THURSDAY, JULY 3.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 284, 10 July 1873, Page 7

THURSDAY, JULY 3.

QUESTIONS.

The Executive, in answer to questions, stated that the motion given notice of that afternoon by the Provincial Secretary practically replied to the question whether it was intended by Government to submit any resolution reg meting the obtaining of a royal charter for the tago University, or some University other than the New Zealand University.— That the Government had in preparation a Bill to regulate the weight of load which horse and bullock waggons and drays should be allowed to carry in future on the public roads of the Province ; and it would be laid on the table the next day. — That the whole of the money available for the purpose of effecting repairs on the main road from Invercargill to Dacre had been expended for maintenance. It was perfectly correct that a report came in from the district engineer about four months ago, when the road was in a good state of repair, which remark applied to most roads in the Province at that particular season of the year. This was not an isolated case; for there were close upon a thousand miles of roads in the Province in as bad a condition as the one referred to. It was, however, the intention of the Government to place a sum on the Estimates for its improvement.— The Government had had the question of fencing the Bluff and Invercargill line of railway several times under consideration. The petition from sixty-four owners and occupiers of land traversed by the railway had been received, and referred to Invercargill, to get an estimate of what the cost of fencing-in the railway would be. The return came back that day, and showed that it would cost L 3.000 or L 4,000. The Government, therefore, would have to consider the matter further before they made up their minds. If they had to fence-in all the tramways and light railroads it was proposed to make, it would require more money than the Provincial Government could furnish; and it was a question whether it was desirable to fence-in these railroads, seeing the slow rate at which trains would travel. The Government would be prepared to give a definite answer on a future occasion as to what they would do in regard to fencing these railways.— That the span of the Kaikorai bridge was found to be insufficient to carry off the water,- and it was enlarged by arrangement, the contractor getting paid according to a schedule of prices which he got for the other work.* The engineer informed the Government that it was an urgent case.— Tha Government were fully aware of the bad state of the roads through the town of Oamaru, and of that between the township and landing place, and had made provision on the Estimates to remedy the grievance.— The Government intended to vest the Franktown racecourse in trustees, as requested by the Wakatip Jockey Club. — The Government had received the report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the best method of utilising the Wakatip depasturing district; but had not been able up to the present time, in consequence of the conflicting evidence, to make up their minds on the subject, which was still under consideration. — The Government were obliged to the member for Dunedin (Mr Fish) for bringing forward the matter of the present Ordinance relating to the storage of kerosene in the City, which had been declared ultra vires by the Supreme Court, and would be happy to receive his opinion thereon in a day or two. — The Government did not feel disposed to lay on the table a report presented to the Provincial Treasurer by George Lumb, revenue officer, referring- to a sly grog case heard in the City Police Court, aiid the conduct of a certain solicitor therewith. It would serve no public purpose, the gist of it being an attack upon the character of a certain solicitor; but if any hon. member wished to see the document, he could do so at the Treasury.— The whole of the papers connected with the Cardrona arbitratio-i case between Cottar and others, were in the hands of the Warden at Arrow, who had been telegraphed to to forward

them immediately, and the Government ex pected to be able to lay them on the table on Monday or Tuesday. — The Government fully recognised the necessity that existed at Cromwell for commonage, and had placed L 2,000 on the Estimates to compensate the squatters in connection with the matter, which was all they felt justified in allocating at the present time. LAND IN SOUTHLAND. Mr Lumsden obtained the suspension of the Standing Orders to move the following urgent resolution: — "That doubts having been expressed as to the power of this Council, with the concurrence of the Superintendent, to reserve 200,000 acres of land in the Southland district, under the 16th clause of the Southland Waste Lands Act, 1865,' as proposed in a resolution adopted by the Council yesterday, this Council resolves that, in the event of the Superintendent being unable, under the said