TUESDAY, AUGUST ,13, 1881.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1426, 23 August 1881, Page 2

TUESDAY, AUGUST ,13, 1881.

• ( The Education Act, 1878, Amendment," more readily recognised as a Bible-in-Schools move, met with a most unceremonious reception at the hands of the Representative Chamber. It owed its paternity to the Hon. Dr. Menzies, and having passed through the Upper House, made its way to the other branch of the legislature on Friday. Its material provisions are contained in section 81 of the Education Act, 1877, to be amended by addition of the following : " Provided always that any School Committee may, if it sees fit, direct that a portion of the Holy Scriptures should be read aloud by the .scholars of one or other of the senior classes every morning at the opening of the school, but no child shall be compelled to attend at the reading herein provided for, if his or her parents or guardians shall inform the committee or the teacher in writing that they object to such attendance, and no such reading shall exceed twenty minutes. It shall not be compulsory for any teacher to attend such reading." As we have stated, the bill was most unceremoniously, nay, almost spitefully dealt by. In accordance with Parliamentary usage, the message accompanying it from the Council was read for general information, and although there was nothing in the short title of the bill to indicate its real purpose, no .sooner did the Premier move that it be read a first time, than in defiance of what is accounted the amity of Parliamentary practice, the voices were given unmistakeably on the side of the noes ; in other words, representatives sought to throttle it before allowing a single word to be breathed, or an explanation made of its mission. In reality they virtually affirmed the view that such a piopo.sal was absolutely at variance with public opinion, and that even the sectarian auspices under which it was thrust on them did not render its claims sufficiently valid to justify the common courtesies observed in such cases. To some extent amends were made for this curt procedure, and by means of the stretching of a mere technical objection the bill was got upon the Order Paper, and will, in due course come on for first reading. There cannot be the ghost of a doubt as to what will be its ultimate fate, although one or two voices were raised in favour of extending to it the usual privilege of measures originating in the Upper House. Not a single word was said which could, under the most liberal interpretation, be construed into an expression of sympathy or accord with its proposals. Indeed, it only got on the Order Paper for j first reading by dint of the somewhat plausible argument that the Council had the power at any time to pay them hack again in their own coin, and that possibly the result might be an unseemly rupture between the two branches of the Legislature. The gist of the arguments as between the Church and the State is that the influence of the former is rapidly on the wane, and that the public policy seems more than ever determined to assert its supremacy, religious zeal, and sectarian prejudice notwithstanding.

As the bridge over the Karapiro at Cambridge is, writes a correspondent, fast going to ruin, it ifl to be hoped the County Council who have recognised the work of constructing a new bridge' bver this river, will be Huccessf ul in their representations to the Government in securing its execution. Some of the Domain allotments recently leased from the Board at Cambridge have already chunked, hands, at prices considerably over those originally given. All those who speculated seem to be perfectly satisfied with th,eir bargajn^,

