IRELAND.
The maladministration of the funds advanced by the Legislature to the Irish Unions for the relief of the poor after the famine of 1849, is now forming the practical ground for a stubborn resistance against enforcing the repayment of those funds by the local ratepayers. The proceedings of the Mayo Board of Guardians at Castlebar are a specimenof resistance not offered in that district alone. The Earl of Lucan was in the chair ; and the Marquis of Sligo, Sir R. L. Blosse, "and in fact all the leading gentry of the county," were present. The following resolution was car- ried unanimously: it seems to point especially to the circumstance that the expenditure was made by the official Vice-Guardians whom the Go- vernment appointed in substitution for the refractory Board which had been first dissolved—
"That it is our unanimous determination to strike no rates except to meet what we admit to be our just debts and the exigencies of the destitute pool: and all demands for the repayment out of poor-rates of the monies advanced under the 9th and 10th Victoria, chap. —, 9th and 10th Victoria, chap. 107, and Victoria 10, chap. 7, are unjust and oppressive, because they were squan- dered in the most reckless manner; because the Boards of Guardians ex- ercised no control over the expenditure of that money ; because the persons on whom it was lavished were not those who were entitled to claim relief under any poor-law ; and because the money was expended on works which are and ever must be, utterly useless, and which, so far from conferring a benefit on the country, has inflicted immense damages, for a small portion of which claims for compensation have been made amounting to over 36,0000 A private demonstration of Archbishop Cullen's against the system of National Education has just been published. It appears that, some weeks ago, a movement was got up in the town of Drogheda for a petition to the Commissioners of National Education to establish one of their model- schools in the town. The matter was discussed warmly in the Corpora- tion; and it was argued, that Primate Cullen was favourable to mixed education, because he patronizes the National Schools in that diocese. It was resolved to correspond with him on the question. His answer was given on the 15th August, but it is only just now made public.
Opening his letter generally, Dr. Cullen says, it was knowledge without religion which overthrew the last French Monarchy. "Within the last twenty years, the occupier of the throne in France and his Ministers became its patromzers in their University system ; and, though that system was al- together under their control, yet they fell victims to the wicked spirit which their favoured godless education called into existence and nurtured." He declares that "mixed education" is "dangerous to Catholic faith, and well calculated to sow the seeds of indifferentism in the tender mind." He en- forces this view by the example of Protestants. They "do not attach much importance to any particular doctrines": "the greatest dignitaries in their Church hold contradictory opinions upon the leading truths of Christianity, even upon the divinity of Jesus Christ ; and it has been lately decided by
their highest authority in spiritual matters—the Privy Council—that a man may hold or deny regeneration in baptism without ceasing to be an orthodox
member of their communion." Yet, while thus tossed by every wind of doctrine, "the education they give to their children is purely Protestant" ; "they never send a child to any Catholic college." Dr. Cullen's patronage of the National Schools is thus explained. "In common with the other Bishops of Ireland, I abstain from either approving or condemning the National Schools in general. Some of these schools work practically well, and whilst visiting this diocese I was happy to find the children who frequent them well instructed in religion. But these are not mixed schools ; the managers, the teachers, the children, are, I may say, all
• Catholics—the spirit a the schools is Catholic. There are two such schools in this town. There are other National Schools, in which the managers, masters, and children, are Protestants or Presbyterians, and which are not frequented by Catholic children. It is not in my sphere to interfere with such. But there is a third class of National Schools under the control of prosely-
tizing parsons, or agents of big.oted enemies of. our faith, in which, though the masters are Protestant, and the teaching and spirit Protestant, yet Ca- tholic children, by promises or threats, are induced to attend. Such schools I consider most dangerous. There is no protection in them for the faith of Catholic children. The parents, indeed, may object to the teaching of Pro- testant doctrines, and make their representations to the Board; but this is in reality no protection, when the parents are dependent on the patrons or managers of the schools." Dr. Cullen meets the argument that we are living in times of great libe- rality, when no 'teacher would interfere with the religious doctrines of his pupils. Who ever enjoyed a higher character for liberality than our Pre- mier? "Yet, in his Durham correspondence, he treats our practices as the mummeries of superstition, and proclaims that our Church confines the mind and enslaves the intellect. The dignitaries of the Established Church are also very liberal and enlightened men ; but were they not the loudest in their demand for penal enactments against Catholics ? I believe that even in this town they got up a petition against us." Will Protestant teachers be exempt from the spirit that animates their superiors ? "It is generally stated, that in Trinity College there is no interference with the religious prin- ciples of the Catholics who frequent it. But the example of those in office, the sneers of companions, the spirit of the place, the atmosphere itself, pro- duce their effect ; and many young men either become open apostates from the faith of their fathers, or, at least, lose the spirit of their religion, and abandon its practices and doservances. The same effects will probably be produced in due time in our model-schools, when mixed education will be fully developed in them."
Such wen the opinions of " Paul Cullen, Archbishop, Primate of All Ireland." The Board of Guardians of the Newry "Union have negatived, by 23 to 13 votes, a motion for placing their schools under the Board of National Education. "As far as can be judged by names," says the Dublin cor- respondent of the Times, "the minority was composed for the greater part of Roman Catholics, and the majority almost exclusively of Protestants ; the latter resting their opposition on the threadbare argument of muti- lated Scriptures, unholy tampering with the Word, and so forth." The gentleman who moved the rejected resolution used these arguments in its favour , and it seems that he had sympathizing auditors- " I do not care about Dr. Cullen or any one else ; what any one else may do is nothing to me. If they fancy they can put down the National system of education, I say they cannot do it ; I defy them. Dr. Beresford and Dr. Cullen may issue their pronunciamentos against the schools, but they will be in vain ; for the whole mass of the people is in favour of them. Dr. Cullen has not been long enough here to understand the question, which is simply a question of fair play and justice. Under the National system' we have peace, order, and quietness ; but if we had it not, we should have broils and disturbances in our schools eternally, in consequence of people interfering with the children and going about distributing tracts among them."
Frederick Kent, an English soldier of the Fortieth Regiment, now at Cork, has made a " confession " of murder. Be says, that in July 1841 he was walking in a place called Ash in Kent, when he met a young woman, named Betsy Court, whom he suspected of having some money. He demanded the money, which she refused to give : an altercation took place, and the result was that t he dragged her into a field and murdered her with a razor. He hid the body in a corn-field, and the growing "corn concealed it from view until the harvest, when it was discovered by the persons engaged in reaping. The soldier is in custody while inquiries are made.
Three more persons have died from wounds received by the falling of the paper-mill at Ballyclare ; making a total loss of six lives.
Four men and a woman have been drowned on the Mayo coast, near In- nisturk, by the striking of their boat on a rock.
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