THE CATHOLIC CLERGY AND THE TOKOMAIRIRO SCHOOL.

Evening Star, Issue 3368, 5 December 1873, Page 2

THE CATHOLIC CLERGY AND THE TOKOMAIRIRO SCHOOL.

Mr Maitland, K.M., the Commissioner appointed to inquire into the truth of the charges against the head teacher of the Tokomairiro Government School, to the effect that he had beaten a Homan Catholic boy for refusing t* attend at Bible reading and Protestant prayers, notwithstanding the remonstrance of the assistant teacher, reports to the Minister of Justice as follows ;• I found, from the evidence, the origin of the report and facts of the case to be as follow That some time about December, 1872, Mrs M'Karlane, the teacher at the Koman Catholic School, Tokomairiro, reported to the Kcv. Wm. Coleman what purported to he a statement made whereby a girl named Minnie Curran, a pupil at her school, and the (laughter of a Koman Catholic named John Curran, a resident in Tokomairiro, to the effect that her brother, Michael Curran, who at the time attended the Tokomairiro Government School, had fold his father that he had been beaten by Mr Koss, the bead teacher, for refusing to attend at Bible teaching and prayers, notwithstanding the remonstrance of Mr MTutyre, the assistant teacher; that Mr Coleman, after questioning the girl, Minnie Curran, who, it'mny be here stated, is twelve years of age, reported the matter to Mr Hislop, the Inspector of Schools, Dni)edi||. . . . Mr Coleman did pot make the report to tlie Inspector as of a fact with bis own knowledge, but mcic’.y as a report which had reached him, and which he communicated to the Inspector, as the proper person to he made acquainted with it. Mrs M‘Carbine adheres in her evidence to the substance of her report to Mr Coleman as to Minnie Curran’s statement to her. Minnie Curran, in her evidence, denies ever having made any statement to Mrs M’Farlane regarding her brother having said that lie was flogged for not attending Bible reading or prayers, although she admits having told Mrs M'Farjume, in answer to her questions, that her brother had been punished by Mr Koss, for his peading and spejling lessons. Hire altogether (Jenies having iipide apy reference to the assistant teacher, Bhe adinitS hqw.cver. haying afterwards Haiti, in answer to Mr < vllginsqj’s questions mi the subjects, that her brother had bc»ni punished for not leading the Bible, but says plje did not understand his question. Mr Coleman, after questioning Minnie ('inrun, does not seem to have taken any further steps to investigate the matter before reporting it to Mr Hislop. Whatever the girl Minnie Curran’s statement may have been, either to .Mrs MT’arlane or to Mr Coleman, it is perfcetly clear from the evidence iaJfPP by me that there is not the smallest foundation iiji facf fpp the statement that her brother Michael Curran had beep fipaten at the TykoinairirQ Government fejclnipj )jy Jibe h e ifd twmher, Mr Jsqss, qr by anyone, in connection with Bible reading or religious instruction. This, setting aside the strong evidence of the head ami assistant toaphei-s op the point, is clearly substantiated by the evidence of Michael (lurrau himself, his father and mother, and that of a pupil teacher and pupil who were at the school during all the time Michael Curran attended it. It appears that Mr Koss, the head teacher, has already taught the only Bible-class in the school, which was held from half-past 1) to 10 o’clock in the morning, being the first (Asm of the day ; and although Michael Curran seems to hayp attended this, all the evidence is entirely against his ovp; - ]p| vpig been punished by Mr Boss in connection with it qt at any other time ; although apparently he was frequently punished by Mr AT Intyre, the assistant teacher, under whom he was during the remainder of the day, whilst being taught reading and fig; other branches. It will be observed from Uje dcposjtjmis Jlpfj evidence was taken by mp with regard to the prnf.t-icg existing at the Tqkpmairiru Government soliool hi tpo of Catholic children at that school, in connection with their attendance at Bible reading and religious instruction. This evidence, 'although not directly applicable to the case which I was required to investigate, I allowed to be given, as tlie parties concerned seemed desirous to Pave the of the school in' this respect placed on record. In conclusion, 1 repeat that a careful consideration of a)! the available evidence on tlj« subjegf, s)p»ws that the allegation that the head teacher of the Tokomairiro Government school had beaten a Koman Catholic hoy for refusing to attend the Bible reading and Protestant prayers, notwithstanding the remonstrance of the assistant teacher, is entirely without foundation.