The Sun.
London, England, 1840-03-13 00:00:00

IRELAND.

---
NATIONAL EDUCATION,—The Dublin Evening Post
of last Tuesday publishes a letter addressed to the
editor of that jJurnal by the Catholic Archbishop of
Dublin. The propositions submitted to the Lord
Lieutenant by the Irish Roman Catholic Bishops, with
" his Excellency's clear, Christian, explicit reply," also
are simultaneously published. We subjoin all these
important documents:—
DEAR SIR—In a letter which was published in your
journal on last Saturday, and which purports to be
from the pen of the Most Rev. Doctor M'Hale, a
passage occurs, relative to the late meeting of the
Roman Catholic Prelates, which seems to require some
explanation.

After referring to a modified arrangement of the sys-
tem of National Education, which was submitted by
those Prelates to the consideration of the Lord Lieu-
tenant, and which did not meet his Excellency's ap-
proval, the letter thus continues :—" One paramount
object, however, is gained the unanimity of the
hierarchy ; and that unanimity attests the wisdom, the
justice, and the extreme moderation of the proposed,
but rejected, arrangements."
A cursory reader might be easily led, from the peru-
sal of this passage, to suppose that all the Prelates were
agreed as to the necessity of obtaining some such mo-
dification as that which was proposed, in order to render
the system satisfactory to them, and safe for their flocks.
But this could not have been his Grace's meaning ; for
it would openly be at variance with the truth. The
same Prelates who gave their countenance and support
to the system of National Education last year, are its
steady advocates still in its present unaltered state ; and
the additional experience which they have since ac-
quired, has only tended to confirm them in the opinion
tivhich they then entertained, that, while it imparts ad-
vantages of great importance to the people, it is perfectly
consistent with the secure maintenance of the Catholic
religion. During the late meeting they uttered not a word
indicative of any sense of danger to be dreaded to ei►.her the
faith or the morals of the Catholic children educated in
National Schools ; but they owed something to the
feelings d those venerable and respected brethren who
differ in opinion from them ; and when it was inti-
mated that certain modifications of the system would, if
granted, remove the objections which had been urged
against it, they at once, without the least thought of
attesting " the extreme moderation of the proposed
arrangement," expressed their readiness to acquiesce
(that was the term used) in the adoption of it, should
it be duly sanctioned ; and they cheerfully adopted the
resolution of submitting it to the consideration of the
Lord Lieutenant, declaring, at the same time, that if it
should not meet his Excellency's approval, the rejec-
tion of it would not, in the least, diminish their ardour
in continuing to the sy stem, in its present form,the
same conscientious support to which they had hitherto
considered it justly entitled.

- -
Contenting myself with this brief explanation, I wil-
lingly abstain from adverting to other passages in the
letter which it would be too painful to notice.
I have the honour to remain, dear Sir,
Your obedient humble servant,
P.l D. MURRAY.
Mountjoy-square, 9th March, 1840.

At a general meeting of the Roman Catholic Prelates
of Ireland, held in Dublin on the 14th of February,
1840, the Most Rev. Dr. CROLLY in the chair,
The following arrangement was proposed and adopted
for the purpose of securing the unanimous co-operation
of the Roman Catholic Prelates in diffusing the advan-
tages of National Education ; it was agreed on that the
subsequent regulations be respectfully submitted to the
consideration of his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant :-
1 st. That in every National School for the mixed
education of Protestant and Roman Catholic children,
the Roman Catholic Bishop of the diocese, the Parish
Priest, or the Roman Catholic Curate of the parish in
which such School is situated, may be a patron of said
School, in order that he may prevent the appointment
of any teacher whose moral or religious conduct should
be found objectionable, and, if necessary, direct the dis-
missal of such teacher from so important a situation.
2d. That no book or tract, whatsoever, for the reli-
gious or moral instruction of the Roman Catholic
pupils, shall be admitted into a National School without
the previous approbation of the four Roman Catholic
Archbishops of Ireland.
3d. That in every National School where the
pupils are all of the Roman Catholic persuasion,
the Roman Catholic Bishop of that diocese, or the
Roman Catholic Pastor in whose parish the School
has been established, as patrons of said School, shall
have power to appoint or dismiss the teacher or
teachers, whether male or female, and that said Bishop
or Pastor shall have access to the school at all times, for
the purpose of giving religious or moral instruction to
the scholars, such instruction to be given by the Clergy
themselves, or by persons appointed by them for that
purpose ; and, further, that every book used in the
school for the religious or moral instruction of the Ro-
man Catholic pupils, shall be composed or selected by
the Roman Catholic Bishop of the diocese.
4th. That in future, for the satisfaction of the Roman
Catholics, and for the greater security of their religion,
the Lord Lieutenant be respectfully requested to select
two lay Roman Catholic members of the Board of Na-
tional Education from each of the four ecclesiastical
provinces, and that, on the recommendation of the
Roman Catholic Bishops of each province, one of their
body be appointed a meinber of the Board of Commis-
, sioners by his Excellency.
sth. That the Lecturer in the Model Schools ap-
pointed to instruct the Roman Catholic teachers of
National Schools in the principles of religion, morals, or
history (which is capable of Ining explained in an irreli-
gious or offensive manner, should be a Roman Catholic,
with satisfactory testimonials of religious and moral con-
do t, signed by the Roman Catholic Bishop under whose
spiritual jurisdiction he previously lived.
6th. That it would be very desirable to have a Model
SO 'f in each of the four provinces, when the funds of
the .National Board of Education might be found suffi-
cient for that purpose, as such an establishment would
inspire the inhabitants of the province with greater con-
fidence in the system of National Education.
(Signed)
W. CROLLY, D.D., Chairman.