THE BULWARK,

OR

REFORMATION JOURNAL.

OUR TWELFTH VOLUME.

THE present number of the Bulwark forms the commencement of our twelfth volume. We desire to return most grateful thanks to God for the measure in which we have been enabled in past years to bear a faithful testimony to His truth and cause in the midst of surrounding indifference and apostasy. Our little work has penetrated into many districts into which our own voice never could have reached; and we have the satisfaction of knowing that many have been aroused and many quickened by our monthly record of facts bearing on the great struggle with Rome. It is interesting also to see that the long apathy of the nation is beginning at length to give way. It is not a moment too soon; indeed, it is doubtful whether the steady aggressions of Rome can now be arrested without something approaching to a national convulsion. Nevertheless, it is the duty of all true Christians to seek to rescue the devotees of the Man of Sin from their fearful bondage, and our nation from the guilt and ignominy of becoming again the bond-slave of the cunning and unscrupulous managers of the Vatican. We cannot but regard with devout thanksgiving the tokens of God's presence and power in our land, and the many openings for evangelistic efforts on the continent of Europe; but if God in righteous judgment were determined to inflict His sorest plague, we have no hesitation in saying that it would be done by handing over our ungrateful nation to the tender mercies of Rome. Let us earnestly beg our readers to co-operate with us in extending our circulation, and in praying for a blessing on our humble efforts to serve the great cause of gospel truth and liberty.

PRIESTS IN PRISONS.-THE NEW DEMAND OF ROME.

THE Romish party have now laid their promised Bill before Parliament for legally sanctioning Popish chaplains in all our county and borough prisons. The Bill is confined to England, but if it becomes law it will very soon be extended to Scotland; and thus a Popish priest will be established in every prison throughout the three kingdoms, and maintained either by grants from NO. CXXXIII.-JULY 1862.

VOL. XII.

Parliament or local rates. In a word, a Popish ecclesiastical establishment will be restored.

A document of seventy-eight folio pages has at the same time been opportunely laid before the House of Commons, showing the religious profession of all prisoners in Great Britain and Ireland on the 1st January last. It has been procured at the instigation, we have no doubt, of the Popish party, in order that it might furnish some ground for the present demand; and arguments may probably be sought to be adduced from it, to convince the House of Commons that the present Bill should become law. The following results have been drawn from this return, and we desire the special attention of our readers to some of the more prominent facts. It appears that in the 12 convict prisons in England, no fewer than 1426 convicts at the above date were Roman Catholics. That is to say, 18 6 per cent., or nearly one-fifth of all the convicts in the English convict prisons were made up of Romanists— a vast proportion, considering their total number in Britain. If we turn to the county and borough jails of England, we find that of 129 of those prisons, 100 are filled less or more with Romanists. The total number of Popish *prisoners in such jails, as exhibited by the return, is 2783, or 17-9 per cent. of the whole prisoners; that is to say, nearly one-fifth of the prisoners in all the jails of England are Romanists. Turn to Scotland, and the striking fact comes out, that in the prisons there this proportion is even greater. The total number of Romanists in prison in Scotland is 533, or 234 per cent. of the whole prisoners, or nearly one-fourth. These numbers are out of all proportion to the Romish population in England and Scotland. We cannot tell, from the peculiar way in which the census is taken in these countries, the precise number of Romanists. But they do not form one-tenth of the population. Popery has always begotten and cherished crime; and if a return were made in regard to workhouses, the same result would be found in regard to beggary. This fact in regard to crime comes out very clearly also by examining the number of prisoners in the prisons of Ireland. It will be observed that, at 1st January last, 2433 Papists were in prison in that country, while there were only 455 of all other religious denominations, and of no denomination; that is to say, the Romish Church produces of criminals to the county and borough jails of Ireland, exclusive of the convict jails in that country, 84.3 per cent. of the whole prisoners, or more than four-fifths, while the Popish population is not more than 3 to 1 Protestant. Notwithstanding this immense array of 2433 Popish prisoners in Ireland, in a population of about four-and-a-half millions, there are 4742 Popish prisoners in England and Scotland, or nearly twice the number that are in Ireland. Hence, Irish Popery not only crowds our lists of paupers, but is the great parent of criminals. This is not all. We must not only endure their depredations, and feed and clothe them, and submit to an immense moral nuisance, but we are now asked to pay priests, out of the national funds and local rates, to watch this 66 motley crew," lest they should get instruction in the paths of righteousness, and to instil into their minds a system which has always been the source of crime. What does this imply? Not long ago an Act was passed authorizing Popish chaplains to prisons in Ireland. One of the grounds for this demand was, that Ireland was a Popish country, and at the present time there are about 40 prisons in Ireland, with Popish priests, legally sanctioned as chaplains, having salaries amounting to about £1800 a year. If this sum is paid every year for teaching 2433 prisoners in Popery, in 40 prisons, it is

clear that twice as much will not suffice for teaching 4742 Popish prisoners scattered over 140 prisons in England and Scotland. But the question of money is not the real question here. The Romanists will take all they can get, but what they covet most, and are eagerly desiring to obtain, is a legal footing and a national establishment in every public institution in the United Kingdom. They have obtained such a footing in schools, in the army and navy, in convict prisons, and the only other classes of institutions left are the workhouses and common prisons. They are most vigorously striving for the former, and they have obtained a claim to the latter by the late grant of £50 a year for a Popish chaplain in every convict prison. If the present bill becomes law, they will become legally established throughout the three kingdoms, and all other extensions of influence and power must be only matters of time.

