Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-04-04

The Catholic Petition.

We give below the Majority and Minority
Reports from the Committee on Education
of the State House of Representatives on
the subject named 3
Majority Report of the Committee on
Education, on the Catholic Petition, March
Goth, 1867.
The Committee on Education, to whom
was referred the petition of the Pastors of
st. Peters Church and of St. Mary's Church
in the city of Wilmington, and of St .Joseph's
Church in the Hundred Of Christiana in
New Castle county, praying the passage of
| an act authorizing the Board of Public Edu-
cation in the city of Wilmington, and the
School Committee of Districts go and 10, in
the said county, to take the schools connect
ed with the said churches under their con-
troll and government, respectfully report
That, in the opinion of the Committee,
the existing School laws authorize the said
Board and School Committee to take the
control and management of the said Schools
in the manner, and under the conditions
prayed for, in the said petition, and that as
expressive Of such opinion they report the
| following resolution =
Resolved, By the House of Representa-
tves of the State of Delaware, that in the
opinion of this House, the Board of Public
Education in the city of Wilmington, and
the School Committee of Districts 90 and
75, in New Castle county, are fully author.
ICED by the present School laws of the State,
and are hereby recommended to take the
control and government connected with the
churches of st. Peters, ST. Mary's and ST.
Josephs, in the county of New Castle
(Signed by) THOMAS A. JONES,
JOSHUA j. JOHNSON.
Adopted. Yeas, l3 nays, I.
Minority Report >
The undersigned, from the Committee Oh
Education, to whom was referred the peti.
ton of the Pastors of st. Peters and ST.
Marys Churches, in the city of Wilmington
and st. Josephs Church in Christiana Hun
dred, has given the subject his serious atten
ton, and would respectfully report adversely
to the prayer of the petitioners, for the fol
lowing reasons, to wit: =
list. The granting of any such privilege,
as are asked for by the petitioners, to any
particular sect, would be an act Of injustice
TO every other sect, rs every sect, without
distinction, has free access to schools il
which no sectarian doctrines are known, o.
taught.
End. The granting of any such peculiar O.
partial privileges to any one sect would b,
followed instantly by a demand for simia
privileges on the part of every other sect
which, in such case, could not in justice b'
denied, and would, in this way lead not onl,
to dispersion Of school funds and schoo
advantages to an extent that would reduc,
the present provisions for these importan
objects to condition in which they woul,
be of no practical value, but would lead t,
such Tightening of Scctarian feelings an,
prejudces, as to be serious disadvantage
, to the whole community.
Sd. That, In his opinion, this Legislature
has no legal or constitutional right to gran
any such privileges, as any law with sucl
provisions, would be in open and direct vic
J iation of Section /, Article !, of the Consti
, tuition of this State, all OF which is respect
fully submitted.
, (Signed by) SAMI., BANCROFT, JR