THE CATHOLIC CLAIMS AND THE EDUCATION ACT.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 26, 18 October 1889, Page 19

THE CATHOLIC CLAIMS AND THE EDUCATION ACT.

TO THB KDITOtt «.Z. TABLET.

glB, it is some years since I became convinced of the essential justice of the claim of the Roman Catholics to have a proportion of the expenditure on tbe public scnouls allocated to their schools. 8o soon as tbey signified their willingness to have their schools inspected by Government inspectors in secular education, m/ objection? were removed. More recently I have arrived at a conclusion with respect to the inadequacy of the education given to the children of the colony at *o much cost, and I am inspired with a hope that a consensus of opinion will ere long be formed so strong that a demand will be made for stringent reforms. I regret to notice that your O&maru correspondent in your last issue seems to think that in supporting Mr. Hislop the Catholics apprehend that ha will ba in favour of acceding to the claims so long and continuously pressed upon the Legislature. He congratulates Mr. Hislop on his return, and hopci he will keep hiß pronise to advocate the cause of tbe Catholics. Now, as a matter of fact, Mr. Hislop made no such promise, but in his usutl fashion of using words to disguise his thoughts, he expresagd, in a kind of milk and water styl*, a hope that some way would be diiccvered in the near future to get over the difficulty. If the Oamaru Catholic electors are satisfied with such an unsatisfactory statement they are more gullible than I imagined, for with my knowledge ot Mr. Hislop and the genaral iusiucerity of his political professions, there is nothing more certain to my mind than his certainty to disappoint their anticipations. During an election he becomes 11 all thingß to all men" ; but, judged by his past actions and votes on this matter, his conversion must have been recent and, I fear, transitory. It is singular that the Education Act now in existence for twelve years is almost the only exception to the Acts of Legislature that has not undergone the amending process. It is regarded by too many as a kind of sacrilega to breatbe a word of condemnation against it or any part of it— albeit it would be easy to show many serious flaws and shortcomings that require rectification aud improvement. Knowing that Mr. Hiilop's father is the reputed author of this perfect Act, and that Mr. Hislop himself is one of the prostra'e worshipper? of this New Zealand fetish, is it likely that he will spontaneously or willingly be zealous in such a change as will be tbe grant in aid of Roman Catholic schools? I trow not. But more — Mr. Hislop is a secularist of the narrowest type, and his senHments on religious topics are such that to hia mind it must be inconceivable that any body of men can make a matter of conscience of tbe education of their children. Is it likey, therefore, that be wi'l s> fai credit the Roman Catholics with the possession of such conscientious convictions as to grant a concession antagonistic to bis ideas and destructive of the woikmanßbip of Dr. Hislop? To 2xp3ct this in the face of his hitherto negative votes is to expect the impossible. I notice that Bishop Moran in bis speech said that all those most noted for wise thought! ulness, culture, tact, and love of justice are now favourable to tbe Catholic demauds. If this be so, under what description of of men can Mr. Hislop range himself, who has up to the recent election opposed them? But, although I am personally ia favour of granting this concession of jusiice to the Roman Catholics, 1 cannot see how the Aiglican Church, or other bodies, have proved their right to anything of the kind. The Romaa Ca< holies have for years manifested the sincerity and earuestness of their belief in religious education by the erection of school buildings and the maintenance of their schools under great difficulties — and one cm appreciate motives that can produce such sacrifice?. But it is not so with other bodice, and why they should participate in benefits they have m no way helped to attain i» to ma incompieheusible. I hold pretty decided opinions on the ques'ioa of religious education in acuooh, but I am not called upon to enwr on thit phase of the subJ4ct, for I now merely wish to emp'iasiße my opinion that it is desirable to remove any just causs of discontent from the Catholics, and that any hope of assistance in this direction from Mr. Hislop, the Member for Oamaiu and tne probible Minister of E iucation, is based upon ground so treacherously unstable that something little shor* of a miracle must occur before such a hope can be realised.— l am, etc., Oamaru, October 14. A Scotch Pjjotbstant.