The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1879. BISHOP MORAN'S SPEECH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VII, Issue 348, 19 December 1879, Page 13

The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1879. BISHOP MORAN'S SPEECH.

fT the distribution 'of prizes to the pupils of the Christian Brothers' Schools, on Friday, the 12th instant, Bishop Moban, after having distributed the prizes and addressed the hoys, availed himself of the opportunity, according to his custom, to speak to the parents present, whom he said he was glad to see around him in such numbers, and through them to the Catholic body, in reference to the subject of education generally, and particularly on the financial aspect of the question as revealed by fiscal legislation. He had seen in the newspapers that morning that Parliament had voted £175,000 for school buildings, and it appeared from " Hansard " that on the 25th of last month the Minister of Education had received authority to spend £243,000 for the maintenance of schools ; so that over £400,000 had been set apart by Government for expenditure on primary education this year. If to this enormous sum be added the contributions by the State in aid of Secondary and University education, it would be seen that very little less than half a million sterling had been voted for providing education for about 56,000 children. In one point of view such a proceeding was highly creditable, and argued much for the zeal shown in the cause of education. But, at the same time, all things considered, this was extravagant, and, as far as Catholics are concerned, most unjust. Their grievance in reference to this subject is a very serious one indeed. The Government of this country provided free education in all public Primary schools, and a cheap education in the Grammar, High schools and University ; and from all this Catholics were excluded. Not by any positive enactment — he did not say that — but in point of fact they weie exclude! because the conditions under which this education was given were such that Catholics could not avail themselves of it, without betraying their consciences and contemning the precepts of their religion. And not only did Government provide free education, but also scholarships, which those educated for nothing in public schools could obtain, and other collateral advantages, from all which Catholics were excluded. It was true, indeed, that Catholic children educated in Catholic schools could compete for these scholarships ; but even should they succeed in winning them they could not hold them, except they abandoned their own excellent schools, and became pupils of godless ones. No matter what amount of sophistry might be used in arguing the question, there could be no doubt whatever that the Catholic body was excluded from all participation in the expenditure of this large sum amounting to nearly £500,000, though it was compelled to contribute its share of the funds. This, he continued, is a very crying injustice, and a state of things highly discreditable to the Legislature, Government, and the majority of the people. And such it is felt to be even by its most zealous partizans, though they do

not dream of doing Catholics justice. For this reason it is that every device and subterfuge is had recourse to in order to make the public believe that Catholics are not really opposed to the godless school system of this country. Even the Legislature is not free from men capable of this dishonesty. In the debate on the estimates for education, on the 25th of last month, and to which he had already alluded, one gentleman denied that one-seventh of the people of the country were unable to avail themselves of the advantages of the education provided by the Government. This gentleman might as well deny his own existence. A rapid enumeration of Catholic schools in only some of the provinces will show how groundless is this gentleman's denial. Catholic schools for boys and girls, and in all the chief towns these schools provide'not only primary education, but also education of the highest class. Well Catholic schools are established in Napier, Meanee Flat, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Wellington, Blenheim, Nelson, Charleston, Reefton, Ahaura, Greymouth, Hokitika, Ross, Christchurch, Shand's Track, Leeston, Timaru, Oamaru, Naseby, Tinkers, St. Bathans, Cromwell, Arrowtown, Invercargill, Milton, Lawrence, Dunedin, Dunedin South. In Dunedin beyond 800 children attend the Catholic schools, and out of the Catholic population of this city, one Catholic child out of every five Catholics is attending a Catholic school. He did not boast, nor did he assume anything he was not justified in, when he said that at least there was no better education given than that imparted in the Catholic schools. The enumeration of the towns in which Catholic schools were actually in existence showed at once that the Catholic body was labouring under a grievance ; because these schools had been built and were maintained by it at its sole expense. Was it likely that Catholics, if they did not feel acutely the grievous wrong under which they labour, would, at an enormous expense, build and maintain Catholic schools ? In addition he could say that Catholics, and this was a matter within his own knowledge, and must be also known to Catholics generally, wherever there were not Catholic schools Catholics were in grief on account of such a state of things ; and further, whenever Catholics had not Catholic schools within their reach they sent their children to private schools, the establishment of which they encouraged, so great was their abhoirence to godless Government schools. It was quite certain Catholics would have Catholic schools for their children and nothing else. In Dunedin, in addition to the schools of the Christian Brothers and of the Nuns, they had a College in which the boys could receive the very highest education, and he trusted that some of them would soon see their way to send their sons to it. Considering their small number, it could not be denied they had done very well. They had made great sacrifices, and shown very great love for education. He would ask those present to look around them and mark well the building in which they were assembled. Look at this school-] oom, the manner in which it is finished, its foims, desks, maps, all its school appliances, and in this establishment there were three otlier rooms similar to this. Everything is of first-class character, and they provided all themselves. But in calling their attention to these things, his object was to place before them another consideration calculated to show them the grievous wrong done to them by recent legislation. In consequence of the enormous and unnecessary expenditure in the matter of education, the Government of the country had got into such a state that additional and crushing taxation became necessary, or at least has been thought necessary. Had it not been for this wanton waste of money on education, this additional crushing taxation would not have been necessary. This year nearly five hundred thousand pounds are set apart for schools, last year four hundred thousand pounds were spent for the same purpose, the year before nearly four hundred thousand pounds. Thus one million two hundred pounds had gone in three years, and there was not the slightest necessity for the expenditure of the greater portion of it. Why should not the non-Catholic part of the population provide education for their own children ; they are the richer and more numerous part, and if Catholics could provide education for their children, why could not Protestants do so for theirs ? Why should Catholics be called upon to provide education for other people's children after having provided at their own sole expense for the education of their own ? Now to come to one or two details. Last year ho, the Bishop, bad to pay the land tax, cm the site of this and other schools,. For what in reality ? To help to make up the deficit caused by the extravagant school vote. It was for no other purpose. This vote, and this vote alone, during the two preceding years had

caused the then deficit. But this year we stall have to pay a larger sum as property tax. He would have to pay not only for the site, but for the buildings, the out-offices, even the desks, maps, and school furniture. And for what ? for wijat ? That the children, for example, of the shop-keepers of Princes and George streets may have, at the public expense, a free and godless education. The caße stands thus — We, at our own expense, provide school sites, school buildings, school furniture, and teachers, and having done such great service even to the State, the State compels us to pay a heavy tax on our schools and school furniture in order that non-Catholic children shall have all these things provided for them free, gratis. There is in this a monstrous perversion of the primary idea of justice. Is this a just and reasonable proceeding on the part of Parliament ? Was that the sort of treatment industrious and good citizens ought to expect. But injustice was carried further still. The majority of their fellow-Citizens in Dunedin refused them the right to vote for any except their enemies. No friend to justice to Catholics dare present himself before a Dunedin constituency. All other sections of the community would combine against him on the bare suspicion that Catholics would be disposed to support him. All were not so, however. There was a large and very intelligent minority in favour of justice and fairplay. Even in the Legislature, they were not without friends, as might be seen from the debate on the 25th of last month, to which he alluded. The majority, however, even there, was against them ; and this majority within and without Parliament were tyrannically putting their hands into the pockets of Catholics and extracting large sums of money for their own exclusive purposes and advantages. He had always raised his voice against this system, and would continue to do so. Justice and fair play they asked, nothing more ; and they should never be satisfied with less.