Act, to reserve the said land, he be requested to purchase 200,000 acres of the best agricultural land on behalf of the Province, in blocks of such size as may be available for the purpose of settlement, the same being disposed of from time to time, for occupation, under the plan of deferred payments only ; and this Council pledges itself to indemnify the Government, and make good such purchase by the appropriation of a sum sufficient to cover the cost thereof." The motion was moved forward to stop the wholesale disposal, or rather waste of land going on in Southland. During the last fourteen months, 210,000 acres had been disposed of. On Friday last he received information that 14,000 acres more had been taken up, and that afternoon he had received a telegram that 31,000 acres had been taken up at the Waste Land Board meeting at Invercargill yesterday. If the land Avas to continue to slip away before their eyes in the manner it was going, there soon would not be an acre in the Province available for settlement. If the motion were adopted, he hoped the telegraph would be put in motion to stop the sales, until 200,000 of the best land in the Province had been secured for bonafidt settlement. After some remarks by Mr Daniel, who seconded the motion, and Mr Shand, The Provincial Secretary intimated that the Government had been advised that the first and second resolutions previously moved by the hon. member for Invercargill, were illegal ; but with the third they entirely agreed. Mr Stout said the Government were placing themselves in an awkward position. If they desired to protect the land from capitalists, they should bring forward some resolutions; instead of which they allowed an illegal resolution to be passed, and allowed another to be discussed without themselves giving any expression of opinion upon it. Mr Oliver advised the Government to take a decided stand, and induce the member for the Taieri to bring in his vote cf want of confidence at once, so that the Government might understand their position and strength, and the Council be placed in a better position, instead of floating without rudder or guide. Mr Reid supported the motion regarding the proposal as temporary, owing to the exceptional circumstances in which they were placed in regard to this land. The Goldfields Secretary said that so far as he was individually concerned, he was pre pared, as were the Government, to support the motion, and to do anything to prevent the wholesale alienation of land in Southland. It was the wish of the Superintendent to stop these sales, and upon communicating with the Attorney-General, the Government received a definite reply that the Superintendent had not power to do so. If these resolutions would meet the case, he thought the Council would be justified in overstepping the law to some extent, in order to stop the sale of this land. Dr Webster and Mr Wood supported the resolutions. Major Richardson suggested that the price should be L 5 per acre, and after the point had been further discussed, the suggestion was adopted, the Provincial Solicitor moving the motion to that effect. GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT. Dr Webster moved—" That in the opinion of this Council no member of the Legislative Council or of the General Assembly, excepting his Honor the Superintendent, should be a member of the Provincial Executive, and that the Executive Council Ordinance should be amendecVto that effect. " The motion was seconded by Mr Shand, and supported by the Hon. Mr M'Lean and the Provincial Secretary. Mr Haggitt spoke in opposition to the motion. He could not see why the Council should by Ordinance deprive itself of the services of gentlemen who are useful in the Council, simply because they held seats in another House. It did not seem to him that it was any detriment to these gentlemen that they possessed the confidence of two constituencies at one ai)d the same time. The proposal, if given effect to, would virtually amount to this: the Province, so far as the officers of its Government are concerned, would be, practically speaking, unrepresented in the Assembly, a circumstance which he would very much regret. Major Richardson, Hon. Dr Menzies, and Mr Reid also spoke in opposition to the motion, after which the motion was adjourned. DEFERRED PAYMENT SYSTEM. The debate on Mr Shand's resolutions was resumed by the Hon. Major Richardson, who spoke to them at some length. Mr Shand replied, after which the resolutions were put and carried. SECOND READINGS. On the motion of the Provincial Solicitor, the following Bills were read a second time, and appointed to be considered in Committee on Tuesday next : — Invercargill Hospital Reserve Management, Invercargill Racecourse Reserve Management, Education Reserves Management and Leasing, Education Reserves Management and Leasing (No. 2), Winton Racecourse Reserve Management. PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVES IN THE ASSEMBLY. The adjourned debate on