EDUCATIONAL MEETING AT CHARLESTON.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 855, 29 August 1871, Page 2

EDUCATIONAL MEETING AT CHARLESTON.

A rather thinly attended meeting of the Eoman Catholics of Charleston was held at Eegan'a Post Office Hotel on Thursday evening last, for the purpose of petitioning Government to allow State aid for denominational education.

Upon 1 the motion of Mr Pigott, the Eev. Father Walsh was voted to the chair.

The Chairman said: I received a telegram on Friday last from Bishop Viard, desiring me to call public meetings to get petitions signed to present to the Assombly with regard to the Education Bill. The bill that is about being introduced"is objectionable. We want to ask for State aid for denominational educatiou, and meetings are being held, not only here, but everywhere else in New Zealand, for the purpose of-bringing all possible influence to bear upon the question at this important crisis. Now is the im, portant crisis, and we want to take advantage of it by petitions largely signed, and forwarded without delay. We want denominational education, and we reject secular education—that is, the system that is about being introduced. We assert our rights as a large and numerous body. The Church holds that a secular Rystein of education is calculated to ! make infidels of children, and denounces the system of bringing up children in those echools. The children are brought up in. these schools without hearing of God. or religion, ■• and must not the effect of this kind- of education make children think more of secular education than religious ? Eeligion cannot be taught to the children by their parents, many not being capable of imparting religious knowledge, and many are too busily working, and have not the time to do so. The defect cannot be remedied by the priests. The priests cannot be everywhere on Sundays, and they cannot collect the children together during the week. It is quite evident that the effect of secular education is to engender a disregard for religion and the Church. The secular system of .education is adopted in America, and the consequence is an almost utter indifference to religion. (The speaker here read an extract from an American bishop, with regard to the injurious effect of the secular system of education in that country.) The secular system of teaching is merely instruction, not education ; for education must fit us for the next world as well as this. We are a people of faith, and we want our children brought up in the same manner. Our duty, therefore, is at this crisis to do all that we can to give our children a denominational education. We do not want to interfere with any other denomination, and we cannot be content with any other system than the denominational one. In case of refusal to our petition we must form denominational schools wherever it is possible to support them. In this manner we should be labouring under an injustice, as we should still have to pay our portion of the rates. (He then read an extract from a letter of his Holiness Pone Pius the Ninth, written in 1864 with regard to education, and to use all our efforts t3 support it. The reverend gentlemen then concluded, and called upon Mr Shapter to propose the first motion. (Applause.) Mr Shapter said the resolution he had been asked to propose was " That it is desirable for this meeting to draw up and adopt a memorial to be forwarded to the two houses in favour of denominational education." About this time the General Assembly is sitting. As far as we can learn the bill about to be introduced is entirely secular. The rule of the church for the last 1800 years demands education blended with a certain amount of religious instruction. The system of imparting secular education without religious teaching was highly injurious. He might term this the age of materialism, and it was well known that the principles of materialism were contrary to Catholicism. The secular system of education is aiding, as far as possible, the material tendency winch is another point in favour of denominational education. No matter where we are we should ever have God present in our mind, and as our children mix with people of other religions they should be taught that God is present. Another thing to consider is, how is order affected by religion ? That he might say was instanced in the present time by the Communists, who were certainly the most uneducated people of France. The first thing they had done was to insult religion by murdering the priests and by that means first attacking religion they overthrew order, a strong proof that religion is order. Now the secular system, if introduced as a national system and the bible is to be read and to be expounded by the teacher, as there are so many sects each teacher will interpret the Bible in his Oivn manner or as he thinks proper; and as it is well known that since the Reformation there have been 2000 sects, by adopting this system you allow your children to fall into a state of heresy. The arguments used by the Eev. Chairman with regaid to parents teaching thoir children after completing their daily labour ia sufficiently conclusive; and, as regards the priests how could Father Walsh for instance attend to the Sunday schools ? He has to attend Westport, Addison's, Charleston and Brighton ; he has to say two masses and sermons, and then prepare for vespers so

that it was certainly plain that ho could not attend to it. It was, terefore, certain that no catholic, as a catholic, could agree to any other form than a denominational form of education. They should rise en ma. se and say that they have sufficient voice in New Zealand to demand state aid for a denominational system of education. Of course wo do not want to quarreld with seculars when we differ from them is when they try to gain a predominant power in the House and force their system upon us. I think, as the proceedings of this meeting will be reported, we shall bo placing in the hands of our representative, who is, I believe, at present at the Assembly, a very powerful argument in favour of denominational education.— Great applause. Mr Deinpsey briefly seconded the resolution, which was carried nem con. Mr Dwau then moved, " That the following form of petition be adopted, and that the Rev. Chairman be respectfully requested to forward the same, when signed, to his Lordship the Bishop of Wellington :—• The humble memorial of the undersigned Roman Catholic inhabitants of the District of Charleston, Province of Nelson, sheweth : 1. That your memorialists strongly disapprove of any undenominational system of education from conscientious principles, and in obedience to the laws of the Church.

