NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10971, 27 January 1899, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The death of the venerable pastor (better known as "Father") (Jhiniquy, which was announced in our cable columns a few days ago, will revive memories in the minds of many people who remember his visit to Australia and New Zealand, about 21 years ago. In Protestant and Orange circles he created no small sensation, and his lectures throughout the colonies were 'everywhere listened to by crowded audiences, In two years he delivered 610 public lectures in Australia and New Zealand. Since leaving Australia Father Chiniquj has been in perils oft. He kept himself regularly in communication with prominent friends in different parts of Australia, posting them with his movement? and adventures. Fires seemed to bo his worst enemy, and on several occasions it was reported that the printing stock of his various publications had been destroyed in Canada and the United States leaving him penniless. At times substantial sunn of money have been sent from Australia to his aid. His troubles did not, however, prevent him living to a ripe old age. The story of Father Cbiniquy's life ii told in his principal literary sensation, "Fifty Years in the Church of Rome," a book whieh, whatever its merits, has gone through numerous editions, and had an enormous circulation. Mr. Chiniquy's grandfather wan a Spanish sailor. His father was born in Quebec, and twined fo» the Roman Catholic priesthood, but a few days before making his vows he changed his mind, studied law, and became a notary. The original family name was Etcbiniquia. Father Chiniquy himself was born at Kamoraska in 1809, so that he was 90 years old, within a few month* at the time of his death. At-the time of severing his connection with the Roman Catholic Church, Father Chioiquy w^

labouring at St. Anne, anakee Co., Illinois, £'\ USA. Afterwards he gave himself up "to' ■ lecturing, preaching, and writing. Hit :;■/ "Priest, the Woman, and the Confessional". i haS passed through over 30 editions. : ■]$} — — — si Here is Father Chiniquy's own account of -.: ■ his experiences in Australia :—"ln New ,v South Wales I was beaten with whips and i sticks, which left marks upon my shoulders! , ■-. ifter a lecture at ParramatU I was again "': attacked with stones by the Roman Catho- 1 lies. One struck my left leg with such force;' ], a I thought- it was broken, and I was 'V lamed for several days. At Marsham, ,6Vff April 1, the Romanists took possession of ■% the church where I was speaking, rushed to- ~i ward me with daggers and pistols, crying, M " Kill him, kill him !" In the tumult I pro .,<|| ndentially escaped through a secret door.;. , But I had to crawl on hands and knees * : B pretty long distance in a ditch filled with!' ;| : mud, not to be seen, and escape death. When I reached the' hospitable house of Jfr, SJ" Cameron, the windows were broken with "t'i stones, much of the furniture destroyed, and" ! it was a wonder I escaped with my life. At '|;. ; Ballarat three times the houses where I '' lodged were attacked and broken. The- : Re.v. Inglis, one of the most eloquent minis- " ters of the city, was one of the many who \ were wounded by my side. The wife of the ' Rev. Quick came also nearly being killed ''": while I was under their hospitable roof. fa v, W\ the same city, as I was waiting for the train '; I] at the station, a well-dressed lady came as B near as possible and spat in my face. I was K blinded, and mj face covered with filth. She ■• ■ I' immediately fled, but was soon brought back .', E by my secretary and a policeman. The ■. H very next day (April 21), at Castlemaine, I was again fiercely attacked and wounded on . the head as I came from addressing the » people. One of the ministers who was - standing by me was seriously wounded, and lost much blood. At Oeelong I had again a very narrow escape from stones thrown at me" in the streets. In 1879, while lecturing in Melbourne, the splendid capital of Victoria, I received a letter from Tasmania, signed by 12 ministers of the Gospel, say. ng ._: 'We are much in need of you here, for though the Protestants are in the majority, they leave the administration of the country almost entirely in the hands of ■' Roman Catholics, who rule us with an iron, rod. The Governor is a Roman Catholic, etc. We wish to have you among us, though •: we do not dare to invite you to come.' On June 24, as I was delivering my first lecture m Hobart Town, the Roman Catholics, with the approbation of their Bishop, broke the door of the hall, and rushed towards me, crying, 'Kill '.kill him! 1 The mob was only a few feet from me, brandishing their daggers and pistols, when the Protestants threw themselves between them and me, and a furious hand-to-hand fight occurred, during which many wounds were received and given. The soldiers of the Pope were overpowered, but the Governor had to put the city under martial law for four days, and call ', the whole militia to save my life from the assassins drilled by the priests."

