BIBLE-READING IN SCHOOLS AN ELECTION MANIFESTO.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 216, 20 August 1887, Page 3

BIBLE-READING IN SCHOOLS AN ELECTION MANIFESTO.

Thk following manifesto has been issued, addressed " to the electors of New Zealand " :— -" The provision in the Education Act, 1877, which prohibits the reading of the Bible in the pubpublic schools is, in our opinion, a stain' on a community professing to be Christians. ICHoits have bean made in noaily every session of Parliament since 1877 to restore the Bible to its proper place in schools, but so far without success. When it is considered that to a large majority— to nearly eight-tenths — of the population of the Colony, the Bible is an open book, regarded as the only standard of faith anil morals, its con tinued exclusion from the schools can be accounted for only on the supposition that a considerable suction of the community has not given the question the serious consideration which its importance demands. In the meantime the children are debarred from its use in the schools, the schools, the only place in which many of them can have an opportunity of reading and bojoming familiar with its promises and its precepts Tim 1 Christian community has the remedy under its own contiol byta'uiii^ heel that at the Ge leral Election now im pending t.ie electors should be largely influenced in their selection of a candidate for a seat in the General A^e-übly

;by tho support which lie will undertake ;t>#ive to a nieusu.ie which shall provide for sin alteration in the law, so that the j Hible mny be I'ead daily by the scholars ;iu tho public schools, under the pro- , visions of a time table and a conscience clause. — Signed by J. A. D Menzie*, M.L.C. M.tthow ilolme^ M.L.C., De Kmiz'o Brett, M.L.C, 'Henry Cluvin'KM Ilin, M.L.C, J. W. Barnicoaf, M.LO., 11. WillinniH, M.L (J., W. IVtor, M.LC, 'Jl.J 1 . Fmser, M.1i.C.,.J J3 t ir(on Arliind iM-LC, W. 1). l[. Jtyilljo, M L (J., William Robinsoi), M.L.C, .J. A. B.nisir, M L.C., \V. Downio >Sk'\Vii«t, M.H.U., .John Mfl^Mivsi* 1 , M.II li., James K'nlton, M.H.U., (Jutli biM't Cowan, At. U.K., Uidiard Tiinibull,' M.IILI, A. 11. Koss, M.11.U,, J II; Suiter, M.11.1i."

Tli. 1 * Following circular has boon is<m»d by fclio I3i bio- in- Schools Association in, Dunedin : " The Council of t lit* Bible in Schools Association of Otago, in view of the nppioaching election, desire to dr.vw tho earnest attention to tho electors to the following con«ideiations : " I. The gnwl majority of the parents throughout Now Zealand are m favor of Bible-read ing in the public schools, as shown by those facts : (1) [a reply to a ciieular «?en t in 188 L to all the parents, of tho school children thioughout Ou^o, -1C74, roprosonting ovor 11,000 children, deelaied themselves in favor of, and (502, representing l(>00 children, were against it, or nearly eit^ht to one. (2) In South Caiitorbmy, after exact inqu'uy, there was a still larger proportion — about nine to one. (3) In Nelson apersonal canvass was made, when it was found that ninetenths of tho people wore opposed to tho secularising of tho Act. " 11. Tho exclusion of tho Bible from the public Schools was from the first contiary to tho desire of the people oi the Colony. Tho Education Bill, when originally introduced, contained a clause providing for daily reading of the Bible in tho schools which met with goner. l approval, but by a surprise vote the clause was struck out. " 111. During every session since 1L77, innumerable petitions fiom all parts of tlie Colony have been presented to Parliament, domanling the reinstatement of the original clause," but hitherto without avail. <l IV. Tue Council therefore urge upon the olectois to gives peeial p'oininence to this question at the approaching elect on, and to use their utmost influence with candidates to obtain their promise of support to an amendment of the Act, onpoweiing local committee* throughout, tin 1 Colo'iy to secure tlio daily reading of the 13uile in tho schools, with the provision of a con^cie.icc clause and liine;.able. " Signed mi be'ialf of tlie Council, '' Fi. ii. C AC.au. l, Pi evident ; " D. Wi.KJirr, lion. Sec."

When looking out for £reafc opportunities wo arc apt to let little ones slip through our grasp. The entire Sciipturcs contain 2,775,269 ems in cliunond, and 2,807,840 ems in nonpareil. It would take a printer a year and a half to put the Scriptures in type at the r.ite of 5000 ems per day. Tho quantity of metal required in nonpareil would be about 65001b, in bourgois 13,000 lb. and in pica 26,0001b. There appears to be a popular fallacy amongst tradesman, that they aro entitled to ch.itge interest on overdue accounts, whether the debtor be a consenting put y or not. In a recent case in the locitl Court, the Resident Magistrate disallowed a claim for interest, the defendant not being a consenting party ; ami in tho R.^l. Court at Wellington, rocently, Mr Wardell in a claim of this character, said: *jl cannot allosv that claitn for interest unless I am satitjlied'byevidence that the defendant agreed to pay it," The plaintiff stated it was on the top of his, billheads that interest would ho charged, but as his Worship did not regard, this a,a an agreement on the part of defendant to p.iy, the itqin was struck out. ' ' ' '' ' t Pirpt , Way f aver.— " Woll, but if you're a Publjn, man, how came you to be born in 'Coik V' r Second ditto.— '"Shuic, ii wfas ,ju6t>this : I was staying there at \ha toin'jc, t