ME. MOSLEY’S LECTURE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1867, 17 February 1880, Page 3

ME. MOSLEY’S LECTURE.

Pursuant to announcement Mr Mosley delivered a lecture in the Oddfellows’ Hall last evening, his object being to answer Father Ohiniquy’s statement re the Irish Famine, and expose other matters. There were about eighty persons present. Mr Mosley commenced his discourse by explaining the motives which had induced him to come forward, namely, to expose the inaccuracy of certain statements made by Pastor Ohiniquy. Some influence had been exerted to prevent his lecturing, one of the grounds being that it might cause disturbance, but this he thought a reflection on the good sense of the people of Christchurch. He explained that he had not appointed an earlier date, because the Hall was not sooner available, and if Pastor Chiniquy desired to be present to hear what remarks he had to make it was surely his place to prolong his visit here for that purpose, since the lecture was advertised before he left the city.

Tho lecturer then devoted some time to the refutation of Father Ohiniquy’s statements regarding tho Irish famine, pointing out that to afford succour to the starving thousands at home, persons of all creeds were united, and had sunk all feelings of religious difference, when suddenly there came among them in the person of Pastor Ohiniquy an alien, who sowed discord right and left, and materially interfered with the success of the charitable movement. Tho statements he had to disprove were that the famine in Ireland was exaggerated, that the money subscribed would go to tho priests, and some absurd speculations of the pastor’s on the subject of the land laws. Mr Mosley was provided with a large amount of documentary evidence, and quoting from the English reviews and the Press of the United Kingdom, made out a very good case, and completely ans v ered the Rev. Father Ohiniquy on the points named. With regard to the religious aspect of the question, he pointed out that one of the principal political agitators in Ireland at present was a Protestant, Mr Parnell, and they were told by the homo papers that many of the Roman Catholics held aloof from it. The present agitation in Ireland was for the alteration of a system admittedly wrong, and surely that agitation was legitimate enough. Mr Mosley then went on to disprove other portions of the general statements made by Mr Ohiniquy when he warned them not to subscribe to the relief fund. That gentleman had a large pecuniary interest in thus deceiving his audience. He also succeeded in usingtho clergymen of this town making them subservient to his sole aim and end, which was gain. It was not, perhaps, complimentary to say so, but it was a fact that Pastor Ohiniquy had in this way twisted these rev. gentlemen round his little finger. And what did all this money go to ? We heard of certain apostate priests who were supposed to be working their way somewhere, but he (Mr Mosley) for one would not believe that they had any existence whatever without further proof; and in his opinion it would have been better had the Pastor Ohiniquy brought a priest with him as a specimen. Generally speaking, the conversion of priests from the Church of Rome soon becomes notorious, but strange to say Pastor Ohiniquy’s numerous conversions were unheard of. The lecturer then read some amusing extracts from an American paper, which went to show that the Rev. Father Ohiniquy had expended a large amount of money collected by him on his own farm, and also that a committee of townspeople in a certain county had resented the Pastor’s appeal for distress in that particular county, which happened to be remarkably well off. The conversions of Father Ohiniquy, he pro ceeded to say, were mostly imaginary, and he then gave some disclosures made in pamphlets published in Canada, which reflected upon the character of the Pastor, not only indicating that a great many of his assertions were absolutely untrue, but that he had associated with him in his mission men of highly immoral and notoriously bad character. After giving a few more anecdotes, which were rather amusing in character, Mr Mosley concluded by hoping that he had proved to the satisfaction of the audience all ho had promised, and said he should bo satisfied if he had succeeded in calling forth kindlier feelings towards the country from which he hailed—the land of which the poet had sung — Erin ! thy silent tear never shall cease, Erin? thy languid smile ne’er shall increase. Till like the rainbow light Thy various tints unite, _ And form in Heaven’s sight One arch of peace.