The Sun. — London, England, 1839-07-17 00:00:00

EV,FNING EDITION. r I . ;I .11-ON. GREAT CATHOLIC MEETING, A meeting of those professing the Catholic religion was summoned by public advertisement on Monday at the Freemasons' Hall, for the purpose of expressing the views of that body with regard to National Education. This was the first public Catholic meeting of the kind, ( which has been convened in this Metropolis for some centuries ; and the occasion naturally excited an extra ordinary degree of interest. The Hell was crowded with a highly respectable audience, long before the hour appointed for taking the Chair. The galleries and a reserved space under the platform, were filled with an assemblage of ladies, such as we scarcely ever remember seeing at a meeting—for the elegance of their attire and the beauty of their appearance. Admirable regulations had been adopted for the preservation of order, by ail. mitting none who had not tickets , and the object of the meeting being to express the views of the Catholics alone. the arrangement was certainly no more than fair. Shortly before one o'clock, immense and reiterated cheering announced the arrival of Mr. O'Connell, who was shortly after fbllowed by the H on . Ch ar l es Lang dale M.P., and a number of Gentlemen distinguished for character and influence among the body to which they belong. The platform was crowded with Roman Catholic Clergymen, and other influential members of their Church. On the motion of Mr. Wheble, the Hon. C. Langdale was voted into the Chair by aecla. oration ; and on the motion of Mr. O'Connell, Mr. Clint was unanimously elected Secretary for the day. The SECRETARY, at the suggestion of the Chairman, proceeded to read letters of apology from distinguished individuals, unable to attend. The first was from the Rev. Dr. B tines, who expressed his gratification that the Catholics were at length coming forward to vindi cate their religion from the shameful misrepresentations which had been promulgated respecting it ; and also expressed his hearty concurrence in the resolutions which were to be submitted to the meeting, and which, indeed, he 'considered as a collection of truisms —as, that educa tion was prefer a bl e to ignorance —that morality and re ligion should form an essential part of any system of national education—that the true religion must benefit by the education of all ranks—that the Established Church had no right to arrogate to itself the control of the education of those who did not belong to it—and that the attempt to exclude the Catholics from the be nefits of the Government grant for education was an in !tepee of intolerance on the part of the Church for which It should be ashamed. There were letters from the Earl of Shrewsbury, who would have presided, hail he not found it impossible to attend ; from Sir E. Vavasour ar ldCootable - Maxwell, Esq. (Everingham); from A. L. T. Phillipps, Esq., of Grace Dieu Manor, the Hon. C. Clifford, R. Berkeley, jun., Esq., E. Blount, Esq., and from the Rev. Dr. A. Scott, Vicar-Apostolic, of the Western District of Scotland, which is as follows—ad dressed to the Secretary, and dated July 9 : " The principles asserted in the resolutions are just and a pplicable to every part of Great Britain : but there is Part of Great Britain where education is conducted i n a way so hostile to Catholic principles as in the gauntry parts of Scotland, among the poor Highlanders Particularly.. There are belonging to my district, and under my charge in Inverness-shire alone, about 13,000 Catholic souls. They are, with very few exceptions, of the poorest class. They are the descendants of those unfortunate men who joined the standard of Prince Charles Stewart in 1745 and 1746, and IN ho were coin- Pletely spoiled of a ll th e i r wor ldl y goo d s b y the army of the then Duke of Cumberland, which remained in that part of the country long after the battle of Culloden. shall here quote the respective populations of Catho nes and Protestants (or rather Presbyterians) in some of the parishes where the Catholics reside, such as it stood in .the month s o f J anuary and February this. year, when sold popul a ti on was care f u ll y taken up by the Catholic Clergymen in these missions Catholic Protestant opulation. Popul a ti on , In the I s l an d of Barra there were P 1,684 to the I s l ands of South Uist and 293 B enbecula, forming one parish 5,087 In Arisaig, part of the parish of Ard na murch a n . l,2l 3 I Moidart, part of the new parish of Acharacle, detached from , Ardna murc h an 1,049 106 In Knoydart, part of the parish of Glenelg In N orth Morar, also part of the 94 3 parish of Gleneig 532 re the old parish of St. Cyril, now part of the parish of Kilmavig... 989 10,497 2,319 " There are other missions in the same country bearing n ear:), t h e same proportions of Protestants and Catho lics, but which it is needless here to set down. The few I have mentioned will be sufficient to show the l i ght the p oor C a th o li cs h ave to edt.:ation without in 2tferina.' with their r e li g i ous pr i nc i p l es. They are so Places I have mentioned, or elsewhere, a Catholic school master for the Catholic population. The few among th em who d o ge t some education are obliged to attend th e Presbyterian schools. solely under the direction of t he Established Clergy. In the Appendix to the Fourth Report of the Commissioners for Inquiring into the S tate of Religious Education in Scotland, will be found the regulation which the teachers of th ese schools are bound to follow. It is the Scotch edition of the authorised Pro testarkt version of the Bible, which is the principal school book. That edition contains at the end of it the Psalms, Parapihrased in metre, such as are sung at divine service, as part of their worship, in the Presbyterian churches, and which the children at school are obliged to commit to memory. It also contains some paraphrases on texts of the New Testament, which the children are also oblige' to learn by heart. It is not, therefore, the Bi ble without note or comment which is the school book in Scotland. These, paraphrases contain anti-Catholic doctrithe, such as the following words on the institution of the blessed Eucharist : And after thanks and glory given, To him that rules in earth and heaven, Thal symbol of his flesh he broke, And thus to all bis followers rpoke.' " I shall here quote two or three instances of the !"Peative numbers of Catholic and Protestant children In the P res b yterial; schools as they stood in the beginning °T F ebrui,, , Ty last : oest. In Airaig Protestant scho o l Ca 5 thslics. Pr 1 ot s K - nt•yda rt ditto Parish of eet. Cyril, ditto si I need not here quote more instances. Of course, Pr otesta nt are everywhere in proportion to the Catholic and Population. 48 I can prove everything I have stated in this etter, if thought proper, I authorise you or any other P` er son at th meeting to make any public use of the Information Isere given, that may be considered prudent Or coming vv . ithin the intentions of the meeting. " I have Cm honour to he very respectfully, Sir, your most obediet it humble servant, " lee ANDREW SCOTT, Vic Apostolic.' es,, Th _e SECRI',TAR Y then stated that he had applied . to 0 '7 , • (Irene, the Secretary to Exeter-ball—(Loud ere s • O h , 9 1 1")--for the use of that place ; but had rc ejped an ansisser informing him that the attendance of Very etors at the Board which next met, having been b e e ry sea ntY, the consideration of the application had `e° adieueeed to the succee di ng B oard-d ty, which vv nuld be N ose Ole 13th instant (S atur d ay ) , too late, of (He , wh ets t h e meeting was for Monday morning.— ar, hear.) Subsequently, however, he had received 4letter aslf:ing if the meeting were the Catholic one, eertised for the 15th, and stating that if so, it would, course', be unnecessary to bring the appli 01,ti°n bcfore the Board.—(Loud cries of " Oh, ''.") He instantly wrote to Mr. Grano, re bquesting. that at least the Board would inform the ,Itholics J they might hal e the use of the H a ll i n f uture, u t he had received no reply.—( Hear, hear, hear.) He m mad e thi s c emmunication to account for there not having ee n pro v id l e d a l arger place to accommodate the vast altitudes :whom he now saw crowded before him. "(The H, Lll, indeed, was more densely filled than we er witne s sed it—hundreds were reluctantly compelled to retire, aCter vainly endeavouring—in some cases for °earl Yas tisour, by every means—to obtain standing , The Hon. CHAIRUAN, in rising to address the Meet leg, was rf tceived with loud and continued cheering. He said it wa s with the utmost diffidenc e he presented him self in tl• fat importa nt m an situati on ; f or when he saw so Y ar',und him, distinguished for their abilities, and Inuch Iset,ter qualified than himself for that station, he ?telt thatt he owed an apology to them for presuming to eep3.. i t. lie would not, however, detain them Y any lengthened apology, from the important que stion which was now brought under their con stideratins No subject could be more interesting .leet"Y be ely of men, in any community, than the sub of f tdueetion —(Hear, hear, bear)whether our interests in this world were considered, or our prospects 1 h the to tett• And if there was .one community more a o o t her whom it became seriously to entertain this 1141P°rtant subject, it was the Catholic body.—(Hear, ear ' ) t Ind if one cl a ss of Catholics could b e dis ,uriguished I f rom another, as having t h e most i mportant th e ir, t ° f , affil in respect to education, they are the Ca ,ae of this country. (Cheers.) I trust that . in a (--inse t/se 80 sacred as this, everything like a spirit of re on will be avoided, and that the subject will be li e°t ed 'ith candour, mildness, and temper.