OUR MEMBERS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1735, 14 December 1887, Page 2

OUR MEMBERS

The following report of Mr Buxtons epeeoh on the Bible Beading la Schools Bill is given by " Hansard." Mr Buxton. — Sir, I shall make a few remarks respecting this very important matter. I, like honorable members who have preceded me, have had a little experience m Sabbath-achool teaohing — at any rate, for about thirty years I have kown something of teaching the young m Sabbath-schools ; and, to my mind, there ia not the allghteot cause to be afraid that this book, which we so much ptfza, is likely to do any harm In onr dayschool. There are a great many reasons assigned why we should not have this book m our day-schools. Ab regards the right at present to have the book taugbt m our day-schools, we have no real right to hava the Bible read there during Bchool-rnnrr| and wo hive an equal right to hare almoat anything th vt is of a moral char B eer taught m our day-sohools out of school-hours ; but we want the Bible to be read m the ochools during school-hours. This is what we are asking for. There are a variety of reasons assigned why we should not have thb book read la oar day-schoola. One reason that Is very often assigned is that it will be offensive to Borne. Well, there ia scarcely anything that we oould do or say bat would give offence to some people; and there is scarcely a book that can be allowed In onr public schools but it will be offensive to some people. I think If there Is any book m the world that ought not to be offensive to the conßolenoea of Individuals, It is the Bible. Then, there Is also this reason assigned ; that the ohildren cannot understand It. That, I think, 1s not a proper reason for Ita exoladon. When the various cohool-booka are pub into their hands they cannot understand them .; and yet a great many people will assign the same reason why others should not read this preoious book— because we cannot understand It all. I maintain that, while this book Is not onderßtood altogether by any of as. there is a great deal- in It that is easy to ba understood — that almoat the smallest intellect of a child can grasp. I maintain chat, while* it is the philosopher's masterpiece, it is the schoolboy's spelling book, and has a right to be m his band. 1 speak from experience when I say thai this book has been a blessing to me from my earliest youth. It has also been • blessing to mine— lt has been within the reach of ray children from their earlieit infancy. And it has been In the school' that I was tanght this; and T hava seen no danger as regards the Sorlptures. Some will assign the fact that they do not believe it ao a reason that It should not be allowed m our publlo schools. Wby, I should imagine that those honorable gentlemen who say that is a reason wby it should not be read In oar publlo schools have themselves read thousands of publications that they do not believe, that they have not the slightest belief In ; and jet they read them: And there are thtnge which they would allow In oar pablla schools that they do not believe. I maintain that this preoious Book, If a portion of it was read by the most profound atheist or deist every day, and he hid no one to comment upon it, would be likely to do him good, and not harm. It Is my impression that this reading of the Word In the hearing *bf the children, without comment, would be more likely to do them good than by anyone teaohing it or explaining it to them. I am opposed to religiouß teaching la oae day schools ; I do not believe In It In the least. I say, Keep all the minlstets out of the dayschools, bat let the Bible In : It Is • Word and a work that belongs to a higher Power than man, and the Giver of it will explain It to the intelligences of men and of children. Only let the Bible have its plaoe In our pnbllo schools, and it will do an honor to our oolony, and will do no one any harm. I was somewhat surprised at an honorable gentleman who was on bis feet a short time ago, and the exoeeding sympathy he extended to it certain class of the community — namely, the Roman Oatholics. He felt bo much on their account, I wonder if he feels like that on other topics. I am rather afraid he dres not, However, I think that the Roman Catholics are not such enemies to the Bible as some people may imagine ; and I do think that, though we may have some Roman Catholic teachers In onr day-schools, they would not objeot to the reading of a portion of that Word which we call the Word of God. I have not the slightest fear respecting that, either from Jew or Gentile, Roman Oatholio, or anything else. While we are a Protestant people we should have oar Protestant Bible In our Bchoolu, and not be BBhamed of it or afraij of It ; and If those gentlemen- will forsake us because we Btand to our principles, wby, let them ro, and we will find better men In their places. I have a very sticng feeling ai regards having the . Bible m oar day* schools, and I have a variety of reasons why X should f 9el so strongly upon It. I believe it would be a great blessing to what we have often heard about, '» the unborn millions," when they come, if we do have the Bible m our schools. It has been a bjessing to thousands, it Is a blessing to thousands to-day ; and why should we keep out of our day-schools the best book tbe world can produce? Let tv allow It In the schools without comment, and leave it tq the great Giver of It to explain It to the minds of the ohildren. I would appeal to the Intelligence of this honorable House, and say, — Let us spare the tree, Touoh not a single bough ; Jn youth jt sheltered me, And |'1J protect it now. And If I go into the lobby alone I shall go m favor of the Bible being read m Bohools j and let us keep out of it all comment. Let uo not allow comment In on* day schools. We want the State to protect religion, but not to teach it. And let ua, whatever we do, have the Bible m our schools. It will improve the morals of the youth and be a blessing to the colony.

