Christchurch telegrams last week re ported tho resolution of tho General Assembly of tho .Presbyterian Church on the education question. Wo aro how able to give the resolution in full. It was as follows : —

" That the Assembly receive the report; that in the opinion of' this Assembly a rc introiluction of h denominational system of education would be disastrous to the in terests of education in general, and that in the event of any amendment of tho Act being made the clause relative to the purely secular character of the education to be given should he expunged'and tho giving of Bible instruction left to be decided by the general committee, and that it be an in struction to the committee to take any measures open to them with the view of frustrating any such measure being suc cessful. That, io the opinion, of the As sembly, the Government should be requested to instruct committees to grant the use of the school-rooms under their charge for Bible instruction outside of school hours."

It is easy to perceive that the resolu. tion was a compromise between those who advocated secular education as the State' system unreservedly, and thoso who held out for Bible reading in the public schools. The full report of the debate shows that motions expressing the views of each section were made, and that both agreed to merge their differences in the resolution that was finally carried. The lesson specially to be learned from the discussion is one that has often been illustrated in these (columns. Those who advocated Bible reading were as strong in their repu diation of denominationalism as the supporters of purely secular education. Both opposed the granting of public monies to sectarian schools, but the up holders of religious teaching strongly insisted that the State itself should tet. h religion, and that the religion taught should be ,one, to their liking. The Rev. W. CH Hies, for example, who dissented from the report of the As sembly committee, favourable to the present' system said :" He was ijuite sure the feeling of the majority ot the clergy was that the Bible should be: reac f___t '-was a national book. [A yoice : '•'But a'Protestant book."] Well, a Protestant book if they liked ; and they belonged .o » Pyo.testapt country. No Catholic could sib on the English, throne. 