Monday, May 21.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 397, 23 May 1849, Page 3

Monday, May 21.

Council met at 2 o'clock, p.m. The Clerk having lead the minutes of the last meeting, Dr. Monro said he wished to correct an error in the minutes which had just been read. He had never stated that he denied the right of his Excellency to appropriate the civil list in the absence of instrnctions from the, Lords of the Treasury. The Lieutenant- Governor said that after the explanation of the hon. member (Dr. Monro) he had less hesitation in laying on the table an amended schedule of the civil list, to meet the wishes of the Council, but he still differed from the interpretation which the hon.. gentleman had put upon the Act of Parliament. In the amended schedule the

following items were struck out: — Forage allowance to Lieuienant-Governor — Prhrate Secretary — Confidential Clerk — Forage allowance to Colonial Surgeon — Government Gardener and Contingencies. In the place of which were inserted, — Surveyor — Resident Magistrates at Wanganui and Akaroa. His Excellency then referred to the manner in which the parliamentary grant was appropriated in a Treasury minute dated 10th March, 2843, and also to the estimates passed hy the Auckland Council in the year 1847. In the former was included, amongst other items, the establishment of his Excellency the Governor, and other subordinate officers, and in the latter these items were shewn to be provided for out of the parliamentary grant, by having asterisks prefixed to them. He said that he had referred to these cases to shew that he had done nothing unusual, and that he was only following former precedents. He would explain his reasons for originally including the Government gardener in the civil list. When a Lieute-nant-Governor was appointed at home it was pointed out that there was no provision for a house, or to enable him to keep horses, and a sum of £400 a year was allotted to him for that purpose by the Lords of the Treasury. He found, however, on his arrival, that a house bad been purchased in the 'interim by Sir G. Grey. His Excellency then made an arrangement by which, instead of the £400 a year, a house and Government gardener were provided, and forage allowance, to the amount specified in the estimates. So that although appearing in the estimates as a charge to the public, the salary of the gardener was really part of the sum which would have been paid to the Lieutenant-Governor under the sanction of the home authorities. Mr. Hickson said that before going into committee on the estimates, it was. desirable that they should be furnished with a detailed account of the " contingencies." His Excellency replied that these should be laid on the table. Mr. Moore thought there was room for further amendment in the amended schedule, he wished to see item by item voted by the Conncil. The Colonial Treasurer then moved that the Council adopt the following address, explaining at the same time his views on the subject, and his objections to the present Education Ordinance. Address of the Legislative Council of New Munster to his Excellency the LieutenantGovernor :—: — The Legislative Council in addressing your Excellency on the subject of the education of the people of this Province and recommending new measures thereupon, are desirous of expressing their deep sense of its importance and the gravity of the responsibility they are thereby incurring, They nevertheless feel it to be their duty to declare their opinion that the system established by the ordinance at present in operation is at variance with the conclusions arrived at by the highest authorities on this matter, and based upon principles directly opposed to those which the widest practical experience of various countries has proved to be correct. The Council allude particularly to the principle adopted in the ordinance, of affording Government assistance solely to sectarian education, excluding therefrom all schools not under the superintendence of the heads of certain religious denominations. The true principle to be observed in the opinion of this Council is, that pecuniary support should be given by Government (to such a degree onlj as not to supersede the necessity of private exertions) to all establishments which confer a religious education, conducted by properly qualified laymen and founded on the broad and simple precepts of Christianity. But influenced by certain considerations connected with the aboriginal population of these islands, and by the possible difficulty of procuring properly qualified lay instructors for the Europeans, the Council restrict themselves at present to a request, that your Excellency will be pleased to introduce a bill declaratory of the great principle above stated, and limiting the bestowal of the public funds to schools founded on the system of " combined literary and separate religious instruction," so long adhered to, so completely tested, and so successfully carried on in England and Ireland by the National Board of Education. They therefore pray that your Excellency will lay on the table an ordinance to restrict the operation of the Education Ordinance, sessipn 8, No. 10, of the Legislative Council of New Zealand to the aboriginal, and to make provision for the religious education of the European population of the Province of New Munster. Colonel M'Cleverty seconded the motion. He thought it was the duty of the State to educate the people to make them good citizens and diminish crime. He thought the Education Ordinance did not attain all the ends required, but as the question of the natives was an important one, he should be sorry to see that ordinance set aside merely because they were opposed to a sectarian form of education amongst the European population. Dr. Greenwood thought they would require time to consider the address before agreeing to it.s Dr. Monro was not prepared to give an opinion, he thought it very, desirable the Council should have,, more tinae. to delibe-

»ate, and therefore proposed that the further •consideration be postponed to that day week. Mr. Seymour seconded the motion, which was agreed to. . His Excellency laid on the table various Statistical Returns. -Also a bill to increase the efficiency of the Constabulary Fo.ce. Mr. Moore then moved the consideration of Mr. Matliieson's memorial, which he warmly advocated. The Lieutenant-Governor was afraid it was quite out of the power of the Government to comply with the memorial, all lands below high water mark being vested in the New Zealand Company to whom application should he nrnde. Dr. Monrosaid he thought an acknowledgment of the Council due to his Excellency for having modified some of the items of the Civil List. He could have wished that his Excellency had gone further and struck out all items not being for the maintenance of the administration of justice, or principal civil officers of the Government. He referred particularly to the Colonial Chaplain, and he would remind his Excellency that in this country there was no State Church, and if the State should assist the church at all it ought to include all denominations. He would withdraw the motion of which he -bad given notice, but must protest against the Colonial Chaplain being placed on the Civjl List. His Excellency said that he considered the Colonial Chaplain to be an officer of the Civil Government, and he could only say the Bishop himself disclaimed all connection with , the State quite as much as any member oi the Council could do. If any future Governor should be a Roman Catholic, or Wesleyan, he might probably appoint a chaplain of one of those denominations, but he himself being a member of the Church of England had considered it his duty to appoint a chaplain of that denomination, especially while more than half the population belonged to the Church of England. M r r, Moore said that he presumed it would be more appropriate to call him chaplain to the Lieutenant- Governor, His Excellency said that would hardly be the case as he had various other duties to perform, such as attendance at the hospital, jail, &c. Dr. Greenwood then gave notice that on Tuesday he should move '■' that the Council receive no petition fer a grant ol public money but such as was recommended by the Lieute-nant-Governor and the Executive Council." On the motion of the Attorney-General the bill to increase the efficiency ci the Constabulary Force was read a first lime, and notice given of the second reading for Friday next. De. Momro proposed to levy a tax upon dogs. Mr. Moore-thought the tax would not ap>ply to dogs belonging to natives, which were more troublesome than those of Europeans. Dr. Greenwood objeclelto the principle of internal taxation being introduced. A select committee was appointed to consider the matter. The Council then adjourned till Tuesday.