The first (-sixth) annual report

ceiving aid from the Parliamentary grant be open to inspection, but that the Inspectors shall report respecting secular education only. 3. That Inspectors be not appointed without previous concurrence of the Roman Catholic School Committee. Nothing can be more straightforward and intelligible than these terms of Government aid to Catholic schools. The Catholic Poor-School Committee, appointed by the Bishops for this very purpose, with others, is recognised as the official organ of communication. Such of our schools as receive aid will be open to inspection, like the schools of all other religions, but the Inspectors cannot be appointed without the concurrence of the PoorSchool Committee, neither can they report upon religious instruction."

They then proceeded to state that priests teaching schools cannot receive aid from the Parliamentary grant, being, in this respect, in the same situation as Protestant ministers of all persuasions, but an exception may be made in favour of the superior of a normal school. They further stated, that shortly after the Catholic Minute had been sanctioned, Mr. Kay Shuttleworth, the Secretary of the Committee of Council on Education, requested Mr. Langdale, the Chairman of the Catholic Poor-School Committee, to meet him at the Council Office, and the following Minute was made of the general principles of the Government grants: "Local management of the school to be in a committee composed partly of clerical and partly of lay members, whose authority will be limited to strictly secular education; religious instruction, or where partly of a religious character, as in historical controversy, the clerical members to be the sole authority. In cases of questions arising of a religious character, an appeal to be made to the Catholic Bishop of the district; in cases of questions of a secular character, the Lord President to appoint one arbitrator, the Bishop another, and they to appoint a third, but it was expressly stipulated that all should be Catholic;" he quoted this, which he considered a most commendable jealousy on the part of the Catholics, as a proof of the extent of the concession which the Government had made, to satisfy conscientious scruples, and of the requirements which the Roman Catholic body had thought proper to make. But the Committee did not stop here; in order to preserve the distinctive religious character of their schools, they proceeded a great deal farther. They stated the general regulations under which grants had been made, the last of which was as follows: "10. Every school receiving aid from the Committee, if placed by its managers under the especial patronage of our Blessed Lady, may, by application to the Secretary, obtain the present of a beautiful image, prepared expressly for that purpose. In addition to grants of money, the Committee have undertaken to present to every school aided by them, and placed by its managers under the patronage of our Blessed Lady, with a beautiful image of the Madonna. This image has been universally admired, and will, it is hoped, increase the devo tional element in the schools which have applied for it." And they added, "At a time when our schools are newly admitted to privileges alike shared by members of various religions, it is right openly to avow that

Catholics, while they cherish love towards all men, yet can never, in the education of their children, abandon or conceal the distinctive truths of their faith. Of this determination, the Committee's Madonna is a very appropriate symbol." It was obvious, therefore, that the Roman Catholics attached importance to the distinctive character of their schools, which the Protestant clergy of Ireland did to theirs, and upon the same principle. There were two other short extracts from the same authority which he must quote upon this part of the subject. The first was from the address of the Vicars Apostolic, dated Sept. 27, 1847; it was as follows: "We, the undersigned, the Catholic Bishops in England and Wales, respectfully address the Chairman and Committee of the Catholic Institution, on the important subject of religious education of the children of the poor. We have sought, and still seek, our due share of aid from the Government of the country, to assist us in this holy work; but to obtain this aid, we cannot compromise in any way, or to the smallest extent, either our precious faith, or that salutary discipline, which surrounds and protects our religion. While we study and desire to have peace with all men, we do not forget that we are watchmen on the towers of the city of God." The next was a letter from the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales to the Chairman of the Catholic School Committee. This letter said: "We recognise your Committee as the organ sanctioned by us of communication with the Government, and we have every confidence that your Committee, in your communications with Government for any Government grants, will be fully aware of our determination not to yield to the minutes of the day any portion, however small, either of our ecclesiastical liberty, or of our episcopal control, over the religious education of the children of the poorer members of our flock."

APPENDIX C.

STATISTICS OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS FROM RETURNS OF 1845.

[The asterisk preceding some of the figures signifies that the number is uncertain.]