The Star. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1869.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 452, 27 October 1869, Page 2

The Star. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1869.

'%&£. present; is the last session of the eppiing Provincial Council, and it apgjpws that some of the members are manning to realise the fact. It may mo Justifiable — we are not prepared to %pt& o decided opinion — but it certah&f is not in keeping with a reasonal% high standard, to use the ProvineisS Council for the purpose of making a^eeshes in anticipation of the hustings, "fife-should be very sorry to think that w& Sad done the Provincial Solicitor an mjustiee, but the only conclusion we as» come to regarding a speech he ma&& last night is, that it was intno^ed for the hustings at next elecXMr Hawkes moved the Council s*to eocamittee to consider the following resolution : — "That hia Honor the ** Superintendent be respectfully reto place upon the estimates »am not exceeding £300 for the "'Kahitenance of the Christ's College *©?«amar School and Christchurch ra -Bzgb_ School." The motion for gpssg Into committee was agreed to, la&sti. Mr Wynn Williams strongly ■sg^as&d the resolution brought forward by Mr Hawkesj^He did not, aetjpthe report, consider it fair or just $Bb*S sanis-of money should beappropria&«sfo? schools of the description mentiosed in the resolution. He contended fefe&S these schools were intended for Sfee children of the wealthy or well-to- &» p«op4e only, and that they should 6fe ths fosfc to apply for a vote of public Mssssey.. He would rather see £300 gjjffca to one public school, in order tts&t poor persons might be enabled to s«scMbeir children to it free of charge. £z2*khu denied that Christ's College tijfeaasmar School was a school for all 'We'ao not; intend to produce statisffcbs for the purpose of showing that Mr ISTysa Williams is altogether wrong it* Sfci* estimate of Christ's College and fifes- High School. In the first place, fames* such statistics are not required

for those who know and justly weigh all the facts of the case ; and in the second place, because Mr Wynu Williams belongs to that class of men who will continue to argue in support of their own views after it is clearly proved that they are decidedly wrong. Is Mr Williain3 prepared to accept the position which his arguments would lead him to ? Is he prepared to make Christ's College really what he says it is — a school for the children of the wealthier classes only ? The vote of public money to the superior echo >ls gives the public a right to expect that those who have the direction of these schools will make some provision for throwing open the advantages of a higher education to all classes. Take away the grant altogether, and the governing bodies of the superior schools would be fully justified in making them exclusive. Where, in that case, would there be a school open to all classes, in which the higher branches of education would be taught ? If Mr Williams means that he would rather vote £300 for the establishment of a Superior School, where no fees should be charged, he must be prepared to throw that school open to every one without any distinction. But this, we presume, is not what the honourable member meant. He was simply indulging in a little hustings claptrap, which those to whom it is more particularly addressed are quite able to appreciate. It is a pity, for Mr Williams' sake, that he Bhould not be consistent in bis advocacy of the poor man's cause. A few days ago his colleague, Mr Jollie, moved " That his " Honor the Superintendent be re- " spectfully requested to issue a pro- " clamation under the provisions of " the Canterbury Waste Lands Act, " 1869, defining the proviuce as the " district which it shall not be lawful " for the Waste Land Board to include "in any license to cut timber." That motion was objected to by several honourable members, on the ground that it would virtually deprive a large number of small settlers of the right to get firewood, &c. We don't find that Mr Wynn AVilliams was among those who opposed the resolution, and we therefore say that his professions of sympathy with the poor man are simply intended for the hustings.