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Did the Roman Catholic clergy approve of | selections being made from the Protestant version? They made no objections.!

Have the Roman Catholics known and approved of this plan ?-Certainly.

Has Mr. Horrabin approved of it Yes. What Roman Catholics have approved of it, of the Roman Catholic laymen ?-There has not been an objection made to it by any

one.

And several have known of it?-All have known of it, who are upon the committee. And you do not apprehend any objection from people of the Roman Catholic persuasion Not to the selection from the Protes tant version, certainly not.

it forth were pointedly inimical to them. The feeling of the Catholics, with respect to the publication of the notes, was, that they were produced with a view to excite a hustile feeling towards them in the minds of their Protestant brethren, and the publication took place about the time when the Catholic Relief Bill was before Parliament.

Did any suspicion appear amongst the Roman Catholics that the, object of this school was Protestantismi ?Upon hearing that Mr. Finigan had met with a great deal of opposition in his school, and not knowing any of the particular circumstances of the institution, I was a good deal surprized at it, and being rather in the habit of interesting myself in the promotion, of order amongst

ANTHONY RICHARD BLAKE, Esq. called the lower classes of Irish, I made some in

in, and Examined.

quiries upon the subject, and I found that many of them were impressed with an idea that the real object of the school was to

WAS not the school now ander the direction of Mr. Finigan, originally called "The Catholic school?-To the best of my recol-make proselytes of their children.

lection it was called "St. Giles's Catholic School:" the word Catholic was certainly introduced into the title.

At what time was this -About two years and a balf ago.

Is it now called "The Irish Free School?" - never heard it called the Irish Free School, until I saw the printed evidence of Mr. Finigan before this committee.

Are the scholars Catholics at the school }++ I cannot state from my own knowledge, I know they are Irish, but I do not know whether they are Catholics or Protestants.

Did that idea prevail amongst the higher order of the Roman Catholics ?—It certainby did.

Of whom did you make those inquiries ?— Several

Can you name any individual? Indeed I cannot; I have frequent applications made to me by the lower orders of Irish for assistance, and I do not know that I could give the committee the name of any one of them,

Have any attempts been made in those schools to proselyte the children to the Protestant faith Upon my word I do not know except that I understand Mr. Fixigan the master has become a proselyte.

Have, the committee of that school taken any parts against the Roman Catholics, as a committee Not as a committee; but I believe some of the members individually have. Do you know that the Reverend Mr. Gandolphy went to that school in April 1814, and in an impassioned manner addressed the children, and ordered them, to go home to their parents, declaring that the schools were a hypocritical and heretical institution? --I heard that Mr. Gandolphy did go to the school, and had interfered very warmly to induce the children to leave it, on the ground that the object of it was to make proselytes.

Are you a Roman Catholic?—I am. Do not the Roman Catholics generally consider that the several gentlemen who have been active in establishing this school, are hostile in their principles to Roman Catholics? I certainly did hear that some of the gentlemen who were upon the committee were rather marked for hostility to the Catholics, upon what is generally called the Catholic question. I particularly understood they had been concerned in a publication, called "A Correspondence on the Formation of the Roman Catholic Bible Society," which was considered and felt by Roman Catholics as extremely injurious to them. There were annexed to that correspondence a collection of notes taken from Roman Catholic versions of the Testament, which had been published in the bitterest days of polemical acrimony, and were writ- Did you understand that in consequence of ten in terms that Protestants might consider that sermon, Mr. and Mrs. Finigan were extremely offensive. I must also observe, much abused, and that acts of violence were that by the preface to this work, an idea committed upon the children of the school, was conveyed that it was the intention of the and that the windows of the school-house Roman Catholics, who were engaged in re- were broken)I did hear that acts of viopublishing a new edition of the Testament, lence had been committed against Mr. Finito republish those obnoxious notes, althoughgan, but I did pot hear that they were occa the Roman Catholics had previously resolved the contrary, and inserted their resolution in several newspapers. There was also other matter in the publication which it was impossible for Roman Catholics to see without conceiving that the persons who sent

Did you understand that on the following Sunday he preached a sermon against it in the Spanish chapel-1 heard he did.

sioned by Mr. Gandolphy's sermon; I understood that there was a hostile feeling towards Mr. Finigan; amongst the lower orders of the Irish, in consequence of their conceiving, as I have already stated, that whilst he called himself a Catholic, and the

school, of which he was the head, Catholic, the real object was to induce the Catholic shildren to abandon their religion.