Dr Webster's motion was resumed. Mr M'Dermid simply said he should vote against the motion. Dr Webster, in reply, said such strong opinions had been expressed in opposition to his proposal, that he should be inclined to alter it, so far as to saying the majority of the Executive should remain in Dunedin during the session of the General Assembly. In regard to the objection that the country, by the adoption of his motion, would be deprived of the assistance of able men, he was of opinion that there were sufficient men of ability in the Colony to choose representatives from, both for the Provincial Councils and House of Representatives. He thought his views were probably more progressive than those of Dr Menzies and others who opposed them, and although the majority in Dunedin did not seem to coincide with them, they were firmly held by most of the electors in the outlying districts. Although he was told the plan would not work, a different opinion was held in Canterbury, for there was not one of the Executive of that Province who held a seat in the House of Representatives. The Council divided — Ayes 13 — Messrs Bastings, G. F. C. Browne, R. Clarke, Cumming, Daniel, M'Glashan, M'Lean, Roberts, Rogers, Tolmie, Turton, Tumbull (teller), Webster (teller). Noes 25 — Messrs Allan, Bathgate, J.C.Brown, H. Clark, De Lautour. Fish, Green, Haggitt, Hallenstein, Hazlett, Kinross, Lumsden (teller), Menzies, Mollison (teller )),M'Dermid, M'Kellar, M'Kenzie, M'Neil, Oliver, Reid, Reynolds, Hon. Major Richardson, Stout, Wilson, Wood. DUNEDIN BESERVES. The debate on the Danedin Reserves Management Bill, which proposed to give the Corporation power to lease a recreation reserve situate at the head of Stuart street, contiguous to the Middle District School, was resumed. The Provincial Secretary explained that he found that action must be taken in the General^ Assembly, and even there complications might arise. The Bill was accordingly withdrawn. WANT OF CONFIDENCE. The Provincial Solicitor having stated that the Government declined to go on with any further business until Mr Shand's motion was disposed of, a discussion ensued, in the course of which Mr Stout and Mr Reid urged that the member for the Taieri could not be forced to go on with his motion ; and Mr Reynolds, Mr Turnbull, and the Hon. Major Richardson contended that the course taken by the Qoyernment was perfectly proper under (

he circumstances. The motion to proceed to motion No. 25 (Mr Shand's) having been carried on the voices, Mr Shand rose and said that he believed the action he was taking did not please his party, but he did not caie. He moved this vote of want of confidence in the Tolmie Government because they were not the advocates of true progress. He would take that reason first. He was as much opposed to the Tolmie Government last session as he was now, and when he contested the Taieri election, when he told the electors that he had no confidence in the head of the Government. He went on to say thnt Avhen he was temporarily in the Government, with Mr Cutten as Treasurer and Mr Turnbull as Superintendent, they had never had a single disagreement, and that the latter had said they could dispense with those who were in Wellington altogether, and were quite prepared to carry on the work themselves.— (Laughter.) But things had changed during the election. He respected Mr Turnbull as a representative of the commercial interests — he was a good reprej sentative of that class, but he had allowed ! himself to become the dupe of the member at the head of the Executive.— (Loud laughter.) He would give his reasons why the member at the head of the Government had Buch a liking for him (Mr Tolmie). He (Mr Tolmie) was acting as deputy-Superintendent ,of the Province, and he and Mr Cutten were members of the Government. Mr Tolmie, for Mr Logan, made an application on July 30, 1872, for some land. He had Mr Logan in an ante-room, with his plam prepared and a report by his own surveyors, Messrs Connell and Moodie. Mr Cutten remarked that it was an important matter, and they ought to have the report of the surveyors who wore responsible to Government. He (Mr Shand) agreed with Mr Cutten ; but did more than that. He telegraphed to Mr Reid at Wellington, asking Mr Reid what was to be done in the matter, and Mr Reid telegraphed back : " Don't sell any more blocks until our return." He (Mr Shand) acted on that advice, and declined Mr Logan's application. He (Mr Shand) took this credit upon himself : though he did not please Mr Tolmie, he did not endanger his colleagues in any way I during the time he was acting in their places. j Then what did Mr Tolmie do ? As soon as he , got his friends into power, Mr Logan's application was again made at the proper place, and through the proper channel, in December 1872, and it was granted. Was there any reason for selling that land at 16s 6d per acre ? He (Mr Shand) said there was not. There had been an income coming in from the Province of Southland, but he did not know what was being done with the money. Mr Tolmie The Provincial Solicitor rose to a point of order. The member for the Taieri was constantly speaking of Mr Tolmie when he should address him as member for the Peninsula ; and as a new member he condemned the personal and offensive tone introduced, which only led to the business being delayed. The Speaker : I was not paying any attention to what the lion, member for the Tftieri was saying.