FREE RAILWAY PASSES FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4438, 10 May 1876, Page 3

FREE RAILWAY PASSES FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN.

A deputation, consisting of Messrs G. Dodsou, W. J. M. Larnach, M.H.R , N. Moloney, and John Soanlan. -.Taitjd upon His Honour the Superintendent yeßterday morning. Mr Laknach introduced the business by stating it was with some confidence thuc they approached His Honour on the present occasion, knowing tho. liberal aid he had •always extended to education, anc the great interest ho had alWaya taken in furthering its progress. Thoir object was to ask His Honour to deal out to a certain class of the community, who had done a great deal to help themselves, that justice which he was sure His Honour would be inclined to grant when he heard the prayer of the petition which they caino to present. It was as follows:—

We the undersigned inhabitants of Port 1 Chalmers beg respectfully to point out to your Honour that we have, conjointly with our ■fellow-colcnists, expended on school buildings in Duuedin a considerable sum of money, and liave established schools for girls conducted by nuns, and for boys by the Christian Brothers. We beg most respectfully to ask your Honour to grant passes by rail for our children attending the above mentioned schools, and thereby put us on a level with'our fellow colonists who send their children to the High and other schools in Dunedin, who are granted free passes en all the railways. [Signed by 31 residents of Port Chalmers.] The petition was signed by members of a numerous section of the community, and he was sure His Honour would give it just consideration. Reman Catholics as a body, had ■certainly done a great deal towards educating themselves, if he might so term it, and he thought that when a body of people combined together to help themselves, they wito also deserving of help from others. The prayer of the petition certainly had his sympathy, and ho would leave it in his Honour's hands, feeling sure that it would iave hi« sympathy also. His Hosouu said that of course tho deputation wero av»-are that this opened up a very wide question, although iv itself it was apparently an insignificant matter. It was not lor him to di.icusa that question now at all «v<:Uts, bui he would bring the matter liefore the Kxecativc, and they would see what tho result of it would be. Of course tin; de.pui"!tioM know that it involved the question of National and Denominational Educacion,

Mr .Lv'.inach hardly thought so. He thought, it was reaily a matter of common fairness. li< tliiii community, where all w;r>' plying taxes, a certain portion of the cointijiifuty were, acuordod tho privilege of

[sending their children to school by railway, free of charge. He thought all sections of the community were entitled to enjoy the same privilege. His Honour [said no section of the community were debarred from enjoying the privilege, if they chose to avail themselves ot the public schools. He thought it was a mistake to assume that there was nny distinction made by the resolution of the Council, because the resolution only applied to public schools. Mr Larnach said that supposing they had here a Roman Catholic College, would it be denied that the privilege should be granted to the pupils attending that College ? His Honour said he was not prepared to deny it personally. Mr Larnach said they did not wish, to put the matter to His Honour personally, but would ask him to lay the petition before his Executive.

His Honour said that in itself it was such a small matter that he would be inclined to concede it at once, but there was no use disguising the fact that it involved the whole question ■whether the State was to support National or Denominational education. That was not a question for him to pronounce an opinion upou on the present occasion.

Mr Molonry thought it was actually interfering with personal liberty if a certain portion of the community were to be deprived of privileges enjoyed by the rest of the community simply because they held different religious opinions. Catholics were contributing doubly, as they contributed to the support both of their own and the Government schools.

, His Honour granted that Catholics were very exemplary in that respect. But he demurred to the statement that they were deprived of any liberty enjoyed by the rest of the community. The State was not supposed to recognise any religious body. Mr Moloney : But ft so happens that the State does. . ;\ ' . '

Mr Scanlan pointed out that although the nuns were a religious body, they taught children outside their own denomination altogether. 'They conducted a High School, in which they taught Jewesses and Protestant children—in fact, any children who were sent to them. If any of those children happened to live at Port Chalmers or Green Island, should they be denied the privilege of travelling free ? "■ , His Honour said he did not know what view the Government would take. He was not discussing the merits of the question at all, and what he had said came out incidentally. It was not the intention of the Government that any injustice should be done. ■ '

Mr Launach said that il he were living at Port Chalmers, and desired to place his daughter under the care of the nun 3, he ■ would think it only fa;r that he should, be allowed to send her by the railway free of charge, just as if she were attending the Provincial High School. Mr Scanlan said that if a man were sending one of his children to the Provincial High School and another to the Nuns' School, it would appear very singular if he had to pay railway fare for one cnild and not for the other.

His Honour promised to bring the question before the Executive, and the deputation then withdrew.