. 2. That your memorialists, therefore, respectfully beg to express a hope that in localities where they are in: sufficient numbers to justify the establishment of separate schools on their own plan, they may be considered entitled to receive a fair amount of assistance from the general fund to aid the maintenance of such schools. ". r

3. That, your memorialists, therefore, hope that your honourable House will adopt such measures as may be deemed best calculated to satisfy the conscientious objections to the undenominational Bystem of a large and increasing section of the inhabitants of the Province.

And your memorialists will ever pray, &c. In moving the resolution, Mr Dwan said: You have heard the memorial placed in my hands, and also the remarks of the Rev. Chairman. He disagreed with the last speaker in the matter of the Bible being read, and explained in the schools, he thought the established, Church were too conservative in their ideas to allow of it. He disagreed with the reading of the Bible, and having it expounded by the teacher. He knew the teachers of New Zealand could not explain several passages in the Bible, as they were very abstruse. He had not paid much attention to the Bill that was proposed, but he hoped the Catholic teacher would come forward, and enlighten the meeting upon it.

Mr Cullen, in a few appropriate remarks, seconded the motion. Mr Aiden Doyle remarked that as every person was allowed to speak he would wish to say a few words. He Quincy had said that if a man was entitled to anything from his country it was education. The government should not force a system of education upon the people that was contrary to their wishes. He did not think that the Church of England was in favour of the present system. He thought rather that it was the Presbyterian system.

After some remarks from Mr Shapter the motion was put and carried unanimously. The Chairman requested that all present would sign the petition. He said that he had heard it mentioned that it was desirable to make a motion relative to the conduct of Mr (D'Conor* relative to his not being at present at the Assembly to take part in this important question. Hb had been elected by the Catholic vote and this was the important question that they desired to see him returned upon. He (the chairman), had asked Mr O'Conor to take part in this movement and speak at some of the meetings but ho had declined to do so.

Mr Hehir said he thought it was right to censure Mr O'Conor; he had met Mr O'Couor, at Nelson and he told him he was not going to. "Welling T ton for three or four weeks yet, ,It was the Catholics that had put him in, and he thought Mr ' O'Conor was not acting properly in not being now at the Assembly., He moved '•' That,/ ju- the opinion of this meeting our representative, Mr O'Conor, should now be in attendance at the Assembly, and further in the event of Mr O'Conor not proceeding to Wellington by the next steamer, that he, be; requested to resign his seat immediately., - Mr Piggot said it was hot with pleasure he rose to second the motion after the manuer the people had acted for Mr O'Conor a short time since, and Mr O'Conor being a man they had plaeed such confidence in from the specious promises he had made. He considered it would noc be over harsh terms to say that Mr O'Conor was a traitor to them and a renegade to his God.

Mr Doyle asked if it was any unavoidable circumstances that prevented Mr O'Oonor from going. , The Chairman said that Mr O'Gpnor had told him that it was his private business that detained him. Mr i3ohan said it was rather harsh to condemn Mr O'Conor without giving him a chance to defend himself. He thought that Mr O'Conor ought to be written to upon the subject. Mr Shapter did not think that there was any such courtesy due to Mr

O'Conor as writing to him. It wash! duty to be at his post, and it was jfl them an apology was due. y* j fl Mr Dwan thought they were abofl to take a Btop which was of no accomfl They were going to ask him toc> reaigfl but it would not be of any use. In thought it would be bettor to " soauH him, for he was tho " Lion of tliß tribe of Judah." Ho moved as al amendment, " That this meeting coifl respond with Mr OH?onor. and <vß press its disapprobation of his, iCi9 duct for not being in Wellington." After some furtber remark* -fronß Mr Shapter the motion and amendH mont were put to the meeting, whej the motion'lwak carried* by a largl majority. , J Mr Pigptt proposed, and,Mr Dwai seconded, "That a copy 1 of thereso lution be forwarded to, Mr O'Conoi signed by the' Chairman?' Parties were appointed to have thj memorial signed iu Charleston, an< Messrs Slattefy, Nevin, Maguire, am M'Neill were appointed to do tho sami at Brighton, A vote of thanks to the Press, th( Chairman, and to Mr Shapter . foi drawing up the memorial, terminated the proceedings, :