PERSONAL ITEMS.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11305, 21 June 1902, Page 7

PERSONAL ITEMS.

Mr Justice Denniston left for Wellington yesterday afternoon. Bishop Grimes will open the new Catholic church at Cheviot on Sunday next. Mr A. V. Coulter, Melbourne, arrived in town yesterday morning. Mr P. L. Hallenstein and Mr D. Halley arrived from Wellington yesterday. Mr J. A. Millar, M.H.R., arrived from the South by the express last night. Mr Mcllraith, Mr'Carr, Mr B. J. Westbrooke, and Mrs Mason are in town. Mr J. H. Miles, eldest son of Mr J. F. Miles, of this city, was yesterday morning admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court on the application of Mr B. Lane. Mr Miles was - educated at the Christchurch Boys' High School and Canterbury College, and took his LL.B. degree last year. . . The Rome correspondent of the Sydney Journal,", writing on May 4th, mentions that among a party of Australasian visitors whom Cardinal Moran recently presented to the Pope, were Mrs Loughnan, of Christchurch (N.Z.), with whom were her daughters, the Misses Loughnan, Mrs and Miss Harper, of Christchurch, and Mr Loughnan (nephew of Mrs Loughnan). The party altogether numbered more than fifty. "After his first audience with the Pope, the Cardinal presented the pilgrims to the Pontiff, who sat on his throne in the Throne Hall, surrounded by the members of the "Noble" Ante Chamber. The audience was thus a formal reception, but withal most familiar and paternal. It lasted about threequarters of an hour. At the close of the audience the Pope rose and gave his blessing to the Australasian pilgrims most majestically." Present visitors to Australia include Mr W. L. Bradbury, one of the proprietors of London "Punch." He was recently in Adelaide, and intended visiting Melbourne and Sydney and going Home via Canada. Mr Irvine, the new Premier of Victoria, is an Irishman by--birth, his native town being Newry, where he was bom in 1858. He was educated at Royal College, Armagh, and Trinity College, Dublin. After taking his B.A. degree, he went to Australia, and resumed his studies at Melbourne University, where he graduated as M.A. and LL.M. In 1884 he was called to the bar, where he gradually achieved a prominent position. Mr Irvine is an ardent advocate of a drastic scheme of land taxation. He has been in politics since 1894, but so far does not appear, says a Sydney paper, to have displayed any signal ability. His style of oratory is cold, legal, and precise, and as a leader of opposition he failed to arouse enthusiasm among his followers. Yet at times he is said to have given hints of hidden fires beneath his usually placid exterior, which may betoken power of a sort. Mr James Syme was entertained by his friends at a social evening last night, on the occasion of his retirement from business. Mr J. Haggie presided, and in presenting Mr Syme with a handsome, gold chain with greenstone pendant, referred to the high esteem in which Mr Syme was held by his friends present and absent. Mr Syme suitably acknowledged the gift. During the evening Messrs H. S. McCausland, H. Harris, W- Barrett, J. Haggie, Jas. Morrison, and Raymond contributed songs and other items. The Rev. C. E. Ward left yesterday for Wellington, to preach the opening services of a new Central Primitive Methodist Church in the Empire City to-morrow. A presentation was made to Mr Macarthy, stationmaster of Sefton, prior to his leaving to take up the duties of stationmaster at Springstoa.