MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 928, 15 June 1877, Page 2

MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

CHRISTCHURCH. Friday, June 15. (Before Gr. L. Mellish, Esq., E.M., and Dr. Dcamer, J.P.'s.) Drunk and Disorderly.—Theresa Dixon, charged with being drunk and using obscene language, was lined 20s. Robert Taylor, similarly charged, was also lined 20s. An inebriate "who appeared for the first time, and had been admitted to bail, was fined 10s. Isabella Leckie, arrested for drunkenness and soliciting prostitution, was fined 40s. Larceny of a Watch. —Wm. Gregory was charged with stealing a watch, the property of J. McMurray. Mr A. Jameson appeared for the accused. From the evidence it appeared that about 18 months ago prosecutor was found lying drunk in the Windmill road by the police and taken to the depot. When he became sober he complained of having lost a watch, which was not on him when arrested. The various pawnbrokers in the city had been informed of the number of the watch, and on the 13th of the present month a watch, bearing the number, was pawned at Herman's shop, and identified by prosecutor as the one he had lost. Accused stated that, about eighteen months ago, a tall dark man came to his nursery, in the Windmill road, and asked for work. Told him he could not give him any. The man then offered to sell the watch before the Court, as he said he wanted money badly, and, after some further conversation, accused purchased it for £2. Professor Bickerton and Mr Jameson, who reside near accused, gave accused a very good character. His Worship said the Bench had very little doubt but that accused had become possessed of the watch in a manner not very creditable to him. As, however, he had received a good character, they would give him the benefit of the doubt, but it had been a very narrow escape for him. He would be discharged. LYTTELTOjS". Friday, June 15. (Before W. Donald, Esq., E.M.) Lunacy from Drink. —John Brown, on remand from Christchurch, was brought before the Court, fully recovered. He was fined 10s for having been disorderly in Christchurch. Assault.—-Joseph Scales, an A.B. belonging to the ship l'iako, was charged with this offence. The chief officer gave evidence that, on Wednesday, accused came on board the ship drunk, and went into his cabin, used abusive and disgusting language, and struck him on the face. Prisoner afterwards resisted the police when they wanted to arrest him. The Bench sentenced accused to a fortnight's imprisonment with hard labour, for assaulting his officer, and to another week for resisting the police,

SCHOOL COMMITTEES CONFERENCE.

The adjourned meeting of the conference of school committees was held last evening, at the Gloucester street school. Owing no doubt to the very inclement weather the attendance was not large. The members present were East Christchurch : Messrs Stevens, Mitchell, and Jameson. West Christchurch : Professor Bickerton, Messrs Nairn and Bell. Colombo road: Mr Andrew. The Rev. Mr Cumming, head master of the Lincoln road school, was also present. Mr E. C. J. Stevens was voted to the chair.

The chairman read the resolutions passed at the previous conference, and called on Mr Nairn, who moved the following resolution : "That education should be free and compulsory, and that a [property tax should be substituted for school fees." The mover explained that this tax would fall on freeholders and such a tax would be necessary to support the secondary schools contemplated. Professor Bickerton seconded the motion pro forma,.

Mr Andrew moved, as an amendment, " That all the words after ' compulsory' be omitted." He did not believe with the mover of the resolution that the tax would fall upon freeholders alone, and if it did it would be a most iniquitous one. In his opinion, no such tax would be required, as they had reserves in Canterbury alone set aside for educational purposes which amounted to 376,320 acres and which at the very moderate interest o£ 5 per cent, would return £537,000. This with their increasing value yearly, would be sufficient, in his opinion, of alone supporting education.

Mr Mitchell seconded the amendment.

Professor Bickerton would support the amendment, as he thought it would not ba within the province of the conference to suggest the method of providing the means for supporting education.

Mr Bell also supported the amendment. Mr Jameson did not agree with the resolution, nor altogether with the amendment, as he considered a small fee a very wholesome

proviso. Mr Stevens said that before asking Mr Nairn to reply he would desire to make a few remarks. He entirely coincided with the opinion of those members who believed the conference were going out of their province in suggesting a means of repaying the charge on any department of colonial expenditure. The education system had been carried on satisfactorily to the public, and the work of providing funds rested with the Colonial Secretary. Any resolution which the conference might arrive at could not affect the question, and as the amendment seemed to be the only practical method of dealing with the matters, he hoped it would be carried. Mr Nairn, with the permission of the meeting, consented to the omission of the words desired in the amendment, and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.

Mr Bell moved the next resolution—" That no person be allowed to employ a boy or girl under the age of eleven years, unless such boy or girl shall have passed an examination in reading, writing, and elementary arithmetic."

Mr Nairn seconded the motion pro forma. Mr Mitchell moved as an amendment—- " That the resolution be not put."

Professor Bickerton seconded the amendment, which was carried.

At this stage Mr Nairn said that, owing to several members of committees being absent that evening who had taken great interest in framing the remaining resolutions on the paper, ke would suggest that the meeting should be adjourned. Te discuss the resolutions that evening would be an injustice to those members.

Mr Jamieson agreed with Mr Nairn's remarks, and felt that as the resolutions were very important their consideration should be adjourned to a future meeting. It' carried with such a small attendance they -would not carry the same weight they otherwise might. He would move the adjournment of the conference for a week. Mr Bell seconded the motion.