. __^ : The special- choir practising for the consecration of the new S. Anchew'a Cambridge, will meet to-night for the ftat tinno in the now Church. To-morrow week is the day fixed for the consecration. .Ou the evening, of the iallowinj^^fly, as will be sfeedlby adveWspuisntJgpfero jp'H be 1 n social g-athering in^th'ft-Publio Mall, .it which the Bishop will preside. The past few days of dry "weather have had a great effect ou the streets of j Cambridge. Notwithstanding thief I boglike .state of some of th« thorou^rhfm e» caused by the recent heavy rains v they .ire now in a Mimtner-like condition. .JThp Town Board labourer h.is succeeded- in tn.iking the road to the bridge pnsvible by clearing away the surface matter; 1 " ' • * The Willem Larents, the little Polar ship which has already made thioe voyages to the Northern Polar Sea, deft Amsterdam in May for the fourth time. The crew conbiat of a lieutenant of the Royal Navy, H. van Broekhuyzen, as captain, two other officers, a physician, a zoologist, a photographer (the Euglishman, Mr Grant), and six sailors. The Auckland footballers visited Cambridge on Sunday as the guesw of Mr Robert Kirkwood, who entertained the party, which included several Hamilton and Cambridge gentlemen, to dinner in the large dining room of his new hotel. During the afternoon the visitors strolled over the township and paid a visit of inspection to the waterfall. The party started on their return journey after thanking their kind ontertainer for their pleasant outing, about 4 o'clock. Eleven trucks of fat cattle were attached to yesterday's Auckland train They were consigned to the firm of Hunter & Nolan for disposal at their market to-day, and were accompanied by Mr W. J. Hunter. Amongst them weie 32 really fine animals fiom the 51-itamata estate, root and corn fed ; 32 from the estate ot the lion James Williamson, Rukuhin, turnip fed ; a truckload ol choice steers from tho Messrs. Pearson's Golburn ctate, Hautapu, also turnip fed, besides several from other bettlers. We hope the consignment will meet a good market. The abolition of primogeniture has had the greatest oifect within the prebent century, in emptying the chateaux and castles in France. Fortunes have bo often been divided down, that there yre fewer great incomes than there were among the French aristocracy. It thus happens that a French nobleman who inhabits a chateau may only have furnished one nook of it, and his roomy stables may have only one or two horses in the stalls. To withstand the effects of the abolition cf primogeniture, many Fiench families agree to enjoy their revenue in common. But full chateaux, with bevoral generations of relatives of them, even under the methodical life of Frenchmen, may not be permanently successful. A practice has been resorted to by some mischievous persons at Cambridge which would seem to be a new phase or development of larrikiniwm, and one, though highly gratifying to the miscreant, is certainly not so to the victim. A person goes to the post of an evening and asks for his letters, when the genial official behind the banier informs him that in addition to his other correspondence or papers there is a registered letter with <i shilling to pay on it, as it contains coin. Of course the news is gratifying ; the applicant pays his shilling, signs the book, and looks as if he did not mind paying double the fee for such a godsend. The door is hardly reached when the packet is opened, and he discovers, to his inexpressible disgust, eh.it he has paid a shilling for a halfpenny and a piece of blank note paper. This is a source of revenue which we believe the Colonial Treasured is not as yet a wax c of. The Diocesan Synod of the Church of England in New Zealand will be holdon in Auckland in tho first week of October. There is to be an election for the new Synod. Mr LeQuesue, the returning officer, instructed by the Bishop of Auckland, has appointed September 6th proximo, for the election of one Synodsman for the electoral district of Hamilton. Nominations of one or more candidates must be sent to the house of the returning officer before the end of this month. If only one candidate is nominated he will at once be declared to be duly elected, and no voting will be required. Colonel Haultnin has been the representative for the last six years. The Hamilton district (including Piako and Waihou), the Cambridge district, and Waikato West (Te Awamutu and Alexandra), and Ngaruawahia, Taupirj, and Huntley return members. A somewhat exciting little episode occurred ot the Frankton railway station yesterday, just before the departure of the footballers, which is thus related I- y an eye witness : — "The Auckland boys not caring to cool their heels on the platform pending the arrival of the train from Te Awamutu were amusing themselves by punting their football about the yard. A stronger kick than usual sent the ball under the feet of Mac's team, and ?o startled them that they scurried off a few yard*, taking the buggy out of its enviable position near the water tank, and this state of matters being observed by the eagle eye ot Ben who .it this moment drove into the yard, lie quietly turned round and drew up in the vacant place, much to the chagrin of the Te Aroha road veteran. There was naturally a somewhat free interchange of compliments, but no damage was done, while the circumstance afforded much amusement to the onlookers." The members of the Hamilton Wesleyan Chuich Choir, with a few others, met last night for the purpose of saying good-bye to Miss Culpan, who has very kindly and efficiently presided at the harmonium for somo time in the above Church. The Rev. C Griffin read the following short address: — "Hamilton Wesleyan Church, August 22nd, 1881. Dear Miss Culpan, we wish to express our deep sorrow that you are leaving Hamilton, and that we shall lose you from our Church. We desire to acknowledge our appreciation of your kind and very efficient service at the harmonium. Our best wishes go with you in the future of your life. We ask you to accept this token of our esteem. — Signed on- behalf of the Church and Choir, Cornelius Griffin, Minister ; Samuel Meachem, Leader of Choir." — The rev. gentleman then presented Miss Culpan with a very handsome silver necklet, locket, and ear-rings in the name of the Choir and a few other friends. ' ' ' ''

Mr J. Moses advertises in' .another column the names of the prize winners in his Art Union. Mr W. Hicks, Colhngwood-street, Hamilton, advertises that ho has a complete bnck-making 1 plant for sale. , ,■ A notice by tlie Te Awamutu Poundkeeper appears in our advertising columns. , The Hamilton Highway Board . ad* vertise that they intend to stop_ certain roads and take land for other& in the Parish of Te Rapa. The Warden of the Te Aroha goldfields publishes in our advertising columns a.' list of lorfeited claims, which arcopen for re-leasing, Kent House, Hamilton East, will be closed Wednesday, Thursday, and (Friday, for buying; Spring goods. ' ' Tenders are invited by the Hamilton Borough Council for protective works o,n th«j river bank. - /u Mr Kennedy Hill will hold' his usual weekly sale of produce, &c,, «*tt his mart, oh Saturday.nost, /,'

for urtm^OT^ 'fmd !i^S*vemcn^r,*to'thS^|W^br's rc&iduncCf'HiHtiilton East. ' --' Mi" Knox will sell by auction on .Saturdaj^tj-xt. at i ,\o p m., about 40 tons oaten stuiw in the bankiupt estate of Mi L. B. Harris. «^eMW»W;'"Jr|H«n<imp I ficl CBr^itt All at tli«OlKiuijo ffejS^tlc- pV.irds orj Thuhd.i>,,Sep^ tcmben ibt, fiMnrge'numbcr^f mixed stofi* cntyc, steers, heifers, sheep, horses, &c. Mr Kennedy Hill will hold an important sale of ijui^erv stock from tliCjnuiseries 0/ iluisrs _>S.j Hay iiid Son, .tt the N.-it|on,il Hotel, Cambridge, on Wednesday, AUfjust 2jrd, ! at 2 p.m. The Chairman of the Waikato County Poi^ncil ngtiiivi> that ia public pound has been established at iFFau't.ipUjiindei the contiol of the C.iifibri(li;e Highway Board, and ,id\ertibe.. the scale of fees, &c-