Thursday, 16th May.

Southland Times, Issue 1581, 21 May 1872, Page 3

Thursday, 16th May.

Mr Hickcy moved—"That, in the opinion of this Council, the G-old Export Duty should be reduced at the rate of 6d per ounce each year until such duty is entirely abolished." Mr Reid—Although the Council was perhaps prepared to admit that some hardship was sustained in connection with this matter, and although the duty might interfere to some extent with the development of the auriferous resources of the country, he did not think honorable members would advocate that it should be altogether abolished. He moved, as an amendment, " That all the words in the motion after the word ' reduced' be struck out." All they could do wa3 to intimate to the General Assembly that they were willing there should be a reduction. He thought that if the honorable member, Mr Hickey, accepted the amendment, he would accomplish all he desired. Mr Reid's amendment was carried. On the motion of Mr G. F. C. Browne, the amendment was amended by adding the words —" And that an .address be presented to His Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to forward this resolution to the General Assembly." The Hon. Dr Menzies moved—" That an address be presented to His Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to place £100 on the Estimates for the purpose of exploring and marking a road from Mavora Lakes to the Hollyford River." Motion carried. The education debate was resumed on the following amendment by the Hon. Mr Holmes:—"That the following words be added —" Recognises the right of all classes in the community to participate in the grant for Educational purposes, and the Council is of opinion that this can be secured only by the adoption of a purelv National Non-sectarian system of Education.' " After observations from Mr Tolmie, in favor of the secular system, Mr Green said he wanted the Council to decide definitely whether there should be a denominational or a secular system of education. He moved the following amendment:—"Recognises the right of all classes of the community being placed on an equal footing aud participating equally in the advantages of the public schools, and is further of opinion that this can only be secured by the adoption of a purely secular system of education." Those gentlemen who voted against his amendment would not be in favor of a secular system of education. It would be known that they were the parties who wanted something else, but had not the courage to say so. Mr G. E. C. Browne proposed that the following words should be added to Mr Green's amendment :—" From which the reading of the Bible and Scriptural instruction should be excluded." Mr Green said he bad no objection to the words being added, it being considered that the matter would then be placed beyond doubt. The words were accordingly added. Mr Lumsden said that for the sake of peace and harmony he would go the J length of excluding the Bible from our National Schools ; nor did he think that in doing so he would be injuring the cause of religion, for he believed that religious matters would be much better attended to by people outside the schools. Mr Macassey said that no doubt the amendment of the honorable member for Blueskin (Mr Green) would bring members face to face with the real difficulty. It had had the effect of eliciting from the Government a very tardy avowal of their opinions. The position which they took up was nothing more than this—that the educational establishments of tbe Province should remain in statu quo. He should support the amendment of the honorable member for Biueskin simply because it was a clear and intelligible statement of an intelligible principle. If that amendment were carried, our schools would acquire a fixed character ; the Bible being excluded, and Scriptural teaching excluded, the education imparted would be purely secular. That was the reason why he intended to support the amendment; not that he approved of it at all. Mr M'Arthur said that they had been told that Dr Moran, whether the reading of the Bible in schools was continued or not, would have nothing to do with the matter unless they submitted to his mode of teaching, or accepted the Denominational system. Therefore they were

1 wasting time in endeavoring to reconcile what was positively irreconcileable. Mr Armstrong, who said he wished to throw oil on the troubled waters, gave notice of his desire to move an amendment to the following effect: — "That this Council recognises the right of all classes of the community to be placed on an equal footing, participating equally in the advantage of our public schools." Mr Green's amendment was lost, by 23 votes to 15. Mr Cutten then moved the following amendment : — " That this Council is of opinion that the Education Ordinance of Otago has worked satisfactorily in the past, and regrets that any section of the community should refuse to avail itself of the provisions of that Ordinance; but in order to remove any objection to a general system of education, resolves that any Colonial or National plan of , education will not be satisfactory unless the teaching be of a purely unsectarian character." Mr Macassey gave his reasons for asking those members who voted for Mr Green's amendment to vote as one man against that proposed by Mr Cutten. After several other honorable members had addressed the Council, Mr Cutten's amendment was then put, as against the Hon. Mr Holmes's. On a division being called for, Mr Cntfcen's amendment was carried by 19 votes against 17. The amendment, moved by MrCntten, was then formally put, and substituted for Mr Macassey's original motion.