NEW SOUTH WALES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 668, 2 April 1859, Page 3

NEW SOUTH WALES.

Our dates are' to the 15th ult., froni Sydney. — There is but little news of interest, the only item being a rupture in the Roman Catholic body., The following account of a public meeting.-held on the 26th ult, explains the case. It was summoned by the'following advertisement.

" Catholic Affairs. —A public meeting of .the Catholics of Sydney, will be holden' at the Victoria Theatre, this clay, Saturday, at two o'clock p.m., to take into consideration a.series of resolutions respecting the recent nomination by the - Eight Eev. Abbot Gregory to a seat at. the Board of Management of the Roman Catholic Orphan School, Paramatta, of a Protestant gentleman _; \ and: to consider the present state of., Catholic affairs in New South Wales;" ■ '':. •■; ■■• ■.-■: ■•■■• ■■■■ ■-.:..-:

From 700 to 800; persons were present, and the following resolutions after several amendments had been negatived were carried and forwarded by. the chairman to the Archbishop. ; ■■ " That this meeting having before it a statement .to the effect • that the Eight Rev. Abbot Gregory had recommended to- the Government for the seat at the Board of Management of the; Catholic Orphan, School at Paramatta, vacated by John H. Plunkett,; " Esq., <S«C. I' a' l)r.- Bassett—a Protestant gentleman residing and "practising medicine at Paramatta —and having "satisfied itself that Right Rev. Abbot Gregory did, contrary to all Catholic principle, recommend to Government the appbinment.of this protestant gentleman to the seat at the' board vacated by one of the foremost Catholic gentlemen; in- New South Wales, and, notwithstanding^ that the Catholic body affords ample scope for choice of nien in every way qualified for the appointment, resolves— . 1. That it is neither safe nor creditable to the Catholics of New South Wales to continue their confidence in an ecclosiastic'al administration of their affairs which could crown a long course of maladministration with an act so repugnant to the simplest' Catholic instincts, and so fraught with danger to the holiest Catholic interests. 2. That until the ecclesiastical administration of Catholic affairs be committedto dignitaries of the Chiirclvin whom the Catholic community caiv.haye confidence, a 1 provisional committee be appointedj irt; whom shall abide the right and duty to nominate; t6 Government. tliose members of the Catholic"

bocly. they may 'consider best fitted to. direct and! guard their.interests' in., the several institutions of the country deriving'suppcjrt from Government. ■ 3. That' '.a, return; of'thtep 1 proceed ings, with a concise account of the "progressive misiri;inagerneVit ori'!the!purt.pf our ecclesiastical.authorities which, has led to, them,'.be 'forthwith transmitted to Home, with a reverential prayer that theholy'father will see fit to extricate his children in tins colony from their distressing'embarrassments with all practicable speed. ■ • / • - 4. That a copy of these resolutions be trans J mitted to his Grace tlie. Archbishop. . ■ 5. Thnt a copy of the.se resolutions be transmitt^ to the hon. the Colonial Secretary: 6. That the said provisional committee consist' for the present of

7. Tliat the. Catholic body, in public meeting assembled, shall have]iower at any time to increase or diminish the number of such committee, or to discharge it altogether." . . v

Jn ;reply, the' Archbishop has forwarded the following letter to Mr. O;Connor; the chairman. Wliat the rtsult of this letter may be on the promoters of the meeting is'riot yet known.

. • : Vicar-General's Office, March' 2, 1859. •■ Sir, I—His1—His Grace the Archbishop directs me to acknowledge the' receipt, yesterday, of your letter, enclosing resolutions passed at a meeting held in the-Victoria Theatre, on Saturday last. ' •His Grace! does riot,- and"; cannot, recognise the meeting'in" question as' a meeting of .tlie catholics o(:Sydney.; Neither in the authority t>y which ifc: was summoned, nor in its actual composition, nor; with respect, to any' legitimate condition can there be found the slightt sfc claim 1o such a title. ; The "attempt ;.avo\ved in your resolution, to destroy the .confidence of the catholics of. thisarchdiocese in: their lawfully constituted pastors; and furtheiyby means of a- non-catholic and lay power; to interpose the- us\irpation of a provisional.committee (the j; well known;device of everyrevolution--; ary and- rebellious/movement), in hindrance of-free-ecclesiastical administration by those your law-, ful.; pastors; is so grossly-: Bchismatical-.-;that:«h'is-. Grace ;is; compelled by hisduty tonotify toydursel.f and. ; all concevned^ that the activ.e promoters -find; abettors ;pf such'a cpursehav.e rendered-; themselyes' liableio the/extreme.penalties df separation-;froins the, Catholic' Church, and -tliat.-.-tlus-- one hereby /given shall* serve^everyVcanonica} purppsej to the effect that, .unless beforetwelvero'clockjn.o.on- ;- of Thursday, ,the: .tenth- :instant> sucli prompter^ and abettors;,shall have withdrawn .Irotn andrver;' nounced the proceedings .initiated andL carried put in reference to" the said meeting of .Saturday; last, they will havecut,themselves off from the commu-r nion of the'church. . ::-;..r I Jiav.e the honor to be, sir, '''"" ' 'Your rnos't obedient servant, H. G. Abbot Geegory, Vicar-General. We cannot ascertain whether any plan or system of united .action ..has 'been determined /upon by those members. of the Roman .Catholic laity who have taken a lead in the. movement referred' to, but it would' appear .from the following, advertisement; which, was publiohed.ia the /Herald,' that they, or a majority; of .them'had submitted to .the,mandate: "To all to; whom, it may CojrdßßN.-—la reference to my letters.published in:'tlie;'Herald' of the 4fch instant, I am directed by his Grace the Archbishop to state that those gentlemen to whom the letters, were addressed, and who. have severally, in.writing, or .by^word of mouth, withdrawn from and renounced the prrcsedings initiated and carried out in reference.to the.'provisional committee, appointed' at the: meeiing-of the 26thultimo in the Victoria' Theatre; : and also:ali those promoters and abettors: who,".not having;been: addressed individually by : .letter of monition-, do, yet renounce those proceedings, are hereby declared free:from ecclesias«i tical 'censure inr:this: regard. :H. Gr. Abbot.Gee,<joey,: Vicar-General. - .St. Mary's-.Cathedral, March 9." F.; 0 >:,;-:>-■'•; ;;i:'•-.:. ;:c>.r:;r. •■'::-;;-■