66

It is painful to hear the arguments put forward by pretended Protestants on behalf of such a demand. They talk of toleration. The document before us demonstrates that complete liberty is given to prisoners to receive instruction from their priests, should they desire it; and even in certain prisons liberty is given to the Popish priest to attend the prison on certain fixed days, whether prisoners desire him or not. For example, in Millbank (convict) prison, it is stated, that a Roman Catholic priest attends every Wednesday and Sunday throughout the year." Again, in Chester County Jail, it is stated, "Roman Catholics are visited once a week by the priest." Again, under Knutsford House of Correction, it is stated, "Whenever the priest visits the jail, all Roman Catholic prisoners who wish to see him can do so; and if a Roman Catholic prisoner is ill, he can see the priest daily, if it is his wish. The priest is always written to in case of sickness." Again, under Newgate Jail, it is stated, "Roman Catholics, or others objecting upon religious grounds, are excused from attending the chapel service." But it is quite superfluous to quote these examples. The fact is undoubted, that the general rule in all our prisons is this, that should a Roman Catholic prisoner desire the visitation of a priest, a priest is at once sent for.

The present return demonstrates, however, that Roman Catholic prisoners often do not want the visitation of a priest. Before proving this statement, let us premise that we find indications, at certain places, of Popish priests being exceedingly active in making visitations, whether they are sent for or not, as at Fulham Refuge (convict), where, in the course of a single week, as many as 49 prisoners have been visited by a Popish priest, and at Brixton (convict) prison, as many as 123. This proves that it is not the fault of the priests, if prisoners are not visited. But let us look at the other side. In these convict prisons, out of 73 Roman Catholics at Pentonville, only 12 requested the attendance of a priest during the three months of October; November, and December. Even in Brixton, during the same period, only 123 out of 234, requested visitation in three months, although there seems to be here a Popish priest regularly officiating. At Parkhurst prison, it would appear that not one of the 27 prisoners requested the visitation of a priest. And in regard to Dartmoor prison, where the large number of 181 Romish convicts are confined, there is this very instructive note, "The Roman Catholic prisoners have been attended once a month by a priest, who arrives on Saturday, and sees such men (usually about sixty) as have entered their names for the purpose, and remains to perform Divine service twice to the whole on Sunday." At Wakefield, out of 124 prisoners, only thirty-nine, during three months, requested the

visitation of a priest. Let us now take some of the county and borough jails In Durham there were 63 Popish prisoners, and not one of them seems to have requested the visitation of a priest. Take Preston House of Correction, and only 15 out of 77 have made any such request in three months. Take the borough jail of Liverpool, where there were 485 Popish prisoners, and notwithstanding the general attendance of a Popish priest twice a week, only 36 prisoners, in three months, made a request for any visitation. Again, in Manchester jail, where there are 207 Roman Catholic prisoners, only 3 requested such a visitation during three months. Again, in the City of London prison, Holloway, where there were 67 Roman Catholic prisoners, not a single one made any such request. In Portsmouth borough jail, with 15 Popish prisoners, none have made any such request, although the priests there seem to be most active, as evinced by the fact that all the prisoners in the convict prison at Portsmouth have been visited. These facts abundantly demonstrate that Popish prisoners enjoy perfect liberty for obtaining the visitation of their priests, should they request it. The same liberty is given in the prisons of Scotland. Take, for example, the prison of Glasgow. Out of 173 Popish prisoners there, only 3 made request for the visit of a priest in three months. In Perth General Prison, where the Popish priest gives regular attendance, only 25 made any such request in three months, out of 156 Popish prisoners. In Edinburgh prison, out of 57 Popish prisoners, not one requested such a visitation. The liberty already enjoyed is therefore ample, whilst the new proposal to legalize the appointment of Popish chaplains is not only a national crime, but tantamount to the compelling of prisoners, against their deliberate inclination, to receive instruction from their priests. Instructions which have already been so fertile in crime, are the last the nation should force on any class of men. If such chaplains, moreover, are to be appointed, why should dissenters of other classes be refused? Nay, why should Jews, or Deists, or even such prisoners as we find called Ranters, be refused chaplains? Why should not prisoners of 66 no religion" have likewise chaplains of the same description? Where is the process to end? The question ultimately arises, why should there be chaplains of the Established Church? For if it be the duty of the State to supply religious truth to prisoners, it is inconsistent with a National Protestant Church, and a sin against God, to force also falsehood upon the people. To force such instruction upon poor prisoners is a species of cruel wrong which only the Church of Rome herself could perpetrate. This wrong is aggravated tenfold since it is inflicted by the British Parliament. We implore the earnest attention of Protestants to this subject. We beg that they will ponder the facts above stated, and give every resistance to this fresh demand of the Popish priests.

THE DIVISION ON MAYNOOTH.

THE following Table exhibits the number of members of Parliament who voted for and against Mr. Whalley's motion in regard to Maynooth, including tellers. The motion was as follows:-"That this House will immediately resolve itself into a Committee to consider the Act of the 8th and 9th Victoria, for the endowment of the College of Maynooth, with a view to the repeal of the same, due regard being had to vested rights and interests,