Auckland Institute. 547 



to say something on it. The question of teaching morality in the public 

 schools was one which must press itself on their attention throughout 

 Australasia. 



Dr. Bakewell said he had been a member of this Institute for the 

 last seventeen or eighteen years, and he must say that this paper read by 

 Mr. Bates was a new departure, and brought them to a higher plane. He 

 must congratulate Mr. Bates on opening up this inquiry with a paper 

 which was so crammed with valuable and much original thought. In 

 fact, the reasoning was too close to allow them to take it all in ; but he 

 quite agreed with Mr. Bates's ideas of the system of teaching morality in 

 the State schools. They had got rid of religion and of morality as a sub- 

 ject of education. On visiting the French war-ship " Dubourdieu " 

 recently, he observed " Amor patriae " painted on the poop and on different 

 parts of the ship. That kept constantly before the officers' and sailors' 

 minds their duty of patriotism ; and if they brought before the minds 

 of their youths certain systems of morality they would never lose them. 

 He was aware that copybook morality was often ridiculed, but he held 

 that maxims imprinted on the memory in early youth were never lost. 

 There was a higher system of morality than that propounded here, 

 and if it was taught in the public schools it would make a great 

 effect on the rising generation. Their young people were growing up 

 without a code of ethics ; they did not go to church, and they heard no 

 system of morality from their parents. The French were going to work 

 the right way, and something of the kind it was necessary to adopt here. 

 He briefly criticized some points in the paper, but concluded by congratu- 

 lating Mr. Bates for his excellent and thoughtful paper. 



Mr. Josiah Martin agreed with Dr. Bakewell that it was impossible to 

 follow in one night the chain of argument and thought contained in the 

 paper read by the Rev. Mr. Bates on one of the most important subjects 

 that could be brought forward. He was obliged to him for opening a 

 subject which would form matter for many evenings' discussion, and he 

 would like that it should be held over, as he might be able to add some 

 personal observations on the subject. 



The Rev. Mr. Campbell also spoke in the same direction, warmly 

 eulogizing the author. 



Mr. Thomas Peacock also agreed as to the value of the paper, but 

 thought it would be better discussed after consideration. He did not 

 agree with a statement made by one of the speakers that the teaching 

 in their public schools was void of morality, for a glance at the school- 

 books would show differently. They contained lessons of high morality, 

 and it was not correct to say that morality was banished from then 

 schools. The paper, however, was a most valuable one, and well deserved 

 consideration. 



Third Meeting: 11th July, 1892. 



Professor F. D. Brown, President, in the chair. 



Professor C. A. Pond delivered a popular lecture on "The 

 Aryans in their Primitive Home." 



Fourth Meeting: 25th July, 1892. 

 Professor F. D. Brown, President, in the chair. 

 New Member. — Dr. Humphry Haines. 

 Papers. — 1. Discussion was invited on the paper read by 