Do you think that these acts of violence would have been committed had no such sermon been preached, or if Mr. Gandolphy had not expressed himself strongly against the institution ?-From the irritable nature of my countrymen generally, and particularly of the lower orders, I am myself persuaded, that the idea that Mr. Finigan was not acting bona fide towards them, was alone sufficient to induce them to act very violently against him; I attribute, myself, the violent opposition he has received, to that idea, and not to any interference of Mr. Gandolphy; on the contrary, I am persuaded that Mr. Gandolphy and the other Catholic clergymen of London would be the first to discountenance any act of violence, whatever might be the cause.

Has any thing occurred since that period, within your knowledge, to contradict or confirm that idea in the mind of the Irish | Catholics?—No, on neither side. I however beg not to be understood as expressing an opinion, myself, that Mr. Finigan practised, or meant to practise, any wilful delusion | upon the Catholics.

As you have had frequent opportunities of knowing their sentiments, do you think there is a general disposition in favour of educating their children ?—Most certainly; and I have myself endeavoured occasionally to get their children into the Lancasterian schools as well as the Catholic schools.

What is the proper title of it ?-The proper title of the school at present is, The St. Giles's Irish Catholic Free School.

In your former evidence you omitted the word "Catholic," had you any reason for so doing?-Understanding that it was the intention of the committee to propose it at the next general meeting, as it gave such of fence to the priests that they called at the school-house and asked how we dare to call it Catholic, as it was supported by Protestants, I therefore omitted the word in my description of the school.

Is it proposed to omit the word Catholic, merely to avoid giving offence ?—So I under stand, and for no other reason.

Were you a Roman Catholic at the commencement of this school?—I was, to June, 1813.

Did you in June, 1813, embrace the Protestant faith?-Not till the latter end of July.

Were you educated in the Roman Catholic religion?—I was, and as a candidate for priesthood.

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You are now a Protestant?-1 am. Has considerable opposition been made to you in the conduct of that school?—Iù a considerable degree.

Did you understand that the parents of the children were impressed with an idea that the real object of the school was to make them proselytes to the Protestant faith?~No.

Have you any reason to believe that the opposition you met with proceeded from any Have you observed in the habits of such idea of that sort entertained by the parents of the Irish poor, whether Catholic or Pro- of the children ?—The parents of the childtestant, as have been educated, any bene- ren have at all times treated me with the ficial effects resulting from that education ?——— utmost respect, and even such parents as -Upon my word I cannot say that I perceive were prevailed on by the priests to withmuch distinction in point of morals between draw their children, have frequently dethose who are, and those who are not, edu-clared that it was wholly in consequence of cated; my own opinion is, (if I am to give one) that education must enlighten, and of course improve their minds.

Does it fall within your knowledge that, in Ireland, the Catholics and Protestants are educated indiscriminately at the same school ? -Certainly they are; most of the classical Catholic schools are under the direction of the Protestants.

Mr. THOMAS AUGUSTINE FINIGAN again
called in, and Examined.
IN your former evidence before this Com-
mittee, you stated that the Catholic priests
had threatened the parents to deprive them
of their religious privileges, if they suffered
their children to read the Scriptures; do you
wish to correct that part of your evidence?
~I meant to say, if they suffered them to
attend the schools.

You stated in your former evidence, that you were master of the St. Giles's Irish Free School; is that the correct title of it? -The correct title at present is, The Catholic School.

the priests refusing them absolution in confession, that they kept them away. Many of them, when they got this absolution, brought their children back again to the schools, where they now continue. I also hold in my hand a number of documents, signed by the parents of the children, to prove the truth of what I now advance.

Have any attempts been made to proselyte the children to the Protestant faith in your school?-On the contrary, the committee at all times have given directions that they should attend such place of worship as their parents preferred, and some of the committee have proposed to rent a room for the admission of any of the Roman Catholic clergy who would meet the children, to instruct them in the principles of their reli gion. But no child has at any time been solicited to attend any place of worship, except such as their parents preferred, as I have already stated.

PRINTED BY W. E. ANDREWS, 5, ORANGE
STREET, RED-LION-SQUARE,

ORTHODOX JOURNAL,

AND

Catholic Monthly Intelligencer,

VOL. IV.

EXPOSURE OF THE

For SEPTEMBER, 1816.

No. 40.

