"OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1874.

Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 384, 29 October 1874, Page 2

"OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1874.

It is gratifying to find that the clergy of the Chmch of England in this diocese aro awaking to the fact that it is their duty to piovido for the religious instruction of the children attending the common boliook Hitherto they have coniined themselves to establishing and superintending Sunday-schools ; beneficial as these undoubtedly are, they are not sufficient, in. the absence of religious p.iionti), to mai.c ;r permanent hup region upoji the maids oi

th : children, and it is perfectly self-apparent that th<? presenl system of Undenominat.il Education is ■he wuly one possible or just. The resolutions passed by die Diocesan Synod were— "That the clergy be ivquested to make application to the school committees in their several parishes for pei mission to give religious instruction at certain times in the school*, *arid that they repor f to the Bi&hop the t-tMte of their applications," " That the clei'gy-itoid others engaged in religious instruction should 'take every opportunity afforded by the school committes for the purpose of giving reguLr religious instruction' to the children of the Church." When the Education Act was under consideration we pointed out that some .such means as those directed by the resolutions should be adopted by the clergy of the different denominations. Judging from the tone of the debate on the resolutions, some doubt exists in the minds of the clerical members of the Synod as to the willingness of school committees to afford them the opportunity of imparting instruction in religion. Wo feel confident that no cause for the doubt exists ; irreligious as is the age, we feel confident that there are few parents or members of school committees who would not hail with delight the advent of any system by which the rising generation would receive judicious instruction in matters of religion. We may point out also that the popular respect for the clergy would be gioatly increased if they really worked on more t haii one day in the week, and as a natural sequence then Sunday uttemnces would receive more atten!icu. It } . ' ntatuh not too inucb to ask that the (icryv. ju addihon to their Sunday duties, should dcvoi" two nilur days in the week to the religious instruction of the children of their flock. This rtjristom Mould leave four days on which to prepare theii seiftions and attend to other parochial duties. The scattered difefcricta in which the country clergy of this colony work almost prohibits the attendance of their congregations in the appointed places of worship on other days than Sundays, they are consequently not to be blamed because nervices are not more frequent, which they would, undoubtedly, justly be under other conditions. Debarred from the. po\yer to work for good in one direction, we have little doubt that when the means of inculcating the precepts of religion in another is pointed out to them, they will cheerfully avail themselves of the opportunity. School committees can easily arrange for a certain portion of certain days Li the week to be set aside for the exertions of the clergy of different denominations. We foel quite rs strongly as the most rabid advocate for denominationalism, that unless the rising generation is instructed in the principles of Christianity, that a dark future is in store for this colony, but we maintain that under existing circumatauces, this work must be done by the clergy and not "by the schoolmaster.

The first serious railway accident in this colony will be found recorded in our telegraphic column. It is the old story that has been so often repeated in the old country. Trucks on the line, and a passenger train running into them. The traffic on our railways la as yet trilling, and there can be no excuse for an accident caused in the manner related. We presume that the Government is as liable to action for injuriese s caused by the negligence of their servants as lsiilway Companies. Compensation for damages an.i legal <• «;ts in defending actions are considerable iteuib in the anßiial returns of the great railway companies. We trust that steps will be taken to procure a sufficient number of experienced hands to work our 1 ail ways to leaven the ignorance of such matters which must necessarily prevail at first with the majority of those to whom our lives will be entrusted.

