QUESTIONS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 2 August 1913, Page 6

QUESTIONS.

The following questions were then dealt with: "The Doctor said in Wanganui last evening that there was not tne slightest doubt that the priesthood and members of the (Jatnonc UUurcn were opposed to the national system of education. Will he tell the audience wherein he differs Catholic opposition to the so-called national system from that of the League to the same sy_ tern " To this Dr. Gibb replied: "Just this: We tlnnk the national system will be perfected by the admission of the Bible into the curriculum of the schools. The Catholics don't. We shall be content when the Bible is made a text-book, and the clergy permitted to teach their children the faith of their fathers; the Catholics "will be content only when they get grants in aid of their denominational schools." "Does the Doctor hold that in the domain of conscience majorities should rule minorities? On what principle •f morals does he justify the opinion that majorities should rule minorities in the domain of conscience!'" Dr. Gibb: If deference to the conscience of a minority involves a viofetion of the conscience of the majority, unquestionably the majority must rule the minority. The rights of the minority should be protected to the utmost possible limit, but there is a point at which protection must cease. 1 am aorry that the Catholic should . think I wrong him by demanding Bible ' instruction for my own child; but I cannot, if I can hinder it, permit my child to be seriously-wronged, and this all the more when the wrong done the Catholic does not seem to me a V %*??% a*_?& If we insisted that ». Catholic children should receive Bible .-^ lessons in the schools—that would be -j* monstrous thing; but that 75" per ' 'v*nv_ °I' the people should" secure for their children the education they deem desirable seems a "very reasonable thing, even though 14 per cent, of the people disapprove on conscientious grounds. Question: Is the Doctor aware that an arrangement was made between Bishop Cleary and the officials of the League in Hawera that in return for the courtesy with which he had received and answered questions, he should be afforded an early opportunity of questioning a League orator *t a. public meeting here? : tttP 1- Gibb,: \ have not been informed. What was to hinder Bishop Cleary from coming here to-night? I was not -, invited to Dr. Cleary's meeting' to _uesti6n«him .—(Applause.) . Q^estfim: Is the doctor aware that to.the bishop's letter accepting the invitation on condition of the guarantee, the LeagueV secretary replied that he was not authorised to determine Dr. i*iho s methods or to give any undertaking on his behalf? Dr tiibb said he expected Dr. Cleary would have been present and he would .have beer, given every opportunity to ask questions. Why all this writing and tologmphii.or and humbugging? Let Dr CUmij cone 'onvaul and he (Dr.. Gibb) womd ...^ i 1„- questions to tbe'best of his a I lUj Qiwstioj * "t Ifflui-ei- has told us Imw the !,< . . p _p, s _d to deal with a Call oik Mii'd m ug„_d to the eousci- * nee < Li'i-e ' how did it pioposo „ealmj; with i ( f boric Who,-' Dt Gt',b ', Catholic L^.u-ho'- would have to do _i^ » ork the._aur- i* _ Protectant te^c^c , . The quest!Uiei.ih JeW^]faeeH a qurvssfcato that j__'__f.!__>_?^h_i_ M _ M _i_^.^„ m iie'bpnsidSß^B^^^^^K-hiiir] '.'' -*_T iP^______________________—__*[.. ______________________________ ■•''' '--_*^!__^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^H ■i^^i^>|i_j__________________________________i ».>.l'. * 1 _>'„^£!_|__________________________^^^^M

