HIBERNIAN SOCIETY'S BALL AND SUPPER.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1753, 18 March 1874, Page 2

HIBERNIAN SOCIETY'S BALL AND SUPPER.

The ball given by the Hibernian Society last night was in one sense a success, but it was not so successful as might have been wished — the drawback being the paucity of those daughters of Erin, without whom Irish history would be almost uninteresting. It was, no doubt, very satisfactory to see a lot of able-bodied men parading the public streets bedizened with adornments of a patriotic character ; but why were the dear little darlings of Erin so absent? The very respected Saint who presides over the spiritual affairs of Ireland would certainly have complained had he been compelled to sit down at a table far removed from tho few Noras and Kathleens who graced the festive board. . We may, however, make some excuse with regard to the short number of the ladies present--there were other engagements which no doubt interfered with the success of the ball of the: Hibernian .Society, but on the whole the affair was a success. The company having ' enjoyed themselves for sometime in •the." mazy dance " in the Transit ,Shed, adjourned to the supper-room at the rear of Gilmer's Hotel) where there were well-arranged tables, furnished with all the delioaoies of the season. 'Mr O'Donnell, President of

the Society, occapied the chair, being supported on his right by His Worship the Mayor, arid on his left by Martin Kennedy, Esq., Mr Hughes, and Mr Harrison. After the usual justice had been done to the comestibles, the inevitable toasts were proceeded with. Following 1 the" usual custdrii of meetings"'-' of this kind, the first toast was the health of « « His teolihess 1 Pope Pius ' the IX." We have no objection to such atoast, but it does appear strange that whilst in one breath our Irish 'fellow-colonists praise the entirely free constitution- of -this - Colony, ; they will persist ■in ! raising : disjtinctions which ought to be forgotten; ;We do not think that the- fact of the (health of Her Majesty the Queen being )put after the toast of the Pope was in any (way intended asaprotest against the existjing reigning power.' It was simply such a ,toast as Irish Catholics must .of necessity' 'have made the prominent feature of their meeting. „ ! The toast of the evening, which 1 had Ispecial reference to the anniversary, was jpropnsed by Mr Hughes, in a long and 'able speech, which we regret we r oannot I within our available space find room for. '■Mr Hughes confessed to ; a fetrbng symipathy with the society which was met itogether. He most heartily sympathised Jwith his fellow-countrymen in their efforts ! to obtain a system of government which •was actually in existence in New. Zealand — Home Rule— that was to say local adjministration of local affairs. . Mr Paul, C.R of the Forestera,.responded to the. toast ." The - Kindred Societies" in a very' appropriate speech, i The Chairman then gave the ; toast l"The Greymouth Volunteer Fire Brigade," which was replied to by Captain Eissenhardt in a very neat. speech. Various other toasts were proposed and responded to, and the company broke up only to be again united in the ball-room, ■where dancing, was kept up till an early hour this morning.