GOTTED TACKS OF A BI-recting the attention of an eccentric

Tis in the recollection of the rea

ous and exemplary Pontiff issued his bull for the restoration of the Order of the Jesuits, in order that the venerable fathers might again devote their time and talents to the instruction of youth and the improvement of the sciences, in which that body has ever been pre-eminently successful, the hirelings of the English press, were incessantly employed in maligning the memory of the deceased members of that society, and holding out the existing ones as objects of suspicion and jealousy to the Protestant community, in consequence of the alleged diabolical tendency of the system of their institute. In this dirty and infamous work, none shone more conspicuous than a writer under the name of "LAICUS," who, after sending forth his malignant and grossly contradictory charges in the columns of The Times daily paper, collected them into a pamphlet, and in this shape reviewed them himself in the bigotted pages of a monthly publication, called "The Literary Panorama, and National Register." The falsehood of this article I noticed in my Journal for March, 1815, in doing which, as might be expected, I drew upon myself the wrath of the writer, who, finding himself unable to refute my observations by the legitimate weapon of his pen, assumed another name, and under the signature of "RALIB," endeavoured to fix upon me the vengeance of the law, by diORTHOD. JOUR. Vol. IV.

champion of the established church to my publication. Convinced, how

culated to promote the real happiness of my fellow-countrymen, whether Catholic, Churchman, or Dissenter, and certain that they are more conducive to the maintenance of our present form of Government, than the visionary schemes of Bible-reading" promoters and anti-christian school supporters, I have continued steadily in my course, combatting alike the secret attempts of "false brethren," and the open or disguised attacks of professed enemies, to weaken the Catholic faith in these islands; whether by a sham pretence of enlightening our understandings with "liberal principles," or amusing us with the shadow of "liberty" under the guise of veto arrangements. I have been led to these reflections in consequence of seeing an article in this same "Literary Panorama" for this month, on the Report of the Select Committee on the Education of the lower orders of the metropolis, evidently from the pen of the identical. "Laicus," alias "Ralib," in which the conduct of the Catholic clergy is most shamefully misrepresented, and the sentiments of "liberal" Catholics, otherwise "false brethren," insignificantly noticed as a pattern for their example.In drawing the attention of the reader to the stupid effusions of this flippant scribe, I am more desirous of shewing the blindly ignorant and prejudiced propensity of the people of England, in suffering

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and encouraging such palpable falsehoods as are daily issued from a hireling press against a laborious, virtuous, and unoffending body of citizens. than of exposing the self-confuting assertions of the Panoramic writer.

After occupying nearly four pages with a rhapsodical jargon of bewildered and erroneous ideas, which would perplex the reader to comprehend, and waste my space to insert, he enters into a short notice of the charitable institutions in the metropolis, and then opens his batteries upon the individuals against whom he has declared perpetual warfare. Speaking of the benefits derived to the community from these establishments, he says,

"But among all which can be mentioned, those institutions which confer the blessing of Education on the indigent and the outcast, stand conspicious: they sow a seed, to be reaped in suc ceeding years; they train up the infant mind for the practice of manly virtues; they implant principles: to be buried, perhaps, for a while; but hereafter to shoot up to light and life, to be watered with the dews of heaven, to expand their branches, and extend their benefits to green old age.

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Reader, are you not astonished at the daring effrontery of this writer, who unblushingly sends forth such atrocious falsehoods to the public at. large. Let the candid Protestant but visit the numerous Catholic schools established in this metropolis, and he will soon detect the foul calumnies contained in the foregoing paragraphs. Let him attend to the catechistical in structions given by the Priests on a Sunday afternoon, and he will find, the Ministers of the Catholic Church, instead of being immoveably fixed in resisting the diffusion of the blessings of Education, constantly devoting their time and talents in sowing "a seed to be reaped in succeeding years;" in training 66 up the infant mind for the practice of manly virtue;" in implanting principles, not "to be buried, perhaps, for a while, but visibly to shoot up to light and life, to be wa tered with the dews of heaven, to expand their branches, and extend their benefits to green old age." Nor does the Church refuse to entrust her own laity with any branch of religious instruction, by which the children of of their established duties, The num. ber of priests is so small,' says Montague shameless writer would have his readthis very laity might edified," as the Burgoyne, Esq. 'that they have it in their power to pay very little attention to the ers believe. On the contrary, Dr. condition of the (Catholic) poor; but in Poynter, in his evidence before the justice to them, I must say, they work Committee, expressly allows laymen extremely hard in attending the sick and to teach the children to learn the letdying. The Roman Catholic clergy ter and text of their catechism, but are worn down with fatigue,' says Mr. restrains them from explaining the Butler. They are a very small num doctrine ouly; and, further, in this ber,' says their Vicar Apostolic, Dr. Poynter. And yet, under this paucity of very catechism the children are taught assistance, that Church refuses to entrust from their infancy upwards, that to her own laity with any branch of religi-instruct the ignorant is a work of ous instruction, by which the children of I spiritual mercy. If any one of my

