THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

Otago Witness, Issue 2647, 7 December 1904, Page 17

THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

THE PREMIER IN REPLY. - WELLINGTON, November 25. The Right Hon. the Premier has addressed a letter to the Moderator and members of the Presbyterian General Assembly in reference- to what, Mr Seddon says, he feels to be "the unmerited reflection cast upon my sincerity in the report of your committee on' the Bible in schools." Mr Seddon acquits the committee and Assembly of any i intentional misrepresentation of -himself- or his motives. . It is the fate of a public man to be misrepresented. The suggestion in the present case is that, having made a promise, he failed to keep „ it. The promise lie made- is recorded in Hansard of November 2«t, 1903. The report of the committee purported to quote the extract, but it I emitted three words, and (according to Mr Seddon) the quotation is thus 'given , a colour which the full text of Hansard report did not convey. The committee had said: — "No statement could well be plainer," and if the three words had not been dropped out, .he quite agreed. His 'promise was " to introduce a measure which will have the object of. referring the question of Bible-reaciing in schools to the people of the colony," and the measure indicated was to deal with that " and other He conceived himself to be keeping his promise when he brought in the Referendum Bill. That he was not alone in thinking so was abundantly clear from the following resolution, reported in the Evening" Post of November 1, as having been "unanimously passed by the Council of the Churches: — "That this council, while regretting that the Referendum Bill had been vitiated by the inclusion of a provision that a poll shall" not be valid unless half the number of electors on the roll take part in the voting, thanks the Premier for fulfilling his promise to carry the bill through the House of Representatives, and respectfully urges the- Legislative Council to pass the bill, so that the- "wishes of the people on the subject of Bible lessons in public schools can be definitely ascertained." On the suggestion of Dr Gibb the resolution was altered by the substitution of the word "weakened" for "vitiated." And here the Premier remarks that. "in thanking me on the Ist of November for keep- | ill the promise which, on the 14th, he denounces me for breaking, the Rev. Dr Gibb displays a versatility that rouses more astonishment than admiration, i He can understand the disappointment felt ' at the rejection of the bill which was intended to effect that object, but fails to see in what way he is responsible, and on calm reflection you will, I trust, admit that in questioning my sincerity you have been misled into ' doing me an injustice. The i statement he made at the opening of the ' railway offices wae, Mr SedcJon says, "an honest expression of his opinion at the time.'.' '.' Surely," he says, "" it is unreasonable and unjust that, because I had ■expressed the opinion believing that the proper and constitutional course would be followed, and the Legislative Council, to my profound astonishment »and regret, having for the third time rejected the Referendum ; Bill, my sincerity should be impeached." At the interview reported in the New Zealand i Times of July 26, 1904, Dr Gibb said " that though the Referendum Bill introduced by the Government was not in the form they.

might have desired, they were thankful to the Premier for having fulfilled his promise. They sincerely trusted that it would become law. He thought it would be au unparalleled thing if the Legislative Council again threw out a bill which had been so frequently submitted to it by the popular Chamber." Further, in his letter of the 12th of October, 1904, Dr Gibb did not upbraid him with a breach of promise. Quite the reverse: " Tha executive is thankful for what you have already done in -the direction of fulfilling your promise, but it views with anxiety the fact that the end of the session is approaching and the bill has still to face the committee and Upper House. The executive respectfully urges you to hasten the final stages of the measure, and to take such further steps as may be necessary to -ensure its becoming law this session." Mr Seddon refers to the " strong opposition and devices which were employed by some members (of the House) in preventing the measuro from passing," and he quotes Dr Gibb as ■ saying to him (MrSeddon), within the precincts of the Chamber, "More power to your elbow." This convpyed an impression of satisfaction that he was doing his" b&st. To say that he tyas pained at the attack made \\pon him in the Assembly does not fully express , his sentiments. There were, he contends^ flo just grrrunds foi" it, and it *'is a^poof r&ward for my strenuous efforts to obtain for the people the right by plebiscite to express their decision on matters of great moment affecting them." At the deputation whioh saw him on the 3rd November, 1904, after the Council's rejection of the bill, Dr Gibb stated that there was "an overwhelming majority of members of the present House who were pledged to a referendum on the Bible-reading-in-schools question." Mr Seddon says he gave the reverend gentleman a card on which the names of nis mbers were printed, and asked for the names of those pledged, as it might be of assistance to lum when he introduced ! the promised Referendum Bill next session. "Although personally assuming Dr Gibb to • be an immaculate, non-compliance' with the request might cause unthinking and uncharitable people to infer' that, using his 1 own diction, he had been telling a ' tara- . diddle./ " Mr Seddon says that he has • previously stated that he did not see his , way to pledge the Government to bring in a Referendum Bill dealing specially and solely with Bible-reading in schools, but hehad said that the representatives of the people had expressed a desire when they passed the Referendum Bill, almost unani- '■ inously, that the question of Bible-reading and other questions shouldf be referred to the people. " That measure was introduced, that measure was passed, and passed under : difficulties of a magnitude almost unequalled 1 in passing measures through the House of -Representatives. At its rejection- by the . Legislative Council I was both astonished j I and- pained, but at the same time I fail ito realise why, owing to the Council so doing, my sincerity should be impeached. I would like, to have an explanation from Dr Gibb if he fully and correctly quoted my | j remarks from Hansard as to why the three 1 words ' and' other questions,' which are in j Hansard, are left out .cf the report, seeing 1 •that by leaving them out the whole purport of my remarks was .changed."