THE Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addiclus jurare in verba magistri. TUESDAY, 2ND DECEMBER, 1873.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1530, 2 December 1873, Page 35

THE Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addiclus jurare in verba magistri. TUESDAY, 2ND DECEMBER, 1873.

A document of considerable interest and importance to the colonists in general was published on Saturday last in our contemporary, the Herald. We allude to the annual report of the Inspector of Native Schools for the year 1872-3. It was forwarded to that journal for publication by the Inspector himself, in consequence of its nonappearance amongst the Parliamentary papers of the past session. The paper itself is of too great length to admit of our giving it a detailed examination, but there arc certain portions of it to which wc wish to refer. In allusion to it, our contemporary remarks that" Some of it is rather a report on native matters generally than on native schools," and argues that therefore the Government were justified in suppressing it; but we think that the "native matters" introduced are only such as have a direct bearing on the success or failure of the system adopted for the education of the natives, and are such as could not well be omitted without detracting from its value and completeness. Take, for instance, what is said in reference to the grog-drinking habits of the natives, and their bearing on the question itself. It would hardly have been sufficient to allude in general terms to this evil, when fgcts could be quoted showing its extent, its influence in keeping the natives poor, in retarding and neutralizing the efforts of the teacher, and the share of responsibility for it which falls upon the Government. This portion of the report is of sufficient importance to excuse our quoting it in detail: —

" The grog-selling nuisance to which I have alluded, militates so greatly against our efforts for native educatiou, and involves us in such paradoxical action, and in such incomprehensible absurdities, as must make the governing institutions of New Zealand contemptible in the eyes of an outsider. At Tologaßay, for instance, I found a numerous, orderly, and well-con-ducted school, second to none that I have visited, in apparent attention and good conduct. Upon my expressing a desire to see the committee, I was told they should be got together, if possible, but that some of them would inevitably be drunk, seeing that they were never all sober, and this proved to be the case.

At Pakomarua the chairman of the committee was absent, but I was told it was a fortunate circumstance, for that, keeping an accommodation-house and holding a grog-selling licence, he had been drunk for a fortnight, and indeed was seldom sober.

Arriving at another " accommodationhouse," which term does not imply that it affords any decent accommodation, but that it holds a grog-selling licence, I found the natives in a state of intoxication. A drunken woman had half murdered her husband, whose head and face were covered with blood; the husband, also drunk, had got her down, and seemed bent upon strangling her. Upon my releasing her, and going into the accomo-dation-house, I found the Native Assessor (very drunk) beating the host, an old man of seventy-three, who was not sober, and who, later in the evening, persisted against my remonstrance in selling more rum to the natives, the gain upon the rum having apparently, more weight with him than the fear of another beating. Such are the Native Assessors upon whose recommendation grog selling licenses are, as I understand, in future to be issued. It appears to be a profitable trade, for I was i«:£o«ned that twenty applications to the Provincial Government of Auckland were going in from Poverty Bay alone. I need not debate further .u|Kp .this subject to illustrate the incongruous. action is going on to civilize and elevate .the patiw race on the one hand, and .to demoralize and brutalize it on the other."

The first instance quoted, that of lologa Bay, undoubtedly reflects great

credit upon the school master who was able, notwithstanding the difficulties by which he was surrounded, to maintain his school in an efficient and creditable state. Such cases arc, however, of course exceptional, it being self-evident that a master's efforts must be greatly influenced by such surroundings. Nor will it be possible to raise the educational status of the natives in any satisfactory degree so long as so counteractive a system as that of licensed grogselling is countenanced, especially when the issue of these licences is made to depend upon the recommendation, in many cases, of drink-loving native assessors, -who are often interested in the extensive sale of the pernicious liquorIt is altogether an anomalous state of affairs to license the sale of intoxi-1 eating drinks in native districts, when it is at the same time an illegal act to sell them to natives at all—an act which, were the law enforced as it should be, would subject the vendor, notwithstanding his licence, to severe penalties. Other portions of the report are not less interesting than that we have quoted ; and some of the results of the Inspector's observations are curious. Among the conclusions to which he has arrived are these—that the success of a teacher in imparting a knowledge of the English language to native children is in the inverse ratio to his knowledge of their language, thus proving that in order to teach the Maoris English it is not necessary first to learn Maori. It is in fact much better not to know anything about it—because in that case the pupils must have made some progress in learning from each other before they could understand the master, and they are kept up closely to what they learn. In the opinion of the Inspector, there is no need of any high degree of education in the teacher—if he has good knowledge of what he has to teach the natives, and good power of imparting it, that is as much as is requisite in the case. Another point is, that when the natives are forced to aid in the education of their children by the payment o* a small weekly fee, they are found to take a much more lively interest in the progress of the pupils and the working of the system than when such is not the case. What is said on the subject of the capacity of the children to learn, and their fondness for their studies, must be exceedingly gratifying to all who are interested in the elevation of the race. According to Colonel Russell, their ability appears even greater than that of European children of corresponding ages, and they regard their studies more as amusements than tasks; they assemble before the stated time, and wish it to be prolonged beyond the closing hour. Amongst the pupils, bright as they are as a whole, there are generally, it appears, some still brighter than the rest, and more anxious than their fellows to advance in education. Of these " ablest and best " pupils there will be found one or two in every village school " intelligent youth s of quick perception and aspiring mind, quick to recognize our superiority as a race, but conscious of his own equality with us as an individual." The Inspector suggests to the Government that such should be " encouraged, educated) guided, and made valuable members of the community " —" because if neglected they are liable to become amongst the most dangerous." The latter portion of the report relates to the education of the girls, which has hitherto been neglected. The subject is important, and the Inspector's suggestions of value. Some suggestions are also given regarding the better administration of the endowments, of which there are some that do not appear to be at present devoted to educational purposes at all. The non-publication of the report we consider would have been a public loss; we question the propriety of the action of the Government in keeping it back : and consider that under the circumstances Colonel Russell is quite justified in giving publicity to his views by means of the press.

