IN THE STREET.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume I, Issue 104, 30 August 1873, Page 3

IN THE STREET.

Oxtuiks tie past week our little town has been somewha enlivened by a religious discussion. Now if here is one thing I dislike more than another it is a discussion on religion. W hat good is i ? It takes a good deal of talk to make a man eange his creed, so it is just, as well to let him afrie. Besides, now-a-days, it is pretty general! allowed that that there is some hope for a god man (that is to say, a man may be good) vhatever religion or particular tenets he I may beieve in. But, somehow or other, differences <r arguments on anything afT ting religion engenebr such a pungent bitterress, and give rise to sum splendid opportunities of indulging in persons remarks, that they afford a morbid kind of satisaction to many. It must be particularly pleasinj to a writer to be told his effusion is idiotic,or that he himse’f is meddlesome, overweenirgly conceited, &c. This is just the style many bsputsnts wind up with, leaving the subject ofdiscussion entirely in the background. But then there is no fun or hard-hitting in f- I? controversy. I knew a man once who, on being asked of what religion he was, repli.'d “AS arist;” and vet I believe he was a good man, and whatever his peculiar tenets might have been, be acted up >o them, which is a -c .t deal mot e than many pro'essing Christians do. I sincerely hope, Mr Echor, we shall have no dissension in Tauranga, an! lor that reason cannot compl'meut “ A Resident” upon his judgment in giving the advice he did in bis letter, or the reasons be adduces for tbe same.

It is strange that a man just arrived in the cdony is looked upon with more favour and ge nore consideration than one who has been here fcr years. But so it . Hitherto a Volunteer laving been ranked as efficient for five years was sntitled to land scrip of the value ox £30,. to be exercised at any Provincial land sale, but now i Bill is passing through the House putting an md to such extravagance (?) for the future, bnt it the same time another Bill is brought forward authorising land g-anta to immigrants who pay ;;heir passage. Now take a hundred of Volunteers who have served, or are like'y to serve five years, and I very much doubt if ninety of them did not Spay their passage ; and surely 60 acres of perhaps bad land is a very slight acknowledgement to make to men who may have risked their lives, or at all events are liable to risk them at any time during a period of five years.