SUNDAY SCHOOLS.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 330, 18 December 1860, Page 3

SUNDAY SCHOOLS.

ADDRESS OF A TEACHER TO PARENTS. Nelson, perhaps of all our settlements, 19 well fitted for education, quiet and salubrious, and with a population, many of whom have ever been alive to the advantage of knowledge over ignorance. It is true our first attempts at teaching were humble enough; but this is certain that those first efforts have paved the way for a more extended and liberal mode of tuition. I well remember the first day-school with its half-dozen scholars, and though the system now pursued among us may be imperfect, I cannot but compare the past with the present, and express the pleasure Heel, Knowing that the mean's of secular education are now within the reach of a large portion of our juvenile population. This leads me to regret that our religious training has not kept pace in. proportion to the requirements of the large body of youth growing up among us. I find there is accommodation for a larger number of children in our Sabbath Schools than now attend, with a fair supply of teachers; then why is it, with means at our command, that our classes for religious teaching are bo thinly attended? It is true our country population is scattered; and here then may be a difficulty in the way, but certainly not more than attends a population in many rural districts in England, and especially in Scotland and Wales; and yet we frequently find that, however rude and uneducated, however awkwardly situated, that the parents there are alive to the usefulness and value of religious instruction, many youths thus obtaining the whole of their first lessons secular and religious. I am aware the public are divided into three distinct sections: the first are those who are openly opposed to Christ and his commands, from whom it is natural to expect hatred to Sabbath Schools; the second are those who acknowledge the propriety of directing little children to go unto Christ, but whose lukewarmness prevents them from sending their children to the Bible class; the third are those who profess Christ, and are members of the Christian Church, who ought one and all to strengthen the hands of those who are endeavoring to instil into the youthful pilgrim those two great commandments, love to God and love to man, and an acquaintance with their divine author, and the salvation of their souls. What I now ask of you parents is fill up our classes from your family circles; surely you have choice enough among the schools of the various denominations, and I may here remark that in many of them sectarian teaching is avoided. I have a class in one of these schools, and as far as I have observed sectarianism is not inculcated. But one thing you must bear in mind is,' that however desirous you may be to impart religious instruction to your little ones at home, that your dwellings are generally unfitted to the purpose chiefly from the want of room, and also that most of you are fully occupied without adding to your family duties that of Sabbath School keeping. Don't misunderstand me; lam no enemy to religious teaching at your hearths; no, no, parents can do much there for the cause of Christ, and the youthful Christian; but how few do so, at least religiously; then hesitate no longer, but trust, if it be but for a trial, as many of your little ones as you can spare. lam earnest, having known so much good result from Sabbath teaching, and why should not your children also be benefited ? Consider for a moment that much of the occupation of youth in this country allows time for reflection, and that the restraining influence of society here is not so powerful as in the Old Country, therefore we should not lose the opportunity of implanting in our children the principles of eternal Truth and Love, that even supposing they for many years forget themselves and religion they may during their solitary musings remember some one of their early lessons, and finally return from their wanderings to their Father's House and settle down as pious Christians, saved by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who blest the means employed in Sabbath Schools.

UNION BANK OF AUSTRALIA. Statement of the average amount of Liabilities and Assets of the Union Bank of Australia, within the Colony of New Zealand, during the Quarter ended 30th September, 1860. LIABILITIES. £ s. d. £ c, d. Notes in circulation. . 103,353 6 9 Bills in circulation . 44,171 5 8 Balances due to other banks . . . Government Deposits 47,663 7 5 Other deposits Not bearing interest 216,629 8 6 Bearing interest . 290,908 14 5 555,20110 4 Total Average Liabilities ... 702,726 2 9 ASSETS. ■ £ b. d. £ h. d. Coined gold and sil* ver and other coined ; ■ metal . . . 139,791 11 3 Gold and silv«r in. bullion and bars . 2,074 3 8 Notes and bills of other banks . . 4,939 9 7 Balances due from " other banks . . ■ .: Landed property . 16,817 13 8 Amount of all other aecuritiesi— 1. Notes and bills discounted . 495,374 3 4 . 2. Colonial government securities . 8. Other funded securities . . 4. Debts due to the bank (exclusive of debts abandoned as bad) . . 123,604 15 6 5. Securities notincluded under the above heads . 6,649 6 2 - 625,628 5 0 Total average Assets £788,751 3 2 Amount of the Capital Stock paid up at the close of the Quarter ended 30th June, 1860. . . .1,000,000 0 0 Bate of the last dividend declared to the shareholders (per cent per annum) . . . . . . 14 0 0 Amount of the last Dividend declared . . . 70,000 0 0 Amount of the Reserved Profits at the time of declaring such Dividend 284,540 2 4 J. C. Raymond, Inspector, New Zealand. J. Lswia Coster, Accountant. Dated at Auckland, this 29th day of October, 1860. Wto iSwfaai (footfe, November IX