THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1310, 27 April 1872, Page 2

THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

The following is the petition to> the House, of Representatives adopted by the Association for the promotion of National Education in New Zealand, referred to in our leading article of yesterday, and which is now being circulated throughout the Province of Otago for .signature :• — The petition of the undersigned Inhabitants of the District of in the Province of Otago, New Zealand, humbly she welsh : That your petitioners; have learned with satisfaction that it is proposed tointroduce a measure at the approaching, Session of Parliament, for the purpose of providing for the more extended diffusion of Elementary Instruction, and for the elevation of the standard of Popular Education, throughout the Colony. They are prepared to give their cordial approbation to any measure which will insure to- the people of New Zealand a broad, liberal, and national system of Education. That your Petitioners believe that any legislation on this veiy important subject should be such as will enable the advantages of the Public Schools to be shared by all on eq;ial terms, whatever may be their religious creed or opinions.

Your Petitioners are convinced that any scheme -which affords State aid to Denominational Schools will he-unjust to the Taxpayers, as involving a diversion of public funds to sectarian purpases, and that in practice it will, he attended by many serious evils. It is admitted that in older and more populous countries the denominational system has not worked well, and lias to a great extent failed to meet their educational wanrs. And your Petitioners are firmly of opinion that such a system is peculiarly nnadapted to the circumstances of a young and thinly peopled Colony. Your Petitioners do not seek that the reading of the Bible in Schools should he either enjoined or prohibited by the Legislature; bub they arc of opinion that the decision of that question should be left to the School Committees, subject to the provision of a time table conscience clause. Your petitioners are therefore opposed to any assistance being granted towards the establishment of Denominational Schools. May it therefore plea>:e your Honorable House to pass such an Educational Bill into [jaw as will establish Common National Schools on a comprehensive basis, and prevent the application of public money towards sectarian or denominational teaching. Ami your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.

The Hon. John Hall is still suffering from indisposition. He was unable, from this cause, to accept the invitation of his constituent-: to a complimentary dinner at Lincoln the other day.

The authorities of St. Augustine's prison have been trying the experiment of using Australian beef in the place of shins and necks of English beef, which is repotted to be " a success, both medically and financially." Mr Tomlin, one of the magistrates, stated a| the Court of General Sessions last week, that " a large proportion of the prisoners had gained in weight since the introduction of the Australian meat," and that " the cost was one-third less than that of ordinary butchers' meat." The South Eastern Gazette says:—"We should hope that'the visiting justices of the Maidstone prison will follow the example set by those of St. Augustine's. Tn the case of Maidstone the saving of expense would be considerable, the number of prisoners being 453 per day, against 71 at St. Augustine's. The same rate of saving on the cost of the Maidstone prisoners as that effected at St. Augustine's would amount to something like 10s or 15s a day, or from ,£2OO to £250 a-year.

A young wife in Troy cured her husband of a disposition to absent himself from home at night by providing him with an excellent dinner, and saying to him afterwards—" George, if you find a sweeter spot than our home, describe it to me, and I will rival it if I die in the attempt." A. kiss and a few tears completed the victory.