—

Ghe Gram

?

Vier.

A WEEKLY JOURNAL OF POLITICS, LITERATURE AND NEWS.

EDWA RD WHELAN} Chis is trne Liberty, when Free-born Silen, having to advise the Dublic, may speak free.—-EURIPIDES. [EDITOR anv PUBLISHER a ; sallealasemanedsi ae rman Som RENN, : (RL RR RE OREN MES MUR SR UR REE ROT ER ANE SR SE A SA TE TR RN A RE TT

Vout. VIL.

ww — -

Colonial Legislature,

ILOUSE OF ASSEMBLY. Fripay, March 19, 1858. BIBLE QUESTION.

PRTITIONS RELATING TO EDUCATION. ( Continued.)

At the request of the Hon. E. Palmer, the resolution submitted by the Hon. T. LH. Haviland was again read by the Chairman

Hou. Mr. PALMER.—I second that resolution; and, before going into the subject matter of it, it may be as well to remark, that whatever difference there may be in the peti- tions now under our consideration, literally considered, the intentions, the object, the prayer of all are perfectly identical ;

and a!l that they set forth or pray for is supposed to be com- |

prised in the resolution which the chairman has just now read, Unless, then, some other resolution, based on similar grounds, shall be submitted, [ shal! confine myself to a support and advocacy of*the original resolution, which, | think, is calcu- Jated fully to carry out the views and wishes of the petitioners, Therefore

resolution, and do not wish to go beyond it, and that no other

e . . » ‘ee . » ehal \ will be submitted asking for more, my observations shall not | Y “ores : ° cm et

The resolution itself is

now exceed its very obvious scope. couched in the most moderate language; and must defy the ingenuity of those who may oppose it to put upon it avy other construction than the very clear and plain one which it is intended to hear. It merely states that it is inexpedient that any law or rule should exist by which the use of the Holy Scriptures should be excluded from the Central Academy and Normal School of this Island, in any case wheve the parents or guardians of any scholars placed in those ins itutions may require such floly Scriptures to be used or read thereiu by such scholars ; and provides that, if any such law or rule exists, it shall be annulled or reacinded. With respect to the religious scruples which may he tonse’entiously enter- tained by some of my Roman Catholic fellow subjects, concerning the reading of the Bible in our pubic schools, I ean only repeat what has been stid by my hon. friend, the

mover of this resolution (Hon. T. ff. Haviland), thac I duly |

respect those scruples, and would not be a party to any lezis- lative measure which I thought would have a positive tendensy directly to isterfere with the due exercise of any of their civil or religious rights and privileges; but that the resolution of my hon. friend has any such tendeney, either immediate or remote, 1 positively deny, and defy any man to prove that it bas. The resolution bas been drawn up with due regard to the religious feelings and princip!es of all whom, should it be agreed to, its operation could possibly affect; and I do not see how the legitimate and important object which the peti- tioners, and they who support them in this House, have in

jew, and i's attainment, could have been declared or proposed in language, or in a manner more guarded and delicate, whilst at the same time sufficiently explicit, than bas been done in that resolution. As long as any Jaw or resolution is in force which may exclude the Bible from the Central Academy and

Normal School, so long is the propriety or the exped ency of

that law or that resolution liable to be called in question. Now, if we are Christians and live under a Christian govern- ment, I positively deny the propriety, the expediency of the law or resolution, under the coleur or sanction of which the conductors of those institutions have, or may claim to have,

assuming, for the present, that hon. members who | are prepared to support the petitions are satisfied with the |

‘been unjust, inasmuch as there was nothing compulsory in it upon any party or parties, be declared by the Legislature that the reading of the Scrip- {tures in our public schools shall or may be allowable to | scholars whose parents shall or may desire that they shall | therein read them; that is, simply that such reading should | be tolerated by law. Certain parties, however, who looked upon the object of that resolution with a jealous eye, or who | were positively inimical to it, sueceeded in making a very unfavourable impression upon the minds of many concerning