— (Laughter.) But the hon. member should not introduce personalities, and must address the hon. member at the head of the Government as the member for the Peninsula. Mr Shand admitted that he was quite guilty of what had been objected to, which arose from his not being considerate enough, but he would try and amend his practice. — (Laughter.) He went on to say that possibly the sale to Mr Logan was made because Strath Taieri happened to be part of the Taieri electoral district, which returned three members who were rather dangerous, and always voted one way ; or, perhaps for another reason : Mr Logan is a constituent of Messrs Cargill and M'Lean, and — The Provincial Secretary : I must rise to a point of order. It is really too bad that the private affairs of any member of this Council should be dragged into this debate.— (Hear.) I distinctly deny that Mr Logan is in any way connected with Messrs Cargill and M'Lean: he is the constituent of another firm in Dunedin. —(Hear.) Mr Shand withdrew the statement. Before the Council broke up last session, he (Mr Shand) said it was highly indiscreet that Mr Tolmie should be leader of the Government or have a seat on the Waste Land Board ; and he gave his reasons for that opinion, which had not changed one iota. He also had an objection to the hon. member having a seat on the Waste Land Board, because he and Mr Turnbull had on every occasion been opposed to the liberal land act the Council had paßsed, and had now taken upon themselves to be administrators of it." The member for the Peninsula was highly indiscreet in coming down to the new Council after having filled up a vacancy on the Waste Land Board. As a matter of courtesy to the neAv Council, it should have been left in the hands of the Council ; and the hon. member should have seen who the Government were before he filled up the vacant seat. Then, there was the matter that he had referred to in the afternoon in reference to land sales in Invercargill, and he was not going to retire from his position on that question one iota. In December, 1872, a telegram was sent by the Government to reserve two miles ot land along the line of the Winton Railway. On April 16 Mr Webster, a runholder in Southland, made application for some of that land ; he appointed a solicitor, who forced his claim upon the Board, and it was granted. When he found Mr Webster, a runholder, had got 2,000 acres granted to him, he thought he (Mr Shand) was entitled to 2,000 acres too, and he made application for it. He had not time to stay in invercargill, however, and he got his brother to attend the next meeting of the Waste Land Board while he (Mr Shand) stayed in Dunedin, and shortly after he received a telegram which stated that his application had been refused. He showed that telegram to his lawyer, Mr Stout ; he showed it to Mr Bradshaw, and he showed it to the Superintendent the next morning, and asked him if it was fair that a runholder should be able to get land from the Waste Land Board and he should not. The Superintendent, as he had said before, was very courteous, and said it was not right that the Board should grant an application for land in one case and refuse to do so in another. Well, the upshot of the matter was that next day his application was granted. Looking at these things, had he not a right to say that there was something radically wrong in the Waste Land Board of the Province ? It could hardly be denied that there was, and he would ask the Government to refute these charges at the conclusion of his speech. The Government had said that they did not wish for any further adjournment. They were beginning to see that they must fight to ascertain whether they had the strength to carry on or not. Mr Tolmie had said that he did not intend to hold his seat in the Government or on the Waste Land Board, but it was due to the new Council that he should have informed members who was to be the member to succeed him. They had a right to know who was to be the leader of the Government, and before he would vote one sixpence for the purpose of carrying on the Government, he would know who the gentlemen were who were to sit on the Government benches, when the present Executive, or any part of it, left office. It should not be cast in his teeth as it was cast in the teeth of the country members during the late elections, that they could not do without their honorarium. He could do without his honorarium altogetherforthatroatter.buthe thought he was quite as much entitled to it as the members of the Government, who