THE PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE AND THE EDUCATION BILL,

Waikato Times, Volume VI, Issue 330, 25 June 1874, Page 2

THE PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE AND THE EDUCATION BILL,

And now for more words (not last words) chiefly historical, on theiacttion of the Superintendent and the Executive with respect to the Education Act. We cannot see how we can. help, applying strong language to this, and saying that Jus Honor's conduct looks woefully like double-dealing. , In December last the ( Provincial Executive (the members of which are merely the, nominees of the Superintendent) said that in accepting office the question of education was left undecided, but the Superintendent had asked that he should have an opportunity of laym^ before the ' Council his own views on the subject in the form of a Bill.' In May, when the Council resumed,, a, Bijl was' introduced^ iitthe construction of which both the Superintendent and the Executive had a hand. This Bill was ( disapproved of by almost every member of 1 the Council, and was. only allowed to pass its second reading on a distinct pledge given by the Provincial Secretary that on ita going into committee all the clauses after the first would be withdrawn. This was done, and t&e Government submitted, in the first instance, ratingclauses which provided for a deferential rate of one two, three, and four poundß per house, according to the annual value. -These clauses they subsequently withdrew of their own accord, alleging that the cost of valuation would render the collection so-expen-sive that it would not be expedient to igive them the force of, law; , The Government then returned, to .the rate clause of the Act of 1872, adding also & non-householder's tax, and increasing the capitation rate from five shillings to ten shillings. These alterations emanated from the members.; of the Executive, who are the nominees of the Superintendent, and who repudiate any responsibility to the Council, and yet the Superintendent refuses to give his consent to the Act. If the measure had been framed by an Executive responsible to the Council, and who had been forced on the Superintendent, we could have seen some reason for his reserving the Act if opposed to his convictions'. We are quite sure that if the Council had had the faintest notion that theSxiperintendentwasto have taken the course he has done, they would have insisted upon getting q a pledge that his assent would be given before passing the estimates. Now we. ..shall see what the Governor will say to the combined efforts of the Superintendent and George Staines. — Thames Advertiser.

Listen to this from a spectator at a Cal.fornian fc*ionable ball :-A young 1 d; had been dancing wrth a partner who evidently pleased h,r, and Tr.sb.mt Renoronsly to . pleawrof she introduced him to anot her !*& f hu ' .. »u» Jones allow me to introduce you to Mr \\altzer, a b uUy dance,, you bet. Why, he -zzed me round the 10 mo that my feet never touched ground, except when heq " ™* to take a new grab." This reminds us of a £™ ™™7 ancnt evening parties. A young transat ant lady recently »sued invitations for a party, and as usual, inBC "^J 7™^' . . „. <t>o v V " Onp vnuns nun clvi not come, 2ohTthT«mne ™ Engh.U f >r ' Darned sorry, c.nW. .Wo» of San Francisco balls, a young lady of our aoqSnce, who has just gone to the Far West writes home that the fair San Franciscans by no moans ovei burden themselves with tboir drcs-e. wben out for the evening, their drTi being decidedly of the order of ' beginning too late ami endin" too early.' While on the .abject of balls we may quote the fatest description of a kiss overheard in a comervatoi v by an evidently disappointed listener : ' 'T» as night. A real warm couple stood in the cool, pale moonbeams. Their lips touched, and tbero was a sound like a cow haulms her hoof out of the mud." Here is an Arizona editor s announcement to his subscriber? that he intends entering that happy state. After declaring how ho had the courage to 'pop' to one of ' Arizona's fairest daughters,' inviting every one to the wedding, and divulging the name of tho lady, he concludes with— 'And now for a few remarks of a personal nature Over ten years of our life have been passed in Arizona, seven of which have been devoted to the service of our readers. During these ten r ars w e have prospec tod, mined, risked our life among Indiana, offered hardships innumerable, sewed on many a button, flopped many a flapjack, ami on several occasions gone to bed on Mother Earth, tired, hungry, and a little alarmed about the permanency of our scalp. During all the*e long we were not strictly happy; no, indeed. That something which the God of Nature has planted in every man's bosom made us yearn tor a partner, a woman, if you please, ' God's best gift to man. Quartz claims, placer claims, auxiliary claims Had we in abundance ; but all these did not satisfy us. Now, however, wo have at last struck a « claim' to Miss Flora, and said claim is not for sale. With her we hope to glide down life s rueged pathway m a pleasant way.' Transatlantic editors, however, are apt to make confidants of tbew readers. A Northerner complains of the paucity of wood in his atove, and exhorts his readers to ' remember him in their prayers, 1 while tho 'chief of the Texan KuntsmUc Item proclaims that he ' hod a large cow branded on the hip, and she had been strayed for about a year. He would like some news about her, as she ought to have a now call. A liberal reward will be given,' he adds/ as we have no time to hunt ourselves, but feel like paying the hunters when they do us good service.' One further ' fashion 1 item, this tnno from Illinois. The proprietor of a young ladies' academy there has utterly ruined his business by causing to be inserted in a largo number of papers a picture of his establishment, with his pupils standing on tho balcony with last year's hats on their heads. • What's the use ? ' is the common saying with the young in regard to hard, distasteful studies. They mean to do sometime in life far different from anything that will require their dull, dry studies to be brought into nlay. But, leaving out of question the mental discipline got fiom them, •which" is, after all, the mam object of study, these very things may be turned to excellent account in after years 'My teacher made me study surveying twenty-five years. a«o,' said a gentleman who had lost his property ; and now I am glad I can get a good situation by such means, and a high salary.' A certain French king used to regret, with great bitterness, the deficiency of his education when iurrounded by men of learning and the highest culture. He reproached the memory of those who had been so indulgent of his idleness, and said with bitter sarcasm, 'Was there net birch enough in the forest of Fontainebleau ? Better a sharp, strict master, who insists upon thoroughness m nil that children undertake, than a frivolous, superficial one, who permits them to slip over their lessons in an easy way, which they will regret with like bitterness in later years. It is a painful epccUcle, *.ivs a contemporary, m families where the mother » the drudge, to see tho daughters elegantly dressed, reclining at their ease, with their drawing their music, their fancywork, and their reading, beguiling themselves of the laps? of hours, days, and weeks, and never dreaming of their responsibilities but, as a necessary consequence of neglect of duty, growing weary of their useless lives, laying hold of every newly-invented stimulant to arouse their drooping energy, and blaming their fate, when they dare not blame their God, for having placed them where they are. These individuals will often tell you, with an air of affected compassion— for who can behevo it real .-"— that « poor mamma' is working herself to death ; yet no sooner do you propose that they should assist her than they declare she is quite in her element— in short, that she would never be happy if she had only half so much to do. 1 building in San Francisco having 500 rooms, is to be provided with a clock having 500 dials-one in each roomto be operated upon by condensed air.