Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VII, Issue 473, 16 May 1857, Page 7

Local Intelligence.

TtV*lf}C JIWmW ON XDJJQtTiqjt'

A public meeting called by the Colonists' So? eiciety was held at the Town Hall, Lyttelton, on Thursday evening, at seven o'clock, in pursuance of advertisement, to consider the measures about to be adopted hy the Provincial Govern*ment on tjie subject of Education. The chair was taken by E. liATTEK, Esq[M president of th» society^ who opened the meeting by a short address, commenting on the various schemes pr»> posed by different parties in the province, and. dwelling especially on the Irish national system, recommending it to the meeting for adoption m this province, and giving various instances of its success. He concluded by congrattdating the meeting on the large sum about to be expendei on Education. "'

Mr. Ftfe proposed the first resolution in « short speech, and dwelt especially on the advaa* vantages of having one good school, ia prefep« ehCe to haying several inferior o»es. Tb* resoldtion, which was seconded fey Mr. Wright, was as follows :— "That in the opinion of this meeting th« scheme of denominational schools, besides being in principle undesirable, is especially inapplicable to the circumstances of the province." The; Rev.] B. W. Dudl«t objected veifjr strongly to the resolution proposed, on tt* grpund that religious teaching in the schooli was absolutely necessary in the g>eat work of Education • and, after reading various tions, concluded by predicting the certaife faiture of Secular Education. The rev. gentleman moved, as an amendment, — "That the Denominational System be adopted," ■■ ; :-':;:. . ■ -;'-. . • .•- ■•■

MrJ M'CiBDELt having seconded the amendment; • .'".-■ •'"■■' ' "':'" '■' r' r - ' ' \

Mr. Rak «poke Sn a *rarm and energetic matther in favour of the original * reaoltttidh, and cited varions instances of the failure of tb» Denominational system, Mr. Wittteox supported the original resolution in a few words.

The amendment was then pot by the chairman, and was lost by a large majority. Mr. Ri* proposed the second resolution, and Mr. AttwßiGHT seconded it. It was a» fellow's;—^

"2. That the establishment of schools on ft municipal or district system for secular education, reserving to the appointed minister ©f every denomination the task and duty of religious instruction, is in the opinion of thw meeting the most satisfactory scheme:" J.E.FTTKorEit.vM> Esq. (the Superintendent), askecl what vras meant by the words of the resolution "reserving to the appointed minister of eyery denomination the task and duty of religious instruction:!' If those word* meant that ministers of religion should have stated periods for teaching their own theological dogmas, then the resolution was in accordance with the Irish «ystem. Which -system, whatever might be said of iia successful working by the worthy chairman, had been a signal failure. He did not mean that it had failed as a system of education—.the. Irish National schools had accomplished great good. But it was a fact patent to eyery educated Irishman, that the Irish national system was a triumph of denominationalism accomplished by its opponents. For example, in the North of Jreland, where Anglicananism prevailed, the dogmas of the Anglican church were enforced. In other districts, where presbyjterianism was in the ascendant, the school* might fairly be dssignated presbyterian schools. Whilst in the South of Ireland, where Catholicism was the religion, the priests of that faith alone attended the schools to giye religious instruction, the protestant clergy refusing to enter those establishments. Each denomination then triumphed in its own district, and thus what was called the Irish National System, was a misnomer. But the Irish system, even according to the design of its promoters, was to him (Mr. FitzGerald), .objectionable. It professed to inculcate religious truth apart from theology, and the religion it taught was most obnoxious. He preferred a system of purely secular education. It was the duty of the state to Bee that eyery child was instructed to understand the laws by which it was governed; but it was not in the province of the State to enforce a religious creed. He thought Mr. Dudley was speaking beyond the mark when he said that the advocates of secular education were indifferent about religion. Who vrat the

propounder of the secular system?- Dr. Hook, of Leeds, than whom there was no man living more ■'devoted as a'minister of religion (hear, hear). The secularist, in,fact, would "render unto < Caesar the ;rthings- that • were Caesar's,-' and to God the things that> were God's" (cheers). -The State had■!nothing whatever to do with Hhe: religiouslculfcupe o£ the •child. That .was.the office of the parent,; and of the minister of: religion. Let them _do thenduty, and we should have more religion? than any school could give. Those whoj like Mr. JDudr ley, would have a system of National Education with religious difficulties; lived only in ..the past —-in an age when Church and -State were one—when- every citizen of ;the State was ia .Such individuals seemed to forget ihat the,state of tthe world now was very difterent. Nations had now got some idea of political rights, and the Church -was divided ;into many -sects. These two; problems must not. po overlooked. To attempt to -enforce any system of theology in a national system,of..education., with those .two prpblenis scaring us in,the;&ce, was as unwise as to determine, yre would Ti&p, in .aeavt or a,coach when railroads are in existence. ; Mi-. EitzGerald then (|UQted some.statistics as t.o -the progress of ; education-in, England, Prussia, and America, .shewing tthat though..the former wa& behind the-two Jatier in.this respect, yiet England atan expenseof 4d. per, head of. the iwhole populations educate^.onej in 7|» while, Can"terbury hith|rtp. had onlyihadiijOne.ipgQipf the population nnder.instruction, and r this at an expense:; : of ; 45.,7 - -perj.h^ad of the wjiole population. This waS'a sa4 reliction ; p^ ihe people. Had they been-in «ajinesfc.tq co-operate with tte ,Go»ernment^ the; .work. : g£ .education inrould; have been more vigorously carried on. po^sessedpeealiarprisrilßgeß,nonatapn-in an/jient; or modern times had possessed so free a.con§titutipni and it was therefore peculiar-ly pur !<hity Jand .our interest; so id the Vising gen^raction as to. enable ;them to exercise^power^ wjsely. I He would not disguise his.anxiety.on.-tjjis,^^- - ject. ; yreve standing upon .the mouth of a volcano, and unless something . effectual . ; was -done to -give true ideas to the people, the, next age wouldjshQwour great freedom, to be a great C«ursej and soqiety would merge juiio! barbarism. > Let then all unite to prevent such a cai^strophe ; and, by giving a sound education to tlie young, *fit them tobeperpetuatrrs of our free institutions,, and the pillars of all that is excellent in our '.social state. (His Honor s,at down amid lpud cheering). , ,- - The .second resolution was, then put and, carried with one dissentient, - ...'';■ Mr. Wilcox moved "that the above resolutions be embodied in a petition to the Provincial; Council and signed by the Chairman, on behalf the Meeting," which was carried unanimously. Tne meeting then broke up.