infant institution, we lament the precipitancy which compels us to order, that the resolutions be three times inserted in the Dublin Journal,

and that two hundred copies of them be printed for circulation here.

(Signed, by order)

JOHN MONTGOMERY, Sec.

Wexford, Feb. 1, 1802.

WEXFORD POOR SCHOOL OF INDUSTRY.

Rev. John Corrin, parish priest of Wexford, having been particularly censured by the governors and governesses of the Wexford poor school of industry, in their resolutions of the 1st. inst. published in the Dublin Journal, and in hand bills, deems it incumbent on him to lay before the impartial public, the principal reasons which induced the Roman catholic elergy of Wexford to admonish the Roman catholics to withdraw their children from the female poor school of industry therein.

Among the regulations for the government of the school, it was a fundamental one, that no person whosoever should be permitted to interfere, in any manner, with the respective religion of the children; and to prevent any jealousies, or suspicions of such interference, it was resolved, that the protestants; should be sent to the church, and the Roman catholics to the chapel, to be instructed in the catechism. Those regu

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lations have been notoriously violated. On the day the children got new clothes, the Roman catholics were conducted in procession from the school to the church, where they remained during divine service, although to a message. from one of the governesses, by Miss Jane Sutton, to Mr. Corrin, requesting to know whether the Roman catholic children would be permitted to appear in church on that day, it was answered, that the rules of the Roman catholic church forbid its members to join in any religious worship but its own on any account whatsoever. 2dly. The protestant catechism was taught. publicly in the school. The Roman catholic catechism was not. The consequence of this was that the Roman catholic children, when questioned concerning the christian doctrine, answered from the protestant catechism, and knew more of it than their own. 3dly. They were compelled every day to join the protestants

in prayer. 4thly. Four of the children, viz. Eliz. Elliot, Eliz. Murphy, Mary M'Namay, and Bridget Doyle, since they frequented the school, quitted the chapel, and went to church; and Mary M'Namay, and Bridget Doyle are become protestants. 5thly. The Roman catholic children were compelled to work on the days commanded to be kept holy by the Roman catholic church.

The undernamed, who appear to be the best informed of the Roman catholic children of the

school, the youngest of whom is, at least, twelve years old, some of them fourteen and fifteen, viz. Elizabeth Breene, Mary Whitty, Margaret Pierce, Ann Clements, Mary Barret, Ann Synnot, Mary Cuzens, Elizab. Hilfoy, Catherine Kirvan, Margaret Walsh, Mary Walsh, Mary Pierce, Judith Gall, have solemnly declared, that Mrs. Gibson, one of the mistresses of the school, Miss Hannah Jacob, and Miss Charlotte Turner, the two most frequent visitors of the school, so frequently attacked them on the different points of their religion and of their clergy, that scarcely a day passed, especially since the death of Mrs. Parker, but they heard something said to excite in them a detestation of their religion, and of their clergy. They particularly remember that Mrs. Gibson told them they were all idolators; that they kept but nine commandments; that they paid divine worship to images; that priests had no more power to absolve from sins than other men; that the virgin Mary was no more than any other woman; that she ought not to be called blessed; that it was a fine thing to go to church, where they would understand what the minister said; and Mary Cuzens declares, that Mrs. Gibson endeavoured to prevail on her particularly to go to church, which she believes. she would have done, had she not been withdrawn from the school. Mrs. Gibson told them the Pope kept a Miss, or lewd woman.

She

frequently repeated stories of the incontinency of priests, and of the sad fate of a young lady, who was so intimate with a priest, that her friends were obliged to use violence to separate them. She said that no people were more callous to the wants and necessities of the poor than priests, and instanced a case, that a poor woman had died lately in Bride-street without a priest, as Father Corrin would not attend her, because she had not money to give him. Ann Clements declared that Miss Hannah Jacob endeavoured to induce her to become a protestant, and pointed out several texts of scripture which, she told her, plainly proved that the doctrine of the Roman catholic religion was false; and she believes that, had she not been withdrawn from the school, she would have become a protestant. She likewise declared, that when she asked Miss Jacob's permission to read the Roman catholic catechism for the ignorant Catholic children, Miss Jacob said, she would not permit false doctrine to be taught in that school; she also declared, that Mrs. Gibson beat her severely for vindicating the Rev. Mr. Corrin, when his character was aspersed by one of the scholars, who now goes to church, and said she fought for her priest like a game cock, and desired the scholars to call her nothing else but the pet for. That the protestant chil dren, from the example of Mrs. Gibson, had frequent broils with the Roman catholics, par

ticularly when Mr. Montgomery was last absent. Ann Synnot, one of the most sensible of the Roman catholic scholars, was directed to give information of all these proceedings to Rev. J. Elgee, which she promised to do. It is now discovered that she failed in her promise, assigning for her reason that she would have no hand in depriving Mrs. Gibson of her bread. The above-mentioned scholars are willing to confirm by an oath their respective declarations, when called upon by competent authority. Mr. Corrin, with great deference, submits this plain narrative of facts, without any comment, to the enlightened and unbiassed of every religious persuasion. They will appreciate his conduct, and determine whether the Roman catholic clergy of Wexford be justly charged with intolerance, illiberality, or impropriety, in admonishing the Roman catholics to withdraw their children from the female poor school of industry in that town, when it had ceased to be conducted conformably to its original institution, of which unrestrained liberty of conscience was the basis and most prominent feature.

Wexford, 16th Feb. 1802.

JOHN CORRIN.

The reader may observe that Mr. Corrin avows the interdiction of catholics from being present at protestant ceremonies; and also proclaims the interdiction of work on holy days. For