1b; an impression which is not yet, in every instance, whoily |

}obliterated. The same parties, or any others, May now, however, be safely defied to make a sim#ar impression upon any intelligent and truly liberal portion of the public mind, concerning the present resolution of the hon, member for Princetown (the Hon. T. Lf. Haviland.) The words which

express it are plain and unmistake It merely says that

able.

may be read and used by any scholars, attending either the Central Academy or the Normal School, in all cases where

respectively; whether it be for ten, fifteen or twenty minutes daily. It does not say that, during the reading of a serip- ture lesson in school, any of the scholars whose parents do not idesire that seriptural knowledge shoald be so imparted to them shall be compelled to sit and listen to such lesson. No such thing; and the internal accommodations, both of the Academy and of the Normal School, are suc! that arrange- /ments may easily be made in either, or both, by which the mere appearance even of such compuls'on might be avoided. The amendment by which it is proposed to supersede this smple and unpretending resolution, which has here at the desk been penned without any studied preconcert, is certainly

} i

a very ingenious and pretentious document, and one the con- |

}

| struction of which has evidently cost much time and consider- lation. But ingenious and cuuningly devised as the preamble of that amendmeat may be, L hope it will not have the power to blind the judgment of any who have already been able, or who may now be disposed to take a fair, calm, dispassionate and independent view of the question. That resolution is based upoa the supposition that the permitting of the use or 'the reading of the Bible in the Central Academy and the Normal School, would be the establishing of a relizious tes! therein. [Hon. Col, Seeretary. The petitions admit it.] No: but that is the view which they who are opposed to the use of the Bible in those institutions wish the unwary to put upon it; and all the arguments which have been used by the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, in opposition to the original resolution, are jatended to establish that view of it as the correct one. The Academy Act, with respect to religion, merely proviles or enacts, Tuut no religious test whatever shall be used in that institution; and in the resolution of the hon. member for Prineetown (the Hon. ‘T. U1. Taviland). there is nothing inconsistent with that provision of the Act. The meaning of a religious test, as used in the Act, Is clearly conformity to any particular church discipline or teaching ; or the acknowledging or subseribing of any particular religious doctrines or tenets, as a rule of Christian faith and practice ; with which, if any pareat or guardian, on behalf of any young person, for whom he sought admission as a scholar into the Academy; or with which any young person, seeking such admission of himself, refused to comply; then such young person, in either case, would not or could not be admitted, Bat our resolution neither requires any such conformity or compliance at present, nor contemplates the necessity of it in

It merely proposed that it should,

it is mecessary to provide by law that the Holy Scriptures |

the parents or guardians of such scholars may require the | same to be so used by them, while attending such institutions |

CHARLOTTETOWN, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, MONDAY, MAY 24, 1858.

‘this we do not require: we only ask that all the scholars whose parents or guardians may wish them to read the Bible in those schools, may be at liberty to doso. The Hon. Colonial Secretary says we ought not to enforce by law the reading of the Bible ia our publie schools, I reply, that we do not desire the enactment of any such compulsory law: we merely wish to have repealed a clause of a statute which, as some contend, gives power to the trustees or governors of the | Academy to prohibit the reading of the Bible by the scholars iu that institution. Tne Lon. the Colonial Secretary says the

it may be read by any of the scholars whose parents desire that they should read it, ten minutes before the opening, or ten minutes after the closing, of the school. But L beg leave to tell him that such permission cannot possibly be satisfactory to those who desire that the Bib‘e shall be reid in the school. ‘School commences when the business of tuition commences, ‘and school ends when the business of tuition ends. Therefore,

allowing the Bible to be read, either before or after school, in| the schvol-house, by any of the scholars who attend the school, |