sat day after day ' during tb c late session m oving ad j ournments were to their salaries, and when he got it he would very likely give it to the Benevolent Institution. He would next advert to the manner in which the present Government had administered the waste lands of the Crown. They had had six month's trial in the administration of the Waste Lands Regulations, and they did not yet know how to administer them properly. There was a reference to be found in his Honor's address to the making of a railway between Mataura and Balclutha, in which it was proposed to make a railway in an indirect way ; but he would tell the Government that as long as he held a seat in the Council he should insist that all the railways should be thrown open to fair competition. The next matter he would refer to was one for the Goldfields members to consider, and he would ask them to express their opinion as to whether they considered the Maerewhenua goldfields sale a creditable thing to do, after the resolution which the Council passed on the previous day, expressly recommending that the land should not Be sold. All he wanted was fair play; and though he might not be able to express himself very grammatically, the Taieri electors understood him much better than the Dunedin elecI tors understood Mr Fish, who bad takea him

to task on the previous day. He should not say much in regard to Mr Turnbull. He was a splendid representative of the mercantile class ; but, since September 12, he had been led away by the hon. member at the head of the Government. That hon. member, when addressing the Dunedin electors, said the other members of the Reid Government were incapable of doing the business while the heads were in Wellington. Did the hon. member mean him (Mr Shand) ? if so, he was quite willing to speak ( for himself. ! The Provincial Treasurer was understood to say that he was prepared at the proper time to prove what he said. Mr Shand would prove that the Government, while he was in it, had not allowed one single thing to get behind, so far as the engineers were concerned. He could appeal to the members for Oamaru town and Waitaki to say that he had written to them refusing to enter into contract until the proper time for spending the money had arrived. He challenged any district to say that as much money had been spent in them by the present Government as during the few months he held office. — (Cries of " No.") Well, he had moved for a return ot the moneys spent by the Reid and Tolmie Governments, and that would show how the thing stood. He wished to refer to the Minister for Justice The Speaker called the hon. member to order. Mr Shand would merely observe that hon. member would, no doubt, like to get a piece of land to sell. He had had several i pieces during the last four years, but could not manage them when he had them. — (Laughter.) To recur to his resolutions : he should leave them in the hands of members, to deal with as they liked. He did not consult his party, and therefore it might be indiscreet on his part to have brought it forward. He contended that the words " incompetent and incapable" were the proper words to apply to them ; for since he had sat in the Council ha had never seen a greater exhibition of incompetency than on the part of the gentlemen now on the Government benches. They did not know for a single moment what they were doing, and allowed themselves to be led by anybody that liked. He did not know whether he would carry his motion, but if he did nothing more than carry his motion for reserving 200,000 acres of agricultural land, and getting the administration of the land in the hands of the party that would administer it fairly and liberally, he would be content. But if that was not to be the case, he would give up his seat, and allow the Government to carry on the business as they pleased. He concluded by inviting the Government to say something upon the subject. After a lengthened pause, The Hon. Mr Reynolds seconded the motion pro forma. On being put, the motion was given for the Noes, when adivision was demanded. On the bell being rung, nearly the whole of the Opposition left the chamber, Mr Shand and Mr J. C. Brown being alone on the Opposition benches when the question was again put, and there being no Ayes, it was declared lost.