be introduced and asked the doctor if it I was right that any teacher should be subjected to such a test. - In reply, Dr. Gibb quoted the Queensland lesson book as an example, contending that no Catholic teacher could take exception to those lessons, and he (the speaiver) would be quite willing that a Catholic teacher should supervise his child in the reading of those lesson*. The questioner thene prefaced a question by instancing the case of a teacher who said to the children that he houoa uiey read their. Bible. He did, but' he did nob believe a word of it. How, a.Ked the questioner, would you nice your child to be taught in that manner '■ Or. Gibb, with much feeling, said such a man should be put out of the school straight, lie was moved with indignation u> the very depths of his soul that any man should givel utterance co sacn an expression. Such a man was a knave and should be driven out oi the school. Questioner: I quite agree. But there is vie rengious test.. Dr. Gibb: 1 have answered that. Questioner: The doctor says there is to be no religious test, but he-has just stated that a certain class of man should be driven out of the school. (Applause). Supposing a Catholic teacher absolutely refuses to read the scripture lessons, how does the League propose to teach that teacher what he should do? Dr. Gibb replied that he could hardly be expected to conceive impossibilities and that he could not imagine any teacher so looiisn as to decline to ; -read the lessons which would be set out. Question: How did the doc cor justify his challenge to the teachers, whimi he refused to accept a similar challenge -iom xJv. Cleary? Dr. Gibb replied that he might lie a lit Lie snijjiu, out he certainly did not understand the question. \>r. Cicarv had addressed no challenge to liim, and the only communication he had had from Dr. Uleary 'was a letter sent to the secretary ot the League, coin-eying ins (Dr. Cieary's; compliments to "the speaker. Question: ''-Will the doctor, as a member of ; the League's executive, iniorm the audience wny Bishop Cleary m -so desirous of questioning the League's orators on "a pamphlet entitled "Methods, of Opposition?" Dr. Gibb: Am 1 supposed to know ail the subteiues of Dr. Uleary's mind ? Question: "Will the lecturer give Bisnop Uleary an opportunity of questioning him at an early date?" Dr. Gibb said tlia"t Bishon Cleary might have met him on any platform in New Zealand, where he had been speaking, and asked any relevant question he chose. (Applause). Questioner: "That cannot be regarded as a straight-out answer to mv Question." Or. Gibb: That is my answer. Question : "Will the doctor advise the Hawera branch to keep its honorable engagement with Bishop Cleary and afford him an early opportunity of questionmg a League orator in this hall?" Dr. Gibb replied that the Hawera , people were no longer children. They would deal with Bishop Cleary as they thought best. _ A question was asked how it was that . it was advertised in the Star that Dr. Gibb's address would be a reply to Bishop Cleary, whereas such was ntAi the i caser ur. Gibb said that in this matter he I had a grievance. __ uuge yorc^u v,i m. j auure.. \»u_ prepared some time ago ' and used at various meetings, and ne iiua hau no time to prepare Iresa point. .He had read Jiishop uieury -_ ..cue,* ror the hrst time in the train on Thursday last, as to now ne came to i_c-ure in Hawera. lie might explain that he ] uad oeen in connnuhication with the . Rev. Air AicKenzie in \> aiigauui about addressing a meeting there uxiu v mi., in : itotorua ne received a wire asking him to come to Hawera as v,en u^wanai. ixe repned "ie's." lucre was "no enquiry niaue Irom mm as to in. tine or .ne address he should give, and as suon as ne received word unit ne was advertised to reply to uisnop Uieary he replied at once that it was intolerable that he should not be consulted auout tne suuject he was to talk on. His object was not to toiiow Bishop Cleary in his obscurities or absurdities, out to convince his hearers of the cogency of" nis arguments as to why tne _>ibie snouid oe read in schools. Question: "Are you prepared to introduce the Bible into State schools in cue same manner as Mr -ierdman introduced it m the gaols?" iJr. Gibb: JNo. Uur friend must have sufficient perspicacity to .comprehend the difference between an innocent little child and a grown-up person. There being no further questions, Mr heiiar moved a resolution affirming the principle or Bible reading in scnools, and in doing so made a personal explanation as to the misconception in regard to the advertisement. Tne negotiations • which took place with the Wanganui branch were on the basis that the lecture would be a reply to Bishop Cleary and in a telegram from Wanganui it was mentioned" that all arrangements had been made for a meeting there H-nich was to be an answer to Bishop Cleary _. That was the explanation of the misconception. The motion was declared carried by a large majority on a show of hands, and a vote of thanks to Dr. Gibb, proposed ? y + v £ cv- Mr Blan »res, and another to the Mayor for presiding, terminated the meeting.