—(Cheers.) ti: n w is ° B l, bound to acknowledge that sufficient provoca- If i ls "ad been given for adopting a very different tone : th,"°Y W ere to imitate the example that had been set d a at a meeting not far from that place the other -11 whi e ' would t yadopt a very different course to . that__ f e re _n ti., ey were now pursuing. There was this e ppe uee it etween that meet i ng an d the present : would r e P . sbe th e true nature and character of error to tei' sr `E're to be supported by v i o l ence , b y ca l umny, an d 11, 14eentation.—(Ch e ers.) While on the other peri, believed t h at truth was never brought home so si,` l 9tl) - to the human breast as when it was stated in v "set Y.calmness,and charity towards their neighbours. no eed that gentlemen upon the present occasion • soul' adopt 'hat tone. Raman Catholics eneld Ny e at% oi to tao gs..esous oil an oca asion iik the o.'sa t (Great cheering.) He for one was willing to afford pity and compassion to what he really believed to be the misguided zeal of many of those who had I, t ered calumnies against the Roman Catholics. He was wil ling to tender his forgiveness to what he was afraid he must state to be malicious designs in others, "who ought to know better.—(Cheers.) Ile lamented deeply the impression that had been made upon the community at large upon this most important subject. He must acknowledge that a very strong feeling had been pro duced not only upon the subject of education itself, but in a direct and especial manner against the Roman Ca tholics of this country. He lamented this because be honoured and respected the character of the people of England.—(Great cheering.) Their honesty and their true simplicity rendered them peculiarly liable to 'misre presentations of this description. He lamented this, but he did not apprehend it. He did not apprehend any dangar from this to the Roman Catholic cause in this country. It might be well for others to say that their religion was endangered, and within a trifle of being destroyed, but the Roman Catholic religion fortunately was founded upon stronger grounds, and in spite of all the efforts of its enemies, in spite of all their calumnies and misrepresentations, whether in this or any other country, every Catholic knew his re ligion was secure.—(Great cheering.) He believed more than this. He believed that attacks of this description, so far from being an injury to the Catholics of England, would ultimately end in increasing their strength.—(Great cheering.) He believed if they looked for a moment to the past course of the history of this country, they would find such to have been the result of similar attempts. Could any man doubt if the great cause of Catholic Emancipation had been granted in the first instance, that the prejudices against it, however great they were at first, would have re mained had it not been for the repeated debates and struggles on that great question? He held that the Society which had been established by their enemies, which was intended to produce a new era in the Re formation of this country—he believed that that Society had done more to increase the ranks of the Roman Catholics than any measure that could be re ferred to in past days. He was satisfied if they were to follow up the steps of those itinerant orators who emanated from Exeter Hall, they would find that numbers of Catholics had sprung up at every step of their journey. This was a necessary consequence of misrepresentation. It might have the effect of ex citing the zeal of some ignorant people, who were not capable of distinguishing the truth ; but calumny had always this effect. The discovery of one misrepresen tation led to the detection of another. He was satisfied many people who had heard others talk of the Roman Catholic faith had adopted it in consequence of the attack that had been made against it by its enemies.— (Cheers.) Such as had been the case hitherto would be the case on the present occasion, and as a proof of that he could not do better than appeal to the ap pearance of the present meeting.—(Cheers.) From whence was it that efforts like the present arose? Why, in consequence of the attacks that were meant to op press and destroy them.--(Cheers.) It was only that day twelve months that another important Association had been established solely for the purpose of guarding them against the attacks of their enemies. --(Cheers.) Similar results would arise from similar causes ; and on the present occasion he believed, as well as in all other cases, its rise would only appear the more beautiful and brilliant from the mists and misrepresentations that had obscured it.—(Cheers.) Without detaining the meeting any longer upon this subject, he would conclude with this observation, that as he trusted there was no thing in the resolutions that were about to be proposed that could afford just offence to any individual whatever, so lie hoped that gentlemen who wer e a b ou t to a dd ress the meeting wouldall)w the same tone to pervade their speeches, and while, as they would be justified, the spoke with indignation of the false imputations that had been cast upon the Catholics, while they boldly, a n d manfully, and firmly upheld the truth of the principles they professed, they would do so without any attempt at recrimination against their enemies, who had so often maligned them.—(Cheers.) He trusted the present meeting would form a contrast—a most amiable and charitable contrast, to meetings that have been called in a Hall not very far distant from where they stood.— (Cheers.) Trusting the observations he had made would be kindly received by those to whom they were addressed, and believing that a tone of impartiality would pervade the whole discussion, he would now call upon Mr. Jones, of Lanarth, to propose for the accept ance of the meeting the first resolution.—(Cheers.) Mr. JONES on coming forward was most warmly cheered. He had great pleasure in proposing the first resolution, which was to the following effect :- Ist. That, considering the manifest and manifold advantages of education to all classes and ranks in the State, we highly ap prove of a Grant of Public Money out of the produce of the public revenues for the erection of Schools, and the promotion of knowledge amonpt the universal people. He was quite certain that such a resolution would be approved of by the whole meeting and carried unani mously. Mr. MACARTHY seconded the resolution. If the Chairman had accused himself of presumption in ad• dressing a meeting like the present, with how much greater weight and truth would that accusation apply to him. He felt that he ought to apologize to the meeting for addressing it, but his excuse must be the animation he felt in the great and holy cause they were met that day to forward. He was a stranger comparatively among them—he came from the country—but it was right that the voice, however still and small, should be heard, come from what distance it might. Although he appeared there the humble advocate of Catholicism as connected with education, he was the Treasurer to a Protestant establishment in the town in which he dwelt. —(Cheering.) He felt that he laid himself open to the charge of having done more than his duty, but living as he did in a town where there was no chance for promul gating Catholicism, he thought it best to do all he could to found an Establishment where children might edu cated. He succeeded in so desirable an object, and the result had been that a school had been established for sixty children.--(Cheers.) He had become attached to the town, he thought it to be his duty to advance the interests of the poor of that place, as far as laid in his power, and education he felt was the best means of bettering their condition.—(Cheers.) Although he was not attached to the orthodox doctrine himself, he considered it would be better to afford edu cation upon its principles to the poor than give them no education at all, because by that means he felt convinced the bandage would be removed from their eyes, and they would in future times be able to judge for themselves, and the truth of Catholicism being made open to their minds, would find the way to their hearts. It had been wisely stated by the Chairman that they should not take the part of controversialists ; he would rather imi tate the example of the Divine Founder of their Creed, who,when called upon by the Lawyer to declare the road to Heaven said, " Love God above all thine-s, and yo ur neighbour as your se lf." Th ee, said the y Lawyer, " Who is that neighbour ?" The answer was, " Not the Catholic, not the Jew, but the Good Samaritan, who poured oil and wine into the wounds of the afflicted," by which means he proved that he believed the true creed, and loved his God a b ove a ll things.— j (Cheers.) Ile would n o w ust when to what had taken place in the little town in which he lived. On a recent occasion, the Bishop of London finding a Pro testant establishment with a Catholic treasurer, wrote a letter of indignation, desiring his removal ; he was applied to to resign, and what was the answer that he gave to that application? that his resignation should take place only with his breath, because he considered that had he yielded to the demand of the Bishop of London, he should be giving furtherance to the prin ciples which he abhorred.