THE COLONIST. NELSON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 1873. THE EDUCATION BILL.

Colonist, Volume XVI, Issue 1660, 15 August 1873, Page 2

THE COLONIST. NELSON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 1873. THE EDUCATION BILL.

When it wa§ announced in the Governor's speech that a measure would be laid before Parliament " to provide for education," the common belief was that an attempt at leant was about to be made to establish a uniform system throughout the Colony, and members sent from Provinces in which more or less efficient Acts were in operation were disposed to regard the action of the Government with no great amount of favor. Two years since, when Mr. Fox, in an excellent speech full of sound information, moved the second reading of his Bill, and was followed by a most exhaustive debate, the unanimous expression of feeling in Nelson was that all we require is to be let alone ; that any alteration in our well-tried and completely successful system must be for the worse; and that, if the Bill should become law, a clause exempting this .Province' from its! operation ought to be pressed on the consideration of Parliament. In Otago, and other Provinces where the question bad been already successfully dealt with, there prevailed a similar dislike to interference, and thus, after much discussion, the. Bill wax dropped, and all who had taken an aeim part in the administration of our Act, or had witnessed its admirable results, hoped that no step in the same direction would be again taken till, at least, it had been proved necessary by some unexpected change in the circumstances of the Colony. As soon as

the netf Bill had been examined, all fear To* existing systems was dispelled, for, ii.stead of providing for education, it was found to be merely permissive, that is, Provincial Councils "are to be empowered *o do jiist what they already have the power to do. Any part or parts of the proposed Act may, be adopted by them, or may be wholly disregarded, and legislation may proceed list aa it does at present. The Bill is then simply proposed as "a model" for. local legislation, and as such might just as well, have been circulated by its framers inpamphlet form as be brought forward in a way certain to produce long and keen debate, on many of its clauses, and consume no small amount of the public time, and after all remain as it began, " a model," without any legal effect till each Provincial Council had again discussed it, and given life to the otherwise inert mass. . Had the Bill been spoken of as " a copy," it would have been much nearer the truth, for it bears evident marks of the various Provincial Acts from which it has been hashed up with.a few fresh, clauses to give it an original flavor. Much Btress has been laid on Part X., which proyides a variety of modes of rating, any one of which may be adopted, but whether annual value rates, capital value rates, uniform householders' rates, or varying householders'' rates, may. .be selected, there. is nothing to prevent such selection by any Provincial Council without' its being called on to accept the provisions of this ■ Bill or any of them. In Wellington the case has been tried. Their rate was resisted on technical grounds, but has been confirmed by a decision of the Supreme Court, and if other parts of ythe Colony desire any new mode of rating there is nothing whatever to prevent them adopt* ing. it. A feeble effort was • made >to ■ show that in the interests of.Westland alone it was desirable to pass a measure that could be adopted by the Oounty-QoupciV and if that august body had not b^en.lp near extinction, it would have been well that even one small district should be granted the time and trouble nejßeMary* to * deliver it from compulsory ignorance. - 'At; the very time when this, plea wa> raised notice had been given by the Government of a Bill for constituting Wettland a county with that usual power, and as there is not the slightest reason, for supposing it will not pass, even that, reason; for' per^ missive legislation is disposed; of^>^^^ doubt about rating will be- disposeiTof by the Provincial Councils Powers Bill if-it passes, and if it does not the example of - successful dealing with that. point by the Wellington Council shows, there is no substantial difficulty. At the beginning of the session we expressed an opinion that the flood of little Bills indicated the. existence in the Ministry of a little too.much of thei new broom element, and this! is generally felt to furnish another proof of the truth of that assertion. The Government, would'dq well to withdraw the Bill, and leave well alone, instead of consuming the time of the House in discussions of no more practical effect than those of a debating society. '' ;. I - -