Cardinal Gibbons, in discussing the r* cent race troubles in the United States, stated: "In the history of mankind it has been observed that when two distinct races . co-existed in the same territory one race has always exercised a certain supremacy , over the other. While this principle is ad- •• mitltd, it is the manifest duty of every patriotic statesman and Christian to see • that the relations between the race.- should ,;• he friendly, harmonious, and mutually bene- | ficial. The race conflicts, antagonisi is and ,i bloodshed winch have recently occurred in £i several States of the union can be largely ;S traced to two great causes—the one-sided>«S and ill-directed system of negro education, -* and the indiscriminate exercise and conse- [,;■. quent abuse of the ballot-box. The coloured -;; race are naturally kind and gentle, affec-.?,; tionate, and grateful, with religious emo- " tions easily aroused. But the education they are generally receiving is calculated to sharpen their mental faculties at the expense of their religious and moral senses. It fosters ambition without supplying the . means of gratifying it. It feeds the head, . while the heart is starved. No education is complete that does not teach the science of self-restraint, and this is found only in the Decalogue and the Gospels. But it i» hard to get a hearing on the subject of popular education. We must appeal from Philip drunk to Philip sober. The abuse of the ballot-box is chargeable more to. white demagogues than to the blacks themselves. Ihe politicians use the negro vote •] for their own selfish purposes. lam per- [ suaded that a restriction of suffrage by pro- ' perty qualification would be a wise mea- l. sure."

lii the December Fortnightly Review I • translation is given of M. Gaston Donnet's . article on the French colonial craze, which appeared in the Revue Bletie for September 24. The author declares France right in ';. her desire to possess a few colonics, but J wrong in her exaggerations of that desire ... which threatens to become a chronic mania. England he depicts as an overweighted Her- > cules, " weighed down by her plethora of J health and riches. . . absorbed and 't paralysed by India. Canada, Australia, and | the Transvaal," unable to maintain order in .? all parts of hei Empire, and defenceless in « a big colonial wai. Of his own country, j he says: "In plain speaking, we desire to j annex a good half of the African continent; .'• truly an ambitious scheme, and one into /| whose possible results, if effected, we have | a right to inquire. . . . Dare I venture % to assert- that in colonial matters we ate ,j merely amateurs, or fc speak more cor- ~ rally, incorrigible Utopians? . . . We ',-' collect colonies as connoisseurs collect bric- | a-brac of tapestry!" National vanity this i unsparing critic alleges to be the only rea- j son for this impotent mania. Of recent : | events, lie says: "We know that the coun- | try desires no further expeditions os con- % quests, and we dare not oppose her wish,' | still we hanker after part of the Nils in i imitation of our great English neighbours, | Accordingly, under pretext' of making sure | of our posts in the Congo region, established |, and organised by the Lieutenant-Governor,'' |' we send out Captain Marchand with dire* J| tions to reach Fashoda; and in order tc: J carry out the scheme, he is given a couple '| of battalions of Havassas and Gabonais.not § sufficiently numerous to be considered an § army, but too numerous to constitute » § peaceful ca-avan." $t

. Another evidence of returning prosperity g in Victoria is afforded by the report of tfr | statist of the Customs Department on the m shipping of the port of Melbourne for last. 1 year. The total arrivals numbered 1718 vet- 1 1 sels of 2,379,703 tons, as against 1568 ves- , g sels of 2,342,447 tons in 1897, showing fi ■ | increase of 50 vessels and of 37,256 ion., - J Of the total arrivals 1588 wore British «*■ >;) 1 sels of 2,077,762 tons, and 130 were foreign. |-| with a tonnage of 301,941. Compared wi* ', the previous year the.-e was an increase of , •;. 81 British vessels of 86,042 tons, but the* was a decrease of 31 foreign vessels and of ■ .■;.; 48,786 tons, The total arrivals includrf--. };, 1413 British steamships, with a tonnage » -.. 1,938,704; 82 foreign steamship., with/ tonnage of 250,128; 175 British saili»f ships, with a tonnage of 139,058; and 4» A foreign sailing ships, with a tonnage _* 51,813. The British steamships show an to- ; i crease of 76 vessels and 63,387 tons;^-' 'A". foreign a decrease of 19 vessels and iW \ tons; the Britith sailing ships show an* _____. crease of flvr vessels and 22,655 tons; •» V .

s^~ _ . . j-mase of 12 vessels and t S/Sou.d be explained that 1 ' m h Pl - riven above does not represent fit a -rived, but the nun.be, of ' Litany steamers having entered a i many times mth^year^

it i. stated that the Sultan is furious at a Convention, but will confine him--5 protesting. Some desperate fighting Z Iken place in Ecuador, a Republic of la hi South America. The GovernT„ roops defeated arebel force, 400bemg Ed 500 wounded, and 400 made prisonThe delav in the ratification of the See treaty is due to the complications of Lricun party politics, but the Senate is lected to take a vote on the question on February 6. It is now officially stated that in the srruselc between Spain and Cuba 80000 Spanish soldiers died, most of them bring the victims of disease. The of Orleans is at present . Brussels, where he is holding frequent consultations with his friends. The Hon. T. A. Brasscy is of opinion that liibmarine boats, which are just now receiving much attention in Fiance, arc useless against moving ships. News from New York slates that an extraordinary boom prevails in Wall-street, which is attributed to a plethora of capital. The London Exchange is not affected. The establishment 0 two new teaching universities in Ireland, open to all denominations, is advocated by Jlr. Balfour. He suggests that one should be controlled by the Roman Catholics and the other by the Presbyterians, subject to necessary safeguards. Influenza is spreading in London, 20 deaths being recorded veekly. The Daily Chronicle expresses tho opinion that Earl Beaucbamp's selection as Governor of New South Wales is one of the most interesting appointments of recent years. He is a man of high character, an eloquent speaker, and is noted for his great public spirit.