BLUE SPUR SCHOOL MEETING.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 209, 1 February 1872, Page 6

BLUE SPUR SCHOOL MEETING.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, — On reading your correspondent's report of the meeting for the election of a committee for the Blue Spur School, which appeared in your issue of the ISth ult., I am led to the conclusion that he must have been present thereat. The report contains more venom and falsehoods than I can stand. In the first place, he says that " the public were kept waiting for the bright presence of the chairman and secretary to dawn upon them." The facts of the case really are, that a sufficient number of persons to form a committee not having gathered at the time the meeting was convened, it was thought advisable to wait, to allow the number present to increase. When the election took place, there were only two over and above those elected present. Tour correspondent might have stated, as a reason for the delay in starting, that there was a funeral on the same afternoon, and had your correspoudent attended it he might not have been so punctual. With regard to his remarks on the chairman of the committee taking the chair at the public meeting witbout being voted thereto, they only show that your correspondent is lamentably ignorant in what he attempts to criticise. The chairman of any committee is in duty bound to give a financial statement during, his term of office, and when he has completed the business he asks the meeting to elect a chairman to conduct the election, which was done in this case — a proposition that the retiring chairman retain the chair being carried. Your correspondent states that " the committee have been careful to spend nothing, and very judiciously allowed the children to attend the. school and pay the fees to the teacher, but still the sum. of £19 some odd shillings, due to the teacher by a former committee, might have been paid had the teacher assisted in getting up some entertainment, under the direction of the committee." Such spleen as this would tend to cool down any committee, as it is not truth, and if your correspondent writes .it as truth, '•' he deceives himself, and the truth is not in him." The chairman stated distinctly at the meeting, " Had the teacher made himself popular, and exercised his influence in getting up entertainments, the debt might have been removed long before." The chairman referred to the secretory, but for some reason or other, beat known to himself, your correspondent omits the facts. The chairman said the secretary deserved a vote of thanks for the honest and straightforward manner in which he performed his duties during the last .twelve months. A knowing individual suggested that the vote of than' s ought to come from the committee, and not the public. The chairman very wisely overruled this knowing one, by saying the secretary had performed a duty on behalf of the public, therefore a vote of thanks should come therefrom, and not from the committee. Said vote of thanks was proposed and carried, but not in the same view as your correspondent expresses it. Tour correspondent gives but a very faint gleam of what took place at the committee meeting. In devising ways and means to remove the debt now owiug to the teacher, one or two of the recently elected gentlemen said they would assist in getting up lectures, if lecturers could be obtained ; but anything inconsistent with their profession they could not consent to. The profession so-called means Christianity — What Carlyle calls redtapeanity, which means, I apprehend, churchanity. Tour correspondent states that from the energetic manner in which the new committee have, entered upon their duties, their conduct is likely to favourably compare with the past, and it will afford no small degree of satisfaction to the public that a change has taken place. I may inform your correspondent, without fear qf contradiction, that the public are perfectly satisfied with the conduct of the past committee. They left a groundwork of £14 in the hands Qf the secretary. They have also secured the services, of a qualified female assjstan't teacher, which will tend to; strengthen the new cqmmit^ee in their duties. — I am, &c\,

. . T. P. Morris, Secretary, Blue Spur School,

GENERAL GOVERNMENT IMMIGRATION REGULATIONS.

The following regulations for the introduction of immigrants, into New Zealand, in the nomination of persons resident in the Colony, have been framed by the General Government.

1. Each applicant will be required to pay, at the time of making the application, the sum of £5 for each adult (except single women) and £2 10s. for each child between the ages of one and twelve years, whom it is desirous to have introduced into^the Colony. Infants in arms, under one year, free. This rate being only for the ship passage from London (or such other port as the ship may sail from) to the Colony, the cost of reaching such poit of sailing in Europe and proceeding up the country to their friends after arrival in the Colony, will have to be defrayed by the Emigrants themselves.

2. Free passages will be granted to single women between the ages of 12 and 35, provided they are able to produce >• proof of good character to the satisfaction of the Agent-General in London.

4 In the event of any Emigrants applied for declining to emigrate, whatever money may have been deposited with the Government will be returned to the applicants so soon as the Agent-General in England shall have apprised the Government thereof ; but in the event of any Emigrants applied for accepting the offer of a passage in a particular ship, and so, by failing to present themselves for embarkation at the time a*fd port appointed by the Agent-General in England, or the sailing of such ship, be left behind, the passage money and passage will be forfeited.

4. Applicants in the Colony, when writing for whose passages they have applied, should distinctly inform them that no part of the passage money paid in the Colony will be returned, if they omit to write to the Agent-Gen-eral in London, telling him that they decline the passages offered to them.

5. The address of the AgentGeneral in London is as follows :—: — The Agent-General of New Zealand, 7 Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, S.W., London.

6. All the ships employed in this service will be under the provisions of the " Passenger Act."

7. Notwithstanding anything herein to. the contrary, the Agent-General in London will have power to refuse passages where the intending Emigrants are in ill health, or in any way unfitted, according to his judgment, to undertake the voyage. 8. Forms of" application may be obtained at any Post Office in the Colony, but passage moneys can only be paid at any Money Order Post Office in the Colony.

J. D. Obmond.

Public Works Office, Wellington, New Zealand, 3rd January, 1872. N.B. — The Agent-General writes from London, that before embarkation every single woman will be required to pay 255., and every other adult 20s. (and children in proportion), for bedding, blankets, and mess utensils.