Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Volume VIII, Number 4, 23 Ianuali 1869 — English Column. [ARTICLE]

English Column.

Signs of the Times.

An adv(V'ate or mernf>er of the Board of Eduration f in theGovernment "Gazette M of thc 10th in>"t., gives ihe puhlie a wholesome into thc «p\rit that prevades that ; »nyMic hody. They elaim in opposition to j the r\pros;<; provisions of theactofJune24th, j puhlished in our issue of January 2d,! that the Jaw app)ies to independent srhool ! tcachers as weii as to government school teachers, a*serting that the penalties of the | law lor Teceiving into school any child under years of aije without a permitorcertiJ»cate from the former teacher of the ehilii, :«pplv cqually to the teachers of independent scho<»ls and to government school teachers. The article referred to above ean only be con-trued as a threat on the partof the Board oi Kduration for the purpose of intimidating jn<Jependent school teachers, to prevent them irojn receivin<* scho)ars from government -choo!s without written permit fcom the ser-! vants of ihe Board. ! The clause of the law containing the pennltv for the oflense of receiving to school a t*hiM »vithout their gracious permit, is, that the teacher 44 on conviction before a Poiiee or justicc, be subject to a fine of tive <lolUts fur the first o(Tense, and for a second <*ik nse l»e tiablc to a fme of ten dollars, and removal from office at the discretion of the Court." How ridiculous, when the preceding section states in the ilenrest manneT that its rr<4uirements relate to the u teachers of all govomment schools," to elaim that these ponahie» ean be applied to other than those hohlmg the officc of Government school Common sense, eommon English '-ommon law, are outraged by the woukll^ K >poti.vm of thcse ambitious puhlie functionar>e«. lt wouM be interesting to see President Alc\aiuler, Miss Lydia Bmgham, Mr. Beckwjth. Mr. Kavanagh, or any one of our fionored itulependent school teachers seized f y a polieeman. tnarched up to the august ini'Uim) of Poliee or District court, and tiiu ! d tivc dollars for receiving a s?cholar to >i-hool without the written permtt of some i;ovcroment school teacher, and for the >cc«»nii ot!ense subjected to 14 a fine of ten <fo!!.ir* an<l remoral from office." j Wr will ventur«f a guess that eaeh of these tenchers, have since the passage of the law,' received more than one scholat frora other schools wi*hout written permit. There is not the leust danger that the JV«ard of Education will attempt in defiance ot the law to enforcc any such discipline upoo any independent school teachers in as j<rwniuent positions as those named above; but that they are disposed to annoy by such illopil prosecutions less prominent independcnt teachers, none need doubt who have read their article in the ,4 Gazette." \Vc promise to keepour readers infonned o( any such acts that they may attempt. It is not strengt!iening to the optic nerve to look too )ong and too steadily at one tuieroscopic object. Let us take a glanee at a matter or two l>eyond the Board of Educanon. A inost deliberate, cold-blooded, heartsickcning muntcr of a gorcrnment o/ficer in d»schargc of his duties as sherill was eom«utte«i a few weeks since. Soon after the arreM, and impnsonment, of the leading murderer and his accomplices, the Govermnent ©r;jau, thc "Au Okoa," pubfishetl a defense of thc murderer and his crew, dividing the biamt ef the horrible tragedy between Judge Austin oj" the Supreme Court and the sherilf hun*elf. The facile writer argued that the v.«ompany of law(ess vagrants who had taken pc*sj*ssion of the plaee wen deeply wronged by Mr. Austin's refusal to lease them the Und. That with all their acts of wnr an<l ▼ioknee—killing by the way, two governralHrt officeii,—they did not in the least dei:ree raerit th« term of rebels, as the blame restrd else wfeere. Thus the government prees has prepared the way by indicating their positton« for a eleaniuee of ihe murderer a jurv of his country men, native born Hawaiiana. We sub®it it as a f»ir question for the eor»tdentioo of the ageots of Life losurancc whether under a Govemment wfeo9e press tends to make the lives ni its officerschenp, thoee holding of!ice shoul.l l«ermitted to im>ure their lives at the same a* others. * W<» tlnd here a Board of Edueation in vet l»itt«»r hafttility to anv project of atiou that doe« not receivc tbeir cert»li - i -

cate of p€rm)t. threatrnini: with prosecution ' and Cne tbc offense of receiving and teachtng chi!dren of the land; a Goferoment pres« in itf coiumns, throwing the hlame of rebellion ald murder on such of its ofncers n* Jodge Aus(in and the uohappv Welin} Sheriff Neville; a Board of Healih import* ing the small-pox and unwitting!y marching the evidence of it a.boQt o\jt and then simply askiDg, what better pray couid we have do«e.' i The grand fiourish of Christianitv rr.ade by our pnest-ridden ministry at the midnight j hour of December 24th, in the awakening of I our slumbering citizena by the roar of ean- j non, the flash and the fume of gun powder, | takeo without permit from the puhlie crib, i ' weighs but liule against such a record as the i : above. j | While there are some bonest and wortby j men in government offices, we find dismte- ! gration, and rottenness, in every department. i ; This state of things cannot last long. Some ! iallow ten years lease of life to this govern- j |ment. We do not as coming events are not fully revealed; but we have the best of authority for the fact that every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided fagainst itse!f shalf not stand. i ! I