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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5144, 18 September 1877, Page 2

While the House was in committee yesterday on the Education Bill, the clauses relating to the levying and collecting of the capitation fees were discussed from every conceivable standpoint. Mr. H. H. Lusk, whoso specialty appears to bo Education Bills and school rates, felt for a while quite iu his element, although he appeared more like a fish out of water before the debate was finished. He was understood to affirm that the objections to the school tax on the grounds of conscience had very little to do with tho matter at all. The debate gradually wore on to the difficulty experienced in collecting the education rate in Auckland, where £1507 was expended by tho Education Board there in law charges for collecting a sum of £1037. Mr. Macfarlaue certainly seemed to think that if the “ conscientious ” element had played a more important part in the management of the Auckland school rates, it would have proved at all events more beneficial to the School Board. Mr. Macfarlaue said in effect that so soon as Mr. 11. H. Lusk became Chairman of the Board, it was immediately found expedient to employ the aid of lawyers In collecting the rates, and the firm that had the very onerous duties to perform'had tho hon. member for Franklin (Mr. H. 11. Lusk) for one of its “shining lights.” Naturally enough, Mr. Lusk did not like the remarks that had fallen from Mr. Macfarlaue, and ha explained that the onus of the legal part of the business had rested entirely with the. late Superintendent of the province. It was a pleasing sight to note how the lawyers rushed to tho rescue as they beheld their brother about to be down-trodden. Mr. Mnrfarlane was asked to withdraw his words and frankly admit “ that he had made a mistake;" but somehow Mr. Macfarlaue appeared, metaphorically speaking, to look through the big end of the telescope, and not inclined to accept

the legal advice on that occasion gratuitously offered. Mr. Sheehan urged the lion, member to retract. But no ; Mr.'Macfarlaiie appealed to that new weapon of parliamentary attack, and referred significantly to certain letters he had in'his possession ■on the subject. The finale was that Mr. Sheehan and Mr. Macfarlane disappeared, unobtrusively and ..simultaneously, from the House by different routes, ho doubt to meet ‘ again and quietly con the epistles that hung, like the sword of Damocles, over the great Education Bill legislator of Auckland.

The public do not take much interest in newspaper squabbles, so we do not intend to enter into one with the Post. But we may point out to that paper that it should not be so economical of the truth. It has been put into electric communication with the Press Agency office, so that on the arrival of a telegram a bell may be rung in the Evening Post office. The New Zealand Times has a special wire to the Telegraph Office itself, by which it is signalled when telegrams arrive, and by which it is connected with any part of the colony at a moment’s notice when it is desirable that a message should be taken off in the Times Office. Our readers may remember that when Mr. Stafford spoke at Timaru, his speech was telegraphed to and taken off at the Times Office. The Post, with a true spirit of enterprise, has only gone so far as the bell-ringing part of the arrangement, and thereby saves £5 a year, a matter of importance no doubt. In couuectiou with this matter, we may as well mentiou that the Post has explained how it came about that it had a telegram announcing the fall of Plevna though Plevna had not fallen. Its special correspondent was on the fatal field of the 11th September with the Russians. He was also amongst the killed and wounded. One half of him was killed and the other half wounded. Being an Irishman he was privileged to have three halves, and the third dragged itself one hundred miles to the nearest telegraph office, and sent the message which created so much discussion. Time and space were annihilated, . and the telegram reached London six hours before it was despatched, which enabled some one in London to send it out here twenty-four hours before it was written: ■We trust the Post will accept our insertion of .its explanation in the kindly spirit in which ■it is meant. As a threat has been freely made, however, of bringing an action to recover £SOO damages from anyone who doubts the accuracy of the Post’s “special cable war news,” we may as well at once say that our opinion of that news is the same as a forcibly expressed opinion put into his heroine Mliss’s mouth by Bret Harte.