—(Cheers.) A meeting was convened, and the result was that instead of his removal a vote of thanks was carried to him, for his zeal and exertions in the cause of education. It was delightful for him to be there as the advocate of education of a universal character. In the town in which he lived he should like to see the door of education thrown open to the Catholic poor, hut there was no chance of it. He had long admired Mr. O'Connell, and he was glad to come forward on the present occasion to offer his mite in praise of his great talent. The worthy gentleman concluded by cordially seconding the resolution. The CHAIRMAN then put the resolutio n to the meet• ing, and declared it to be carried unanimously, Mr. DILLON BROWNE rose, and said that he had ob ' served with feelings of unmixed pleasure, that highly influential and intelligent meeting, which was assembled for what he conceived to be the most honourable pur pose—( Hear)—and what must be acknowledged by all to be the first moral duty of man, to assert their reli gious independence.—(Cheers.) They came there for that purpose, and that purpose alone ; they did not come as others had come, to demand from the State any pe culiar privileges or Universities for themselves —they came to assert the right of managing their own affairs.— (Hear, hear.) They did not come for the purpose of demanding the control over the religious education of others, and for the purpose of demanding certain monies taken out of the pockets of others, in right of that control ; and above all, they did not come to make out a title to the monies, whether they exercised the control or not.—(Loud cheers.) They did not come with that primitive apostolic spirit of humility to pronounce themselves to be all that was most pure and stainless and immaculate, while in the same spirit of apostolic charity they pronounced their neighbours (to be all that was unclean, spotted, and unrighteou s .— Hear, h ear, hear.) They did not come for the pur pose of laying claims to peculiar orthodoxy and loyalty for themselves, while they stigmatised their neighbours with heresy, ' in fidelity, and disloyalty • to declare th a t they themselv es d eserved pecu ro liarres pect from m d an h as they enjoyed p ecu li ar favour f their neighbours were all that wa sp ence t , an he t for t sightof unor God hy e man, and unseemly i n the (Cheers.) They assembled there that day for no such uncha ritable—for no suc h unholy purpose-- t h ey assem b led f or the purpose of calmly discussing without ostentation a sacred principle, and of meekly but firmly, and without monopoly, assorting an inalienable right—the right they had in religious matters to manage their own :ante, THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1839. affairs—(Cheers)—which they were resolved to main, taro 'a-hart:tier might be the ordinances of the State— however great might be the blandishments of its Exe cutive, and which they had ever maintained, however strong had been its arm, and however threatening had been the aspect it assumed.—(Hear, hear.) They were resolved now to show the same respect to the institu tions and to the throne of their country, but the same fidelity that they had ever shown to their altars. They would not forget the divine precept which, while it told them " to render unto Caesar the things which are Cwsar's," enjoined them " to render unto God the things which are God's," and while they were resolved to main tain an undivided allegiance to their Sovereign, a higher duty compelled them to submit in religious matters with implicit obedience to the authority of their Church.— (Cheers.) He was glad to see laymen and ec clesiastics assembled that day for the pur pose of coming to a mutual understanding upon the terms upon which they would receive any system of national education, the relative duties they had to perform rendered it necessary that they should come to this understanding, and the agitated state of the country upon religious topics, and the certainty of there being about to be adopted some more permanent system immediately, rendered it necessary that they should come to this understanding as soon as possible.— (Hear, hear.) It was as evident as it was indispensible that there should be an agreement between them, for the Church was bound to administer religious instruc tioa to its fold, and the laity were bound implicitly to submit. But both laymen and ecclesiastics had certain civil duties to perform, and they could exercise certain civil rights, by which any system introduced into the country, must be to some extent controlled and regu lated.—( Hear.) But as, perhaps, they would be called on to exercise that right soon, they had better come to an understanding immediately, for the purpose of avoid ing any after disagreement, that they might be guided in adopting any system by a distinct and an undivided authority, and that when they adopted it, that they might bring to its support one mind and all the efficacy of perfect co-operation.—(Cheers.) There was many a man who possessed zeal for the progress of the faith, and who was stimulated with an ardent desire to main tain the religious independence of his Church, yet might be induced, through thoughtlessness and ignorance as to the opinions of his spiritual superiors, to give his support to a system of education incompatible with Church authority, and many an ecclesiastic who might do the same to some extent ; and then you would have a system of education about which there would be a dis crepancy of opinion amongst the faithful which would give scandal to the cause of religion, and perhaps em barrass the progress of education generally throughout the country.—(Cheers.) He was therefore happy that they had assembled for the purpose of corning to a mutual understanding, the Church to guide and the laity to understand in what they were to obey.--(Hear, hear.) It is was said by some that they were monopo lists, that they were exclusionists, because they wished in religious matters to watch their own fold and to give moral instruction to their own children. Now, he thought it was those who flung the dirt whose faces were besmeared ; he cared not whether they were lay men who desired invariably to regulate a religious in struction under a lay supervision, or churchmen, who arrogated to themselves the right of in instructing all the community. The laymen said they were not monopolists ; but what did they do ? They said, We must have control over all in matters religious as well as secular, and we, an irresponsible body, not responsible to Heaven as Church men are by vows registered, that we, without any as certained knowledge of ecclesiastical matters or ecclesi astical duties, are to make out a rule of faith for the children of every Church—(Hear, hear)—in fact, to bring up the next generation upon joint-stock company principles of religion.—(Cheers.) And what, Sir, do the ecclesiastical bodies say—We have a right to the religious control of all parties —we claim ad the funds allocated for that purpose, and whether we educate or not we have a right to keep the funds.—(Hear.) He would read to them some remarks of Dr. Philpotts— (Strong expressions of disapprobatiora)—on the subject ; they were very short, but very distinct—" The first ques tion was, whether the Church had a right to the education of the people at large, including that part of the people millions in number —which did not belong to the Church p It was by no means his opinion that the Church had a right to enforce any system of education on the people at large, and least of a ll, on t h ose w h o do no t b e l ong to i t ; but he said this—that the Church had a right to demand of the Stale (and if both Church and State were prepared to do their respective duty, that demand would be answered) the means of affording an efficient education to all the people, whether belong ing to thipurch or not ?" This was a precious pi,ce of modesty. We must have all the power to instruct, says the Learned Divine, but whether we instruct or not, we must have all the loaves and fishes.—(Hear, hear, and cheers.) Give us the power ; we will not interfere with religious liberty, you may be certain, for we will instruct as little as we can ; far, though we are very fond of gold, we are proverbially fond of ease and slothful negligence. All we want is, its the words of Bentham, " superfluity of pay and liberty of negli gence."—(Cheers.) This was the modest request of the sacred Coryphrous of his party. They were the mono polists—they ever had been the monopolists.—(leur, hear.) They had ever endeavoured to exercise both a civil as well as a religious monopoly.—(Cheers.) They had their properties from the Catholic—they had taken his civil rights from him—they would now take from him his religious freedom—(Loud cheers)—but it was placed beyond their control, it was in the keep ing of upright and honourable and conscientious men those men who would take • from the Catholic his religious liberty made the Cathutc no exception, for they would do the same with every other sect—(Hear, hear)--they were monopolists in every thing—they were monopolists of every thing— they would, if they had power, deal out the breath of human existence to the mass of human life.—(Long continued cheering.) But the Roman Catholics would, under every circumstances, defend their religious prin ciples —they had ever done so they had every thing to inspire them to do so—wherever they went in this country they had the mouldering but proud records of their religion—whateaer town they. entered they had but to tarry in any Cathedral, and, looking around them, they saw the grim evidence of the antiquity of their religion.—(Cheers.) The classic structures of England, said the Hon. Member, tell plainly to the observer that it has been a Catholic coun try, and that the present Church is established upon the ruins of the old. Let any man who denies this enter within the sacred portals of Westminster Abbey, and when he hears the service of a new religion chaunted in a new tongue, let him reflect that there once the Te Deum rose to Heaven, and that there the mournful choir, chaunting the solemn service of the dead, accord ing to the ritual of the Church of Rome, once followed to the dust England's proudest monarchs to their last repositories.