The New Zealand Government Gazette of the 27th November contains a Proclamation abolishing the extended jurisdiction of the Resident Magistrate's Court for the Napier and Waipuknrau district.

The New Zealand Gazette of the 27th November contains a Proclamation constituting the E.asj; Coast District Court. The district includes the whole of the Province of Hawke's Bay, and $ considerable portion of the Province of Auckland. The same Gazette contains Proclamations, giving extended criminal and civil jurisdiction to the East Coast District Court. The Nesr Zealand Gazette of the 27th instant contains a Proclamation issued by the Government of "Victoria, prohibiting the introduction from i&ey

Zealand of lire stock of meat, skins, hides, horns, hoofs, or of hay, straw fodder, or other articles likely to propagate amongst men or other animals any infectious or contagious disease whatsoever.

The Norwegian ship Hoveling, Capt. Nordbye, arrived in harbor yesterday morning, after a passage of 210 days from Christiania. She brings 280 Norwegian immigrants, who were all landed and taken to the immigration barracks. On the voyage there were six births and eleven deaths—the latter all children. One or two of the new arrivals appeared to be in bad health ; but the majority seemed well and hearty. The Scandinavians who arrived by the former trip of the Hoveling, dressed in their best, mustered in considerable force to greet the new coiners, and a good many old friends were recognized and welcomed by those who have settled among us. Two Maori chiefs, also made themselves very conspicuous on the wharf, greeting and shaking hands with the strangers. We mentioned in our Friday's issue that the extended jurisdiction of the Resident Magistrate's Court was to be abolished at the end of the year. On Friday morning five gentlemen waited on his Honor the Superintentendent, to urge upon him the advisability of continuing the present system. His Honor received them very favorably, and promised to represent their views to the Government. This has been spoken of by both our contemporaries as a deputation; but we are inclined to look upon the term as misapplied—at all events it is not known by whom these gentlemen were deputed, So far as we are aware, there is no public feeling on the subject, pro or con —at any rate, it has not found expression in the local press. In the Resident Magisratc's Court on Tuesday, one drunkard was lined ss. One civil case was called—Boylan v. Knight—a claim of £o 16s 3d for goods. Defendant did not appear, and judgment went by default, with 15s costs. Yesterday, one drunkard was fined five shillings. At the District Meeting of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, Middle District, held recently at Nelson, it was resolved, " The meeting strongly recommends that a minister be sent as soon as possible to labor in the Province of Hawke's Bay." Church of England Services will (D.V.) be held on Sunday next, 7th December, at Taradale at 11 a.m., and at Puketapu, at 3 p.m. Mails for Europe and America via San Francisco, will close at the Chief Post Office, Napier, on the 10th instant, at 11 a.m. Mails for Wellington and Southern ports will close tomorrow, at 11 a.m.

The dates of sitting of the District Court in Napier for the despatch of civil and criminal business have been fixed to take place on the Ist and 16 th of each month, at 10 a.m., the first sitting to be on the Ist January, 1874. The sittings at Waipawa are fixed for the 14th January, 12th March, 13th May, 9th July, 4th September, and sth November, 1874. The sittings at Gisbornc are to take place on the 4th February, loth May, 19th August, and 24th November. The criminal jurisdiction of this Court extends to sentences of seven years' penal servitude, and its criminal jurisdiction to £2OO. Having also a probate jurisdiction, the Judge can grant letters of administration, the delay and annoyance attending a reference to Wellington being thus done away with. The Judge has also power to grant writs of arrest, in cases of absconding debtors, &c. The New Zealand Gazette of the 27th instant, contains a notification of the appointment of Thomas Shailey Weston, Esq., Barrister-at-Law, as District Judge for the East Coast District ; also J. N. Wilson, Barrister-at-Law, to be Crown Prosecutor for the East Coast District, under the District Court Act of 1868 ; also the appointment of Duncan Grey, Esq., as Clerk of the District Court at Napier, Henry Henry Arrow, Esq., Clerk of the District Court at Waipawa, and F. G. Skipworth, Esq., Clerk of the District Court at Gisborne.