HAMILTON.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 397, 20 October 1876, Page 3

HAMILTON.

{To the Editor of the Mountlda Chkootcl'B.) "'■' : October I6th. :■ Sib,—Permit me, through the'medium of your journal, to make a few remarks on a letter of Mr. Stowe's that appeared in your issue of the 13th inst. That gentleman appears toy be laboring under a wrong impression altogether. He states that a public meeting was held here on the sth for the Express purpose of calling on the Hamilton portion of the" School Committee to resign, and ■ that a deputation was appointed ;to wait on the Sowburn portion of the School Committee. Now I beg.to give that statement an unqualified denial, as at that meeting I say there was no such thing as a deputation appointed to wait on the. Sowburn portion of,said-Com-mittee; so therefore the intention originated in the bram/ ; of Mr..Stowe himself. Now, with regard" to the r residence, being removed fo J the Sowburn, there was a memorial signed by all the residents ef'Ha--milton, with the exception of two, : and Mr. Stowe happens to be one of the number, arid forwarded to the Education Board, praying that the building /might remain where it is. This memorial had the desired effect, 7 for a telegram came up, yarning the' Qommittee not to remove it. Again he says, what right have we to ask ;the Committee to resign. I say we have the right of British subjects. When our representatives in Parliament do not carry out their pledges they are generally called, on to resign, and the School Committee are under the same rule. The Committee is elected by the.people, and a majority of people in every representative country forms the Government of that country; but in this case the people are unanimously of one mind, and that mind is, that the residence shall not be removed with their consent. Again, Mr. Stowe says that the public, subscribed nothing "towards the building. Now, I. ask, >'if the' public subscribed nothing, where did the Government get the money t Per.haps they, took part ofthe land fund. , There is no other way, if the people subscribe nothing. I maintain thaji;, every man, woman, and child on , Hamilton has contributed, either directly or indirectly, towards this building. The people of Hyde would have the same right to remove it as the Sowburn—just the same. Again; Mr. Stowe says no one m the meeting contributed to the school. : He is stating what is riot correct. Almost every, one that was in that room contributes, and. if there was one that does not it must be Mr. Stow©himself. Again, Mr. Stowe says: the-idea of shifting the residence .first .originated froma resident at the Hut. It; never entered any resident's mind to remove,the schoolmaster's residence to the,Sowburn. > Hamilton and Hut would as soon think of removing the gaol from Naseby to'Hamdton, or the new bridge up to the Sowburn Swamp. At present -we have neither, schpol ,pr School Committee that we recognise; so Mr, Stowe may rest contented.. We intend to build anew school" as soon as there is a School Committee appointed .that will apply to the Education Board, and get a site granted to erect it -upon. Even Mr.. Stowe errs when he .says the school is going to be built at the Hut. I say it is proposed to do nothing of;the kind. It is far nearer Hamilton than Shepherd's Hut, and the people of both places are: very well satisfied with where it is going to be built. Mr. Stowe" himself appears to be the only opposition' in this place to the advancement of education, by trying to bring : children a couple of miles j over a desolate'road :to a miserable, cold; barren building. Even the poorest in the land" may lift up his voice and demand justice. That justice that the.- people of Hamilton demands" is,'| that their children maybe educated, and that justice they wiltfhave; despite the efforts of Mr. Stowe: Had the Hamilton portion, of the School Committee acted/as true to Hamilton.as the Sowburn portion did to Sowburn we should ,have a school built, and a teacher instructing our children. -Instead'of having everything in confusion, there would be a school room built about half a onle-or so from the present school, on the Hyde road, pipy ground attached, and a number of children, varying from three-and-a-half years to six years of age* attending.—l am, &c, Justice. .