—(Loud and continued cheering.) If he will but reflect he will have in all around him an evidence of the antiquity of his religion, and that the stone and marble will remain for ever to proclaim to the world that there once existed in this country another faith, which followed England and her Edwards 'o victory ; and that amid that monument of bygone that that religion still reposed, until the genius of architecture watched over its sleep, ready, if it should wake again its antiquity and its claims.—( Loud che; rs.) H begged leave to move the following Resolution :-- 2d. That as such grant would thus be made out of a fund arising from the contributions of all classes and persuasions, it is the plain and manifest right of every class and persuasion to participate, in the ratio of their numbers and wants, in the benefit of such grant. JAMES WHEBLE, Esq. said that it was unnecessary for him to trouble the meeting with any remarks after the arguments so eloque n tly p ropoun d e d b y the Hon. Membr for Mayo, the cheers attending the concluding words of which had hardly ceased to echo around the walls. The arguments adduced must have satisfied this splendid meeting that the resolution was a highly pro per one to agree to, in consequence of the first resolu tion having been adopted, and without attempting to make any addition to what had been stated by the Hon. Member, which would have only the effect of weaken ing his arguments, he would simply conclude by se conding the resolution.—(Cheers.) The CHAIRMAN then put the resolution, which was carried unanimously. The Rev. Mr. StsK of Chelsea, was loudly cheered on presenting himself to move the third resolution :- 3d. That we are deeply impressed n ith the perfect conviction that to render education of real and substantial benefit, it ought to combine moral and religious, with literary and scientific instruction. He felt proud of such an occasion as this to have so excellent a motion put into his hand. It condensed within a very few words everything that a Catholic had to feel on this vital and important ques tion. He had to move that it was an essential prin ciple that all classes of the people according to their station in life had a right to be educated morally, literarily, religiously, and scientifically. But they as Catholics knew that this was the reverse of the picture which had been drawn of their principles and of their holy religion. They were.held forth as bigots, as illiterate, as the fosterers of ignorance. These were the charges which had rung in their ears, and which had been palmed upon the cre dulity of the country for three successive centuries. It behoved them, therefore, to come forward manfully and resolutely, in order to repel these insidious, these false slanders.—(Cheers.) He would come forward to re ply to an address made the other day in the Upper House of Parliament—an address which received a very suitable answer.—(Great cheering.) He could not help thinking at the moment, and revoking in his own mind that there was not many centuries ago another Archbishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton, who did not step forward to trample von his fellow-subjects, to deprive them of their just rights, but who stood for ward prominently to extort from the King of this country that charter of liberty which they now enjoyed. —(Loud cheers.) But he bad much to say to this Archbishop of Canterbury. In a speech, certainly of much assumed modesty of manner, with great affect ation of mildness and temperan ce , he inflicted upon the Catholics of this country the most grievous, the most shameful accusations. His first accusation was that there was in this country—" their Lordships would be surprised," he said, and so would this meeting be surprised, gt to hear that much ignorance existed in this country at the Reformation, and also that there were no schools." Now he would have the Archbishop re collect where he received his education. He' would ask him to examine the records of Oxford, and, instead of the few colleges and the few halls that were there, he would find at that unhappy period that there were 400 colleges in the city of Oxford.— (Cheers.) But the Archbishop seemed to assume, as a consequence, that it was the province of the Catholics to keep the people in ignorance. Let them look back to the state of Europe at that period. Let them go to Italy, that field for bigotry and fur everything that was infamous--wh a t did they find there ? Let them go to Padua—to Bologna—and who did not know that Bologna was the seat of the arts and sciences ? Who did not know the great University of Padua? But be would not leave his native country. He found. on examin ing- its records, that there were at that unhappy period 640 monasteries, each of these having schools, and let it be marked well, to teach the poor gratuitously.— (Great cheering.) These were not all. There were 90 colleges. Had the Established Church 90 colleges at this des/ ? If the quest:on was put, no man would have the hardihood to say so —(Mr. M'Donnell— " Nor nine.") Nor, as his Friend Mr. M`Donn,ll said, nine. Perhaps it might be thought that the Popes, who were the heads of the Catholic religion, (which was held forth as a system of bigotry and intole rance) they in these dark ages took a prominent part in making the world ignorant. He would go back 600 years from this time, and he found that the Popes were forward in promoting knowledge and instruction among the people. Pope Alexander 111., Pope Inno cent /IL Pope Honorius 111., Pope Gregory IX., exerted their utmost efforts to promote education. At the great Council of Lateran, held in 1179, Alexander 111. passed a decree enjoining every Cathedral church to maintain at least one theological professor to instruct candidates for the holy ministry. This was renewed by Innocent 111. in the fourth Council of Lateran held in 1215. Let them mark that these were the dark ages. But granting that the people were kept in ignorance at this time, what did the Council of Trent do ? Why, it en joined every Bishop throughout Christendom to have his diocesan seminary, in which candidates for the holy ministry were instructed. Now he asked was there any thing like that in the Established. Church of this country ?—(No, no.) Had every Bi shop in this country a diocesan seminary to instruct his Clergy ?—(No, no.) But independently of these circumstances, it might be imagined that at all events we had fallen off in this respect. It might be imagined there was not that nerve, that energy to impart instruction to the people now. Let them cast their eyes on a neighbouring country, France. He took that instance, because it was called an infidel country, an irreligious country, where it was supposed nobody went to Church. But what did he find in that country ? He found there were orders of men of very wide extent, separated from all worldly ties, devoting themselves ,to the office of instructing their fellow-crew tures, and more particularly young children—he found that the " Brothers of Christian Doctrine" had upwards of three millions of children under their superintendence, and after their other labours were over, these Christian men devoted two hours in the evening (from eight till ten o'clock) to teaching the Scripture truths to adults ; and that a lesson from the New Testament was daily committed to memory. He would not detain them longer—he would only for a moment refer (among other associations) to that excel lent institution for the education 'f 'the people—the Jesuits.—(Cheers.) The colleges which those men had instituted throughout the world were numerous, and all were furnished with most excellent lib varies. —(Cheers.) He was glad that his mention of an order which had done so much for the benefit of mankind, was so well re ceived by so respectable a company- The great phi• losopher, Lelande, in speaking of tit em, and the sup pression of the order, used these strong words : " Humanity has for ever lost, and. will never again recover," (here he was happily mistake n ) " t h at no bl e and wonderful body of two hundred thousand men, who laboured incessantly, and disinterestedly, in preaching, instructing, reconciling enemies, comforting the dying, in a word, in the dischar t ee of all those duties which are most sacred and dearest t o the human heart. Retirement, sobriety, and self-denia 1, admirably fitted the society to be the depository of vi, , tue and learning. I knew the Jesuits intimately ; they were a race of heroes -heroes of religion and charity„ and from religion they derived a strength that philosop' by cannot supply." What associations for the instructio; r of youth like the Jesuits, founded by St. Ignatius, who filled all Europe with colleges, on a large scale, with libraries and pro• fessors of the greatest erudition ; w-fs a have produced elementary Treatises on every branch of education, and who were not more distinguished in it he vast regions of science and literature than in the let miblest walks of knowledg,; ? Thu Society has pr oduced profound philosophers; like Boscovich ; matt ematicians, like Clavius ; naturalists, like Kirchner ; artists in his torical painting, like Pozzi ; men or ti ate, like Lanzi ; theologians, like Peteau, Suarez, Tol:et, Do Lugo, and Bellarmine ; orators, like Bourdaloue• and Segneri ; his torians, like Du Halde, Bouhoura, II srdoun, Barton, or Pallavicini. There were many other and more eloquent ' speakers to follow, he was therefore be mad not to detain them longer, though the question being so large he had to exercise much forbearance in compres sing the remarks had to make. It was with a proud fet :ling he witnessed such a meeting. The Catholics had been oppressed and insulted to the very utmost degree.. They had been ' reviled and cast down, but the Catholics had proved themselves equal, if not superior, in ail! the arts and ' sciences ; and in oratory, where was Cher e a better than the Hon. and Learned Gentlemen whoem he was glad to see there that day.