The Anglican reaction to the secular clause of the 1877 Education Act : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of M.A. in History at Massey University

(1)

Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without the permission of the Author.

(2)

THE ANGLICAN REACTION TO THE SECULAR CLAUSE OF THE

1877 EDUCATION ACT.

A thgsis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of M.A.

in History of Massey University.

Andrew Sangster.

1984

·.

Massey University library New Ze~land ^&^PacificCollection

(3)

ABSTRACT

Part I of the thesis gives the general backgrour.1 to the issue of secular education in New Ze"land through the various situations in each Province. Although the

· Provincial Councils were independent fro~ one another they each experienced considerable difficulties with the problemn of religio~s instruction. The Roman Catholics and Anglicans desired their own schools and grants-in-aid, while the non-confJ~~iat; wanted a state system ~hich was secular. Part I concludes with a brief view of the sectarian divisions anc the 1877 Education Bill.

Part II deals w~th Anglican reaction prior to 1877. It becams clear in the Anglican Synocical proceedings, and ir. local dt:ba -:e re!Jorted in r. :wspaper3, tr.a:: t'·

Church of England was ambivalent in its att~~~~c~-

episcopal laaders, such as Octavius Harj field, souc¹'

similar position to the Roman Cat~olics in dema~d:ng a Church school syste~ 3Upported b/ grants-:0-a:d. O:her Anglicans did not feel so st=ong!y a~d subse~uer.tly secular education became a national measur~.

Part III Cu0~iders the situation after 1a77 through the synodical proceedings; the 1883 Petitions Committee (which consider9d the complaints about the secular clause}; and the 1895 Com~ittee which discussed the proposed Irish text book scheme. The Anglican respons9 remained ambivalent, and even those who bitterly cpposed the secular cla~se could not persuade Church members to respond in a decisive way.

u

(4)

PREFACE

Havin~ spont many years teaching Religiou~

studies as an academic subject in che United Kingdom, I was surprised to find secular education in ^Ne~Zealand.

As an Anglican prieal~, ~nd a member of variol'9 synods I became curious as to why the ~ituation erose, and, more to the point, how lhe Anglican ·church raacted to the secular clal!se.

While in pursuit of this research, I have hRd

1-1.

good. reason to be grateful to Or. P. Linebam ·of Messey University History Depar~ment, who has assisted and guided ^~~^. At all times he has exhibited a degree of patience far more than I deserved.

I am also indebted to Massey U~iversity s interloan service; to the Turnbull Library for access to their documents ^a~dspac& to work in; and to th3 library of Wanganui Collegiate School.

111

(5)

Abstract

. .

Prsface

Table of Content~

Abbreviations

..

A Note on Terminology PART I

----

Introduction

General Backgrounc Auckland Province

. .

Wellington Province ••

Nelson Province Cantertury Province Otago Province

. .

CONTENTS

. . . .

• • • • • •

. .

• • • • • •

. .

• •

. .

• • • •

. . . . . .

••

. .

. . . .

The Provinces and the General Assembly The Sectarian Divisions

. . . .

The Education Bill - 1877 • _{• •}

. .

PART II Introduction

••

,

.

. .

,

.

,

.

• •

. . .

^,

.. . .

State of Anglicanism and other denominations Early contentions - 1855 •• •• ^{6 '} At the Diocesan Level

. . . . . .

General Synods

..

Later contentions - 1876 _•_•

..

PART III

Introduction

. . . ..

.

^,

• •

. .

• •

. .

• •

.

• •

.

..

. .

General Background reference other denominations Reaction at Diocesan Level

General Synod's Petition The 1883 Petitions Committee Anglican Reaction 1883-1895 The 1895 Petitions Committee

final Observations 8 iblic;>rephy

. .

• •

. . . . .

••

. . .

• •

• • • • • •

• • 6 • • • •

.. . .

• •

. .

• •

• • • •

. .

• •

. .

.. ..

..

• •

..

• •

..

.

• •

. ..

..

••

.. ..

••

..

••

i1 i i i

iv

v

vi

1

2 5 9 12 15 18 21 23 28

32 33 37

41 49 52

59 60

63 69 72 83

89 93 97

(6)

v

List of Abbreviations.

AJHR ... ... Appendices to the Jou~nals of House of Representatives, Government Printer, Wellington.

BPP .. ... . . British Parliamentary Papers relative to New Zealand.

BRO . . . .... Breward.I, Godless Schools, A Study of Pro~estant Reactions to Secular Education in New Zealand, Presbyterian Bookroom, Christchurch, 1967.

D~Zo ... .. . Scholefield, G.H, (ed) ,Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, 2 Vols,Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd, Wellington, 1940.

JE?C . ... Joint Education Petttions Committee, in AJHR, 1883,1-11.

t·tac ... Mackey.J, The ~laking of a State Education System, The Passing of the New Zealand Education Act,1877, Geoffrey Chapman, London, 196 7.

OH~Z ... Oliver.W.H, with Williams.B.R, (eds.), The Oxford History of NewZealand, Oxforc

University Press, Wellington, 1981.

PO .. ... .. New Zealand Parliamentary Debates, Wellington, Government Printer.

(7)

A NOTE ON TERMINOLOGY

Since many Anglicans during the 19th Century clearly regarded themselves as Church of England I have ~sed this title interchangeably with Anglican. The title Non-Conformist seemed less clumsy than Non-EpiscopAl Protestants, the only alternative. Unless otherwise specified I intend Non-Conformist simply to mean all other main line Christian denominations outside the traditions of Anglicanism, with the exception of Roman Catholics who are mentioned spe- cifically. The Concise Oxford Diction-

ary of the Christian Church(ed. E.A. Livingston, 2 edn, 1977) writas that the word is now "aor.Jlied generally to all dissenters from the Church of England especially those of Protestant

sympathy." There is no justification for this in New Zealand except from the point of convenience.

VI