is not allowing the B.ble to be read in school. For so pre- | posterous aud inconvenient an arrangement as this there shoald (be no necessity; and even were it acquies-ed in by parents 'who desire that their children should read the Bible with their schoolmasters, it would be a very injudicious one, inas- ‘much as it would, by an increase of schoul hours, naturally 'reuder the generality of children averse to that portion of thelr education, in connexion wich school, which, to Christian | pareuts, is dearer and more eayerly desired for their children than all merely secular knowledge. The [lon. the Colonial | Secretary has also said that the petitions are all from the country, and expressed his surprise that whilst the people in the country have reason to be satisfied with the existing arrangements, concerniug the reading of the Bible, in their own District Schools, they should busy themselves about the government or discipline of the Academy or the Norma! School in Charlottetown, I reply, that the principle which actuates the petitioners and them who, in this House, cherish the same sentiments which they entertain concerning the necessity of the early initiation of their children in the morality and religion of the Bible, is a prineiple which per- vades tie whole of the British dominions; and all throughout their wide extent who truly regard the destiny of man, or who, lu auy measure, duly estimate what consti utes true worth or true happiness on carth—and noue but Christians can do so,—must and do admit that, for whatever line of life or profession, public or private, any individual may be in- teuded, nothing can afford a guarantee fur peace and enjoy- ment in the prosecution of it, or for the fiual attainment of honourable success or distinction therein, but a religious education. 1 have mide notes of some other remarks made by the Hon. the Colonial Seeretary, with the intention of replying to then; but as others are doubtiess waiting to give expression to their seutiments on this most impertaut qaes- tion, | shall, at presont, say no more.

Mr. I. UAVILAND.— Uh? observations which T sha'! offer, on this vecasion, will be very few and very brief: not so, haw- ever, because | ain eituer uuab'e, or indssposed to speak to the question; but simply beesu-e th: bon. and learned mouber fur Coarlottetown (Hon. Eo Palwe ) vas so happily an ce pared me in most that L would, otherwise, have said, With tie ductive laid down by the Loa. the Coloma! Preasurer, (Me. Warburton), in the preamble to his resolution, { cannot by any means agree. By that preamble 4 is declared, a3 an ax ou, tat the stab: has no right to interfere with patioual educational establishments, for the purpose either of causing religious imstruct.on to be Lu- parted to scholars therein, or even of providing by law that i shall be allowable to impart it therein, to those by whom, or for whom, ttmay be desired [Hon. Col. Treasurer— Yes, in unxed

use of the Bible is permitted in the Normal School; because |

: No. 46.

