ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 441, 26 September 1877, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

\W'p wish it to he most distim-tlv iiwlorstnrvl tJint we arc not responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.] * TO THE EDITOR OP THE EVENING MAIL. Sin, —T lmvo s f ronjr f>ttst>ieions that your eo-respondent " Pa'e"fam:li:n " is an old hand .it a«kinfr questions. Tf lie an<\vor 'ill of iliom as sih'v a-» lie ie"lied to the 18 he put foru-.inl in his letter of the 24th. I mn-t adnr't liim fo be a very able and profound pclvlnr. What does the proverb say? '•Fools," &c.

Tli-it he nw licit rest convicted of that cha'-g", T shall take tin liberty nf asking him a fc w quest ons : and if In nnswr them clearly, he can sav hims- If from the imputa'ion made ly the proverb. Jt is «'f mop l importance to him than to me that he should give the replies ; therefore, though I a*k, he will he good en"inh to reply. He asked IS quest'ons. Where nre the answers?—where? How mimv universities have Spain and Portugal ? What are their name's? 'When were thev fouudel? The subjects taught in them ? 'lie number of students attend ins each of them ? " Paterfani'liai " states that ifc was insinuated Mr. Fidlcr was incumc'tated from t aching our youth. I never said anything abo-it any youth except the children of C:ith"lics. T would deem myself impertinent if T interfered with other di'mminatioii's. T respect, parental rights .and control over children. I think all teachers holdi"g view* such a* Mr. Fidlc-'s oug'-t int. to be e'lt listed with the teaching of Citholic children. T never sa*il more ; and I do not intend now to sav les*, evn at the risk of incurring the indignation of " Paterfamalias.'' I consider it a great hardship for us Catholics to be taxed and force I to pay salaries to teachers, when these gentlemen hold and proe'airn to the world that the Government should not aive us aid because we profess views on religion and other subjects inconsistent with reason, and when they can teach our Catholi - children, as History or Peography, that Catholic nations are in a cordi;. tion of " debasement, rottenness, and suj.civ stition." '

- *M " Paterfamilias " endeavours to bear was the Catholic<<. They would prefer that ht would try and treat them with justice vul charity, knowing that he has a " Maxtor ii leaven." How wonderfully patient that man is who makes the poor Catholics pij for the education of his children, and criei out that those Catholic < are '• illiberal am intolerant " who complain of such unjust am cruel treatment. 1 only wished to get a fnii share of the education grant, not for religious but for secular instruction, Ntihjcct to th< control of the Government Inspectors. And I asked for that share because the Catholu people are compelled io con tribute the money, Again. 1 stated that 1 would not ask the aid in that way it it were for the Catho. lies to accept it under tlie Government pro. p.ised system, without being renegades U thei • fath. " Putenamilias " thinks lightly of our objections and convictions. However, we h ae them, and hope to hold them till death.

I can assure your correspondent that no one has a great r dislike to disputing of ftiiy kind than I have. J never in my life said n disrespectful word of the religion of any man—Turk, .lew, Heathen, or C hristun. I feel hurt and pained that the Government should compel me and all Catholics in New Zealand to pay for the schooling of other people, and also to p-iy for tne separate schooling of Catholic ehil lit n, and to contii bate to the salaries of Government teaehen who come forward an I publicly abuse Catho. lies and their re igion. 1 never wrote against any man, but in self d il'euoe, and when forced by being first unjustly attacked, ami then, I believe, with as much moderation a< the nature of the subject permitted. '- Patcrfaniilias," I pres.ime, is kindly dis posed ; but if he wish to favour us, he ought to assist us not with "a stone, but with bread, 'not with poisoned, but with wholesome nourishment, more especia ly a-t ourselves pay the price '1 hen, and then only, can his kindness and patience be remembered with gratitude.—l am, Ac. Wm. Coleman. TO TUB EMTOIt OF TUK KVKNINrt MAIL. Sin,-Can any one who has observed the p'oe.eding< in ihe Magi trate's Court licit! fail to notice th; ine inipatibility of the decisions of our worthy Resident Magis. trate ? 1 have waited to see if any member of the Licensed Victuallers' Associa'ioii wo Id draw the attention of the public tc the unsatisfactory manner in which the slygrog eas s were disposed of. Admitting that Mr. t/Meagher intended his Worship to uiider.-tand tuat the prosecution did not wish to pre-,s the charges (which I very much doubt), was it coiisi. tent with the evidence, tin two previous couvicti >ns, ami the well-kn iwii character of the houses kept by these sly grog-sellers, to have treated one of the defendants in .such a lonic it manner. I say No! and 1 think there arc many who will with me. It is a wellknown fact that the police and Resident Magistrate know the house referred to as the worst of all the sly-grog shanties in Oauiaru. and I maintain, assuming thut Mr. o'Meagher did not press lor penaltv, it would have been good policy ami only ju-t to boomed v entailers and the public to have imposed such a line as wouhl have at least made the defendant understand that such ll.igr.int iit'ringements of the law would not be tolerated. Next we have before the Court the unToi-tunam man who endeavoured to rescue his drunken matt) from tiie evident designs of a notoriously wicked woman, for wnich he was mulcted to the amount of LI ; an I 1 asset tit on tho strength of the evidence that his only sill was an attempt to rescue his friend from the c utches of this frail one. (Jan anyone fail to see the evils likely to result Imm siu-li ade -i.sion. Js it not I'atr to asstimo that men will in future, i their intoxicated companions shoiil I be assailed by such vile females, leave them to their doom—to bo robbed, or perhaps worse. 1. ask any rightminded pe son it such is nt a reasonable conclusion to arrive at. A re-ideut magistrate devoid of the necessary discrimination is almost worse than no magistrate at all. L think the Slate wdl soon have to pay tho expenses of an appeal eise, and tint not the ca-e alluded to, although a " whisky job."—l am, iVic, Pi:o Bono Publico.