Friday, September Bth.

Otago Witness, Issue 1033, 16 September 1871, Page 2

Friday, September Bth.

The debate on the Education Bill tt'asresumed in the evening by Mr Kftlly, who supported the Aided Schools clauses, and objected to the local Committees as useless.

Mr Bunny said that a plain and simple education was a real blessing, and it was the duty of the State to provide it. He was not sure that a higher class of education would be a blessing, and it certainly was not the duty of the tState to provide it. Ho was opposed to women voting at elections of School Committees, or being eligible for election on such Committees, as the circumstances of the colony differed from those of England in there not being in it a body of educated ladies with abundant leisure. He supported the appointment of travelling teachers and the Aided Schools clauses.

Mr Pearce said the Aided Schools clauses were the best feature in the Bill. No child could be educated from whom 5 was withheld the knowledge of its obligations to the Supreme Being, and of the existence of a future state ; and this knowledge would reach many children only through the medium of school teaching. It was unjust that those holding religion to be a necessary part of their education should be compelled to maintain their own schools where religion was taught, and also to contribute to the support of Government secular schools.

Mr Buckland (Franklin) said it would be impossible to carry out the law against the will of the people, and the Aided Schools clauses would be most unpalatable, to Auckland, ivhere the denominational system had failed, and the secular system was working well. Each Provincial Council should, be left to decide o«

its own system, the Assembly raising the educational funds and handing them over to the provinces to spend. He objected to the immense number of officials created hy the Bill.

The Rev. Mr Andrew (Wairarapa) said it was the duty of the State to sett that education was provided and morality inculcated ; and it would do well to support lliose schools already existing where morality was taught in connection "with religion. All classes should derive equal benefit from taxation, but a large portion of the community did not use the elementary schools, though they would use Grammar Schools. "We. were handing down a heavy burden o£ de]ot to posterity* but we should deserve gratitude of the future generation if we also gave them that learning vl\i ehc h is better than houses and land.

Mr M'Leod (Bay of islands) said the funds should come out o f the Customs revenue. The P /•ovincial Governments had run their cor me m & our educational /system should t 1 iloro f ore be established on a colonial basi A< Secular education was desirable, but _we jlu(1j lu(1 not yet arr i ve d at such a condi L \ m D f at f a i r3 as to enable us tt S)IJ5 )l J* or< *s° dispense with the aid of the clergy of 4 c var i ous creeds in the cause of educp nor could we ignore the great e< th e y a j mac \ c) nor re f use to take? .^vantage of the schools they had est ' al /iiHhed. 1 iv Reader Wood said the machinery . the Bill was too expensive. High c ,i!ws schools were unnecessary, as the State had no business to go beyond mere elementary secular instruction. The compulsory clauses were impracticable. He objected to the powers proposed to be given to the Governor in Council. He hoped the Bill woiild emerge from Committee with its machinery reduced, and the education to be given confined to puch an elementary character as to relieve the House of the religious difficulty altogether,

Mr Mervyn said that at the time the elections took place no dissatisfaction had been expressed in Otago with the system existing in that province, and no question on the matter had been raised at the elections. Since then discontent had arisen, but he feared he saw the germs of greater discontent in the present Bill, and if it destroyed the Otago system he would not support it. The existence of large and valuable reserves for ediicational purposes offered an insuperable objection to the abolition of theProvincialboundaries. The local committees were extremely valuable as identifying the mass of the people with the cause of education, and were the best feature in the Bill. He would eliminate Bible reading from the measure, and make the education imparted purely secular. The Bill created the religious difficulty instead of solving it. If it were passed several denominational schools would be immediately established in his district. The Presbyterians being in the majority, in many cases Roman Catholic children would be obliged to attend Presbyterian schools. A secular system was quite possible, and the Irish National School books were perfectly undenominational.

Mr Fox moved the adjournment of the debate to the 14th inst., when he would make his speech in reply. The Government required time to consider what amendments they would accept, and what portions of the Bill they would maintain.

Monday, September 11th.

The Motueka Election Committee decided to-day that no case had been made out against Sir David Monro on the charges of bribery, treating, or undiie influence. Evidence was given in sxipport of two charges of personation, and the petitioners' case was then closed. The Committee held that a prinia facie case had been made out for Sir David Monro to answer. Mr Travers asked for an adjournment to call rebutting evidence, and iJso recriminatory evidence calculated to show that some of Mr Parker's voters had been improperly allowed to vote. The Committee have taken time to consider the application.

It is rumoured, and with good grounds, that the Government intend, in case of a defeat on their financial policy, to appeal to the country. The Budget will probably include the abolition of the Provincial system to a great extent, increased Customs duties, and an income tax. [Another correspondent telegraphs :—: — " It is rumoured that the Treasurer will abolish the capitation grants to the provinces, and make a common purse for the colony ; and that if he is opposed, tho Governor will be asked to dissolve the Assembly."] Mr J. T. Thomson was examined before the Chinese Immigration Committee to-day, as also were some local Chinese merchants.

The Insolvency Bill Committee was constituted to - day, Mr Bathgate in the chair. It was agreed to confer with the Committee of the Legislative Council pn the subject.