CATHOLIC MEMORIAL TO THE HOUSE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VI, Issue 282, 27 September 1878, Page 11

CATHOLIC MEMORIAL TO THE HOUSE.

(From the Auckland Weekly News, 14th inst.) The following is the petition which the Very Reverend H. F. Fyneg Vicar-General of the Auckland Catholic Diocese, purposes sending by mail for presentation to the House of Representatives, and which has been numerously and influentially signed :—: — "To the Honourable the Speaker and the Honourable the Members of the House of Representatives of the colony of New Zcalaud in session assembled. The memorial of the undersigned Roman Cathohes of the district of Dedwood, Auckland, most respectfully showeth : lhat your memorialists view with pleasure the intention of your honourable House to re-consider in part the present Education Act, and to so amend it as to enable the Roman Catholic portion of the colonists of New Zealand to avail themselves of its provisions. That your memorialists plead conscientious scruples against the acceptance of the present Education Act in its unamended form. That your memorialists claim attention to their prayer on the ground of justice contributing as they do with their fellow-colonists toward the revenue from which the moneys are taken to support the present Act. That your memorialists, whilst they would not presume to dictate to your honourable House, yet would respectfully state provisions somewhat similar to those contained in the Act known as the Nelson Education Act^ might be so framed as to meet the requirements of your memorialists, and as in duty bound your petitioners will ever pray." The language of the petition is very temperate, and as it ia, we believe, the intention of the Roman Catholic authorities to keep the memorials from each Church district separate, there can be no doubt but the memorials will be numerous, and doubtless will receive the attention and consideration at the hands of the Petitions Committee and the House which their importance demands. Private telegrams from Wellington go to show that a strong effort will be made to carry Mr. Curtis's amended Education Act through its final stages.