—(Cheers.) He concluded by moving the third resolution. The Rev. Mr. HARRINGTON, of Warwick-street chapel, rose to second the resedution. He felt proud of having the honour of ad dressing them upon so important an occasion. It had been said that they (the Catholic body) feared the light bee %use their deeds were darkness. In that Meeting they lied given the lie to the assertion—he would call it the- foul calumny—they were there in the face of day to s ay, " that if Greece must perish, let her perish in the op en face of day." All they wanted was fair play, a clear stage, and no favour. —(Cheers.) They had always been prepared to take up their present position--all they wanted was a leader of much courage who would direct their energies into a proper course—they had now obtained Erne who, in the Language of the poet, had ~ A form of adarnant—a soul of Ere, Whom no dangers daunt, nor labours tire." —( Cheers.) What were their principles? They distinct,ly held that no Prince, Potentate, or Parham ent had any right over the education of the children he tonging to th e Cathalic Church—that Church established upon the rotindation laid down by Christ the Redeeneer, Had not: .the Al mighty Father sent down his Sim as a Teaches- to the nations ? Did he not call around him and fashion. them according to the will of the Father ? Theirs, w at , an authorized, a transmitted power ; for did not Christ' say unto his disciples--" He that. despiseth you despiseth me, and he that despiseth me. despiseth him that sent mc." They had a forni of doctrine—a systee lof treth which was immutable. The doctrines—the truths of the Gospel, were so fixed and unalterable tie et St. Paul declared if any of the disciple s, or were ev en an angel from Heaven to come down and preach atilt rwise than according to the Gospel, let them be anatteert ma. It was the bound and sacred duty of the priest to teach , the people, and it was t h e sacre d d uty o f t h e: flocee, to pay implicit obedience to the doct tines of the Churc. h as laid down by her authorised pastors , . 'lf they did nce ' follow the doctrines of the Church, then:errors of a .heinous, nature would naturally be the result ; ' were they to read an, d put their own construction upon •.the - truths of 'tae ti.'bie, errors would creep in in the sa me manner as the Paeean world had imbibed them, fro m the Book -of Na.ture. Were people to read the Bible; and put on the- specta 'ales of Antinornianisrn ?—(Laug'nter.) Others, again, read the Bible with the spectacles v i Predestinariani sm,:veith the notion of the Deity tleat he had foredo( mica his creatures, leaving them without hope. Suet i was not the teaching of the Catholic Chui ch. The la wof their Church was that the people shot tld listen to the voice of their pastor ; that was the prim: iple of their Church, and that was her practice.—(Hear.) When_' ! he looked around him, and saw a wide circle of wise. ; a nd pious Bishops circling around the head of their Ci lurch— when he saw the still more spreading ci rc l e cif pastors teaching the people, and the people forming a stall wider and more spreading circle, listering• eagerly i 4 the to struction of their pastors, which produced p ease and harmony, he saw much that was gratifying and e 4tering. He hoped such a pleasing picture would be con tiinued, that so Heaven might look ;loam and see its own image reflected in its breast. He trusted that meeting se's:eld have the beneficial effect of making them and th, sir prin ciples better known to their counlrymen—tbat the sg noranee of their princin%es might be dispelled, and let England know that till,ey feare,i not the light but: court -eel it.—(Cheers.) He bad muck pleasure in seer mai. og the motion of his Reverend Brother. The resolution was then put and passed with' , accla- , relation FRANCIS RIDDELL, Esq., cc ,uld not but reg ret that the resolution he held in his ha ads had not fa lien into those of a gentleman who woulul have been al de to do more justice to it than he The fourth, resolution which he had to propose app , mred .to him to . 4) mbody a truism, and followed as a ceoallary o f the 7dr - s i fin , d others which had been passed, for surely no, one would n 'y that the child ren o f t h e i r fl oc k s s h ou ld b ee ducated in thci r reli gious duties by any other than the Ca tholic clergy, L ap peared to him very extraordinary th a t after the CobtA lies had been put upon an equality with t heir fellow ü bj and wh en a m i sera b le g rant fort h e -s pur pe se o f - tional Ed ucat i on was made by the 1 House o' Commoos, that any party—even the Cons er rativo party in the House of Lords backed by the M a l mo " of the Angli can Church should see fit to . oppose any part of it finding its way for the edr ,cation or; the Catholic. There was no sect or set o f men who were more wealthy, y e t t h ey h a d l e f t the people' in ignorance, as cur. was proved by the madness of those followers of the madman Thorn who were surrounded by their Clergy. Were the Catholics quietly to sit down and give the education of their children to the Bishop of Exeter or the Clergy taught under that meek and pious man—(Loud laughter)—of that man who pushed his way to the prelacy by reviling and calumniating. a great part of his fellow subjects.— (Cheers.) Was he a man to whom the direction of the education of : Catholic e'ildran should he left ? There was a time, before emancipation was obtained, when it might have been expected that the Church of England would have stretched out her hand as she did now, but after that triumph had been achieved by the immense exertions of a great man, whom he was proud to see amongst them that day—(Loud cheers)—he confessed he was astonished that they should see the spirit of fanaticism find a resting-place amongst the Tories in the House of Peers. He trusted that the echo of that great meeting would reach the House of Lords in such a manner as might disturb the gravity of even their Lordships. (Cheers.) He had much pleasure in moving 4th. That, as Catholics, we demand and insist that the re ligious instruction of Catholic children should be placed under the exclusive inspection and management of the Prelates and Pastors of the Catholic Church. EDWARD BLOUNT, Esq., said he had been only a few minutes since requested to second the resolution, and was therefore in some degree unprepared, but he could never be unprepared on the subject of education.— (Hear.) H e was an d a l ways h a d b een a decided friend to general education in its most extended form. He came forward to state a few of the grounds on which he agreed in the sentiments embodied in the present re solution, and he fully agreed in the principle which had been already laid down, " that the education of the ' Catholics ought to be committed to their prelates and ' pastors." With regard to the question of general edu cation, he wondered how any man could be found to assert that the mind should not be instructed. What was mind ? It was an emanation from the Divinity, placed in their breasts that they might cultivate it— that every individual should have the benefit of that im provement, which would accrue to the whole world by its promulgation. He would ask them was not poverty, and misery, and vice commensurate with the ignorance of a people ?—(Hear, hear, hear.) Was not the crying sin of the country its general de gradation, and in what better mode could they divert it than by giving to mind its full and internal value. He would not dwell much longer upon the subject, always bearing in mind that whatever was done in temper and discretion was much more efficient than what was done in any other way. To whom, then, was the education to be confided ? Was it to the calumniators of their religion and the oppressors of their faith ? Were they to confide it to these hands ?—(Cries of " No, no.") If not then, to whom ? Just to the Roman Catholic Pre lates ; and he wished to record what he and every other individual who knew them must feel as regarded these ex cellent personages. From the period when he could first make any obzervation to the present moment, he had al ways found them most exemplary, pious, and worthy charac ters.—(Hear, hear.) Was there any individual who dared to affix a single stigma upon the characters of these men to whom they wished to see confided the education of their children ? Then as to the pastors, he asked, could there be found in any society a body of men more respectable than were their apostolic pastors?— (Cheers,) They were individuals distinguished for the excellence of their lives, by their exemplary conduct. They preached a mild system of liberality and religion, and their lives were as pure as the doctrines they preached.—(Cheers.) Would they confide the educe tion of their children to those men, or the party who had opposed education in every form ?