WEST COAST TIMES. SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 1879.

West Coast Times, Issue 3055, 18 January 1879, Page 2

WEST COAST TIMES. SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 1879.

The Presbyterian clergy in Otago are determined not to cease agitating to accomplish their wishes in securing the daily reading of the Bible in the public schools, and their wishes and opinions on the subject have been duly set forth in an overture transmitted by the Dunedin Presbytery to the Synod of Otago, wherein the assumed evils of what the supporters of the over tare term the present godless system of education are fully elaborated. The mover of the overture, the Rev. Dr Copeland, one of the staunchest pillars of the Presbyterian Church, and a never tiring advocate for biblical instruction, drew a vivid picture of the evils, present and prospective, arisiug from the exclusion of the Biblo from the schools* According to this worthy reverend, the withholding of any reference to sacred history or religious truths, would be followed by a demand that school books should be absolutely purged of all references to heavonly authority, which now abounds in many of them and possibly text books would be introduced in which doctrines adverse to religion would be laid down, aud he asserted that already in one or more schools a text book had been put in circulation "in which the newest, and strongest and coarsest notions in connection with evolution doctrine were laid down as incontrovertible." We fancy the worthy doctor permitted his vivid imagination to run a little ahead of his actual knowledge of facts when he said this. But proceeding- with his depicturing of the dreadful evils to arise from persistence in the present secular system of education, he asserted that the principle of secularism- would not rest satisfied with subjecting school influence. It would establish itself in the Legislature, it would abolish prayers in the House of Representatives, it would drive out the use of the Bible in Courts of Justice for witnesses to swear on. it would affect statutory

enactments relating to marriage aud the Sabbath, and various questions touching morality* In short, it would altogether subvert all that is good in the present social system. As a religionist of a pronounced type Dr Copeland is entitled to be credited for the sincerity of his convictions, however much the public, outside his own particular circle of co-religionists, may be inclined to demur with the propositions he lays down, but it is very doubtful whether tile present agitation by the Otago Presbyterian body will advance the cause sought to be advocated one single step. In such matter a regard* not only for the fitness of things but for the fitness of the time in which action is taken, is the one essential element of success. Ifc may certainly be asked, with good show df reason, what result can possibly arise from agitation at this particular juncture. The present New Zealand Parliament comprises a ma-, jdrity adverse to religious instruction; in schools, not so much, perhaps, as a matter of principle as of expediency. To relax one single point from the present position is in the opinion of* many far seeing members of the House to open the door to denominationalisni; an education, and this in its turn, it is| feared, would sweep away the present system of State Schools. The advocates of denominationalism in education, among whom the Otago Presbyterians l are most active, know full well that if! they once get in the thin end of the wedge they may, stroke by stroke, drive it Home, and the result then would be that each religious denomination in the Colony would claim governmental subsidy for its own schools, and wherein a distinguishing and cardinal feature in the curriculum set down would be the tenets of each particular mode of religious faith. But apart from any present argument on the wisdom, of otherwise, of thus directly perpetuating, as part and parcel of ordinary education, the teaching of diverse doctrines of religious belief, the whole matter, as it now stands, hinges ou the possibility of outside prosuure influencing the New Zeal aud Parliament to sanction any change in the present regulations of State Schools to permit Bible reading during school hours. We incline to the opinion that the prcseut: Parliament will not do this, because many of the members were elected on an adverse ticket, while others who at the hustings favored a clamor for aid to denominational schools, have since, evidently from motives of expediency, o-iveti the proposal but nomiual support. It is true that the bill introduced by Mr Curtis having for its object the sanction of Bible reading iv schools, was only lost by a narrow majority, but it was au item of gossip in the lobbies that many of the votes given in its favor were but a quid pro quo for help received by Mr Curtis in the perilous passage of other bills through the House, and he was somewhat surprised at the measure of success achieved. We take it that the present agitation by the Presbyterian clergy of Otago has its use, if .intended merely to keep alive a feeling of opposition to the provisions of the Education Act, until an opportune moment occurs to strike a decisive blow, but that moment is not likely to ensue until another general election takes place. Meanwhile agitation in view of immediate results 'is simply energy running to waste. If it were needful to express a direct opinion on the merits of the so-called Secular versus Denominational Education, we would unhesitatingly favor the latter, and advocate its introduction, always provided the means of the State to efficiently subsidise denominational schools were sufficient. But in the present state of New Zealand finances, it is very doubtful whether the best devised system of denominational education would not speedily languish for want of the necessary monetary aid, and needing this it would become such a heavy burthen on the various churches that the laity, if not their spiritual rulers, would pine for a return to the existing order of things.

A boy named John Passworth, was drowned in the river Loddon, about twenty miles from Sandhurst, The lad was, it is said, bathing at the time. The Queen has signified her intention of conferring the honor of knighthood on the Right Hon. Thomas Scambler Owden, late Lord Mayor of London.