The age,n,Uof the Anglo Aualralain Telegraph. Agency in Auckland is careful on all occasions to give the authority of the S/ar. Tn this issue will bo found a telegram sent from Auckland Lift niidit in reference to Sir George Grey's I repositions, in which that paper is given as authority. Considering that moro than the substance ot' the telegram is contained in the Herald of yesterday morning, it was tju'tJ unnecessary to mention tho Star, which mayor may not have appeared with tho same information bouio hours afterwards So far as we Hernld cun learn, Sir George's proposals embrace tbe adoplion of the federnl instead of the central pi incipal in future constitution. The Pi ovincial Councils would be independent of the General Government so long as they confined themselves lo the local duties and loc.il legislation allotted to them. Their Acts, once assented to hy the Superintendent?, would becoraf law, and if they c xcfeJ ed ilieii 1 pow ci s, the question would be settled by the Rupieuio Oonifc of tho colony and not. by the General O s i"htuic The most startling change would bf, however, if we i?ic been conectly informed, tbe abolition of the Crowmor's office and of the t\\r> Houses of Assembly. For tln> latter would be substituted only one Council to consist, of no mote than 20 to 30 members, whose duties would be strictly colonial-- that is to say, confined to tn>ittetB of colonial interest, such as Customs, telegraphs, end post-office*. The membcis of this Council would be elected either by the people or by the different Provincial Count ila, as might be thought, after due consideration, I most suitable They in their turn would elect a President of Couucil who for four year* would till the oflice now | h.Md by the Governor, bur, with the important difference I tJmfc be would nominate his own executive, and that they would lvtvc no vote in the Council. Party Government would thus bo abolished, and we should govern oui selves more on the Ameiican system. The paity fights and tedious struggles, so unsuitable to our present condition •»ml so inj.iriona to our progress, could bo well spared. Few will regret them, but ir, woul 1 wo presume, be necfSbary to give to tho Co mcil the power of pis^aig, by a th-ee-Jouitha majority, any Act that they foundered advisable when vetoed by the President ef Coii-.cil. In lieu of the Governor, a Secretary of Slate, elected by the Coun- I oil or by the people, Viuld hold office in London, ond be placed in direct coinmunic tion with Her Majesty in all New Zealand nflaira. The Queen'a light of veto would remain as at present, that of the Governor being vested in the Picsident of Council. Party G-ovcrnmcnt would also, wo presume, be abolished iv the proviuccs, and the Provincial Councils be endowed with tho same power as tho Federal Council, of enacting laws by a three-fourths majority in any raso in which they objected to the exercise of his right by the Superintendent. The time of execution of the condemned nan, Chailcs Dyer, says the Herald, has been fixed at eight o'clock on Friday morning. The intelligence of his approaching doom was conveyed to Dyer by the Sheriff on Monday but he exhibited no signs of emotion and wa3 appaiently ; in V.vrent as to his fate, having evidently anticipated tbe ' «« • ■ The .Rev Mr Cornford has been unremitting in ' - i ntions and ministrations to the culpiit during the «i> iiinainderof his existence, nnd Dyer lms expiessed . - ,i.ititudo for the kindness shewn. lie ha a been vibitcd omit by his family since his condemnation, and the painful tcene wasdeaeiibed as having been distressing m the extreme. The family have now returned to PaKiri, and it is unlikely there will bo a repetition of tho affecting spectacle. Dyer has as yet nude no confession or othuwsiou of his guilt. The name of tho unfortunate young Sergeant drowned last Sunday in the Eiurihia Lake, wns J. C. Phillips. ]£fforts have been made to recover his body, but as yet they have uofc been cm owned with success. Mr Joseph Way has been returned to the Provincial Council for the Distiict of Eden by a majority of 150 over Mr W. L. Rees. It will be seen by advci-tisemcnt that a meeting will he holil.it tbo Delta Hotel, Ngfirunwuhw, Toi th« pmppsu of I uitfamyiJi;> spoils for Chiistmaa. , j

Wo learn fiom the West Coast papers tlmt the inenib. i> of tho Uokitika Literal y Soi-itiy Jia\e resohed, by a piujouty of 36 to [\2, to open their lvadiusi-room on Sundays, Since then' decision, there hat been 11 coiuidurable ncuussion of new members. All the trout eggs in tlie society's fish liouae or« now hatched out, and it is estimated that tliero a/o 3000 iu<alth.\ young fish m the boxes. ilad tlio water in tho poi.d-, not become impure, causing tho parent fish to sicken, it ii thought that ten time* that number of young fish would have boon obtained. The men lately engaged in deepening tbe creek have l.nd bnre a mineral stratum, and thia some persona think has had an injurious effect on the water, aggravated by the natural filter being destroyed when tl>e watercress was cleared out of the creak that supplies tho ,I'inJfl — Canterbury Press. A Home paper states that Major Vilhers Le Merchant Butler, o. tho 65th, who was wounded in the New Zealand our, was found dead rm»nt!\, lying m a pool of blood at !ns lodgings Regent utioi't, London. ICupturo of & Tjloodvm*cl win the causo of deat,h. Reference was again made at the mooting-of tlio Waste Lmds Bourd to the scarcity of euneyordat prV^nt existing in this province. The Chief Counmuionor said that he had several (iincs organised tho Survey Depaitinent, but two of tho best surveyors he ever had wero tio« in Melbourne. It was pointed out by another member of tho Buard that one of those had just returned to tho colony. Mr Strode said that surveyors were certainly at tt premium ut present. It would seem from these remarks that Olago possesses considerable mducoment for aurroyors at tho present time. — Utago Guardian. Tne Resident Magistrate in commenting upon a cast) bi ought bofore him said: — There was a »cry mistaken im-pivi-uon abroad as to what should be done with property found m the stiO'ti or elsowhore, and it would bo well for it to be understood, that whero auch property was retained oi* made use of ins* end of effort* being mado to find tho owner, it amounti d to larcuny — Ibid. The Dunedin Star tells tho following Btory apropos of Sir Donald M Lean* kniglithood : — A curious circumstapce occurred shortly after telegraphic information reached tin colony of the hon gentleman's elevation." In the House of Representatives and out of it, ho was at once sl\led Sn Donald ; but the Speaker (acting under instructions from Government lluuso) declined to recognise him as such, contending t hat official cognisance of the title could not bo takon until t e patent was received in the colony, or official notili i-.Uions made of the ,fue£. Aocoulmgly Sir Francis gave instructions that m Hansard nnd other Parliamentary papers the nnmoof the Defence Minister «bould rontinuo to appear " Mr iJ'Loan," to winch Mr Vogel objected, and as often as the Speaker stiuck out references to the lion gentleman's title, reinstated them. The Premier ultimately carried las point,