- The announcement was received with some applause by the occupants of the galleries. MISCELLANEOUS. The following matters were carried without debate :— Addresses to the Superintendent, recommending that sec. 21, block 1, Riverton, be set apart for an Athenaeum ; that a portion jf sec. 131, block 16, be reconveyed to Mr W. H. Mansford ; that sec. 37, block 1, Akatore, be set apart as a school reserve ; that sees. 10 and 11, block 24, Hampden, be set apart for a site for a drill-shed ; that sec. 56, block 4, be set apart for a cemetery at Purakanui ; that sec. 50, block 6, be set apart for a school site at Clarendon ; that sec. 10, block 3, Kaitangata, be set apart as a school site ; that sec. 41, block 19, Tuapeka. be set apart as a school site ; that sees. 12 and 13, block 17, Waikouaiti, be set apart as a site for a Maori school ; that twenty acres of land at Winton be set apart for a public cemetery ; that sec. 9, block 15, Outram, be set apart as a school site. It was resolved that all petitions received during last session, and not disposed of, be regarded as petitions received during the present session. The petition of the Kakauui settlers was referred to the Government, as were those from Macraes and Moe raki ; the two last-mentioned being referred for " favorable consideration." The debate on the motion — " That 500 acres of non- agricultural and non-auriferous land be set apart for every public library within the Province, on such conditions, applicable to all, as the Government may think fit," was adjourned. HIGHWAY BOARDS EMPOWERING ACT. The Secretary for Goldfields and Works moved — " That his Honor the Superintendent be recommended by Proclamation to declare that any or all of the parts of the ' Highway Boards Empowering Act, 1871,' numbered 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, shall extend and apply to any Highway District constituted or to be constituted under the ' Otago Roads Ordinance, 1871.'" Mr Reid suggested an amendment, and after some explanation by Mr Haggitt, the consideration of the motion was postponed. RESERVES. On the motion of the Secretary for Goldfields and Works, resolutions were adopted asking the Superintendent to reserve certain lands for the following purposes :—3OO: — 300 acres for purposes of public recreation, for the use of the residents of Moa Flat and Ettrick; water reserves for Queenstown ; land for public recreation, Queenstown ; reserve for plantations, Queenstown ; quarry reserve, Queenstown ; an acclimatisation reserve, Shotover district. THE GIRLS' PETITION. The Hon. Major Richardson moved— "That this Council cordially recemmends to the favorable consideration of the Government, the prayer of the petition of the past and present scholars of the Girls' High School." He did not think he need use any argument in support of the resolution, for it would simply be wasting the time of the Council. Women were formed to be the companions and counsellors of men. They were so now, and would be still better counsellors did they enjoy equal educational advantages. Human beings were made up of intellectual and physical organisations, but if the first was neglected in woman's education, she could not fulfil her duties as man's counsellor. Ignorant mothers would bring up ignorant children, but where principles of morality and religion were intelligently held, the greater success would attend the training of children. Two instances illustrative of the aid women could render men as counsellors were in his mind: the wife of Sir Samuel Baker, and that of the late John Stuart Mill, who paid to her that beautiful tribute contained in the preface to his essay on "Liberty." The petition needed no comment. It asked that the scholarships provided for boys should be also open for competition by girls, a proposition to which no mortal man should object, as the intention was to enable women fitted for it so to cultivate their intellects as, where needful, to assist in maintaining their family. What he proposed would render them governesses of the rising generation, and mothers of a future intellectual race. The Provincial Secretary complimented the mover of the resolution upon his devotion to the interests of women, and coincided with the views he had expressed. Dr. Webster considered that at Home the education of women was leading them to adopt professions for which they were by nature unfitted, and to provide for them a high class education was striking at the root of domestic arrangements, for it was an endeavor to remove women from their proper sphere of mothers of families. He did not object to the proposition ; but before spending money on scholarships, he thought education should be extended to the outlying districts. Mr Oliver said although it appeared \ingracious, he felt bound to oppose the motion. Although he viewed with delight the high standard of education in the Colony, he considered it wrong to foster it by subscriptions, so long as governesses were worse paid than cooks or housemaids. ' Were the motion to allow girls to compete with boys for scholarships already established, he should support it. Mr Reid thought that the course Mr Oliver proposed would be that which would be adopted. It had the approval of the commissioners appointed to inquire into the conduct of the Boys' High School. The difficulty was, there were too few scholarships established, and consequently preliminary examinations had to be omitted. This had a disheartening effect on youth, as'it took away a stimulus to exertion. We Bhould support the resolution that scholarships should be open for competition to both boys and girls, and that examinations' should take place annually.

