The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1881.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IX, Issue 435, 12 August 1881, Page 15

The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1881.

A MEASURE OF DEFENCE. + INCE it would appear that the movement for the introduction of Bible reading into the State schools is gaining an attention in the legislature of the colony -which might have been thought impossible, it is time that Catholics should begin to think of taking steps to defend themselves, so far as possible, from evil results; especially from the snares of the proselytisers in the event of the open Bible carrying the day. That the measure proposed is intended with a view towards proselytism there can be little doubt. If it were not so, for instance, it would not be proposed to make it necessary that parents and guardians should object in writing to Biblereading for their children ; it -would be considered enough for thfcm to express their unwillingness in any way. Writing materials, we know, or the time, or skill, to use them, are not always at hand in the labourer's cottage ; and this the advocates of Bible-reading know also, and endeavour to profit by their knowledge. What we propose, then, is that Catholic Committees of Defence should be formed in every district, whose duty it would be to keep a strict watch on the Bible-reading schools. The school inspectors are as little to be trusted as the most pious teachers themselves, or, in some instances, vastly less so than them, as we have, again, clearly learned from a recent report of a dictation lesson chosen for a certain scholarship examination, and to which we alluded in a former issue. Members of these committees should be appointed to go round to the houses of Catholic parents obliged to send their children to the State Schools, and offer them the easy means of giving the necessary wiitten directions to the schoolmasters. — Visitors should also be appointed to go from time to time to the schools during the Bible-reading hour, and see, with a view to reporting the matter to the committee, if the written directions of Catholic parents and guardians were being openly infringed, or if Catholic children, exempted from the Scripture lesson, wera still placed, by a pious ruse, within hearing of it, as we know it to have frequently been the case. The public, we believe, can visit the schools at any time, provided no interruption to business be caused by their visit, and there would be nothing irregular in a couple of gentlemen's strolling in now and then and proposing to stand quietly by while the Bible lesson went on. All this might be done, with no doubt additional precautions taught by experience'

and it would be something to make it in this "way impossible for proselytism to be carried on secretly in the schools. The certainty of publicity, moreover, would exercise a certain check over the interference of pious employers with the schools chosen for their children by the men in their employment. We still trust, however, that the Legislature will think a good many times before they sanction a measure that would introduce into the colony a system abolished at Home after years of violence, and whose effect in Ireland to-day is still to embitter class against class. We repeat it once more, it is a penal enactment to drive Catholic children into Protestant schools ; but if tyranny obtains the upper hand, let our Defence Committees be organised at once for the protection of Catholic children and the confusion of the would-be proselytisers.

Otf the sth inst. the ceremonies of the reception and the profession of a lay-sister took place at the Dominican Convent, Dunedin. The young lady who received the habit was Miss Elizabeth Gunn, — in religion Sister Mary Aloysius — and the solemn vows were made by the Sister Mary Patrick (Miss Margaret Collins). The reduction of the strength of the police force by twelve officers and forty-eight men, at a saving of £10,000 a year, has been followed by a decrease in crime — that is, the offences reported for '79 were 233 in excess of those reported for '80. It, however, rests with folk well skilled in criminal lore to decide whether the one decrease has been the result of the other or not. We hazard no opinion. We have now a policeman to every twelve thousand of us. M. Gambetta has decided on an open struggle with the Senate, and has begun it by recommending a revision of their constitution. There was some idea that he would have proceeded more subtly in this matter, but he feels his strength and is evidently determined to benefit by it, We do not doubt but that he will succeed. His career must be run before France is brought to her senses. Mb. Dillon has been released from prison because of the failure there of his health. This must have been serious, indeed, to have affected the tender mercies of Buckshot Forster. We, however, as yet hear only one side of the story. THE Irish Revolution Congress have held a largely -attended meeting in Chicago, where all manner of dreadful things are reported to have been denounced against England. Dynamite is to cause explosions amongst John Bull's premises that shall become as familiar to him as household words. But then, as the Times and men on 'Change at Liverpool hint, there are the Irish peasantry, whom honest John holds as did the Communists their hostages. Any little talk of the kind reported of at Chicago can always be answered by a laid of dragoons on Irish cabins, and. from all appearances, the day is not far removed that shall witness this. Owing to our correspondent's finding it impossible to send all the speeches made at the Wellington meeting in time f or this week's issue, we are unable to give the conclusion of the report until next week. In any case the portion we publish is as much as we could find space for at one time. Owing to the pressure on our space, arising from the report of the Wellington meeting, we are obliged to hold over a large quantity of matter ; amongst the rest the continuation of the Dunedin subscriptions to the Land League. The Rev. Father Mahoney has returned to Nelson, from his tour on the West Coast. The rev. gentleman was received everywhere with the utmost kindness, and the object of his journey — that is to collect for the rebuilding of St. Mary's Church lately destroyed by fire — most zealously forwarded. Not only did the Catholic clergy and laity, especially his Honour Judge Broad, labouT to forward the interests of the good work, but many Protestants also took an active part in it. We publish elsewhere a report of Father Mahoney's reception at Nelson on his return, ana also a letter in which he acknowledges the amounts subscribed, in which, however, we understand, the subscriptions of the West Coast clergy, forwarded previously to Nelson, are not included. As a report has been spread abroad here that the Rev. W. Larkin has been convicted of manslaughter at Honolulu, we desire to set before our readers the true state of the case. The rev. gentleman had erected a building to serve as a college, and on a recent occasion obligingly lent it to the firemen to hold a fete in it. While the hall was being decorated, the roof and one of the sides fell in and killed a Native lad engaged in working there. Father Larkin himself had a few minutes before been standing in the spot in which the lad was killed. The charge of manslaughter made under the circumstances seems a most extraordinary one. Father Larkin was, moreover, informed that if he chose to leave the island it was open to him to do so, but he preferred to remain and stand his trial rather than go away with such a charge , however groundless, hanging over him. Since the charge was brought we cannot say whether the result will be an acquittal ; for who can tell what may take place in Law Courts void of sanity 7

The Irish Land Bill has passed through Committee in the House of Lords. It has, however, been amended and mutilated in a great degree. How Mr. Gladstone will take this remains to be seen by us. A farewell entertainment was given on Monday, in Dunedin, to Mr. John Boyd, retiriDg manager, by the directors of the Commercial Property aud Finance Company. A "handsome testimonial was presented to the gentleman in question, and among the toasts given on the occasion was that of Mr. D. E. Blac.ke the incoming manager.