THE ENGLISH EDUCATION BILL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIV, Issue 27, 5 July 1906, Page 27

THE ENGLISH EDUCATION BI LL.

MR. HEALY'S SPEECH

+ v In j the 'course of the debate on the second reading of the Education Bill in the House of Commons excellent speeches which made a deep impression, were made by" Messrs John Redmond, John Dillon, and -Tv M. Healy In concluding his remarks, Mr. Healy said-It' was" said it would outrage Protestant sentiment to provide money for Non-Protestant teaching, but they provided -money - for Mahomedan teaching in Khartoum, and' "actually vided money for the Jesuits in Ireland, though perfaaS they did not know it. He l.new and felt the meaning of this great conflict between the various Protestant, communities. But what have Catholics done to deserve being drawn; into it? There was an unfortunate battle between them, and, as in the days of Henry, VIII,- the Catholics were beaten, and for three centuries " the ' Papists had been laid low like a clod under the^arxow. L llff d r 7emerged ' aiKl ' relying on '-the frith of British traditions and of British statutes^ tberfiacl -under the shadow of the Protestant Church, Methodist chapel, or Quaker place of worship-erected. their bumble and sometimes, their squalid churches and schools Catholics neverr dreamt they would be involved- in the controversy between the Protestant sects. Up to 1870 Catholics never asked for a subsidy ; they never dreamt 2 i e f ec , ted their - schools and kept them unaided and without troubling in any way. But' after the German war it was decided that there must be universal compulsory education, and it was at once found- n*ces!K£ ? P^T° V1 ?. cie i S i h + ° o1 rates - ' That was *n the economic days of Mr. Gladstone, who believed in compellm*people to ,->ay rates to ma ke this provision. At onc?^. Catholics found themselves rated, to provide edition for Nonconfor.mists-the Church of England beineaiwES? sufficiently provided for. That Was w g hat had fiv^S to this entire oonitrovprsy. The -life of England would not be affected so far as English national life was Sn C Tm- i , the * h ° ustand Cat&lic schools had ne^r-S established, ajnd if they wens swept from the^abe of the earth. Why then interfere with them ? Tfie Spanish Armada was not on the Channel. There was an eSte cordiale with the French, the Pope is in the VatSn the Italian Government had him pretty well under stfe custody, and therefore, in this great confltet? betweeS ' Anglicans and Nonconformists, why ..propose a new Act? He would rather have his children taught their fatth than the use of globes. He would rather they * understood their religion in the provision .for \n? ftSX which is to come than that they should become rich and ■a? joK ?^s* «35