The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-08-21

Mr.. Newdegate, the English fanatic, has
had his Parliamentary Inquiry Commission,
and after patient, thorough and search
ing investigation, the conventual snd mo-
nastic institutions have come out of their
ordeal unscathedr-nay, triumphant. Well
may the London UniUerse say, that to
judge by the bitterness with which some
have spoken and written respecting these
to us hallowed scenes of piety and self
sacrifice, one would suppose that some
great criminals had been suddenly de-
tected, and that it was the bounden duty
of every friend of virtue to drag their deeds
into the light to meet with universal ex-
ecration and merited punishment. Well,
the trial is over, and what has been the
evidencef We will let the journal above
named tell:
cit has been mainly to the effect that
holy men and holy women in this country
are still in position which in strict law
deprives them OF that equality which it is
the proudest boast of England that all
possess. In fact las one Of the witnesses,
Mr.. Cuddon, very plainly and very truly
put it, our monks are in the position of
criminals and ticket leave men. 1t ia
idle to say that the letter of the law is not
acted upon. Neither is the Ecclesiastical
Titles Act acted upon, and yet where is
the Catholic, possessing one single spark Of
feeling which he ought to cherish towards
his Church. who does not rejoice to see
that ACT swept away from q statute book
which it disgraced7 1t is true thatsour
monks are not now dragged to the gibbet
or the convict-ship as Of old; it is true that
the Executive takes no notice of proceed
ings which some might construe to be in
Engagements of the letter of the law. But we
nave right to more than this, and Catho-
lies ought not to rest contented with per-
misslve freedom, or be quiet while there
remains amongst the laws of this country
q single enactment which ia capable of
working an injury to those towards whom
1t is our duty to cherish the most
devoted, Jealous, and grateful reverence
Amongst the witnesses examined before
the committee there was not one whose
evidence struck Va as being more impor-
tant or more likely to have weight with
the House of Commons than Mr.. Hobhouse.
&C, one of the charity commissioners.
truly did he say that the hesitation of
Catholics to bring their institution, under
the operations of the Acts relating to pub
lie charities is most natural. They had
suffered long, and had suffered much, and
as he said, a burnt child breads the tire."
Mr.. Hobhouse, n Protestant, a Queens
Council, and u high official, told Mr.. New
degate in very clear and emphatic language
that Catholics still labor under several
vexatious disabilities, and it is unfair that
they should be any longer subject to them.
He spoke out we'll against the law which
checks the leaving of requests for prayers
for the dead. He said honestly that he did
not agree with those who pray for the dead,
but that as it violates no law it ought to be
a matter of perfect liberty. The Courts in
England had, he said, paid respect to the
wishes of those who had left requests for
the propagation, even of the absurd doc
trines OF Johanna Southcote and other sec
tarians, and yet they would not carry out
a bequest for prayers for the dead, and this |
was point ON which the learned gentle |
man urged that an amendment of the law |
should take place The whole tenor of the
evidence must have proved, even to Mr.. |
Newdegate land that is saying a great |
deaD, that the case in favor Of Catholics is |
complete. Let us for the present be salts
fled with feeling that our enemies have
been bafhed, and that the committee has |
closed it's labors without Il single particle of |
evidence being brought forward on which |
our bitterest foes can found any charge |
against our slandered, aud therefore doubIy |
priced conventual and monastic institu-
tons"