Professor Bickerton pointed out that as all the committees had agreed as to the desirableness of a conference being held, and as seven members of various committees were present that evening, who had attended at very great inconvenience to themselves, it could not but be held that any result arrived at by those present would not be considered other than the voice of the whole conference. He' had experienced the ill result of adjourned meetings, and woidd move as an amendment—- " That the business on the paper be proceeded with."

Mr Andrews seconded the amendment. On being put there were three for and three against the amendment. The Chairman said he had to give a casting vote, and would do so in favor of the amendment, as he held with Professor Bickerton that when a meeting was called, the business should be proceeded with, provided a quorum were present. Mr Nairn moved the next resolution—- " That the section 50 of the Canterbury Provincial Education Ordinance, 1875, relating to religious education has been found to work well, and to satisfy all reasonable requirements." If the state gave the education they should to his mind also give an education based on the laws which governed the state, and though he believed in a conscience clause, still he did not think that Bible teaching should be debarred from the schools, and would always support the section of the Ordinance mentioned in his resolution being maintained.

The resolution was not seconded, and fell through.

Mr Mitchell moved the next resolution—- •' That it is desirable, in establishing a general system of education, that the district, school committees should be entrusted with larger powers of financial management than *hey at present possess." The mover pointed out that occasions had come under his notice when dilapidation of school buildings, no matter how urgent the requirement, had to be referred to another body before being repaired, and had the committee had power to see to these at once both time and expense might have been saved. In increasing the powers o£ the committee, he did not for one moment; intend that they should be in the direction oil these bodies interfering with the teaching staff.

Mr Jameson seconded the motion, and agreed with the remarks that had fallen from Mr Mitchell.

Mr Andrew also spoke in favor of the resolution, and mentioned the difficulty his ccrpniittee had experienced on one occasion in obtaining a few loads of gravel most urgently required. The resolution was carried.

Professor Bickerton moved the following resolution—" That in view of the assumption by the G-overnment of the colony of the con»

trol of and provision for primary education, it is expedient that the reserves of land already made for primary education be diverted to the purpose of establishing and maintaining secondary?schools; for the reason amongst others that the funds required for primary education will be materially lessened by the existence of such schools." The mover, m his remarks, pointed out that the reservesfor primary education were altogether insufficient for the purpose and would be so for years, and if the returns from these reserves went into the Government chest, the money would be lost altogether. He thus contended that they might very properly be diverted in the meantime to the purpose of establishing and maintaining secondary schools. Higher education was well provided for, though Mr Andrews had overestimated the income from the whole of the College reserves, which was about £400,000, and not the amount stated—and seeing that tho_ General Government had shown such good intention of providing for primary education, it seemed only fair to his mind they should look after themselves in providing for the secondary schools.

Mr Andrew seconded the resolution, and was certain of the correctness of the figures he had quoted. Mr Jameson, though not opposed to secondary schools, felt that the motion touched a very important principle. These reserves had been set aside for a special purpose, namely for primary education, with which the Government had only to deal. Children who rose out of the primary to the secondary school left a class for which these reserves had not been made, and he did not think the Government should have to pay for secondary and college education for a section of the community. The principle, to his mind, was a dangerous and a selfish one. Let those persons who desired to use these secondary schools pay for them. Mr Nairn held that to take away these reserves, set aside for a certain purpose, would be setting class against class. Mr Bell had understood that the secondary schools were intended to assist boys avlio had distinguished themselves at the primary schools and were not in a position to go further.

Mr Jameson tmderstood that these secondary schools were merely a stepping stone to the" college, and the parents of such boys should, in his opinion, be prepared to pay for this adTanced education.

Professor Bickerton, in replying, said these secondary schools would bridge over a want that had been strongly referred to by the Colombo road members when speaking of the provincial scholarships at the last meeting. It was altogether a mistake to suppose that those schools would only be all ended by sons of rich parents, as any boy who had distinguished himself in the primary schools would, under the existing arrangements, have a means of extending his studies in a direct line, and without a break, which was not now obtainable. The necessity for schools of this kind was forcibly dwelt upon by many of the speakers at the recent opening of the Canterbury College. On the resolution being put, three hands were held up for and three against it. The Chairman said that as he now had to give his casting vote, and intended doing so in favor of the resolution, it was only fair he should state his reasons for so voting. He was exceedingly in favor of the adoption of the principle contained in the resolution, with the object to improve the education—not of classes—but of the public generally. Why had they established and continued the public scholarships if it were not found that the children of the poorer classes had the means through them of reaching the highest point of education which the present, system could give. It appeared to him that the resolution was no more a provision for the education of the children of those who had been termed the wealthier class than the Canterbury College itself, and that that institution and its benefits were open equally to the laboring as to any other class had already been proved most satisfactorily. [Professor Bickerton —I don't think we have auy wealthy students attending the classes.] He (Mr Stevens) held with Mr Jameson that secondary schools were a connecting rung in the system, and with a view to establishing that required link he would vote for the resolution. The resolution was then declared to be carried.

On the motion of Professor Bickerton, it was resolved to forward copies of the resolutions to the members of the Board of Education, the members of the General Government, the Canterbury members in the Assembly, the members of the Legislative Council, and to the members of the General Assembly. The mover and Mr W. E. Mitchell were appointed a sub-committee to have the work carried out.

This concluded the business, for the discussion of which tho conference had been called, and after a hearty vote to the chairman the meeting closed.