CATHOLIC EDUCATION

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 184, 17 August 1871, Page 5

CATHOLIC EDUCATION

At a meeting at the Catholic Chapel, Lawrence, on Sunday, 13th inst., Mr. M'Swiney was voted to the chair.

The Chairman said it was much to be regretted that the vexed qxiestion of education in Otago seemed to evoke feelings not properly pertinent to the subject, which ought to be one of calm and impartial investigation. For his part he did not see why it should be so. If he knew himself— a sort of knowledge, by the way difficult to attain — he always endeavoured to consider a disputed question from the side opposite to his own. Looking thus at the education question, he did not see why their fellow colonists should take umbrage at their efforts. As regarded Roman Catholics, he thought the matter lay in a nub-shell, and might be comprised in a few short and simple propositions. Roman Catholics must, from tho Bishop to their humblest member, accept the judgment of their church in essentials of doctrine and religious practice ; they must believe that Church to be the channel through which floAv to fhem the inspired wisdom and the graces of God. When they cease to do this, they cease to be Catholics. The Church has pronounced education not teaching their religion to be unfit for Catholics. The remainder, of the argument is. obvious. When our fellow colonists say to us, "We have the educational grant, and we mean to keep it ; but you can, if you choose, send your children to our secular schools," they in effect tell us that as Catholics we shall have no share of the . fund voted for education, and that if we dp not apostatise, Aye shall derive no benefit from that fund to which, we nave contributed equally with ihem. t\>r the rest, he believed tliat the Roman Catholic's, as a body, would be glad to. see > the governmental Schools . in Otago succeed and .flourish', and that ' Catholics woidd riot grtidge,fto a reasonable 'extent,- tdieir .efjforts and their money to aid -them, -but npt for- ,the education . ; of Catholics. Should our present efforts prove fruitless, we shall feel it our duty to persevere jand to take advantage of altered circumstances that may from time to "time tun} up in our favour. The Chairman #hen called on • , • . I [ , Mr. Bowes, who said it was a misiake to say that. the .present movement originated , with the Bishop. He had ItAvo children who were ' perhaps as [veil eduqated as 'any of their,' ago in Tuapeka. He had neVer sent therii to a schpol Vhere their religion was not taught. *He wiuld gather- follow- -their <dead bodies to: the grave than do so. He' commented online",fact' of Mr." Gillies-, making, himseif ' a partisan oy originating a, counter petition, and yrging zeal in carrying it' out?, land procuring signatures of Catholics thereto. Mr. Bowes then proposed the first resolution, as follows :—": — " That Roman Catholics, guided by the wisdom of their

.church, and in obedience to the, dictates of their own consciences, consider that the education of thoir children is likely to be greatly endangered by their attendance at schools whore thoir religion is not taught ; and, therefore, believing thai sound religions training is vastly more important than any other worldly advantages, they decline to permit their children to be educated at the secular schools I as constituted in this province." Seconded by Mr. Nash. Carried. Mr. Sproule, in moving the second resolution, stated that it was very much to be regretted that the Catholic body in this province should meet with such unmeaning opposition, especially as they were only demanding their . just and equitable rights, which, sooner or later, would be conceded to them. It was the earnest desire of Catholics to live in harmony with their fellow citizens throughout the province, and he hoped that those who now differed from them in educational matters would live to see their mistake, and that the scurrility of the Dunedin press would urge them the more to demand as good citizens their just rights. He also stated that a very compYehensiYe aM excellent petition Tvas prepared by the Chairman, of which he fully approved ; but as he believed the petition adopted in Dunedin would suit for the entire province, it would be advisable to adopt that, as there could be no essential difference in the prayer of their petitions. After a very spirited address, he concluded by stating that they were fully determined to urge their claim upon the Government till they were fully satisfied. Mr. Sproule then moved

— " That the Roman Catholics of Otago, contributing equally with their fellow citizens to the revenue of Otago, and being equally interested in its welfare, think that they are equally with their fellow citizens entitled to the benefits of protection and aid from the State ; and that the Government of Otago, when they, backed by another religions denomination more powerful in number and wealth, refuse aid to Roman Catholic schools, ungenerously take advantage of our weakness, and by this illiberal conduct present a very unflattering contrast with the conduct of other more liberal, just, and generous governments."

Mv O'Neill, in seconding the resolution, remarked on the apathy of Catholics, and suggested the advisability of questioning candidates for representation in Legislative Assemblies as to their opinions on the educational question.

The resolution was carried

Mr. Whelan proposed, and Mr. Donnellan seconded, the third resolution — " That the petition as read be adopted by the meeting." Mr. Whelan advocated earnestness and unity of action, and said that whatever the result of this appeal to the Colonial Government may be, we cannot send our children to the public schools as at. present constituted. The argument s-j often used, that Catholics •approved of and sent their children to the Government schools until the arrival of our Bisliop, cannot be maintamecl, as for tho past three years thei-e has been a Catholic school established in this district numerously attended, and eminently successful. Mr. Whelan said that no Catholic could conscientiously send his children to non-religious schools where a Catholic school existed. The motion was carried.

The meeting then adjourned,

The following is the petition :—: — The Petition of Roman Catholic inhabitants of Tuapeka to the Speaker and House of Assembly, Wellington. Humbly Sheweth —

That your petitioners labour under disabilities in reference to the education of their children, owing to the system of public education existing in the Province of Otago. -

That your petitioners have been compelled for several years to provide schools for their own children at their own expense, whilst they have been obliged to contribute their share of the public funds, by which the system of public education is mainly supported, though deriving no advantage whatever therefrom.

That your petitioners cannot accept a system of merely secular education, or any system in which secular is separated from religious educa,kioa, or in wliiq]i tLeir children are unahle to receive a chiistian and Catholic education.

That yoitr petitioners regard all attempts to coerce them into sending their children to be educated in mixed schools, or schools in which the Holy Scriptures are read in the authorised version, and explained by the teachers, and in which the Shorter Catechism, or ary other Catechism except their own, is taught, as tyranny and religious persecution, and an unwarrantable and unjust interference with their inalienable rights and liberties.

That your petitioners cannot be satisfied with any system of public education which does not recognise their rights to receive their equitable share of the public money in aid of tbe secular instruction imparted in Roman Catholic schools.

That your petitioners, therefore, pray your Honourable House to devise such measures as shall secure to Roman Catholic schools such aid from the public money devoted to education as justice and equity— their relative numbers being considered— may demand.