In the colony of Victoria a grant of 150,000 a
year has hitherto been made "in aid" of religion, but it is now to be gradually withdrawn, decreasing 110,000 every year, till it is extinguished. The cause of the change of feeling on the subject is not a little curious. The grant is to all denominations, and even the Jews after a severe fight got some, but then came the Chinese and put in their claim, and the Australians could not stand paying for joss-houses. It never seems to have occurred to them that to tax Chinamen to support churches was just as unfair as to tax Christians for the support of joss-houses. To refuse help to all alike is easy statesmanship, but we do not see why it is more righteous than to give it to all alike. Buddhism is not a creed clearly inimical to civilization.
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