therein taught from the Bible, by reading it therein, do not know what is meant by a religious test. In my opinion a re- ligious test purely means an act which must positively be per- formed as a condition precedent to an individua'’s entering @ Curisiian sect or institution. If it is optional in all scholars attending the Norinal Schoo! and Centra! Academy, whether they siall read the Bible or not, it is a dejusion to call the Buble ‘atest-book. We all, both Cathohes and Protestants, beleve that the Bible is the Word of God ; that it is the revealed Wii of Godto man ; but we differ as to which of the versions, the Catholic or the Protestant, is the correct one, ‘The resoiution, however, does not s:y which is the correct one; but, so far es its contemplated operation extends, leaves every one to exercise his own unfettered jadzment upon thatengairy. If it did other- wise. it would be intolerant, and subversive of liberiy of con- science. I certainly do not wish to force Catholics to read the | Protestant version of the Holy Scriptures, or to deprive them or itheir children of the right of choosing what version of theim | they shall read. My wish is to leave them perfectly uncon- | trolled and unconstrained in the matter, es they have a right to ibe; but the same liberty which I willingly concede to them, on that subject, they onght to be equally willing to extend to me, and all other Christians who are not of their Communion. We | wish that our children shall be at liberty to read our vers'on of ‘the Bible in our public educational institutions; but we neither ‘wish to force their children to do the same; nor do we wish that ours should do 30 ina way that would operate to what they ‘might esteem the prejadice of the religious creed or opinions, which (hey desire that their children should entertain. Opposi- tion, on their part, to the concession to us of a Christan pri- vilege which we claim for our children, and the granting of (which involves no innovation of any right, either civil or re- ligious, of theirs, would be surely most unjustifiable. We ask that our children shall be pernutted to read the Bible, in the Central Academy and the Normal School; and not that their children shall be forced or compelled to read it therein. Theor opposition to this fair and inoffensive demand of onrs would be no more in accordance with justice and reason, than was the conduct of the dog in the manger, who would neither eat the hay himself, nor suffer the ox to eat it. All that we ask, in fact, is the liberty of having our children educated in the way which we believathe most likely to ensure their beco ning good citizens. ‘To say, as the Hon. the Colonial Secretary has done, that the B ble is not excluded from the Norma! School is mere assunption, Lo say that the Bible is read in that institution, because it may be read in the scho>l-room by young persons who attend it, either before the business of tuition commences, or afier it closes, is to say what is not correct ; for, as has beea shewn by the hon. and learned member for Ciuarlorte‘own, (Hon, M. Palmer), if it is not allowed to be read therein during school hours, it 1s positively excluded from the school. With one ob- servation, however, made by the Hon. the Colonial Secretarv, respecting the Beble, [ fully agree. 1+ has said that the Bible, if let alone, will find its way withou' any legislation m favor of it. So say 1; bur | would, at the same time, observe that there isa wide difference between legislating in favor of the reading of the Bible, ard leg'slating against it. All that we desire is thatthe Bible—he Word of God—shall have free enstse, and that no legislation shall obstruct it; and that is the entire object of the petibons now under our con-ideration, In. Me. MOONEY.—Mr. Chairman, I feel disposed to state my sentiments, concerning the Bible question, in the glainest and most undisguised manner; and I hesitate not to siy at once that the agitation of it had its origin in any th’ng ‘ut Christian charity, and that it has been sustained by tizo'ry and promoted by duplicity. It is not religion, but ihe want of religion and rank intolerance, which are at the root of it. Veneration for the Bible has had nothing to do ‘with it; but pretended regard for the Scriptures has been ‘found a very convenient political engine, whereby a faction ‘hope to arouse sectarian prejudices, and to enlist and engage them as allies in the prosecution of their own selfish projects and designs. The bigoted intolerance by which some of the leading agitators of this question are apparently influonced,

| | } | ; j

the power to exclude the Bible from them; and L maintain | any time to come; and, therefore, it is qui e evident that it that it is at once morally and po/itically wrong to allow any seeks not the establishment or the imposition of any religious such law or resolution to exist. It is very true that it Is) test whatever, either in the Academy or in the Norma! hetter to place the Sacred Volume in the hands of the parents,, School; for, surely, the requiriag liberty simply to read the

coumunitie-.}] Well, take it 80; let your axiom be so | aited ee an * =~ ee re that which then; | feply that secular education, ualess it be based upon, yaw ney saftnetone: J > an a. 16 had killed tour priests ; or founded io, the doctrines of the L>ly Scriptures, is worse and the insulting expression which has just beea used by the thaa no education at all ; because secular learning, unless con-| hon, and learned member for Georgetown (Mr. Heath Tavyi-

for the instructing or teaching from it of their children, than | Bible for such of the scholars in these institutions as may be

to place it in the hands of schoolmasters fur the same purpose ;

but it is to be remembered that in this admission there are |

two things implied as presupposed; first, requisite ability, und then needful time and opportanity, for the fulfiiment of the dutg. suchi parental seripture teaching is eujoyed, there are

or every family in which the blessi g of

sew ae | jhink all ist adinit cores. if not hundreds munity, as ihink all must adintt, scores, if not BUuUareGs, in which, either fr.m want of education or of time, aud on

the part of parents, in too many iustauces, for the want of} It is uot in the power of)

both, it is altozether impossible. many of the poorer classes to impart religions instruction themselves to their children; an], consequently, unless it be

