With out such lesson or teaching the child is more apt to beget a dislike rather than a liking for the Bible and for religion, and much barm may be done in such a way if the reading of the Scrip- '

tures is introduced. But even if these diffi oulties could be removed, can

COSFLICTIVG INTERESTS lIS RECONCILED by the introduction of a conscience clause ? To my mind one of the worst things that could happen to our children would be the separation which would become manifest if Btble-readirg or religious instruction were introduced with a conscience clause. How marked at once would be the division. The children from ore family would not attend because their father is a Theosophist; from another because he is a Roman Catholic ; in.in a third because he does not believe iu the authenticity of the Gospels ; from a fourth because he is a Jew; and so on. And so there would be engendered in the minds of the children SECTARIAN raUJUDICES AND ILL-FEELING. Some would point the finger of scorn at others, and the schools would be separated into as many divisions as there were sects. What would all this lead to '! I say emphatically DSNOMINATIONALISM, STATE AID TO P3IVATS SCHOOLS, and State aid to DENOMINATIONAL SCHOOLS. And for my part I can conceive no greater injury to the community than the destruction of our p’resent system of Sta'c education anJ the erection of a system of denorainationalUm. I believe the vast majority of people are against denominational education, and I also firmly believe that upon a full consideration of the pro posal for religious instruction in the State schools the Vost majority of thinking people will reject such a proposition. (1) Because the State has no such duty to perform ; (2) became no system of free and compulsory State educa tion can be otherwise than secular ; and (3) Bib’.e-reading in schools must inevitably lead to denominational education. There is NO NKCESSIIY FOR THE AGITATION. The schoolmaster has the children only for twenty-five hours out of the whole we“k. Let parents do their duty by their children. 