WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 173, 21 July 1876, Page 11

WELLINGTON.

(From our own Correspondent.) The Christian Brothers, on Monday, July 3, entered into possession of the schools, hitherto attached to the Roman Catholic Cathedral. There are now in daily attend ince a large number of pupils, and as it is intended to conduct the school in a manner that will not interfere with religious opinions entertained by the pupils or their parents, it is expected that before long it will become the leading seminary of the city. This belief is given strength to by the fact, that in the nun's school, conducted on the same principle, there are to be found pupils of all roligious denominations. Whether this is.th. principle upon which Catholic schools should be conducted, I am not going to enter into further than to say that, at any rate, it gives no opportunity for accusing the Catholic religion of being a prosllytising \ creed, but a creed based upon principles of true liberty; a creed which needs not the employment of the distribution of slanderous tracts and tales for its advancement. A« an instance of the assiduity with which tracts and slanderous missives are distributed by the Church Missionaries, the following will suffice An acquaintance with whom I was in the habit of holding occasional debates on religious subjects, gave me to read a little book which had been in existence since 1844. In giving it he praised it highly, and said the whole truth was to be found in it summed up in a few words. Curiosity led me to examine it. It commenced somewhat like tliis :— " John Bull is a curious animal. When he sleeps he seems unconscious of the world, but when he wakes he gives such a roar that it makes all the other animals of the earth tremble." lam not sure that these are the exact words

of the book I refer to, as it is six months since I read it, but I am sure that they will convey the same meaning, that is, to any one who can deduce any meaning from them. The opening paragraph had not the least connection with any other part of the book. The next sentence, and in fact, the whole book, contained the vilest and most stupidly foolish abuse of the Catholic Religion that could be imagined. If there were one argument in it that would stand the test of examination, it would not so much surprise me, but there -was not, it was both illogical and illiterate; sentences were jumbled together in a straggling, unscholastic manner, and the language used was vulgar and ill-chosen. As proof of this, none could be better than that it was condemned as a scurrilous, worthless production by a few intelligent Protestant young men to whom I have shown it, and in reply to a passage in it, which stated that, at that time, the Irish people were awakening to a consciousness of the presence of the evangelical light which the missionaries had kindled in their midst, one of them wasjwitty enough to remark, that the Irish must be very hard to be awakened, as though they were 32 years ago opening |their eyes, they have not awakened yet, so as to be able to see the advantage of embracing this evangelical light. This is a book which is in existence for the last 32 years, and I believe, has gone through thirty-eight editions, and is now being spread amongst us in New Zealand. Surely the anti-Catholic religions have some better arguments to support their views than trash of this kind, which is discreditable as a literary production, as well as a book to teach morals and religion ; or, if they have not, they had better leave such as this undistributed. I must say, indeed, that the cause which resorts to such means of advancing its interests, must be a poor one, and am glad to have to say, that I have never met with anything in this shape emanating from the Catholic Church. I do not believe in such things, but I believe that Roman Catholic men and women ought to show, by their conduct, that they are in possession of the true religion. Good example is a most powerful means of conversion, and like mercy, "Blesseth him that gives and him that takes/ To set good example to others, should always actuate the motives of a good Catholic, who would desire to advance his religion, or give convincing proof of its purity. In this respect, I think, Catholic women ate far superior to Catholic men. In Wellington, at any rate, it is not a question of doubt that the Catholic young women are most exemplary in their conduct and deserving of the highest praise. John Francis Maguire (than whom no truer Irishman or better Catholic lived) gives in his book on the " Irish in America/ many instances of the virtues of the Irish Catholic girls in that country, and shows how the superiority of their conduct is recognised. I make the above statement in compliance with the command, " honor to whom honor is due/ and with the hope that in reading this (as a good many Catholic women are sure to), it will act as an incentive which will influence them to persevere in virtue, and show their religion in their behaviour. As regards the new school and residence for the Brothers, the project is progressing favorably. Money is being received rapidly, the plan is in the hands of an architect, and the work is to be commenced immediately. It is to be constructed in as central a position as possible, and is, I believe, intended to be a fine building. As soon as I can obtain the plan from the architect, I will give you a description of it. I could fill your columns with political news, but so slow is the means of transit, that anything I might send would be too stale. As for politics, Catholics need care but little about them. lam sure whatever turn they will take, it will be adverse to the education question, and, therefore, of little consequence to Catholics. Hibeenico.