>

communicated to them in the public schools which they attend,

they must grow up without it; and how far individuals so uninstructed ure likely to prove in ffensive. useful or valaib members of society, I leave those who know the value of

Bible or Christian education, or who have beheld amongst

¢

their fellow men the lameatable consequences of the want of |

it, to determine. It is clear enough that parents who cannot read cannot assist their children in the reading and study of

the Seriptur eH and it is also nearly as clear, I think, that

even they who have had some adyautages of education them- selves, but who are obliged, for the mainteuance of theinse! ves and their fainilies, to labour hard from an early hour in the Morning umil late at night for six days in the week, cannot afford fifteen or twenty minutes at a time, even for only two or three days a week, to impart Biblical knowledge to thei: children, J>ut parents of this class, whu wisely desire that Bible learning should be communicated to their children, think that, as, out of their hard earnings, they pay rates and taxes for the support of our public educational institutions. they have aright to expect, nay to demaud, that that knowledge, without which all other knowledge is vain, the knowledge of the Word, of the revealed will of God, shall, in those institu- tions, be revularly imparted to their children, by their being therein tauzht to read and reverence the Bib'e; and, in so

thinking, they think justly: and if this ean be done, if this’

can be accomplished, without giving offence to others, as we maintain and are prepared to shew that it can, we ask that it may, and insist that it should, be done. Now, sir, in this there is pothing intoleraut, arbitrary or compulsory; for, instead of seeking to practise or rouse a spirit of intolerance, all we desire is toleration. We ask only that, ia any case ia which the parents or guardians of any children placed as scholars in the Central Acalemy or the Normal School, may require the Holy Scriptures to be used or read therein by such scholars, such gse or reading of the Holy Scriptures Shall be tolerated or allowed. 1 am well aware, sir, that a great deal of ingenious argument was used, iu various ways, to make it appear that the resolution of the last session, on this subject, was conceived in an arbitrary spirit, and would, had it been agreed to, have been carried out in a manner that would have been offensive, if not positively unjust, to a por- tion of the cowmunity. In the spirit of -intention of that resolution, [ have always said there was nothing arbitrary ; aud baye g!ways maintained that its operation could not have

in this come |

trolled, rectified and directed, by religious principle, betrays ifs possessor, In alwost every case, a8 is but tuo well and sadly known, into practices most certainly imyparious to the best interests of society, if not positiwely destructive of thea 5 but iso, too oftea in the ead, fatal to lionseif.

|required by their pareuts or guardians to do so, caunot with propriety be called a religous test in a commanity professing . 1 . Yr yt - 110 reeeive aud venerate the Bible as the Wo dof God. Look tat the crigiual resolution, however, an] compare it with the i resolution sub nitted as an amendment —a documeut which, as | L have b fore said, has, [ dow5t not, cost its authors much con- | ® . ° “— ° 9) . . rt cart mae reeoeceu . ria 3 od Yl , sideration, tine and trouble—and it will be quire evident that | at & Very ¢ arly period, rt mas. ; by what is good, ¢ Ae will a > } tak $2088 ; ifluence sonside n, there- jthe latter has not aud can have no direct reference to the take possession of it. Influenced by this consideration, there Pp ; ; : . | ture, the pe itioners and we, tn the House, who support their former; but has been ingeniously drawn up as a specious ro : ; e - i ; eis views, desire that our children may, in school, as weil as at wise > srahew ¢ Ae j > yoweare en > re MnKING . . GEVICE, W — ry te pe Su: le the Sawery and the vos — cing home, be regularly taught, by reading the B.bie. to know, re portion of the community, particularly amongst the Protes-| | tauts, that the intention of the petitioners, and of those who | lave friendly to their petitions in this House, is to establish a relivious test, to the subversion of the righ:s of con-cience of members of the Roman Catholic Church. and to the retard- meut of the cause of education. Thin this nothing ean be} more unjustly assumed and seteforth as the object of the| ' ' ola ee ee a gal ance ae . i though we hold it to be a daty most highly ob tyatory Upon us, petitioners and of those who are prepared to support their | they conscientiously regard imavery d if rent high’, views in this House ; for nothing more is sought by them, Or] ducirine of the Hon the Colonial Treasurer is pot tenable in ou their behalf, than that it shall be acknowledged that their | any way, unless be can show (which we well know he cen nor) that, in any Christian or civiliaed country, there exists any sect, ‘society, or vody of men who say that religion should not be ad- mitted as an element inte education. Catholics, as well as Pro- , think that their children cannot be properly educated,

