HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1720, 26 November 1887, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House meb at 2.30 p,m. QUESTIONS* Mr Bruce asked the Premier whether he could provide m some way for discharged . railway employees receiving compensation or allowance. The Premier said he proposed dealing with this matter m the Oivil Service Befortn Act, which he intended to introduce next session. Mr Keeves (Inangahoa) asked whether the Premier intended to protest with the other colonies against the name of New South Wales being altered to "Australia. 1 * The Premier said he should give the matter some consideration. ADJOURNMENT TILL MONDAY. The Premier moved that the House at ita rising adjourn till 2 30 p.m. on Monday for Government business. He had intended asking the House to meet on Saturday, but he found that would be inconvenient for many members, and he therefore proposi d to substitute Monday instead, on which day he would move the resolution of which he had given notice, relating to the undeairability oT altering the tariff this session. : The motion was agreed to, • EMPOWBBIHa BILL. ; Mr Beetham moved the second readiDg of the Wairarapa North Ooanty Council Empowering Bill, to empower (he Ooanty Council of Wairarapa to sell oertain portions of a main road reserve m the settle' meat of Etatahuna. Considerable opposition was ratted to the BUI, which was read a looond time on the voices. OTA«O HARBOR BOARD BILL. Mr Robs moved the second reading of the Otago Harbor Board Act 1873. Amendment Bill, providing for the election of members of the Harbor Boards The motion wasHagreectr it>.' *" ~~ — -— borough sill. Mr Hamlln moved the second reading of the Pukekohoe Borough Bill,, to authorise the constitution of Pukekohoe Auckland, as a borough. The Bill was strongly opposed. Mr Guinness movad that it be read • second time that day six months, The amendment was lost The Bill was read a second time by 33 to IS, GISBORNE HABBOR BOARD BILL. Me Graham moved the second reading of ihe Glsborne Harbor Board Act Amtrndmeni Bill. He explained that tno Bill did not seek authority fo* fresh bcrrowing powers, bat was more la the nature of a validating Bill for works now m progress. The Bill also aiked for powers to construct a short railway of four miles for the purpose of obtaining stone for the breakwater. Considerable diioussion ensued. Mr Tiah opposing the Bill at aome length. The second reading of the BUI was oarried on voices. NEW RIYBR HARBOR LOAN. Mr Feldwiok moved the «eoond reading of the New River Harbor Board Loan BUI, to authorise further borrowing powers to the extent of £26,000 to the New River narbor Board. Tbe Bill was strongly opposed by Mr Alleu, Mr Perclval, Mr Monk, Mr Gowsn, and Mr Valentine. Mr Ward supported it. The debate was Interrupted by the 6.30 pm; adjournment. The tiouue resumed at 7.30. BIBLE BEADING IN SCHOOLS. Mr Fulion moved the seoond reading of the Bible reading m Schoohi Bill. A very large number of people desired this change In the Aot. This session 42 petl. cms, signed by 14,360 persons of nearly every denomination, has reached the House praying th»t the legislature wonld allow the Bible to be Introduced Into our State schools. This was not the first time he and those who thought with him had attempted to bring the question before Parliament, but the present BUI was In a different shape tvocu its predecessors. It proposed to giye school committees the option of cansing the Sorlptures to be read by Boholars for not more than twenty minutes each morning. No phlld was to be compelled to attend the reading If the parents objected. He argued that no difhoulty had been found elsewhere In allowing the Bible to take its place In btafco sohools and he anticipated none here exoept perhapi m one or t*o districts. Were they to educate their ohlldren merely In the direction of getting on In the world, and negleot their moral well-being ? Ha begged the Houue to listen to the voice of juaiice, and give the large number of people who wore In favor of this chance, the boon t^us earnestly craved. Mr Hodgkloson said that Parliament began its daywlth prayer, and why should they deny the same privilege to their shildren ? He warned them that It was >xoeedingly dangerous to stimulate the ntelleotunl faculties without glrins aov religious ballast. He was persuaded that f the Sonptqres were not Introduced, In laven years tho common schools would >c destroyed. They would drive tnen now »pposed to them to denommationsilsm. Me Reeves (Inangahua) saii that' the committees had already got the power to allow the Bible to be re.ad at certain hours If they chose. The experiment bad been tried by some of tham with poor sucoess. He gave orodlt 16 the sincerity of the promoters of the Bill, but oouid not sea the necessity for It.

