BRITISH LIBERALITY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VII, Issue 379, 23 July 1880, Page 11

BRITISH LIBERALITY.

Amongst the 553 members of Parliament elected by the consliluencies of England and Scotland not a single Catholic is to be found. The fact is not due. as Lord Oranmore boasted the other night in the House of Louis, to any want of political fitness or social power amongst the English Catholics, who form, admittedly, a rich powerful, and intelligent body. It is due solely to the degjading spirit of bigotiy which sways the English masses. No matter how high lhe character of the Catholic candidate, no matter how perfectly his political opinions may accord with those whom he addres-es in England he s carcely dares to show his face ; and the men whose coreligionists Irish Catholics select with acclamation, repay the compli- j ment by ostracising from public life, with yells of hatred, every Catholic candidate bold enough to address them. Jews can find seats in England ; Athoists, like Bradlaugb, are taken to the hearts of English constituencies ; but for the co-rcligionis-ts of those who teach | such noble lessons of toleration and liberality in Ireland Englishmen have nothing but insult and ill-will. If English Protestants could effect it, the House of Commons would be guarded by as exclusive a spirit as the ancient Baudon borough — "Turk, Jew, or Atheist" luight enter there, " but not a Papist." But the latest exhibition of this detestable spirit is the furious outcry occasioned by the appointment of the Marquis of Hipon. Loid Ripon is admittedly fully qualified fur the position conferred on him. The Governor-Generalship of India could hardly be entrusted to abler Lands. H<* possesses all the qualification for the office which great capacity, distinguished ability, and long training could confer. But for one fact his appointment would have passed without comment, or been regarded with positive favour. But that one fact was, in the eyes of British bigotry, all important. Lord Ripon had become a Roman Catholic ! He was one of " Home's recruits." Yielding to conviction and obeying the calls of conscience, he had embraced the faith which England was once proud to profess. Enough and to spaie to condemn him ! Ten times more thau enough to uii loose the flood-gates of religious rancour and set the whole rabid crew of English bigots in full and furious action. Loud were the screams, dismal the yells, that arose from presbytery and conventicles, from meeting house and parsonage. Within a few days upwards of one hundred petitions were actually piesentei in Parliament, calling upon the Government to cane 1 the appointment of Lord Kipon, solely because he is a Catholic, and in both Houses of the Legislature the shrill cry of bigotry was upraised upon the subject. In vain it was pointed out that the Marquis of Ripon was sent to India simply as the best man for the post ; in vain was the experience of other viceroys invoked to show " that there was probably no office under the

Crown the holder of which had lees to do with religious questions connected with either the Protestant or Boman Catholic Church than the Viceroy of India." The cry of alarm would not be hushed, the horrible spectacle of a Catholic occupant of the Government House at Calcutta could not be endured. Equally fruitless was it to remind the wretched f&natics who howled and raved against the appointment that out of the 300,000,000 inhabitants of British India there are but 2,000,000 Christians, ami of these actually 1,900,000 are Catholics. With nineteen Catholics to every single Protestant in India, the appointment of a Catholic governor would, even on religious grounds, be more than justified. But English zealotry cares nothing for argument, or leason, or justice. Its hateful Fpirit is not to be laid by such weapons. At the present moment furious bigotiy, blind ana besotted, is in full ascendancy; and all England, to say nothing of semi-infidel and greatly immoral Scotland, is seething with excitement over this concession to '• priestciaft and Popery." The stoini is still rising as we write ; and it is a well recognised fact in political circles that a damaging blow has been inflicted upon the Government, and that their strength has been dangerousiy impaired by the simple fact that they have ventured, in consideration of his merits as a statesman, to confer office on a Catholic nobleman. All this is very discouraging and very disgusting, but we fear there is no remedy for the disorder. The boasted lovers of liberty, enlightenment, and progress are determined on exhibiting themselves to the world in the character of malevolent and insensate bigots. They know the pait and love it well, and not all the obloquy of Europe will prevent them from playing it out. They aie resolved on showing us that the spiiit of fauaticisin and persecution still rules them, and that they arc as wickedly intolerant now as they were iv the days of Elizabeth or of Cromwell. A disposition such as this is not changed by precept or example, Eougher means arc necessary to chasten it, and it may be that the Nemesis which so often humbles the proud and the arrogant will one day, and ere long, deal in fitting fashion with the hard hearts and distempered passions that inspire this last development of the " No Popery " rage iv England. — Nation.