}

servance of which, depend both their temporal and everlasting But, whilst we ere blessing to our own chitdren, far from lnsisting that otnuers, not think with us on its subj

welfare. anxXiousiy earnest lo secure tins we are, at the same time, very of another Communion, who do

ct, should, in any way, be con-

children have a right to read their Bible in our public schools, provided it shall be done with a due regard to the religious | ‘scruples of those who belong to a different Christian Com-| munion, but who have, with them, a common interest in these | uoless religion be the primary element of their education; and ‘schools. The petitioners who, most undoubtedly, coustitute | therefore, religions Instruction, being deemed as needful by the a very large portion of the intelligence, education and sub- | ‘stance of the community, are compelled, throagh the wrong | ‘construction put upon a certain clause of one of our statutes. | ‘and the operation of a certain resolution founded in error, to present themselves befure the Legislature in the humiliating position of Christians suing for liberty to eajoy what they

eo , t ‘

testants

one as by the other, is equally desired by both. Tins being the case then, it is quite evident (hat the enjoining, the san@ton-

ing, the penanting of tve mstruecting aud training of our chi!-

| required, nay absolutely necessary, provided that the members of any particular church or denomination shall have no authori-

their children educated and trained in the morality and reli- | jand of freedom, is all we wow ask for, without seeking to pri - | gion of the Bible—and what I once thought was their _judice in any Way the rights of others. The llon. the Colonial inalienable right. They who oppose the petitions say they Treasurer has said that the people are quite sausfied wih ihe have been got up by meaus of unnecessary agitation. They liberty, as none ie _e prey at wren elently ace say that, after the close of the last session, due enquiries were | ae ” i pub Bt * Ne - ia oe ere a ce an | made. and it was found that the Bible was read in nearly all! £0 DY (Re Mos ; sag ern 6 eee Nee e Tere lees ee - . . : early aM But that it partakes very little indeed of the qualities of a fac, | the district schools, even in some of which the majority of there is ample evidence in the petitions which are at pr-sen' the pupils were the children of Roman Catholics; and they | pefsre this committee ; one of them which | have jast accident- ‘ask us why we seek to disturb or alter the arrangements | ally taken up, having no less than 1342 signatures—<ignalures through which such agreement or unanimity of feeling, with) which should the committee choose to investigate thew, would respect to the question, has been produced, We answer, that | feel certain, be all found to be genuine: the question is o!

we have not the least desire to disturb such agreement or | too serious a Character, and they who have anxiousiy agitated 1, unanimity ; but, on the contrary, we wish to perpetuate aud 'solemn and conscientious to admit of any trickery and de- secure it by law. All’ thut we at present seek is that the | ception being practised in the obtaining of signatures to the Bible may be as freely introduced into and read in the Central | patitions. Taey who oppose the object of the petitioners— Academy and the Normal School, as they who oppose the which obj ct is simply the right of the petitioners, and of all petitions say it has been and isin the majority of the District who desire it, to have their children who may attend our public Schools. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary says the petitioners: schools, educationally trained in the knowledge of Gods Holy wish to have the Bible introduced as a class-book into the) Word, by being allowed to read the Bible therein—say that th Academy and the Normal School, : ey oa i” MW would be the establishing of a religious test therein, Bur I that point he is mistaken, To set thal the Rent f Owe say, that they who really believe, and seriously assert, that the be made a class-book in those institutions, would be to require ; g,, ;

