Correspondence.

Otago Witness, Issue 1343, 25 August 1877, Page 10

Correspondence.

THE EDUCATION BILL. . , •'< TO THE EDITOR. . „ (FronithcDailyTim.es.) Sir— The letter of "Protestante Espanol," published- in your issue of this morning, is made up" of three paragraphs, on each of which 1 wish to say a word or two. The first is as follows — " I notice the Chairman of the meeting held in the Temperance Hall a few nights ago, on the above subject", (the new Education Bill), " spoke very strongly of the injustice of the Bill, because RomanCatholics will have to support the education of others besides themselves." I beg to' say, in reply, that I did nothing of the sort. I might' well, indeed, have done so, but I did not. It would not be courteous to tell your correspondent that he has either not read my speech, on the occasion alluded to, or haa designedly misrepresented it. But if he will take the trouble to read this speech attentively, he will see that what he attributes to me, was not then my contention. I notice this, not because it. is really a matter of any importance in .Itself, but because this misrepresentation seems to have been had recourse to,' as an excuse for the se3ond paragraph, viz., " I lived many years in a country where the Catholic religion was dominant. I- found that not only had all strangers to pay the taxes for education, but if Protestants attended their schools, they wpuld hav9 to submit to Catholic teaching whether they liked it or not." My answer is that, the Catholiui are not strangers in this the British empire, but citizens ; and not only citizens, but the real old identities, who had exclusive pos« session of the country for many hundreds of years before the name of Protestant was ''even imagined or heard of, and that it; was Catholics who laid the foundations of the British empire, and established the English Constitution. We are not strangers here, and if our position ia cow a depreesed or dependent one. the respon.

BibQityaod the shame of this rests with those who, aVailiog themselves of treachery, calumny, and force, have plundered us of our properties and liberties. The third paragraph is peculiar: — "Are Protestants living in Catholic countries treated like Catholics are in our country ? Let the Chairman of the late meeting inform u^." My answer is that I am not, not are Catholics here, responsible for legislation in which they have borne no part whatever; and that what Is done in Spain or elsewhere is no excuse for the injustice done to us by the Government of New Zealand. You are not to suppose, however, that I grant that Protestant subjects (not strangers) of Catholic Governments are persecuted by these Governments. But this is altogether beeide the present question. I observe your correspondent says in conolotion, " I enclose my card." It would have been both more honest and manly to have attached his name to hia letter. No man de•erving the name of a man should bo afraid to pat his same to what he writes, particularly when that writing points directly and equivalentily by name to a particular individual, as "in the present instance. I think the system of 'anonymous writing prevalent in this city is 'cowardly and contemptible in the extreme. — I am, &c, - f P. Moiuif. l)unedin, 21st August, 1877.