Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-03-13
Great Religious Debate Begun
In the Chamber of Deputies
at Paris
PERMISSION TO TEACH DENIED
Life of Various Order. in France De-
ponds on the Action of the French
consrcss-Monks Asking for Per-
mission to Continue Their lnstruo-
ton.

| Paris, March 13.-The chamber of
est and animation yesterday at the
opening of the debate on the religious
orders A large crowd filled the CALLER
les and the floor of the chamber was
also crowded. The ministerial bench
was occupied by Premier Combes and
most of his associates in the ministry.
Previous discussions of the subject this
session have involved incidental phases,
such as the case of Breton dialect in the
schools, but today's debate involved
the main issue. the question of the
ldiscontinuance Of teaching by the re-
Iligious orders. The matter came up on
a proposition, submitted by the premier,
refusing the request for permission to
teach made by "a male religious con-
gregations. This had been made spec
cial order of the day, the expectation
of the majority being that the debate
would continue six or ten days before
a vote could be taken. With the
strength shown by the ministry on the
recent test votes, the adoption of the
premier's proposition was considered
practically certain.
The early stages of the debate today
Were devoid of exciting features. The
Able Gayraud, Catholic republican, and
NJ. Lerolle. conservative, spoke against
the proposition.
| Mr.. Lerolle's speech was an elaborate
history of the role the religious orders
had played in French history, to the
glory of which, commended NJ. Lerolle,
they had greatly contributed. The re-
public was trying to deprive the monks
Of the means OF living and force them
to starvation or repatriation. The re-
publicans, continued the speaker, today
We're following the example of the first
republic. They had no other ambition
than that of satisfying party vengeance.
II the majority refused to admit dis
cussion on the question, and decided the
series of questions. which concerned
separate congregations, by a single
vote refusing authorization to all con-
gregations, liberty would be endan-
gered. and while this silence was en-
forced on the conservative members
in the chamber. it would force them
to appeal to the entire country, and
that appeal would not be definite SO
long as France contained any just men
with bold tongues.
NJ. Lorelle's remarks refer to the pro-
cedure which the republicans propose
to adopt in dividing the congregations
into three groups, and refusing to allow
the authorization for each congregation
to be discussed separately. Former
Minister Barthou replied on the re-
publican side. attacking the religious
orders as being the negation Of human
liberty and the abdication of individual
personality. The congregationalists, he
said. depended on their chiefs presid-
ing in Rome. The members had no
country. BY refusing to concede dis
cussion on each individual case the
republicans would refuse to consent to
a slow and uncertain manner OF pro-
ceeding, which the congregations re-
garded as forlorn hope, and which
the democracy would consider to be
culpable weakness. The speakers were
applauded by their respective support
ers and the debate was adjourned un-
til tomorrow.