—( Hear, hear.) They could have no better pledge for the purity and morality of the education that would be conferred upon their children than that it was confided to their prelates and clergy. Under these circumstances, there was not one ord of the resolution in which he did not cordially con. The resolution was then put, and carried unan' mously. Mr. C. ANSTEY rose and said—ln addressing for the first time an assembly of my countrymen met toge ther for the exercise of their high constitutional right of discussing a question now before Parliament, and of petitioning the Houses upon it, I most sincerely con gratulate you upon this satisfactory result of the long and bitter agitation of which we have been made the objects. If the assemblies of Catholics disused when a tardy emancipation made them, in some measure, un necessary, should after an interval of repose be again needed, for securing not the freedom itself, but the fruit and consequence thereof, sure am I that when so re-as sembled, it will not be by cringing accents of serfship, or even of inferiority, that we shall testify to those whom we withstand, that we are alike unfit for our freedom, and unworthy of their prowess. We have indeed waited, but it was only till occasion should unbind our utterance, and, since it has come, I trust that now and in all fittint seasons, from this day forward, we shall ever be ready and willing, openly and fearlessly, to speak. In this instance, it seems to me, that we stand in a peculiarly gracious and favourable position. We find our Sovereign, and the Ministry of her choice and confidence, assiiled and slandered by those whose pas- ' time or business it is to blaspheme our holy religion. True defenders of Church and Queen we stand forth to oppose tho - ward of Loyalty and - Faith to the blows which, by a rare coincidence, Tory hands are dealing against the Church our holy mother and our gracious Sovereign Victoria. For it is remarkable that the very freedom Irons all coercion on the part of the State, which here, as always, is well understood to be most 'emphatically demanded for the Church by its venerable earthly head, is precisely that element in the proposed Parliamentary grant, which gives it all its value and its beauty in the eyes of British Liberals ; the one element mutilated of which all the rest beside would be worthless and vain, and its maintenance, ceasing to be their duty, would begin to be their crime and their reproach. Thus, happily for all, the vows of our holy Church, the wishes of Government, and the demands of the great Liberal party, combine in favour of the same grand principle which asserts the unmolested freedom of con science. Neither State nor Church Establishment are to exercise even the slightest controul over that which is higher than either, the soul of man. The limits are defined, which mark the separation of the two provinces, the temporal and the eternal, nor can they be over passed safely or conscientiously, unless to the subjection of the former, and the elevation of the latter. Either a perfect independence must reciprocally subsist or the Church must become the point which culminates. But that the State should overpower the Church, that the body should prevail over the ghostly, that the world should triumph over Heaven, we neither will nor can consent to tolerate.— We leave the thraldom which we spurn from our selves, to those whose Hierarchy, Liturgy, and Articles of Faith are but the progeny of Parli amen t, s till crav i ng legislative monopolies and protecting bounties as their daily bread, without which they famish, as the very breath of their nostrils, without which they sicken and die. We assert these principles in their own native beauty, and we scorn their concealment. Why should we dissemble ? Ours is not the whisper of a despised rem nant, crouching in corners and trembling lest the winds shouldreveal our resting-place, or the birds of the air be tray our secret words, but the free, full utteranceof two mil ' lions of Britons. What inducement have we, even could our interests palliate such baseness, to seek favour frOm our foes by relinqUishing the high ground whereon our religious motive places us ? It is on Catholic principles that I base my advocacy of this plan, and on no other. We are not beggars for favours, but claimants for our rights. Clothed with the same franchises as our country men, we are second to none in the faculties or accom plishments which are needed for their exercise.— (Cheers.) They will hence understand that to obtain our righteous share in the benefits of this or any other public measure, we will compromise nothing, soften no thing, surrender nothing belonging to what they arc pleased to call our spiritual darkness. The battle must t i s. fought : if it shall be won by us, we will use our victory, nut abuse it ; if we fail, and England and edu cation are once more consigned to the tender keeping of these masters from whom the masses have for three centuries received so admirable a measure of moral and social enligi?tenment, we shall record our protest against the wicked itvustice, and gird ourselves to renew the battle when the odds are fewer and the chances greater. Of the infatuation vriaich is now at work among the great Protestant aristocracy, I shall say but little. One idea seems to possess them so exclusively, as to leave them neither leisure nor space for others which should come more home to their bosoms at this hour. Their bugbear is Popery ; the foe of th e A ng li ca n Church, the friend of rebel Ireland, the ally of the Melbourne Cabinet! Surely the foe of the thing men call Chnrch of England—its enduring foe--even as the truth which inspires it must ever be of error ; but like that truth, honest, scrupulous, God-fearing in its en mity-, But. are we the only enemies? Are there none nearer hone ? Are we likely to raise the mob above the throne„nr to prostrate the sacred barriers of rank, property, and % - ested franchise , either before a tyrant or a populace ? the grave and reverend gen tlemen who, laying aside the p,lnderous and inconvenient tomes of other days, borrow Oseir immense theology from the columns of the Times, p„..' l , and Herald—do they really believe their own base slan,4ers, which they would put off upon the public for current coin ? Do even the parsons imagine that if their own abasement should come to pass, and the Cross once more be e:aalted —that if this long-deserted people should throng around the old traditions of their fathers, asking of them that life and health which were never asked in vain ; that if they should " Unthread the rude eye of rebellion, And welcome home again discarded faith, that we should imitate those excesses which marked the foundation of their own Church ? Do they imagine that we should study a single page in the history of tbe, Refermation, unless, perhaps, to denote by a con duct most guardedly contrasted, how deep is our ab horrence of excess, and rapine, and bloodshed ? But some of these dangers are now at their very doors. They are already beset and harrassed by enemies as determined as ourselves, but of a character which we disown—in numbers more formidable—in organizat:on better prepared —strong in their reckless wills, and ready on occasion, to wield the arms wherewith their wild energies have furnished them. Are the Chartist millions unlettered ? is their appearance upon the scene one of the phenomena of ignorance ? If so, then woe to the Established Church, for not one of them apper tains to Rome ! But I believe that Ido not exagge rate in ranking them as the portion of the lower classes, the most educated, according to the material meaning of that term. I believe that this country is yet destined to give a melancholy proof of the extent of that material instruction imbibed by these remarkable men, and of the depth to which it has penetrated within them. But spiritually there is either a total blank, or worse still, a total perver sion. I care not whether these classes have had the guidance of the Church Establishment or whether they have been abandoned by it to the Mechanics' Institutes and the l ec t ure - rooms. I n either case the result will t , have been much the same ; there is no blessing upon the labours of the Anglican Church whie'a the secular pe.lagogue might not obtain for his own instructions. Of the science which is received by them, there sur vives but the husk. Their knowledge can be but in tellectual at the best, retaining only the visible or the physical elements which may inflate the head but can not nourish the soul of him they feed. The Bible in the bands of an Owenite receives a development which !s so consistent with the great Protestant principle that it should make the most bigoted of Biblicals doubt at last of its propriety. Upon the perverted Gospel they have preached the doctrines of licentiousness and -quality. The ties of duty and reverence, first relaxed by the founders of the Anglican Church, are similarly altering now in the hands of these new expounders of the moral code, and are already being put in practice. They read history too, the history of their own country, which orthodox Protestants have long ago recorded ; and they are surprised and pleased to find there many an event chronicled with approval which they them :elves will by-and-by not hesitate to attempt against Peer and Parson upon their own account, but not till the gallows shall have lost some portion of its terrors. They follow up the sciences ; they read the laws of nature, and the same analysis which enables the Anglican sophist to blaspheme the sacred mysteries of our faith, as the juggleries of priests tempts the lese learned me chanic to deny the fundamentals of the Christianity which is preached to him by men of whom he thinks he has far better cause to doubt, and scrutinize the disin terested zeal on his behalf; the Anglican parsons! And when these things shall be can the sufferers complain ? Shall they murmur who taught the people that in all questions of right and wrong, of truth and falsehood, tree judgment is the most sacred of duties ? What ! shall the deeds