Mr Cfoldie opposed the second reading, Sunday schools or home were the riabl place a for 'Bible teaching. The State school did not jnterfero with rellgitoi iuatruoiiou. School hours were store enough already, and ought not to ba curtailed. Beaidea, the trouble wu tQ fijd people to give the uuoeasary t:nj foi teaQhinjj. w *

Mr Bruce did not think the reßuUe would be bo great as the advocates of the measure believed. He did not feel very etroDgly either one way or the other, bat on the whole wonld vote for it. Mr Boxton langhed at the Idea of the Bible doing any harm In our Bchoob, as some of the opponents of this reform alleged. If it were bo, what book could they read which would not be hurtful 1 He did not ask, however, that what was read should be commented npon. The honorable gentleman spoke very earnestly, and finished by imploring members to vote for the BUI. Mr Tanner combated Mr Goldle'a Rrguments. The people demanded scriptural teaohlng lor their children, and tbelr rolces most be listened to. Mr Blake and Mr Hobbs opposed the seoond reading, the latter saying that if they sll belonged to one denomination he would have no difficulty In supporting it. Dr Newman believed that the educational system was best as It Is. Mr Pratt supported the BUI. Mr Talwbanga said that, bb far as he could understand, the Bible was the foundation of England, and she could not stand without it. He was m favor of the measure. Mr Fisher objeoted to schools being made the battle-fields of religious intolerance. If the friends of the movement would aocept the Irish board system aa a compromise, he would not resist the evident deilre of a certain number of people to have some sort of religious in•trnotion In schools. Why do not they use the maohlnery of the present Act, which granted the use of tha schools ; and he pointed out the means of accomplishing the object, if the committees only choose to avail themselves of it. Mr Allen said that the question was whether the Bible was te be read m achool hours or outside of them. Under the present Act tbe latter wasimpoisible. They could not compel the children to -attend. He denied that a door would be opened to denomlnationaltam. Tho petitions ■howed that the majority of the people demanded that the BUI should be read. Why was the Bible the only book to be ■hut out from the schools ? Mr Fergus said that the supporters of this measure were assuming more than the facts warranted, especially when the} Insisted that a majority of the people of the colony were m favor of it. When circulars were sent out on the eubjeot m Otago, the bulk of the parents declined to answer them. All this was the thin end of tbe wedge, and once it was inserted denomln»tionaliem would follow. The present system must be maintained inviolate at all hazards. It had been well buiit up with infinite care, and, say what they liked, was conducive to morality, for Clime was decreasing year by year. Mr Taylor considered this was merely an attempt to break up the educational ■ystem. Mr Wlthey said It was easy to see the denomlnatlonallflts were m support of this measure. Mr Duncsn thought very few teachers could be trusted to give religious instruction. Mr Levestam strenuously opposed the Bill, and reprobated the signing of an advertisement on the eubjact to influence the elections by certain members of tho Upper House. He instanced some of his own experiences to shovr that the Church did not do its duty properly. Mr Grimmond was of opinion that the BUI would introduce an element of discord and he could not support it. Mr Beeves (St Albane) said this was merely a manifesto. There was no chance of Interfering with the system, and tbe mover of the Bill knew it. Dlccus*ion was a wsste of time m any place but a debating society or Young Men's Christian association. If the majority of the people wanted a change they wonld have sent a majority to the House pledged to effect It.. -Ss~?U%iratt-*QVStttd'-t6— r t>wapMet which had been distributed among members &3 showing that this movomeat was a direct attack apon the existing Act. Sir Julius Yogel said it might be because members have a high reverenoe for the Bible that they objected to its being trlfbd with. He deplored the determination to give children purely , secular education, but he cculd not see that the State could undertake tbe part of. a religious teacher as proposed m the Bill, It would be found that the State would have to subsidise denominational sohoola If tbe Bill became lav Mr Stewart was In favor of the measure. Messrs Walker and Guinness wete against the Bill. Tho latter moved that It be read that day six months. Mr Fi'zherbert supported the amendment, and Mr Samuel Btiginathed the Bill as hurriedly drafted. Sir George Grey said the lawyers of the Bouse had disgraced themselves by ÜBtog the Bible m schools question to block his Freehold Tenure Acquisition and Law Practitioners Bill which were next on the Order Paper. Dr Fitchett said no lawyers had spoken till juet on midnight. Mr Fulton admitted that the pressure of the syllabus was an argument against the measure, but It shoved that they were cramming tbe brains of the young to the Dxoluaion of their moral welfare. He reviewed the arguments against tha measure, m detail. The House divided on the amendment which was oarried by 31 to 15. The Houro rose at 1.30 a.m.