THE Thames Advertiser. SATURDAY, FEB. 8, 1879.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XII, Issue 3239, 8 February 1879, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser. SATURDAY, FEB. 8, 1879.

The Dunedin School Committees were elected 011 a " Bible-ticket," and there was quite a demonstration on the occasion on the Bible-reading side of the question. This we may take to be the opening up of a question the final settlement of which will occupy the attention of the Legislature at the next sitting of the Assembly. The absence of facilities for religious instruction in school hours seems to have excited considerable attention in the election of these committees. The object, no doubt, is to satisfy the consciences of various classes of persons who think it would be a good thing to have such instruction imparted. If the number of seis of religious teachers required to impart such instruction outside school hours could be reduced to two, or, at most, three, then the matter could be dealt with by the respective committees, but, in the absence of this, and in view of its impossibility, the question assumes a broader basis, and forces itself out of the power of the committees to deal with. The election of committees in favour of Bible-read-ing inschools does not overcome the diffi. culty which, .as we have before stated, will form a subject for an important debate in the next session of the Assembly. It is no bad sign of the progress of intelligence in' the colony when the subject of education is such an important factor at elections of all kinds. That at Nelson on Thursday was of no small significance, especially in view of the action of the Roman Catholic body. Mr Adams called on all Protestants and the Ministers of overy denomination, the Secularists included, "to vote for the men who had the courage to oppose Mr Curtis's bill." His appeal was responded to emphatically by securing a' majority of 117 out of 621 who voted, and not improbably the expression of opinion thus given will be found to express the feeling of the whole country. Should the State continue the present system of education the onus of imparting religious instruction in every form will only be thrown with the greater force on those specially devoted to that work: the Churches and the Sunday, schools. In the old country, through the action of State education, the character of the Sunday-schools especially has been greatly raised, and, doubtless, a similar cause "will produce the same effect here.