and muniments and registers of their pedigree, which flank and warrant their titles to their own estates, be more sacred in the eyes of these Biblical Lords and Esquires than " the pure Word of God," as they delight to term their own impure version thereof? Not so think those below them ! to the same private interpretation must all things come at last, whether divine or human. And when it happens, there may come with it a kind of sorrowful remembrance of occasions long gone by, when, for the popular guid ance, had they been wise, the self-denial, and the patience, and the Blowing devotion of this island's ancient faith might have been preferred to the Pa ganism of science and the religion of nature. And here I am reminded that the respectable Baronet who speaks the sentiments of the University of Oxford in the Lower House, has invited us in common with all other denominations to provide for our own charity schools upon the voluntary principle. It appears that if we did so, we should be unmolested. What, is Sir R. H. Inglis prepared to advocate and promote the repeal of all obnoxious laws which incumber the Statute-book, and were meant to incumber cur free education ? Will he in good faith forego the gratification which it gives his party to pore over the disgraceful clauses which, obe diently to their will, if not at their dictation, were in serted into the Relief Act, and made the indispensable securities for our emancipation ? Will he really waive his right to repay the instruction of the poor with the penalties of the law, or to make criminals of the monks and convicts of the Jesuits ? No, verily —not at this day .nay we hope to see expunged this foul blot on our na ,ional escutcheon. The boon is' too great even for the ibernlity of our friends to bestow upon us ; and it will rernaia to a later period, then to be wrested from the Legislature by the healthful arm of the freshly Catholic people. In the meantime, let our ene mies, in the name of decency, forbear to gloze upon their liberality, and their readiness to befriend us in the cause of education after the voluntary principle. BefOre I conclude let the beseech you not to be alarmed hut encouraged at this agitation which our enemies have commenced in the name of education. The general, but somewhat tardy, zeal which, after three centuries, has nox first appeared in the cause of national educa tion, may be, in fact, but a reflecti on o f th e sp i r i t o f Ca tholicity now abroad among us. For the moment they have caught it, and it has caused this their last expiring fTort in favour of their charter. And so must it ever be. The dawning of the day which is to ripen into the perfect splendour of the noon, must first penetrate the very cloud which would quench its brightness and pro tract the'night, before its beams can gladden the lowli ness of the valley, or crown the loftiness of the moun tain. But whatever may be the issue of this high de bate in which our country has engaged herself, the noble ends we seek shall be pursued by none but the noblest means. We ask not for exclusive privileges ;we de- mand our rights ; but we recognize the same in all our countrymen. We know that we are Englishmen, and we claim our birthright ; but we respect and will assert the equal rights in the same matter possessed by all Englishmen of whatever degree or denomination. It is is feeling which adds a new zest to the pleasure which eel in moving the resolution which has been entrusted and it is— o me. sth. That this social right which we claim for ourselves we equally recognise for others—so that the State shall not be per mitted to control the religious education of any class of its subjects. Mr. F. LUCAS had great pleasure in seconding the resolution. He concurred in the sentiments which had been expressed by his friend who had just addressed the meeting, and agreed in the resolutions which had been, and which were to be, proposed. He thought the Ca tholics now stood upon this high vantage-ground, that they came forward to support that principle upon edu cation which is the only practicable and feasible one, and to examine whether that advanced by their opponents was just or unjust, and whether, if just or unjust, it was practicable. What was that principle ? The Wesleyan Methodists had declared it to be, that they would not consent to any portion of the public funds being applied to the purposes of education for teaching doctrines they believed to be untrue. How did they intend to carry that cut ? They said, that all sums voted for education should be poured into the treasury of the Established Church. He ventured to say that it was most absurd to talk about such a principle. Without entering into theological discussions, he would just mention what was universally admitted,—that the Established Church made her articles wide, vague, and liberal as possible, in order to include as large a number of dissentient and discordant opinions as she could. He could select half a dozen principles of theology, on which, within the Established Church, half a dozen dif ferent opinions were acknowledged respecting each ; so that money paid into the treasury of that Church was not, in fact, paid for the support of one creed, but of six times six. —(Hear, hear, and loud cheers.) Every one, therefore, who paid his money to the Established Church for education,—paid towards the teaching of one creed ' which he believed to be true, and of thirty-five others he believed not to be true.—(Loud and continued cheering.) He believed, however, that the op position of the Wesleyan Methodists and others, to tile Government scheme of education did not proceed from their attachment to the principle which he had just adverted to, but from their fear of the Catholics.— (Hear, hear, and cheers.) Many members of the Established Church had declared that if they had to choose between some versions of the Anglican creed and the Catholic, they would choose the latter.—(Hear, hear, hear.) It might be thought by some that there was no danger of an attempt on the part of the State to interfere with the education of the Catholics. He, on his part, felt no such security. He need not go back, in forming that opinion, to a very distant period in our history—for instance, to the last part of the reign of Queen Anne, when measures were brought forward for shutting up the schools of the Dis senters—(Hear, hear)—nor to the middle of the last cen tury, when every fragment of religious rancour had died out in all hearts but their own, the Established Church party, with a bigotry unparalleled, clung in despe rate tenacity to the most wretched remnants of a barbarous penal code, wishing to make every Catholic schoolmaster a criminal in his own l a nd.—(Cheers.) He need not go back to these comparatively remote periods. but could refer to what bad occurred recently in Prussia—where there was a Protestant Government, and a venerable Catholic Archbishop felt it his duty— as it was undoubtedly—to expel heresy from a Ih u e niver univer sity in which it had made great progress. Go vernment interfered, and claimed the right ofd i etermin ing what was heresy and what was not.—(He . a ahear.) And there was a generally expressed opinion in the organs of the Anglican Church, from the Quarterly Review down to the meanest of their weekly periodicals, that the Archbishop s hould have been proceeded against for treason,, in not succumbing to the dictation of the Protestant Government on a matter of religion. , _( Hear, hear, hear.) It wa s, therefore, important at the present moment, when the British Legi s l a t ure h ad taken u g the subject of education, th a t th e C at h ol i cs o f this cou ntry should come forward, and ex the principles on w hi c h alone they would press c onsent to be guided.--',Hear.) Because it would b e v ery difficult when once a false character had been g i ven to our legislation on this subject, to eradicate it. --( Hear, hear.) Now was the time to come forward, when the matter was yet in embryo—not that the Ca tholics would suc cee d i n em b u i ng t h e i r opponents w i th the spirit of justice —their case was too far gone for that—( Hear, hear, and laughter)—but now was the the time to come forward and manfully resist the wroqg that was attempted to be perpetrated ? and to show, EVF,NING EDI tl.at whether they succeded or not, th support the eternal principles of justict The Resolution was carried unanimo Their having been signs of a dispot Mr O'Connell, The CHAIRMAN said he saw clearly that the meeting were anxious to hear Mr. O'Connell—(Tremendous and reiterated cheering which lasted for some time.) But in order to obtain that special treat—(Cheers and laugh ter)—he must exhort them to hear with order and quiet the speakers who had to address them before that gentleman.—(Cheers.) P. HOWARD, Esq. M.P. moved the 6th Resolution, and in doing so, said he had just arrived from a long journey, and the audience would not therefore expect from him a speech.—(Hear, hear.) The circum stance, however, of his late arrival, enabled him to read to the meeting a letter from the Right Rev. Dr. Briggs, Bishop of the Northern District, which might justly be deemed a document of importance. Mr. Howard then read the letter addressed to their worthy Secretary, Mr. Clint. Mr. Howard- likewise observed, that he had authority to state that the brother of their worthy Chairman, Sir Edward Vavasour,andMr.C. Maxwell, likewi se a pp ro ved of the objects of the meet ing. lie had been present the other day at. the splendid ceremony of the consecration of the Catholic Church at Eseringham, at which four Catholic Prelates, and between sixty and seventy of the Clergy assisted. Substantial proof was there afforded, that the Catholics of England formed no small or insignificant body ; but even were it otherwise, and he considered they had a right to claim in something approaching to a proportion of their numbers and wants, assistance from a fund raised by taxation from all her Majesty's subjects ; and that right which they asserted for themselves, they would ever be ready to assist in vindicating for others. 