The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-17 00:00:00

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4d.I'RI CL
STAMPED sd.

equity and what justice the Catholic prisOners in
the prisons of this town and county are treated. I
know also the respect and consideration with which
the poor and the little children of the poor are
treated in the workhouse and the workhouse schools.
(Hear, hear, and applause.) I look to these two as
the index, like the degrees on a thermometer, which
fixes the Christian justice of those who administer
the law. I know that all that your lordship desires
is not yet accomplished ; and I know that until
every little Catholic child is in a Catholic school
the whole work will not be accomplished. (Ap-
plause.) Equitable, just, and considerate as the
administration of the Poor Law is at this time,
it is impossible that the Cathoiic children in the
workhouse schools can be trained in their faith as
they ought to be. It is impossible that under the
same roof there can be two systems of education,
and there is only one way to remedy so great an
evil as that Catholic children should all the day
breathe an atmosphere which is not the atmosphere
of the Catholic Church—namely, by their being
freely and justly placed under the care of their
own pastors, according to the desire of their parents,
as it would be from their hearts, in schools which
are purely and strictly of the Catholic Church.
(Applause.) That this desire of your Lordship and
the Church may be earnestly fulfilled is my earnest
desire and petition. And now let me say that it
seems to me that the happiest and most blessed
condition of a people is to be perfectly united in
religion. If there could be one faith, one heart,
one mind, one worship, one altar round which the
whole population is gathered, as I see it in Ireland .
—(cheers)—with very little to disturb it, such
would be the happiest condition of a people. Re-
ligious unity, or unity of faith, is the greatest gift
of God to men, and that because, first of all, it is a
pledge of truth, universally known and believed,
and that one truth which admits no division and no
contradiction ; next, because it is a guarantee of
universal peace—no controversy and no conflict,
and no divisions of households, no intestine and
domestic strife ; and, lastly, because it insures the
inheritance of truth and of faith to posterity to be
hereafter born. Whereas, where the religious unity
of a people is divided and fractured truth escapes,
and children are born generation after generation
disinherited of the heirloom of Christianity. (Ap-
plause.) For these reasons I do desire from my
heart to see the unity of faith spreading more and
more among us. This I believe to be the best state
of a people. I believe the worst state of a people
to be one of conflict, controversy, religious strife,
theological bitterness. (Hear.) It seems to me
that the plagues of Egypt are the types of such a
state. (Applause.) Ido not' know whether to call
it the iron or the brazen age. But as religious
unity has passed—for men have forfeited it—l
earnestly desire that the period of conflict may pass
likewise as speedily as it may, and that, if we cannot
re-enter into perfect unity, we may at least enter
upon that silver period, less perfect than the first, in
which, though we are not united in one faith, we
may be united in kindliness, in mutual considera-
tion, justice one with another, and equity to those
who differ from us. (Cheers.) But now, in order
that I may illustrate my meaning, I will take au
example not far off, and perhaps from a field where
you would not expect it. 1 will take as an example
of how a minority in religion is treated by a vast
majority—from Ireland. I find in Ireland that in
every gaol and in every workhouse the Protestant
inmates and the Protestant prisoners have not only
the most perfeetfreedom of religion, the most per-
fect freedom of education for their children, but the
freest access for the ministers of their religion, and
chaplains duly appointed and duly maintained for
their care. (Applause.) I find, for example, in the
workhouse of Limerick, where at the utmost there
are sometimes five Protestant inmates usually—
there is not so many as one on an average daily—
nevertheless, the other day, when the minister of a
neighbouring town applied for a salary as chaplain,
the board, composed of a majority of Catholics,
unanimously voted it. (Applause.) Again, in the
West of Ireland there is often not a single Protes-
tant in the workhouse. (Hear, hear.) Neverthe-
less, there are Protestant chaplains receiving never
less than £lO a year—(cheers)—and, from a report
of the Poor-law Commissioners, it would appear
that in nearly two-third of the appointments as
chaplain the houses to which they are appointed
have no Protestant inmates. (Laughter and ap-
plause.) I call this a fair example of equitable
treatment of a minority in religion. (Laughter.)
In respect to the prisoners in Ireland, in the year
1865 it appears that 982 Presbyterians were in the
prisons. The average number daily in the prisons
would be about 82 ; but this, of course, is over a
number of prisoners, and there were 14 Presbyterian
chaplains for the care of the 82 prisoners. (Laugh-
ter.) I find a case in which there was no Presby-
terian prisoner at all, nevertheless there was a chap-
lain, with a stipend of £3B per year. (Laughter.)
I find that in Louth there was no Presbyterian pri-
soner, with a chaplain and a stipend. (Laughter.)
In Fermanagh there were two Presbyterian pri-
soners, with a chaplain of £3O a year.
At Cavan two Presbyterian prisoners had
likewise a chaplain at £3O a year. In Donegal
there were 16 Protestant prisoners, and a chaplain
at £4O a year. In Monaghan there were 16 priso-
ners and a chaplain at £3O a year. In the county
of Dublin there were 23 prisoners and a chaplain at
£55 a year. Mark that these stipends, which Ido
not grudge, and wouldnot rescind, be it known, are
part of the cess or rate contributed by a vast majo*-
rity of Catholic ratepayers. (Applause.) Now I
would only recall the words I spoke in the outset.
Liverpool has set a luminous example of justice in
this matter. But before the year 1863 only 36 Ca-
tholic prisoners were visited by the Catholic priest ;
for at that time there was no chaplain appointed.
Since then Liverpool has set, I will say, a bright
.example of doing full justice on the subject ; and
what is the result ? That in the year 1866 4,375
passed under his care. (Applause.) In the last
session Major O'Reilly moved for a return from the
borough and county prisons of England, to ascer-
tain how many had acted upon the Prisons Ministers'
Act. As far as I am able to make out from examin-
ing that return, from about 35 or 36 prisons, at
least 25 have not put it into effect. ( Oh r
" Shame 1") Now, it appears to me we have a fair
example of how a minority in religion ought to be
treated. Let me now apply what I have said a little
to this country. I am quite aware that those who
hitherto have not carried the statute law into effect
have not done so with any intention of depriving
either the poor Catholic prisoner or the poor Catho-
lic pauper of his religion. I believe that it is the
effect of old passive habit, old immobility, that old
stagnation, which, if it runs, runs like those streams
so thick and turbid that their motion is hardly visible ;
and, therefore, I must say, excepting exceptions—
and I have those exceptions with chapter, verse,
date, and name—l do not believe that what I must
call the maladministration of the statute law re-
specting poorhouses and prisons has been the de-
liberate result of an intention to be unjust. I say
excepting exceptions ; but I mean entirely t 6 de-
fraud your curiosity. If you have any desire to-
night to know from me what those exceptions are,
I shall beg to be allowed to hold my tongue. (Laugh-
ter and applause.) At a proper time and in a
proper place, chapter and verse, and date and name
shall be stated. (Haar, hear.) It will not be in a
friendly reunion of the Catholics of Birmingham.
(Applause.) And now, as I have given you an
example of how a minority in religion may be
treated, I will give an example of what a minority
in religion can do. 1 must beg that the remarks I
am about to make may not excite anything like
irritation. I do not :know whether those who hear
me have ever seen a publication called The Month.
There is a periodical religious publication every
month under the title of The Month ; and 1 com-
mend to every one Nic3.lo hears me to read the first