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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 218, 14 September 1868, Page 2

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Board of Works took place at the office on Friday evening last. Present, Messrs Bentley, M.P.C. in the chair, R. Bum, M.P.C., Webb, Percy, Hooper, and Field. It was resolved that all rates remaining unpaid on the 18th inst. be immediately sued for. The tender of Mr Joshua Sigley for lighting the city lamps was accepted. The plan for the construction of a bridge in St. Vincent-street, near Mr Pollock's residence, was submitted to the Board, and specifications for the same ordered to be prepared. The attention of the Board was called by Mr Webb to the damage sustained by the continual breaking up of the streets for the purpose of laying waterpipes, and it was resolved that the

Government be communicated with on tbe subject. A petition was received from certain residents in Alton-st., asking thr.t; repairs mightbe made to the road, and the work was ordered to be attended to. A letter was received from l\lv 11. B->ly, respecting the flow of water near his property at the Port, which was referred to the Public Works Committee, and several accounts having been passed, the Board adjourned at half-past 8 o'clock, until the 25th inst. The Ahuriri arrived at Wellington with the feuez Mails yesterday evening, and we understand that the mails will be brought on to .Nelson by the Otago on Saturday next. We have received a letter from the Diocesan Secretary, _*Ir R. Lee, communicating a resolution passed by the Anglican Synod, on Saturday, referring to a report of the proceedings of that body, which appeared in these columns ou Friday last, and lor which we were indebted to the courtesy of oue of its members. Perhaps if the Synod had not been in such hot haste to correct what, after all, seems to be a mere misconstruction of the word ' text-book,' they would have seen thufc we availed ourselves of the earliest possible opportunity to put an end to any misapprehension on the subject by slating that the words to which objection was taken were intended to imply that the use of the Bible ' as a class-book, from which the children should be taught to read, spell, tr parse, was thought by some members of the Synod to be liable to abuse.' We also published in tho same issue the joint resolution of Messrs Barnicoat and Hunter Brown, to which our attention is invited by the Syuod, as more correctly expressing its views on the question of imparting religious instruction in the Government Schools. We have also to acknowledge a communication from Mr Hunter Brown, bearing on the same topic, and stating that 'the use of the Bible as a text-book, from which to teach the art of reading, was objected to by some members, on the ground that such usage of Holy Writ was likely to make the scholars dislike the Bible ;' which interpretation precisely corresponds with that given of the obnoxious * point of debate ' in our last issue. We repeat that the report, at the wording of which the SyDod appear to have taken umbrage, was furnished to us by one of its members, whose version of the proceedings is, we submit, borne out by the fact that Mr Hunter Brown likewise employs the same word ' text-book ' in precisely the same intention. Strange that such difference should be, ' Twixt tweudle-dmu and tweedle-dee ! It is hardly necessary to remind our readers that the public meeting convened for the purpose of obtaining au expression of public opinion ou the financial policy of the Government, takes place this evening at the Provincial Hall, when the chair will be taken by N. Edwards Esq. at halfpast 7 o'clock. The meeting will be very-, numerously attended.