The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1879.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 29, 1 February 1879, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1879.

We have been requested, having already published Mr Curtis' Bill, to give publicity to the following section of the Education Act which that Bill proposed to amend *— Every public school shall be conducted in accordance with the following regulations fa copy of whicli regulations shall be conspicuously put up in every such school), namely — (1.) The subjects of instruction shall be as foliows :- Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, J-Dghsh grammar and composition Geography, History, Elementary science and drawing, Object lessons, Vocal music, and (in the case of girls) sewing and needlework and tbe principles of domestic economy But no child shall be compelled to be present at the teaching of history whose parent-** or guardians object thereto. (2.) The school shall be kept open five days in each week for at least four hours, two of wbich in the forenoon and two in the afternoon shall be consecutive, and the teaching shall be entirely of a secular character. (3) Tbe school buildings may be used on days and at hours other than tbose used for public school pur poses upon such terms as the Committee niay from time to time prescribe. (4.) The class-books used in the school shall be such only as shall be approved by the Governor in Council. (5.) Tbe school shall be open at all times to the visits of au Inspector (c )No fees shall be payable at any public school except as hereinbefore provided in the case of district high schools. Sermons in connection with the anniversary of the Wesleyan Sunday School will be preached m the Hardy-street Church tomorrow by the Rev. J Crump, who is well kuown as a preacher of considerable ability The attention of parties who may be allowed tbe privilege of picmciug in tbe Glen or grounds at Drumduan is directed to an advertisement respecting the same iv oiir columns. The owner complains tbat be has experienced frequently very great injury by the repeated disregard of previous notices of a similar nature. Monday next is to be observed as a strict holiday in commemoration of the founding of the Province of Nelson. The chief centre of attraction to holiday keepers will be the Botanical Reserve, where there are likely to be excellent sports-, the Friendly Societies having provided a most liberal programme tor the occasion. In the evening there will be a display of fireworks, to be followed by a ball in the Oddfellows' Hall, at which residents in the country will be able to be present, as there is a train leaviDg for Foxhill at midnight. ._. M « Adams addressed a large meeting at the Port last night, Mr J. H. Cock in the chair. In the course of his speech Mr Adams pledged himself to support the railway route by way of Hope, and to divide the House against any attempt to take it by Tarndale, Top House, and Wairau Valley After being asked and having replied to a number of questions, a vote of thanks to him was proposed by Mr Garrard, seconded by rA At J*5 IDson * and carried by acclamation. Capx. Ed-ais reports ---Watch barometerbad weather approaching, any direction between north and west and south west Glass will show further fall. _Tr c Wellington P<*t makes great fun out of Mr Adams' written address to the electors and criticises his grammar most unmercifully' "Each of the candidates," says our contemporary, "is a member of a learned profession, and yet we very much fear that, were an educational test required for admission within the Parliament Bar, one of the candidates would infallibly be ignominiously plucked, unless indeed grammar were excluded from the subjects of examination. We have in our time met with many curiously-worded and marvellouslyconfused public documents, but, for absolute inability to express the most ordinary ideas in plain intelligible English, we have never seen anything to surpass the address issued by Mr Acton Adams to the Nelson electors." The Post then quotes the address, and goes on to say :— «« We do not purpose to analyse this singular production, but one or two of its points may be noticed. In the first place, Mr Adams has entered for a kind of Novel Race. He is a candidate running not for a seat, but for a vacancy, which, like the good time, be says, is coming. So much for the first paragraph. Iv the third and last paragraph he actually pledges himself that, if elected, he will not leave Nelson during the continuauce of the present Parliament. This pledge, we should think, ought to settle the matter. Parliament is scarcely likely to meet in Nelson within the next two years and yet if it did not, Mr Acton Adams cannot possibly take his seat without violating a most solemn pledge. However strong local influences may be with Nelson electors, we imagine they would like a representative willing to absent himself from Nelson at least during the session of Parliament. It will be curious to see what they do think on the subject, and bow Mr Adams, if his object should be attained, will reconcile his promise not to leave Nelson with the duty wbich will call him to Wellington for some months."