PARLIAMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 420, 1 September 1877, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

(l!V TKI.KOKM'II.) WlCl.l.lN.lloN, Sept. 1. In the House of Representatives ye terday afternoon, Mr. M'Lean, replying to Mr. Wuk. field, said the Government were aware . the financial difficulties of the Kakam Harbour Board, and were considers how best to deal w:th the subject. Tli difficulties were the Board's own fault. Mr. Orinond promised that the Govcn nient would make inquiries as to the be> mode of all'ording increased accommod, lion at the railway station, Timaru. Mr. Bees asked c r;ain qui stioiis wit regard to land transactions in the lq>|>i Thames, but the Premier refused to gn replies, as the mat fees had some relereiu to the Oamarn Mam. libel case, which wi pending in a Court of Law. Some discussion ensued, but the que lion eventually dropped. On the motion of the Premier, it wi decided that f..r the remainder of t! ses-ion the House should sit on Mol davs.

Tlio el-hate on (lu> Ediieilion Hill wa resumed by Mr. Curtis who late-d Mr. I'.owen on (In- in 'iiHiiro In? hi lin.n-.rht forward. 11" t'.nii,dit tlio JJr was :i very excellent one, l>» said that f!i" nf tin- L.rd's IVay. ill each sellnnl .should he left tn tl, deeisw.ii nf tin- l'»."il committees. II would move mi amendment in t«> tint eli'eol, so ns to foil >\v the systei now pursued in N. 1-nn. lie r< -rHtod n |irn\i.sinii was made liy which tin: Kmn.r Catholic population oonl.l take advanta:.' nf the Act. Ilciv, .-cram, he would pivh the Xelson syiti'in, which had work.adiiiiral.lv. H<' would edvn in. pnhh money to any school win re religion wi taught as a part of their daily e-ourso > instruction. This was not done in IS'. son, yet thn Cat Indies and I'rolcHfaii: w.n-ked there heartily lordlier in earn on the work of pnl.lic education, le was not fair to ex|iect C.itholics In aliotheir children to In- ins'rneted in historic* of England wit!) strong seet;iriaii view. I'Xprcssed in t'iciii. In Nelson tin allowed the Catholics to sideet their ow;; honks, suhjer'. tothe luspeetor's approval hut no religion was allowed to h ■ in thorn, <>r anv religions instruction 1..' e;iveii in the schools. He had drafted sir a iienilinu r clause with a view nf assiinihi tin-; this part nf tli" Hill with the Nelum system. He said he was only proposing ii r-iisnnnl.il! concession to tin- fei of n v,ry lar-'e pnriii.n <>f nur frllow-iuilonims Mr. Haiti' concurred hiOi what Mr Curtis Lad said in reference; to the ad iiiir.il.li! manner in which the Nelson educational system had worked. He win it would Iil! infliclin-jr a serious injury ni the Cat holies if the 101 l was allowed 1. J.ass ill ils present shape. It was the elut\ of the Leeislalnri! tn e-lid. avour tn lira! ju.d imt a-jyr ivate n litmus diU'ereiiceiv In Westland the Church of awl the Catholics were fully a-reed ri-y.-ii-din;,' this tn-itter. He hoped the House would ad'-n* .Mr. Curtis' amendment.

I Mi - , (iisborne reeivit.ed that the lilll abolished t lie education rates. He strongly supported secular education l>y means of State aid, but thought th«- Bill infringe.l that principle. The Catholics could lint 1)0 expected to read the Protestant BibleH or the New Testament, or repeat tin* Lord's Prayer. Their conscientions convictions woul l exclude a large section of t u community from taking advantage of a system of education, although they were taxed for its support. He wouhl j therefore support Mr. Curtis's amend- ' incut, as it would do that section jnstico'jj without infringing on the principles of | secular education. f Mr. Henry said lie would support thoj| Bill if Mr. (Jnrtis's amendment wn*;i adopted, but not otherwise. a Mr. Wakefield, while approving of the J Bill generally, thought that education 1 matters could be managed by local com- f niittees, with a proper system of inspec- J tion, without having Education Boards. « He o!>jected to the mode of electing tlicHUji Boards, and said that the largest school I committees in a district might easily be I 1-ft without any representation on the 1 Education Board by the combination of a a few small local committees. The repre-tl

aentation should he in proportion to the number of children being educated by each committee. He also urged that too much power was given to the Boards and too little to the committees, especially in regard to the appointment and removal of teachers. Mr. W;i kefield had not finished speaking when the usual dinner adjournment took place. The House was occupied during the ■whole of last night's sitting discussing the Education Bill. Mr. "Wakefield continued his speech, and opposed the religious clauses of the Bill, and said that Mr. Curtis' amendment was more objectionable still. Mr. Lusk warmly praised tlie Auckland system, nrul said the Bill was too centralising in its nature, otherwise the measure was a good one. Dr. Wallis warmly supported the Bill, as it was the best compromise that could possibly be effected. He objected, however, to the State monopoly of education. The Catholic schools should be subsidised if they gave as good an education as the State schools. He said the great excellence of the Bill was its non-sectarian character. He denied that the Auckland system had worked well. Mr. Macfarlano said that it cost LI4OO in Auckland to collect LIOOO of education rates. Mr De Lautour believed the Bill shadowed forth heavy taxation. He •would be willing to subsidise the Catholic schools if necessary. Mr. Hodgkinson preferred the retention of the old provincial systems of education, but said that this being impossible, on the whole lie considered the present Bill a fair one. Mr. Pyke moved the adjournment of the debate. The House rose at a quarter-past 12 o'clock.