6th. That thus fair play and justice will be done to all. The State kill not make any undue preference, nor exhibit any im proper partiality, but the money of all will be applied to the literary and religious education of eiery one. Mr. PAGLI A NO ( one o f the Trustees of the Associated Catholic Charities) seconded the Resolution, which was carried. Mr. Monoats J. O'CostsEer. said—Proud and glo rious as that a.semblage was, still it was impossible for them to meet in such a cause without feelings of the deepest regret—not for any part they had taken in the proceeding, but because in the nineteenth century they should see the effor:s which bigotry was now making_ so great that it was necessary for their own protection they should get up the proceedings of that day. He was one who wished that it had become unnecessary for them ever to have met again in an exclusive way—he had trusted that better feelings had sprung up, but he was disappointed and it was a matter of necessity that they should meet, for the dominant party had attempted to keep up the old system of exclusion, under the specious semblance of equality.—(Cheers.) The resolution he was about to propose was an exposition of their principles, it was 7th. That any scheme of distribution of the Education Grant, which would give a preference to the Established Church, or any powers to the Chrgy or Members of that Church, 'o regulate or control the religious instruction of the children of Catholics, or of Protestant Dissenters, would be manifestly unjust. It was a plain and intelligible principle—it was more, for it was a Catholic a universal principle—( Loud cheers)--in the widest sense of the words. It was not confined to their own case—it was applicable to every case which could he conceived ; they advocated to the fullest extent the principles of civil and reli gious liberty. Bribery was considered as great a crime in electoral law, as coercion or intimida tion—where was the difference, wily that the crime was of a deeper shade, when one party interfered with the religion of another party, either with Penal laws, or exclusion from civil rights, or anything under a perfect equality.—(Cheers.) Notwithstanding his re gret, he still felt great pleasure at seeing such a Meeting. It was a proof of the advance of their faith, and of the station which it held in the public estimation in this country. He felt proud indeed to see so large and re spectable a meeting presided over by the descendant of one of the most ancient Catholic families in the country —a family who had held steadfastly to the old faith of' their fathers through the very worst of persecution which had disgraced the country.—(Loud cheers.) lie was glad also that they were met with the determination of not retorting the foul language and disgract ful imputa tions which had been applied to and heaped upon them by their calumniators.—(Cheers.) They would take noble revenge upon their opponents by carefully ab staining from following the bad example which had been set them. He trusted that when the reaction which he saw fast approaching—(Cheers) —when their numbers were still 'nose increased, he trusted that their sense of duty would lead them to respect the civil and religious rights of their fellow men as much as their own. The big o t r y w hi c h was now becoming so rampant would do more to serve the cause of their religion than by any other human means, because it would cause 'discussion and inquiry, and the Catholics would stand in their true light before their countrymen. He had much pleasure in moving the resolution. Mr. P. G. HEATIILEY had much pleasure in being able to state that he concurred in all the resolutions which had been passed, and those which were yet to come. When he saw the efforts that were making— calmly, yet firmly to disseminate the true doctrine— when he saw that great Meeting, larger than any which had been held for years—he could not but augur well for the future ; because it proved that that apathy which h-id so long laid heavily on them, had given way to vigoer and activity. Lord Durham, at a Meeting in the north, before he went on his mission to Canada, said he was not inure astonished than he was disgusted at the apathy sh own by t h e C at h ol i cs. He trusted- the Noble Earl would hear of that splendid meeting, and he would find that they had at last roused themselves from their apathy and were stirring. There were at least two millions of Catholics irr England, and from computation as accurate as it was possible to make he found there were upwards of two hundred thousand in London—one whole eighth of the population. Surely then they had a right to demand to participate in the miserable grant made by Parliament ?—(Cheers.) Theirs was the cause of truth—that was the anchor upon which rested their hope. During the last year institute he was happy to say they had formed an from which much good had already flowed, and they hau a right to expect much more from it. They had also now got an organ for extending their views, he alluded to the " Dublin Review," which he trusted would meet with still more success than had yet been accorded to it. He knew they were anxious to hear the man of all ages—(Cheers)—his name would live in all ages—the man whose whole life was bound up in the cause of Civil and Religious Liberty.—(Loud cheers.) He knew they were anxious to hear him, and therefore he would sit down by cordially seconding the resolution. The resolution was then put, and carried unani mously. Mr. O'CONNELL then rose. and was received with loud cheering and waving of handkerchiefs, which lasted several moments. When silence was partially restored, he said instead of making a speech, I will read the Re solution ; and I trust you will then agree with me that after that a speech is unnecessary.—(" No, no," laughter and cheers.) The Resolutioa I hold in my hand is this— Bth. That we cannot separate without expressing our deep regret at the continuance of an active and malignant spirit of calumny against the tenets and practices of our holy and pure relioion—a religion which, we confidently assert, traces its foundation to the Apostles, and can show its unbroken con tinuance from their days to ours—the religion of all the Saints in the Protestant Calendar, as well as in our own—the religion of the greatest men England ever knew—of the Alfreds, the Edwards, the Fortescues, and the Mores—the religion of more than one-third of the people of these Realms—the religion of the great increasing and overwhelming majority of Christians-_ the one Fait h—the one Hope—the one Baptism in the one fold of the one Shepherd. I told you that when I read the resolution you would say that a speech was unnecessary.—(No, no.) I don't mean to say that I have not come prepared to make a speech.—(Cheers.) In truth, I have so much material for a speech that the only favour I have to ask is that you will tell me when you wish me to be done—(Cheers) —for I am afraid I shall want a monitor before I shall think it time to sit down. To,hriietehgceluhosaraiironudosai scene around me—l do rejoice that I have•seen the day when Catholicity, no longer persecuted, can show its' open and manly brow—can call its tens of you, the together, to witness to the purity of their faith. (Cheers.) I rejoice to see . you, Sir, filling ,t. meeting. I rejoice to see descendant of one of the most ancient , such a E n gland's old baronial families filling the Chair day like the present —you, the rcpresent t• "Pon a a Iv 4 of one of England's most ancient Catholic families. (Loud cheers,) I spe..ik not now, Si r , o f that you are admitted into the Le yo . u i r patriotism, now before your face, say one wordof the many private vir tues which it is %veil known f adorn you and your family—. (Cheers)—but I speak you with pride as the de. scendant of cne of those ° who . conquered at Cressy, et Agincourt., and at Poictiers—(Cheers meo ) . . who wanted no Prussians to assist them • in wir.-aing their battles--(Loud cheers and laughter) _but men who fought and won their battles by the might of their stalwart a rms —(Ch eers )— a id e d own not by Prussians, but by their own brave English Catholic yeomen.—{Loud cheers.) I rejoice, I say, to see the descendant of such ancestors presiding over a meeting of the old ancient faith,—(Loud cheers.) And is there no other consola tion ? You heard my young friend, Mr. Anstey ; and my friend, and I am proud to call him such, Mr. Lucas. You behold your Secretary. What were they a few years ago ? Firm conscientious Protestants.—(Cheer ing ) What are they now? Firm conscientious C a _ tholics.—( Vehement cheering.) What has bribed them ? What has been their inducement to leave the one and embrace the other religion ? Was it lucre, money, bribery ? Oh, no ! It was the grace of the eter na l G o d, Oh, this is a name to rejoice in—" This is a great day which the Lord bath made, and . let us r e j o i ce therein." But our joy is a pure and holy joy •-•-•I.T trust it is totally unmixed with any arrogant or boasting • - spirit. I t is a j feeling of joy, but such a oy as a Christian ought t feel at seeing the one told and the one shepherdrn e! brecing and euelcslng more of the fl oc k within it. That joy makes men rejoice, and truth triumph,a n d - S 11 IC' 4 rAilik. i --- T . 3 .40 1, SI , L • Ali. tiCViIS ously.IIV:ro.AW.P.- ,it mition ~L." 111. u ' .