"Will the reader believe it possible, that there should be in any part of the Christian world, in any Church assuming the distinction of Apostolic, a fixed, an immovable, resistance, to the diffusion of these advantages? and why? Avowedly, because they are conferred by laymen; not by the priesthood! Are the priests of that profession so numerous, then, that they alone are competent to the work? No: they are confess. edly exhausted by the labours of their office: they are too few for the discharge

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Protestant readers doubts the truth of this assertion, he has only to enquire of the schoolmaster belonging to any of the Catholic seminaries, and they will soon satisfy him on this point, by convincing him that they are specially enjoined by the Priests to attend to the children learning their catechism, (which the Panoramic writer must acknowledge is one branch of religious instruction, and an essential one too,) previous to their giving them lectures on the doctrinal matter contained in their lessons. Notwithstanding these incontrovertible facts; facts which the writer could not be ignorant of, with a heart callous to the voice of truth, does he charge the Catholic Church with being a cruel stepmother, in denying "her sanction to the labours of love, among her own sons!" because her ministers have conscientiously refused to approve of the children of their flocks being instructed by foreign teachers, in preference to those of her own creed; and rejected the deleterious mixture prepared by Bible-quacks to poison their infant minds. O! shame, where is thy blush! But it would seem that the writer himself was apprehensive lest his indecent charges should be deemed incredible; for he goes on—

He

putation brought against the Catholic church.-Catholics have indeed heard "the Church of Rome condemned for bigotry, for intolerance, for supersti tion ;" yes, and themselves even of blindness, by their Protestant brethren, but all without the shadow of proof; yet never, till this "enlightened" era, do I recollect her being accused of such a crime as is here laid to her charge. "Rather," says the writer, "than see them under other than clerical management, the comfort and support of their parents, patterns of industry, and social life, religious in the best sense of the term, respectable in the world and heirs of a happy immortality," she prefers, BY CHOICE, to "see her children beggars, thieves, prostitutes, criminals of the worst order; corroded with diseases, and the terror even of medical men." God of heaven! and does this scribe esteem himself a Christian? has he learnt to be "religious in the best sense of the term ?" or rather is he not an abandoned violator of the commandments of his God, by bearing false witness against his neighbour?— But let us see the evidence produced by this scribe to substantiate his diabolical insinuation:

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"We have said, perishing both body and soul. Let Mr. Blair, as a professional man, speak his experience on the bodily sufferings of these most deplorable objects of compassion.

....

"The reader will not credit this. has heard the Church of Rome condemned for bigotry, for intolerance, for superstition, perhaps, and for blindness; but, that every floor, and every chamber of every The Catholic poor are so numerous, that she should, by choice, see her child-floor, is closely inhabited, several beds are ren beggars, thieves, prostitutes, crimi- frequently seen in one room, and several nals of the worst order; corroded with persons in one bed. They are very sickdiseases, and the terror even of medical ly when crowded close together....They men; rather than see them under other are exceedingly noisome, and neglected; so than clerical management, the comfort that, is the most offensive part of my proand support of their parents, patterns of fession to visit the poor in that vicinity. industry, and social life, religious in the best sense of the term, respectable in the world, and heirs of a happy immortality

the reader will not credit this. We proceed, therefore, to produce the evidence."

Previous to laying the evidence which this illiberal and malignant writer has produced before my read

ers, I must here be permitted to offer a remark or too on the infamous im

Is it your opinion that the scavengers, or persons who should inspect the streets, do afraid the scavengers are seldom to be found not sufficiently discharge their duty? I am

in those streets: one thing I have sometimes remarked there was, that human beings, hogs, asses, and dogs, were associated in the same habitation; and great heaps of dirt, in different quarters, may be found piled up in the streets. Another reason of their ill health is this, that some of the lower habitations have neither windows nor chimnies nor floor, and are so dark that I can scarcely see there at mid-day without a candle. I have actually

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