The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, 3, 1871.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 53, 3 March 1871, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, 3, 1871.

Onf of the most important questions that will be brought before the General Assembly at its next session is that of education, and this being tho case, it is interesting to note the opinions expressed oil the sp.me subject in the neighboriug colony of Victoria. Tho Chief Secretary, in a recent address to his constituent?, devoted a large portion of it, to this question,, and first of all he congratulated the colony on the liberality that the Parliament had always displayed in its votes for educational purposes, aud the figures he produced certainly speak most favorably for the colony in this respect. "In Great Britain and Ireland," he said, " with a population of some thirty millions, the annual educational vote, according to the last official return available was £1,200,000, or about ninepeuce halfpenny per head. In Victoria you have a population of BGO,OOO at tho very outside, aud the last grant for education was £186,000 or at the rate of four shillings and eightpence per head." But, Sir James M'Culloch goes on to argue, the ! main question is, not so much the amount of aid granted by the State, as whether ! the money is laid out to the greatest advantage. And then comes the great obstacle in the way of n completely satisfactory educational system. "The great difficulty," says the Chief Secretary, "in Victoria, as in all other countries, has been the giving of religious instruction along with secular teaching." The State, he thinks, is compelled to ignore religious instruction altogether, for the very simple reason that the several religious denominations cannot, and will not, agree on the exact kind of religious instruction to be imparted, and, after the various trials that have been made in Victoria of the denominational and semi-denominational systems, he has come to the conclusion that tha Staie can only grant mouey for secular education, pure and simple, every facility being afforded to the various denominations for providing such religious teaching as they may deem necessary. Such is the opinion oa this important point that baa been arrived at after much study and experience by Sir James M'Cullocb, and, although the Bishop of Melbourne is earnestly endeavoring to have religious combined with secular education, there can be but little doubt that the views of the people, as expressed : by their representatives in Parliament, will be the same as those entertained by their leading politician. The same question has frequently been [ discussed here, and a similar conclusion must be arrived at, namely, that religious teaching must form no part of the education afforded by tho State, as the only result of an attempt to introduce it would be the breaking up of our G-overnmant schools altogether, the children thus being deprived of all instruction whatever, either religious or secular. But while we object to the State attempting to undertake the religious teaching of the rising generation, we would not have it supposed for one moment that we are disposed to allow the children of the colony to grow up in a state of heathenism. On the contrary we look upon it as of the highest importance that they should be brought up as becomes the youth of a Christian nation, and, as it has been shown to be impossible for the Government to undertake the duties of religious tutors, the responsibility of seeing that

religious instruction is imparted, devolves with all the greater weight upon the parents, and, we may add, upon the clergy of the various denominations. To such a purpose a short time might be devoted every day after the ordinary school hours, arrangements having previously been made among the clergymen of the district, as to the day on which each of them, or some one whom they shall appoint, shall take his class, which will of course comprise only children of that particular denomination of which tlie teacher for the time heiug is a member. We cannot but think that some such plan as this, might be adopted, and that if the clergy l were to take the matter up, and consult together as to the best „manner in which to carry it out, one of the most formidable barriers that vow stand in thu way of the religious education of the colonial youth wouid be removed. The Outgoing ExGLisn Mail. — The Phoebe is expected to arrive here tomorrow afternoon, on her way to Manulsau, at five o'clock, and will sail agVin at halfpast seven. The English mail closes at five p.m. The Airedale. — From tins morning's Examiner wo learn that an inquiry into the wreck of the Airedale took place on Monday iast. The decision arrived at %vas that uo blame attached to the Captain. The officers had their certificates returned to thorn. Tlie engines ami cylinder have been got out safely. Supreme Court. — The sittings of this Court commence on Monday next. The only criminal cases to come on for trial are William Hodgkinson for obtaining money under false pretences from David Angus of ColHugwood, and the same man and Edward Ashwell for committing a similar fraud on Burchard Frauzen, of Nelson.