IRELAND.
The example of Mr. Corballis, Lord Castlerosse, and Mr. Michael joseph Barry, none of whom' are disposed to act with the priests in their pro-Papal Crusade, has been followed by Mr. Martin 'Shine Lawlor, a notable Kerry gentleman of the Roman Catholic persuasion. Bishop Moriarty of Kerry has come forward in defence of the Pope, but with more honesty than the Galena and Dixons.
"The' temporal possessions of the Holy See are required in order to carry on the government of 'the Universal Church. In olden time the Papal revenue seems to have come in large measure from the pious offerings of Christian princes. ,,Old Catholic England sent from every house a silver penny to the See of Peter. It has been deemed better, in modern times, to set apart for this purpose a portion of territory which the Holy See may hold for the common benefit of Christendom. The Papal States are then in reality the corporation property of the Church. They are your property and mine as much as they are the Pope's, He possesses them only for the usually brief space of his Pontificate. The Catholic Church has preserved i
them for ten centuries, and will, Please God, preserve them still n spite of those who would wrest them, from her. They are God's acre in the world. But my kingdom,' said Christ, is not of this world.' Yes ? my dear brethren, and it is precisely for this reason, in order that the power of His kingdom may not be used for worldly pur.poses, that the exercise of His authority may be kept free from the complications of worldly polities, that we separate a small portion of territory, and free it from all vassalage to any earthly power, and offer it for God's service, just as we consecrate and set apart the ground on which we build a church. . . . There is one on whom rests the entire„respoasibility of the present condition of Italy, and that one is the Binperor of the French. What may be his intentions for the future—whether he will use his dangerous powers to sustain the Holy Father, or to curtail his dominions—no one can tell; but for what is &me azid doing he is'ansicerabie to Christian Europe. His future conduct may be as much a secret for himself as it is for us; but'the principal indications we have had of his views would lead us tci believe that he wishes to-confine the Papal dominions between the Appenines and the Mediterranean, and perhaps ultimately to makethe'Pope a pensioner of the imperial crown."
A pro-Papal demonatration took place on Sunday at Clonmel. Dr. Burke ridiculed the position of the Queen as head of the Church; aind wished to know why ‘.John Bull does not deliver Frenchmen from: a despot, and Russians from "Nicholas." He answered the question "Because they are afraid to touch Napoleon or Nicholas of the North ; but the poor Pope, they are not afraid of him because he is weak in a temporal sense." Surely the schoolmaster in his travels abroad has not yet reached Clonmel, or we should not have a Roman Catholic dig- nitary talking about Nicholas of Russia who, poor man, died nearly five years ago. A Dr. Luther read an address to the Pope, in which the enemies of the Pontiff are said to be "like so many ferocious tigers and roaring lions," who are worrying his Holiness and endeavouring to hunt him down !
At Mallow, a meeting was held on Tuesday, Bishop Keane and his priests being the chief orators. The meeting condoled with the Pope, and declared its hostility to the National system of Education.
In Ulster, some public spirited men' the Bishop of Down and Conner at their head, have formed a NationalEducation Association. Its object is best explained by the prospectus of the Society, adopted at a public meeting in Belfast— "This Association has been organized in the present crisis of the Educa- tion question for the purpose of upholding the principle, that, under, any system of Stale-Education, no pupil shall be compelled to receive, or to be present at any religious instruction of which his parents or guardians dis- approve.
"The systematic and openly avowed attacks which have been made on this principle, have suggested the expediency of some organization among its supporters ; and it has been felt that these attacks could most effectually be znet by an Association of those who approve of United Education, and appreciate its advantages. "Regarding the existing system of National Education as the best suited to-the circumstances of Ireland, and as calculated to supply to all classes the requirements of combined secular and separate religious instruction, the As- sation desires to uphold it, in its fundamental principles, and to resist any concessions which would encroach on its non-sectarian basis, or have 'a ten- dency to introduce denominational grants. Since there is much misapprehension in the minds of many as to the nature of the principles of the National system of Education, and as to the evils of proposed changes, it will be a leading object of the Association to diffuse correct iuformation on the subject by occasional papers, public meet- ings, deputations, and whatever other means circumstances may render w-
c
ry. • "This Association considers it the paramount duty of the State to inspect all Schools receiving public aid, and will oppose every attempt to tarry On the education of the country' by separate Boards, or by Denominational. In- spection."
It is rumoured that Mr. Cardwell has transmitted to Dr. Cullen and his colleagues the decision of Government upon their demand of a'grant for separate educational purposes. The Chief Secretary, it is alleged, states that Government will not depart from the national system of edu- cation, but that it will entertain any suggestions for its more efficient application to the circumstances of the country.
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