Mr. Newdegate moved yesterday week, too late for our last
im- pression, for a select committee " to inquire into the existence, character, and increase of monastic or conventual societies or establishments in Great Britain." His only case for inquiry was the large increase of these establishments, a case which he supple- mented by a number of very apocryphal stories. In 1841 there were of monasteries 1, of convents 16, of colleges 9. In 1865 there were of monasteries 58, of convents 187, of colleges 10, certainly a great increase creditable to the energy of Cardinal Wiseman. Mr. Whalley cancelled by his absurd gestures and spasmodic speech much of the impression Mr. Newdegate's moderation of manner made, and amused the House exces- sively by insisting that Mr. Collett, who went over to Belgium to see the lunatic nun Mary Ryan, saw her "in her natural state," —an assertion which he reiterated eagerly when the House laughed. Mr. Newdegate's resolution was rejected by 103 to 79, less because an inspection of such institutions by Catholic civilians is intrinsi- cally unreasonable than because the advocates of that measure are apt to be either so credulous, or so foolish, or so insulting ; and sometimes all three.
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