WAIROA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VI, Issue 1709, 14 May 1869, Page 5

WAIROA.

(rnoit oub own cqhrbepqndhht.) May 11. A public meeting was held last night in the schoolhouse, at seven o'clook p.m , for the purpose of considering tha provisions of tbe n 0 mmon Schools Act, 1869, but owing to the wet night there was not a large mu-iter. Mr. Jambs Walker, chairman of the highway trustees, on be : ng called to the chair read the notice calling the meeting ; also a pi inted circular asking information on various points connected with bringing the Common Sohools Act, 18S9, into operation in t.he district, and then men tinned a number of particular* oont>tine<l in some of the principal clauses ol the Act, as several of those present had not read ir. Mr. JAMEa said s Mr. Chairman and gentle, men—lt has been said that the disallowance of the Sural Districts Act, 1869, will make the Common Schools Act unworkable, because tlie rite under th 'a'ter Act in collected and can be recovered in the same manner pis under the former—not in forco; but it would upbear from the circul.rjust read that th e Governm-nt are confident that the Common Schools Act. 18H9, is workable and the rates recoverable by 'aw, else lliey must be making stupid fools of both thomsflve< and the public. The Bo»rd of Kducati .n also a«enn anxious that we -Jiould oive the Act a tiinl, and asks f. r informutinn arid suggestions for recommending an eduontional district" to the -uperintendent to proclaim. Well, gentlemen I think we should give them our hearty co operation! There is no doubt that ihe country distiicts are being reflected in the mutter of education ine consequence of there not sufficient inducement held out for respectable teachers in general. In Snotl in 1 the estate supports the parish church and Bohool; and in New Zealand, in thinly peopled dis- | tiicts, there is a greater necessity and no greater i hardships. Our bachelor and narrow-minded eetflers liave far less to grumb.'e at in contributing towards education, and aisisting th«se who are unable to educate their children than the free Churoh landlords in -co'tltind,' who have to support their own churoh and eduo-ite their ohildren, and over and above that to support the parish church and sehoil—in some cases a church with a lifeless formal pieucher ai d a few hearers, or in phrase, a caul kirk and a cauldrife people. 'Xhere is a saying, the author of whioh I do not remember, but the sentiment desnrves to be written in letters .of goU, " 1 hat he would rather die a learned beggar than live to bean ignorant king I" As it is education and religious training that marks the ohri(tian from tha savage, distinguiihts the polite and educated from the rude aud vulgar ; and as eduoation is the best legacy which we can bequeath to our children, it becomes our b rnnden duty, as parents, christians, and useful members of sooiety, to support eduoation . wad religious instruction. But in this Common Sohools Act there is a great injustice sought to be forced upon us, a piotes ant community, to be com* pelled to put our hands in our p;<oketH and pay for the instruction of our own children and that of our neighbours who are unable to pay, and yet to be denied the privilege of.their reading the Bible in the school, and b ing taught the oatechiam, privileges which we ourselves enjoyed No one is more fi'ted to inoulcate religious impress! jn< on the ' young than a Godfearing schoolmaster. And who dan tell the num er of cises in which the shutting out tho Bible from our schools would deprive the children of oareless parents of all the religious instruction whioh they would'receive in their younger years. Oould not an hour be set apart every day for those children who wished it to be instructed in the Bible and catschism, and let thoße children retire who did not wish to be so instructed. In a wholly proteatanfc district - such us oirs is, I am o >nvinoed there is only one opinion in the matter; and as we pay for what we receive we should have the right to spend it to the best advantage. I propose that we give the Common Schools Act a trial in this district, but at the sam e time I propose that we do not rest content' till we have in connexion with it religious instruction to our children. We do not arrive at perfection at once, and f trust we may get the Act amended when the Counoil meets; meantime something needs to be done, and'something is-better than nothing. On the nntion of"Mr. Uuxko, seconded by Mr." Hrss, the meeting wis adjourned for a fortnight in order to give time to' take the matter into consideration. After a vote of thanks to tho chairman, the meeting dispersed.