" Hansard " gives the following report of Mr Walker's speech as the same Bill t— Mr Walker:— l do not Hka to give ft Silent vote on thla question, beoause I feel it is a very serious one, and If I thought this Bill would be a Bolutlon of what 1b undeniably a very great diffiaulty I should support It most cordially, Bqt I cannot bog for one moment that it wl'l dp so. I cannot be persuaded of t&|| by any arguments I have heard to-night, or by any of the mere assertions that have been given as arguments m support of this Bill. I think \ha remarks of the laßt speaker were nothing bat assort Jons, If the honorable member had been doing . anything bat listening to the clergymen and the dominies who have circulated petitions and otherwise tried to work up an agitation m favor of this proposal daring the last few year*, he mast have Been that the colony is not In earnest m wishing for this proposal to be put of the education system. The honorable gentleman says that by a catoh-vote Id IS?7 the provision excluding the Bible was inserted m the .Act t But.geven if that were so, the people of the oolopy. have In no way risen against what hfj maintains to be a glaring case not only ofinjustice, bat a'most of national Imtnoft ality. But I maintain quite the contrary! aud X alao say I am glad to have an op* portunlty of replying $0 an honor* able gentleman who comes from Olago, where, moat distinctly, thla ao-oalled agitation haa its home ; because I charge that part of the colony, I charge thcso who bring these petitions to the ELonso, m the first place, with not being sincere m the matter whioh they profeaß to have at heart. We all remember the old story of the Quaker who. asked tha mata who Bald, he h§4 Bymnttta

with the widow and orphan, " To what •mount do you sympathize?" To the honorable gentleman who brought m tbia Bill I would say, to what amount do these gentlemen m Otago who profess to have this matter at heart sympathize with It? They have large endowments for Church and educational purposes ; and I wk how much of these endowments have they devoted to the cause of religious Instruction? Contrast what they have done with the aelf-B»orifiolng course pursued by the Roman Catholics. I say that they show the Presbyterians of Otago and the other denominations who are working In the Bame direction a most bright and glorious example. I say to the honorable member icr Dnnedin West and those who are working with him that, until those who support this measure are prepared to put their hands into their pockets and show their sincerity, as the Roman Catholioß have done, they will. get no justice such as they demand from the colony, nor any sympathy, I hsve the greatest Bympathy with and respect for my fellow-colonists who profess the Roman Catholic religion and If I oould see n>y way to help them m their present difficulty I should be the fint to do It ; but lam sorry to say, and I hsve always said it, that I do not see my way to help them at present, because It would disturb the national ay stem ; but I say this : that, if ever this Bible m schools proposal is carried, and haß any practical effect m the wsy of altering our educational system, I, for one, will also join with those who seek to give denominational schools their fair share of ednoatlonal expenditure. You oannot give the Bible reading m schools party what they want loneas you give the Roman Catholics what they desire ; and therefore while it la all very well for the honorable member for the Taieri and for tho " truoblues " m Otago to say that they are only asking for what will be for the good of the Presbyterian Church, they are doing what their fathers would have been very ■orry to do, they are really doing what will be the downfall of the national system of education.