Mr Fish opposed the resolution, for he did not think the Province should be called on to provide education beyond that given in the grammar and district schools. The hon. mover proposed to confine the privilege to girls attending the High School, whose parents generally could afford to pay for a liberal education. He objected to the petition being signed by children I instead of their parents. He objected to a large j amount of money being expended for the benefit of a small section of the community. The higher education was filling the heads of youth with expectations they could never realise, and they were crowding into the learned professions in such numbers, _ that we should soon have a pauper community fastened upon us. He should have no objection to competition for scholarships being restricted to pupil teachers. Mr Lumsden opposed the motion. It was wrong to spend funds in that direction, so long as the educational needs of Southland were unsatisfied. He had applied only that morning to the Inspector, on behalf of thirty-five to fifty children who lived four or five miles from the nearest school. The grammar I schools throughout the Province were quite sufficient to fit both boys and girle for their future social positions. If the career of the colonists was analysed, it would be found that the unsuccessful were generally the educated ; and he therefore concluded there was a risk of our educating both boys and girls. The advantages should not be confined to sons and daughters of tho rich people in Dunedin, but extended to the poorer classes. Society had not reached the point at which high-class education should be further promoted, to the neglect of that for which so many of the poorer classes were crying out. Mr Stout considered the arguments of the last speaker led to the conclusion that education was a bad thing, as, according to him, only the educated were unsuccessful. As for the members for Mount Ida and Dunedin, who opposed the resolution, it was only charitable to suppose they had not read it. Mr Oliver, in explanation, could agree with the petition, if girls educated in all our schools were permitted to compete for existing scholarships. Mr Stout considered it evident they had not read the petition. Mr Oliver thought it badly constructed, and no credit to the petitioners nor to the person who presented it. Mr Stout read the petition, and pointed out that all that was asked was that their education should be so extended as better to fit the petitioners to fulfil their duties. The opposition was based on the assumption that education was a bad thing. — (No, no.) If it were not a bad thing, the more that could be had the better.— (No, no.) If the higher education meant the cultivation ot the moral, religious, and intellectual faculties, it would be_ hard to deprive a girl capable of receiving it of the opportunity of obtaining it. The whole system of scholarships was based on the idea that those accepting them were not able to pay the cost of then: further education, and the proposition was to place all pupils on a leveL So far aSthe petition asking that the competition, should be confied to High School girls, there was notaword of the Bort in it. The request was to be placed on a footing with their brothers, and scholarships were not confined to High School boys, but were open to Grammar School boys throughout the country. They were the High Schools of the country districts, and in many of them mathematics, classics, and modern languages were taught. He was therefore at a loss to conceive how it could be asserted that it was proposed to confine the competition to the High School of Dunedin. He held very different views from most present on the duty of the State in regard to education, but if, as had been said, State duty began and ended with elementary education, all he could say was no State in the world ever thought so. The Goldfields Secretary did not think they were justified in voting money for the purpose of giving scholarships for high-class education, and thought that in many instances they were foolishly educating the youth of the country. As chairman of a school committee he had been connected with education for many years, and had noticed that many parents, with a parent's weakness of fancying their boys were very clever, had sent them to Dunedin to become learned in Latin, Greek, &c. ; but in many cases he regretted to say those boys had afterwards refused to settle down and learn a useful trade. Instead of becoming useful members of society he knew of his own knowledge that many of them had become quite the reverse. Instead of voting money for these scholarships, which he regarded as luxuries, he though the Council's first duty was to provide necessaries ; and he knew numerous places in the Province where for months in the year hundreds of children could not go to school for the want of a bridge over a creek. • The Hon. Major Richardson, in replying, remarked that he commenced the advocacy of this matter in a jocular strain ; but at its conclusion had to speak with the deepest feelings of regret. He had heard from gentlemen who ought to know the value of education, language he never expected to have heard in that Council. It appeared to some that the great object of education was to cook and know nothing, and he really believed that had he advocated a scholarship for cooks, he would have received much greater support. — (Laughter.) Education did not prevent cooking, as he affirmed, for he had received the best chop possible from the hands of a person who had discoursed most learnedly and eloquently on the scientific discoveries of theage.— (Cries of "Name.") He would have no hesitation in mentioning the name to any unmarried hon. member. — (Laughter.) The motion was carried by 18 to 4.