The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1883. The Education Question.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1037, 1 September 1883, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1883. The Education Question.

When the House of Representatives threw out Mr M. W. Green’s Moral Training in Schools Bill it was hoped that for the present session at any rate we had heard the last of the religious education question. We congratulated ourselves that the inevitable discussion had taken place so early, but we have since realised that these congratulations were premature. On Tuesday last the matter was re-opened, and a protracted debate occupied valuable time which might have been more profitably spent. There had been sitting for several weeks a Committee for the purpose of hearing evidence regarding petitions sent to Parliament by certain people who are opposed to the present system of education, and the discussion we have referred to took place at the time when the report was to be brought up. However, it appeared that the Committee had not come to any decision on the matter they were appointed to enquire into, and consequently there was no report at all. But Mr Fyke, the Chairman, made a long speech, the gist of which was that although the Committee had no recommendation to make they wished the evidence to be printed and circulated, presumably for the purpose of enabling members to clearly understand what are the views of those who believe they are suffering injustice from the present state of our education laws. It is generally understood that the evidence taken was almost, if not entirely, on one side, and the speech of the member for Dunstan, who plainly showed that he considered he held a brief on behalf of the malcontents, caused o.ie naturally to feel a doubt as to whether he carried out the investigation with impartiality. This doubt is intensified when we remember that he himself was the author of a measure brought forward last session, having for its object the giving of privileges to the Roman Catholics in regard to education which they do not at present enjoy. The House, however, did not show any inclination to oppose the suggestion of the Committee, and after a vast quantity of talk had been expended, the evidence was ordered to be printed. Indifference on the part of those members who do not consider any change in our educational system advisable, was probably the reason why no real opposition was offered. All that can be said by those who are in favor of denominationalism has been said, and the colony has quite made up its mind on the subject. We fail to see, however, why money should be spent in publishing the evidence in this case, more especially as the Committee considered it so inconclusive that they were unable to make any recommendation to the House. Is it likely that the collective wisdom of Parliament will be better able to form a trustworthy opinion of the value of the testimony than were the gentlemen of the Committee? The grievances under which the Roman Catholics labor are surely sufficiently well known. They have been enunciated and discussed in the papers ad nauseam, and it is scarcely conceivable that what Bishop Moran, Bishop Luck and other ecclesiastics can say will add to our knowledge of the subject. That the Roman Catholics are called upon to support schools from which they derive no benefit is undeniably true, and looking at the question from their point of view it is easy to understand that they should feel aggrieved. But in th ; s, as in other cases, the minority must be content to abide by the wishes of the majority, and those wishes have been emphatically declared to be in favor of the present system. The publishing of this evidence cannot possibly affect the question, and for this reason we think the expense to the colony might very well have been saved.

A Plumpton Ground Company has been successfully formed at Oamaru, and is expected to have everything in order for next year’s coursing. The Tahiti states that Messrs W. Redmond, M.P., and J. W. Walshe, leave Melbourne for Auckland on September 6, and that Mr J. E. Redmond, M.P., will follow in due course.

Mr Isaac Wilson, M.H.R., who arrived at Lyttelton from Wellington yesterday, and was taken to Kaiapoi by a special train, is still very ill, but hopes are entertained of his ultimate recovery.

Henry Dudley was fined 10s for drunkenness, with the alternative of 48 hours’ imprisonment. A prohibition order was taken out against him, to extend over six months.

The only members of the Wakanui Road Board who put in an appearance at the office to transact the usual monthly business this morning were the Chairman and Mr Megson. The meeting was therefore adjourned till Saturday next. At a meeting of the Christchurch Presbytery, held at Leeston on the 28th ult., to consider matters relating to the congregation there, at the suggestion of the clerk, the Presbytery, before beginning the business, unanimously agreed to record its deep sympathy with the Rev. Alex. Beattie in his bereavement.