that it should be read, in common with other class-books, by } may require it, to have their children, who may,as scholars, all the scholars therein who were capable of reading it. But’ attend either the Central Academy or the Normal Schoo’,

la youth, in chid- | nood, the human mind, as we all kuow, is most open to recetve | Imitiatory lessons, whether of good or of evil; and if it be not, |

gard, and observe those truths, on the right knowledge and ob- |

strained to umte with us in the performonece of that, which, al-|

But the |

dreu in the principles of Christianity. by the Stivte, 1s positively |

t : 7 : rs | tative power to interfere with the religious teaching of those ot ae Re " or -iviieve— rtqila “uy i 3 } justly account their dearest privilege—the privilege of having ‘another: and this privilege, this bitth-right of men born in a

in any section of the Island, have done so with feelings too |

introduction of the Bible, into our educational establishmen's. |

declaring, by law, that it shall be allowable, for parents who |

land), in which he compares the Catholics to the dog ia the manger, who would neither eat the hay himself nor suifer the ox to eat it—meaning thereby that the Catholics will neither | read the Bible taemselves nor allow others to read it—is a gross an] unwarrantable ealuuny, and too much akin to the spirit of Sam Grey. But L can tell that hon. and learned member, and them whose sentiments. on this occasion, he | represents in this Tlouse, that the children of Catholie pirents are not, as he seems to believe, brought up in ignorance of ithe contents of the Bible; and neither is the reading of it | prohibited to them in the manner in which he seems to su»- | pose it is. As a proof of what I now say, [ could being | forward a little girl of the Catholic commanion, who-e know. ledge of the Bible. from the first tothe last, f-om the beginning | of Genesis to the enl of Revelation, is su-h as, upon a trial, would, perhaps, make the learued gentleman blush for his own; and would, L feel pretty confident, greatly surpa-s not that of many of those who have signe] these petitions, but , of some of those who have been the most busy in agitating the country upon the question und getting up the petitions, No,

i ’ i }

fonly

iSir, the children of Catholics are not, by any meins, as a jrule, brought up in ignorance of the Bible; but we do not | .hink that they ought to be allowed to read every porivn of jit; and as respects mysetl, [ hesitate not to declare that there fare portions or passages of the Bible whieh ought not to be lread hy youny persyms; and if [ foand my danghter reiding I any one of them, I would at Jeist very quickly fiad her | som thing elise to do. And as for miking schoolmasters | Scripture teachers or ex .ounters of the Bible, nothins, in }iny Opinion, ean be imagiael, in connection with school edu- eation, which, in its operation, wou'd be more absurd and mischievous, [lon Mr Palmer. It is neither proposed nor intenled to make schoolima-ters teachers or expoutiders of | Bible truths] Yes; it is al! very well to say so; but let the ischoolmasters be authoris d and commanded to have Bible |classes in their schvols, what consid-ration will prevent the | most incompetent, who will generally be found the most pre- | sum) tu us, from arrogating to themselves the right and duty lof explaining every Svripture lesson which is read to them. | AM, ] think, will admit that the diversity of opinions now existing among Chri-tians, on points of religious doctrine, is ‘already great enough; but if every incompetent, although vonecited, schoolmas‘er were, in his school, to have full license ito ineulea’e bis own crude ideas of Bible truths upon the

| young minds under his tuition, the winds of doctrine would

}-oon become more numerous and conflicting than they are at | present. Indeed it wou!d soon be found that, to the Bible in _ the hands of such men, and as expounded by ther, there | would be but too muc’: reason to apply the sareasm directed, }on one occasion, by one man to another, with respect to it, ;in the North of Ireland. Their conversation had been | respecting the Bible, aud what it teaches or does not teach, | each of them having maintained his own peculiar views thereon, | (for they were not of the same persuasion), by ref-renee to |the Bible itself; and as it grew to a close, each of them being of the same opinion as he was at the commencement of ther [ Continued on last page.]