The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-21 00:00:00

HER, MAJESTY.

OsBORNE, Jan. 20.
The Queen drove in the grounds yesterday after•
noon, accompanied by Princess Louise, atteado
Lady Churchill and the Hon. Mrs. Ponsonby

ROMAN CATHOLIC REEVIOX.

The Roman Catholic congregations of Binning'
barn and the district held their 15th annual rata°
in the Town-hall of that town on Tuesday evenin,,g•
About 2,000 persons were present, among
was Lord Edward Howard. Bishop
I:Hatboropresided. The meeting was not held last years i;
accordance with a suggestion made by the then
mayor, in consequence of the agitation then pre'
vailing in the public mind, partly caused by thecir-
culation of a scandal of au outrageous character 1.
reference to some alleged crime at a nunnery, wbieb
upon inquiry, turned out to be destitute of eve°
shadow of foundation. In the course of his remarks'
The Bishop said—These meetings have a Peen,
liar significance. The Catholics are no longer con;
.s
sidered, as formerly they were, as a body of men
to be thrust into a corner and to be forgotten
rule,`
soon as possible. I must say this, that, as 3
the Catholics of Birmingham have ever been treated
on a fair equality with their brethren. (Hear.)
There was, however, last year, an interruption
of these assemblies, and an interruption under
very painful circumstances—the Murphyite raid.
There was an interruption from a state of feeling
that we ourselves in no way contributed to. (AP.
plause.) We were going on in our ordinary way'
living in peace and tranquillity with our f
neigh-
bours, and enjoying as heretofore the confideuce°3
the rest of the inhabitants of Birmingham ; audit
was through an incursion, through an invasion-
weak, feeble, without principle—of feeling, Passi°l3,l
and excitement. It was an invasion that cause
the excitement and the trouble, and, I must 531' ,
the trial and the affliction through which the Ca'
tholics of Birmingham had to pass. (Hear'
hear.) But it is not to be forgotten lie
the trial of the hour brought out the
of the Catholic body —(applause)—how, while
they were patient, peaceful, and enduring, they
were also valiant ; and how the people crowded into
our churches and nunneries night after night'
depriving themselves of rest for the purpose of Pro,
tecting our buildings, our religious women, and o
clergy, during that period of trial. (Applause.)
;)
And, again, it is not to be forgotten how, 1"0
from this very floor a slander was uttered again
those who, above all human creatures, are eininent
)
for their charity and their purity—(loud aPPlan,sho
—when that terrible slander was uttered from
place, and with so many solemn, pompous circul;
stances, which seemed to individualise and to ma'
out the very spot and the very persons ; and wiled
for a time, even the good feeling and confidence
our fellow-townsmen were shaken—it was the ma-
gistracy of Birmingham who freely and willingv
came forward, examined into the case, and showe
dn
at once that the whole thing was a scandalous an
infamous invention. (Applause.) In reference t°
, in
their schools he said—Since the last reunion helit
this hall we have changed the whole system of n,
f thj
naging our schools. Previously the whole o b
Catholic schools in Birmingham were managedy
one committee, but it was found from the jun°no of
er
of the schools, and the largeness of the operation
managing these schools, that it was no longer t of
pedient to continue them under the managements sole exclusive committee. Therefore, s'
ce
mature consideration and taking counsel, vie heal
introduced altogether another plan. A gen,et
t.
committee is only retained for the purpose of on
ing general matters concerning Catholic educati
in Birmingham, to assist in building new soneolO t.,
and generally to advance education. Each - 00
the
vidual mission now manages its own school, and ter
result is that the schools are managed with gre3
efficiency--(hear, hear) —and the clergy then3sel,l, 0
0
are beginning to find that by having the e%cluslo
management of the schools in their own 113Pncl
thew' interest is necessarily deepened in thet 31.10
the result of the new system is that the state of t
schools has been very considerably ameliorated.
(Applause.)
teing
