on the part of the teachers. In a city liko this, or in auy colony where tho young have so many evil influences to contend agiinst, it is exceedingly gratifying to Lnaw that we hay" a large body of teachers in our midst, who assist parents in counteracting those influences by instiling into youthful minds their responsibility as immortal beings, and their duty to God and man. Tho Auckland Sunday-school Union is a branch of the parent Society, 56 Old Bailey, London, which htn for its object the establishment and eupport of [schools at home and abroad. It also publishes cheap, but instructive periodicals for teachers and scholars, the circulation of which ie, according to recent statistics, orer two millions. They are excellent publications for the young, and a year or two ago our beloved Queen sent a letter (through Sir C. B. Phipps) expressing he: appreciation of them. Sunday School Unions are now springing up all over the Continent of JSuropa. Many have penetrated Naples, Heidelberg, Florence and oven Italy. Officers are appointed t>y the Union at a yearly salary for the purpose of travelling through Hurope to establish Sunday-schools and collect statistical information. The annual receipts of the Benevolent Fund of the Union is about £2,800, but the expenditure is invariably greater than that amount. As an acknowledgment of tho labors of the Union in France the Emperor of the French sent a oopy of hie " Life of Julius Ciesar," to the London library. It ie with the greatest satisfaction wo loak around Uβ and Bee the change which hue taken place in the Sunday-school system since tho immortal Robert Kaitos met Sabbath af'er Sabbath with only a email staff of teachers hired ut l< 6d. per day. There are now 200,000 teacher 3 in the Union alone, besides thousands who do not belong to the Union at present, so that averaging tbnt each teacher has six ch ; ldren in his class, which is thejvery lowest computation, we have a satisfaction in knowing that more than 1,200,000 children are brought every Sabbnth under tho influence of religious training. To all such Institutions, with the noble objoct in view of laying the foundation of our hippinese and the good of our children, we would wish them heartily (iod-speed.