The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-12 00:00:00

Vtirb

SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock.

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS

FROM TAR EVENING PAPERS OF THIS DAT.
GLOBE.—The extent to which Sir Robert Peel intends to
propose an addition to the Maynooth grant has not yet been
announced. It seems to be admitted, on all hands, that the
increase will be considerale. The present amount voted an-
nually by Parliament, and which has continued the same for
the last 50 years, is 8,0001. If the statements which make the
addition to that vote 20,0001.—thus raising the sum to 28,0001.
—be correct, the increased power which will be thus given
to the Roman Catholics, of propagating their doctrines,
will be considerably increased. It is also reported that the
buildings of the College are to be placed under the charge of
the Board of Public Works, and are to be repaired and kept
up at the public charge. From what fell from Sir Robert
Peel on this subject in the House of Commons, it is under-
stood that no interference with, or inspection of, the internal
management of the seminary, is to be required on the part of
Government. All is to be left, as it now is, under the
control and direction of the Roman Catholic hierarchy.
The grant, thus largely increased, is to be fettered with
no condition. What is freely given is to be as freely
received. However willing Sir Robert Peel may be to throw
his former pledges and promises overboard, upon the plea
that State necessity calls for the sacrifice at his hands, we
yet doubt whether he has not, on this occasion, reckoned
without his host. That his conveniently-pliable majority
in the House of Commons would do his bidding in
this, or any other deviation from, or contradic-
tion of, their former sayings or doings, their sub-
serviency leaves no room for doubt. But in this case
there are difficulties out of doors. Principles of opposi-
tion, from different points of the political and religious
hemisphere, are preparing to unite, as in one common
centre, against this proposed application of the national re-
venue to give extension and effect to Popish doctrines. A
combined opposition to the scheme will thus be raised, more
formidable than has been provoked by any previous
measure which the present Ministry has ventured to pro-
pound. This scheme forms no part of what is termed
" justice to Ireland." A perfect equality in all civil
privileges with their Protestant fellow-countrymen is the
indefeasible right of the Roman Catholics of Ireland. Per-
fect confidence should be reposed in their loyalty by the Go-
vernment, and strict impartiality in the distribution of official
patronage should be exhibited toward them by the Ad-
ministration. The secular education of the children of
their poor should be aided by the State, without
interference with religious teaching, which should be
left exclusively to their own clergy. Every means within
the power of the Legislature and the functions of Government,
should be employed to elevate the condition, and thus inspire
the confidence, of the people. The Roman Catholics of Ire-
land have a right to these, and to all other civil privileges
and immunities. But a broad line of distinction exists be-
tween civil rights and State endowments. This distinction
will be insisted upon in the forthcoming controversy ; and
we cannot see how Sir Robert Peel will be able to meet the
objections, and turn aside the battle which will be fought
upon its ground. The education of the young men who are edu-
cated at the College of Maynooth is emphatically and exclu-
sively religious. They are there trained for the priesthood o f the
Roman Catholic Church. Its doctrines are there instilled
into their minds ; the " bodily worship" enjoined by the
Romish ritual is there daily and hourly practised. They
thus become familiarised by habit with its ceremonies and
observances. At the appointed time they come forth,
and receive power and authority from the Bishop to
preach, teach, and enjoin the same things upon others.
In proposing to call upon the Protestant people of
England to pay for educating the Roman Catholic priests of
Ireland, we think Sir Robert Peel has ventured on an expe-
riment which will fail. This proposal is neither more nor
less than to endow—out of the taxation of the country,
principally paid by English Protestants—a Propaganda Col-
lege for the growth and spread of doctrines which they
believe to be impregnated with errors of awful tendency.
Transubstantian, papal infallibility, the worship of the
Virgin and the saints, the use of images, penance, purgatory,
priestly absolution, baptismal regeneration, celibacy, monkery,
and all the other dogmas against which the Reformers pro-
tested, many of them even to martyrdom, are, in the excess
of Sir Robert Peel's new-born love for Popery, to be cultivatd
and cherished by means of a large yearly Parliamentary
grant to Maynooth. Will the Protestant spirit which yet lives
and breathes in the Protestant Establishment of the country,
and among the numerous and enlightened bodies of dissidents
from her communion, consent to this? We think it will
not. The Dissenters from the Established Church will
also urge an objection, peculiar to themselves, against this
proposed formidably large endowment to Maynooth. Ob-
jecting, as they do, to all State endowments of religion, they
will oppose this extension of the principle to a Church to
whose doctrines and ceremonies they, as Protestants, espe-
cially object. The Wesleyans have steadily resisted the
extension of civil privileges to Roman Catholics, lest
they should employ those acquired powers to the in•
jury of Protestants. This powerful and firmly-com
pacted body are, we understand, preparing to meet
the scheme, on its announcement, with the deter-
mined and effective opposition which their well-adapted
connexional machinery can readily and expeditiously
combinB and enforce. A considerable and influential party
in the Church of England will join in this demonstration.
The stern and jealous Protestantism of Scotland will take the
alarm. An apprehension, that Popery will derive increased
power from enlarged means supplied b} ;the State, will stimu-
late all classes of Protestants to resist the Government
scheme, while a perception that for questionable purposes,
such as this, the income-tax is to be retained, will increase
the unpopularity of the Ministry, and will constitute a for-
midable item in the account which it will have to settle with
the country when the day of reckoning comes.
STANDARD.—The long debate upon the conduct of the
Governor of New Zealand last night was subject to this
somewhat important objection, that nobody knew distinctly
what the conduct of the Governor has been ; still less
was any one in possession of the reasons for his mea-
sures, as far as these measures could be guessed
at. Mr. C. Buller, Mr. Aglionby, &c., however, thought
that a distinct and sure knowledge of the facts
is not necessary to the discussion of a system of Govern.
meat, and so they occupied the attention of the House. Now
here let us point to a distinction, the neglect of which may
obscure the absurdity of this mode of proceeding. It
is true that when any important event has occurred, as
the loss of a colony, or even a formidable in-
surrection in a colony, or the loss of a ship of
war, or the like, the Parliament or the Executive, as
the case may be, is entitled to call for an explanation ; and
if the explanation is not at hand, to proceed to judgment,
without delay. And why is this ? Because in such cases as
are supposed, there is a fait accompli of sufficient magnitude
to interest the country, and a fact which is certain and
irrevocable, constituting what our law calls a corpus de-
licti. But the case is very different where the alleged
offence or injury is cumulative, and to be deduced from a
long series of facts, in themselves unimportant, innocent, or
indifferent. To put a man upon trial, or to call for
judgment upon him, without first clearly establishing
the whole chain of facts upon which you found
your charge, is plainly—first, to gratuitously make
a crime that may have no real existence, and then
impute it. In the case of a man on the spot thus
accused, there would be good ground for complain-
ing of injustice ; but the thing is perfectly monstrous when
the man is at the antipodes. However, Captain Fitzroy
found able and efficient defenders; and the waste of so much
breath, and the loss of so much time, have been the worst
effect of Messrs. Buller and Aglionby's proceedings. These
gentlemen have lost nothing in any one's estimation for can-
dour and generosity—for a reason.