Private Schools Bill.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 325, 16 July 1889, Page 3

Private Schools Bill.

On Mr Pyke moving the second reading of the Private Schools Bib', be eaid that the o*»j«<Jt of the bill was neither- radre nor less than" to give justice to the P.oman Catholics. He eulogised the Boman Catholic community for building and maintaining their own schools. The bill provided that private schools should, upon complying with the •regulations of the Education Act, receive a .capitation allowance, the amount o’f'whfcH was left blank nt present, but which he proposed to make half that now paid to the State schools. . -Mr Dodson supported the claims of the Boman Catholics, who, he said, were not receiving justice at the hands of tbe colony, and he appealed to the House tareoognise the claims of the Boman Catholic community. Mr Goldie opposed the bill on the ground that it would riot satisfy fha 'Boman Catholics.. . .-a...’. .. Mr Seymour opposed the bill because it opened a door to dsnominationalism, If the bill passed he felt that the present education system would be doomed. Mr Turnbull supported the bill. He said that if it were rejected ho would move that an address be presented to the Governor asking him to place a 'sum on the estimates for a giant to the Boman Oitholio'sdhools. Mr Verrail opposed the bill. ■■ ' Sir John - Halb supported' the bill aS h reasonable measure of justice to the Boman Catholics, who were excluded from the State schools, not by a mere whim or fancy, but by deeply,rooted conviction. Instead of interfering with the State system of education the measure under consideration would assist in making'it really a national system. Mr Moss opposed the bill, on the ground that it was State aid to a church, in disguise.

Mr Hodgkinson opposed-the bill, which, he said, waa an attempt to break up the coalman school system and establish sectarianism. Mr Marchant supported the bill. Sir Harry Atkinson also supported the bill. He said he was strongly in favor of a national system, but he held that a national must be* a diverse .Bystern, whereas the present system declared that all-must be in the same groove. Mr Saunders opposed tbe bill. The first principle of freedom was that tlm'SEafe should not pay a farthing for religious instruction of any kind. Messrs Burton, P.eraeval, -anfl Hutahison supported the Mr Ballance supported-the-bill, which he said, instead of threatening the stability of the present educational system,' wotild materially strengthen it. The bill drew no distinction between denominations, but would-benefit all classes In the large cities. Mr Fergus opposed the bill, He said there had been no demand from the country for such a change in the present system, and the schools would be split up in the outlying districts if such a’ change' were effeoted. It was the duty of every member who voted for the bill to vote.abo.that the Bible be read in schools.' H.e was sorry that. Mr Ballance had- broken away from ’his- natural leader* (Sir Robert Stout), who had always discountenanced any attempt tip -iptefere with the presehtf systetn.'' ' . Mr Fish said, the bill would destroy, the., national secular system. .He would -au pport. the second reading, but would spek to. get. the bill amended in committee so. Lthat.it. should apply to the Roman Catholics only. Mr Harkness said that the. effect. of the proposal would be that the Education Boards would not be able: to -give—any-: pecuniary assistance to the outlying districts, inasmuch as.the profits 'which accrued to the Boards from the administration of the system' in.-the lafgA towns would be lost through' the scliools being split up, Messrs Fitzherbert, Tanner, Stewart, ‘Dunoan, Smith, and Jackson supported the ’ bill, and Messrs Meuteath, Taylor, and Ross , opposed it, The motion for the second reading was lost by 37 to 25. Ayos,—Messrs Ballance; Brown, Buxton,* Oowan, Dodson, Fi'.zherbert, Hail HumRhries," Jdokson, Kelly,-.Lirnaoh," Mt chant, O’Conor, jParate, Percival, Pyke, B, H. J. Beeves, Russell, Samuel, Turnbull, tVftrd/ Smith, Seymour, Tanner, W. J, Steward. . Noes,—Messrs Allen, Barron, Blake,.Bruce, BuchananjCadman, Feldwick, Fergus, Fisher, Batphett, FujtorK.Gpldie,.Guinness, Hamli.b, Harkness, Hobbs, Hodgkinson, Humphries, Jones,. Joyce, Lawry, T. Mackenzie, Mitirhel-, sori, Moot, Monk,. Moss, Newman, Rhodes, G. ,F. ;Biobardson, Boss, Saunders, Stuart-. Menteath, Taylor, T. Thomson, Verrail, Walker, Withy. - .- Pairs.—For: Messrs Atkinson, Valentine, Fish, Graham, Ppnoan, Carroll, McGregor, Wilson, Taipua, Against: Messrs J. McKenzie, Hislop, Wh.vte, Anderson, Maoarthur, Downie Stewart, Ormond, Soobie Mackenzie, W. P, Reeves, Majority against-r-12, ' ;