The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-11-01
Outrageous Injustice.
philadelphia Catholic. Standard. !

philadelphia Catholic Standard.
Through the kindness of friend we have
received the st. Augustine (Florida) Es-
dniner, from which We learn of most high
handed and outrageous piece of Injustice
committed against the Catholic Church in
the city of st. Augustine.
Under the constitution of Florida before
the late war Church property was exempt
tion, also, all property held g for religious,
educational and charitable purposes" is
exempted.
Yet, Notwithstanding this express pro-
vision of the constitution, certain property
belonging to the Church, and used as an
episcopal residence, theological seminary,
and for schools, was assessed for taxes. An
injunction was granted by two judges
against the sale of the property for non.
payment of taxes, and the matter was sup
posed to be entirely settled. But the
revenue officers, after seemingly acquiesc-
took advantage of the Rt. Rev. Bishops alb
sence, North, and published tax sale " in
paper which no Catholic receives" for
three weeks, and then sold the property.
Immediately on the Rt. Rev. Bisbop's
return, bill in chancery was filed COM
planning of the action of the tax collector,
and asking for relief, whereupon the court,
after receiving testimony of the facts,
granted decreee, the purport of which is
sufficiently shown by the following ex-
tracts:
Z" 1. That under the constitution of this
State, the property described in the said COM
plant is exempt from taxation.
3. That the defendant and his successors
IN office, and all persons acting under his or
their authority, be perpetually epjoined and
restrained from assessing said property for
taxes, and from advertising and selling the
same from taxes, unless the said constitutions al
exemption shall be hereafter abolished.
That the defendant do pay the sum of
- dollars the cost of this action.
Done at Chambers, at Jacksonville, in said
JudIcial Court, this the I'd day of September,
r. B. ARCHIBALD, Judge"
This, it might be supposed, would finally |
settle the matter. But it appears that the |
cupidity of the revenue officers is without
bounds and the desire to destroy, If posi-
BILE, the Catholic schools of st. Augustine |
also impels them. Hence, they are again
trying to seize the property of the Church
used entirely for eleemosynary purposes
under the pretext Of their not having re-
ceived proper notice from the Bishop, al
though they sold the property during his
absence without any possibility of his
them to defer the sale. In addition to this,
the State and county patronage has been
withdrawn from the st. Augustine Er-
anliner, because the editor of that paper
had the fairness and manliness to expose
the outrage. |,
| /
whole procedure is set forth in paragraph
which we extract from the Right Rev.
Bishops Letter to the Examiner :
/" The children of st. Augustine are now in ,
yiGeo and enticed to leave their own schools !
ma have existed here under Spanish times
o attend schools organized by county super y
Ss OF SdUoatISn who is the patriarch of
.choolmaster, and Protestant school miStressas '
s sai@s books. Pedestrians regulations
holidays, Protestant Bible, Protestant nravar
lllscarding the sign of the Cross and the Hail .
1arys and Protestant spirit throughout. lei '
impossible to think of Q greater pest for Cath. t
lio children, and If, In addition to this. tbo {
uisor Of paper is to be lectured, threatened. IL
No No bullied for allowing his Bishop to com. q
ls y ana demonstrate, things have come to a ! b
"a pass indeed. Some bigOts in this city find | r
convenient that Protestant children, who in !
eneral belong to the wealther class should =
ecsiyo their schooling free by means of taxes =
Lnlcn are extracted from the poor Catholics
,no FORM the bulk of the population, and who
ave. besides, to support their own Schools" &