The Canterbury Frozen Meat Company sent by the British King 1,825 carcases of mutton on account of twelve owners. Since April they have sent 30,709 sheep, weighing 2,052,984 pounds, and 52 quarters of beef, weighing 10,227 pounds. The operations at the Belfast Works are now suspended to allow of the erection of new machinery. Owing to the hard nature of the bottom of the Oamaru harbor a number of alterations have been made to the dredge in the expectation that it would do its work with great success. The expectations have been realised, and the dredge has now removed frem the site of the deep water wharf over 3,000 tons of spoil. This wharf, meant for the accommodation of Home-going vessels, will be commenced at once.

A great storm visited ihe Coromandel district on Thursday night. The temporary bridge at the Hospital creek was carried away. The yacht Perseverance started for Cabbage Bay, but had to run back to Beeson’s Island. One of the party named Ford reported that the barque Bella Mary, from the Thames, bound for Whangaroa, had to put in there yesterday aiterr-oon owing to the severe weather prevailing outside.

The nomination for the vacancies in the Borough Council took place at the Council’s office, Burnett street, to-day at noon. The retiring councillors are Messrs Ivess - , St Hill and W. Roberts. The following were nominated to fill the vacancies :—W. G. H. St Hill, D. Thomas, W. Leggatt, Hugo Friedlander, R. Murray, and T. Sealy. None of the gentlemen nominated were present at the nomination. As will be seen there are six nominated for the three vacancies, and no doubt the contest will be an interesting one.

Our Rakaia correspondent sends the following items :—A complimentary banquet is to be given to Messrs McKerrow and Mann, grain merchants, who are retiring from business in this district. An influential committee of farmers and others has been appointed to carry out the details, and at a meeting to be held at Howell’s Hotel on Monday evening the date of the banquet is to be fixed. A considerable amount of interest in the affair is taken not only by the farmers with whom Messrs McKerrow and Mann have had business transactions, but by a large number of outsiders, and there is little doubt but that the affair will be a success.—A considerable number of farmers and others came into the township yesterday expecting that the usual sales of stock, etc., would be held. However, they were doomed to disappointment for the N.Z. L. and M.A. Co. were holding their sale at Methven.—On Thursday next Messrs Matson, Cox and Co., of Ashburton, commence holding a series of fortnightly sales here, a id arrangements have bean made wiih Mr Oxley for taking entries for their sales. There is no reason why Rakaia in a little time should not be as good a centre for the sale of live stock, etc., as Leeston and other small country townships.

The Timaru Herald chronicles the sad death of Miss Lucy Hibbard, the second daughter of Mr Benjamin Hibbard, a wall known resident, It appears that Miss Hibbard lost her life yesterday afternoon by drowning in the concrete tank containing the domestic water supply, the tank being some sixteen feet deep, with ten or eleven feet of water in it. How the accident happened can only be surmised, but there are two or three circumstances which may explain it. The tank is a large one, covered over in the usual way, with an opening larger than usual, about two and a half feet square, the cover of which had been oft' for a few days to permit of iho tank being ventilated. About halfpast two a neighbor called, and in the course of conversation, the store of water in the tank was mentioned. it is therefore supposed the unfortunate young lady afterwards went to look how much water there was in the tank and accidentally slipped in. Another supposition is founded on the fact that a letter she had received the day before was found floating on the surface of the water, the supposition being that she walked to the tank reading the letter, and inadvertently walkdd in. Her absence was soon noticed, and, from the previous conversation, it was at once feared that an accident had befallen her, and on the tapir being looked into this proved only too well founded. She was taken out without delay, but life was extinct. An inquest will be held at ten o’clock this morning

The annual meeting of the Borough Cricket Club takes place on Thursday next in Jones’ upper room. Mr Weeks’ music pupils meet after the Jth of the present month. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Loyal Orange Lodge takes place on Thursday evening. Requisitions to Messrs Sealy and Friedlander from the burgesses anent the vacancies in the Borough Council, appear in our advertising columns.

That invalid wife, mother, sister, or child can be made the picture of health with Hop Bitters. Observe. — [Auvt.]