Canon SULLIVAN said they had met that ev- tioa
for the purpose of raising means for the educiica-
of their poor children. With the Catholics eutlext
tion meant teaching a man to look to the noi
world as well as training him for the present•lea
taught people, first, their duty to God, and od
their duty to their neighbours, to their country' nog
to themselves. They taught that religion
not a matter of taste, sentiment, sPecul3thetnioo, t
,
or accident, but that it was God's gift to veyer
the most precious inheritance they could i
gain, and the highest obligation to 101°1
must submit. They did not teach 07,4;the 01
ti cal
views in education, but they taught P°
principles. They taught that there were cei;tot
great, broad, fundamental principles which
She
form the basis of all wise legislation, and
teso3-
underlie the policy of every right-minded stbo--stsate
—such, for instance, as that obedience to t."' jatiV°
and protection from the State were
terms ; that, if the State demanded obedience in
rot° a man, the State was bound to protect that ',cog
his life and property, and in his social
also—(hear)—and that, in a mixed state of 0° for
la belted
such as we lived in, law and legislation shou
the benefit of all the community, and not fore riv „„a
members of it. (Hear.) He was no leveller'roce
did not mean to say that there should be DO geesarl
in society, for grades in society were as neuent
COrre
fro
all
as society itself, but he meant to say before
men in a State, as citizens, should be equalid 14
the law—(hear, hear)—that the law sb°llnition
for the benefit of all, and that every honest
that ill
should feel that the law was his friend, and 0 beat
breaking the law he was going against his 49wthat in
interest. (Hear, hear.) He believed also
state vis°
a mixed society such as theirs, where the iert,
composed of several nationalities—EnglisPlere
Irishmen, Scotchmen, and many others---an
e
many forms of religion were tolerated, ale that
two were established, every man should fell° lm'
his country, his county, or his religion, viseor.)
pediment to him in his routine of life. alearateoe to
For instance, an Irishman should have re faith
fait'
feel that his Celtic origin or his Catliclio ad;
should be no more impediments to him in to t,,b,
vancemeut in life than his Protestantism wageoteih
Englishman, or his Presbyteriauistn to the
man. (Cheers.) 'itoi/j•g;
Lord EDWARD HOWARD remarked that -; 1 whief
ham and Liverpool were the only places in_ogs
they could get up such large social gathe'odoct
Catholics. Why they could not do it In
and Manchester he could not explain, but then c"-to
was certain. The subject of education, be turn
thio
ceeded to remark, was one of the most iin,P too Pia
which any one in the present day could g¢
°Afa
attention. (Hear, hear.) Something had dons ed
that evening about the occasional interrnts
certain localities of the good feeling vibie.,ere sits
towards Catholics ; but those instances "trouclii
gular and specific, and arose from. en.eoerit.do
causes. The truth was that the country rotovis'yo
had assumed a far more kindly fcelingeoson I,a
Catholics than it used to have, and the ions bile
that now it was seen that they were an, to i'tba
willing, so far as religious belief viel34:o in o'
themselves. But there was no doubt vedocatio.
present day no one could get on without
great it
and the Catholic body had made verYhear.) oort
crifices towards that end. (Hear' of the Plod
was quite wonderful what the pence rich, die
joined to the larger coins of
churches for fiog
done of recent years in building chore_ joipt'rea•
ing religious consolation and schools toe
eov,
secular instruction ; and it was not tnelJnoiren),nr)
tholics, who alone had benefited by tillipar, Vana
The country at large had benefited—g-cti°lPtlieig
—for if persons grew up without insfla
in consequence contributed to the fie",lb'evirpePyery
1 t°°' I°o
gaols and reformatories,
vent fell upon the taxpayers, and e of the„da,
heavily. Ile referred to the labours_ijoious"lioa,
Hon. Charles Langdale. If (he said) ru. :te
cation was to be preserved by the Rum";
the expense oft Li,
ittL~r -
it might be well to est tblish diocesan c
a means of extending the area of coperatit
plause A vote of thanks was passed to Dr.