THE EDUCATION RATE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 13, Issue 671, 8 April 1869, Page 3

THE EDUCATION RATE.

To the Editor of the Eawke's Bay Times. Sir, —I regret to have to inform you that my call, through the medium of your columns, • to those who thought with mo in the matter of the obnoxious Education Rate, to aid me in prosecuting an appeal in the Supreme Court, has not been more fully responded to. On Saturday evening [looked over the list of subscribers, and found that upwards of £52 had been subscribed. This sum may be sufficient for a simple appeal if there are no obstacles purposely raised to obstruct or delay justice ; but any man who goes to law with a Government does so on very unequal terms, and should be well prepared for any lengths to which a Government may go. Had £BO been subscribed I would have ventured it. Perhaps another week would have been sufficient to have obtained the whole sum required, but my 14 days' grace are nearly up. As it is, of course, I decline doing so ; and shall this day pay the amount claimed (with costs) on the judgment of the Court, —but under protest, and only because I am compelled to do so. I have to thank those few who took a hearty interest in getting up the subscription ; and also all those who so willingly came forward with their contributions, — particularly those who voluntarily doubled and even trebled (and in one case quintupled—i.e., £5 for £L) their original subscriptions, in hopes of raising a sufficiency for the required purpose. 1 cannot help thinking that had but a few of those well-to-do respectable folks (who have hitherto refused to pay this rate, and who have so far gone with me), forward and set down their names to the subscription list, quite enough would have been subscribed. Evidently they are, or have been, looking on —for us, unaided by them, to fight their battle. This is nut fair. As, no doubt, many more summonses will have to be served on folks in town and country, in order to extort the required monies out of their pockets; and as it is not at all unlikely that the public grumbling and indignation may increase at such a legal robbery and at such a time too ! (as it generally does when it is too late!) 1 would venture to recommend that the said list of subscribers should still continue open, and that further aid should be also sought (by advertisement) from the country, so that should any future victim choose to appeal he may be enabled to do so. 01 course on a point of law it does not matter who makes the appeal; and I still hope that some one may yet be found to do so, and thus test the powers of our useful, beneficial, economical, far-seeing, and fatherly Provincial Government in the matter ot imposition of taxes upon us. I shall wil lingly subscribe £5 5s towards such a patriotic purpose. —I am, &c, William Colekso. Napier, April 5, 1869,