THE CATHOLICS OF WESTLAND.

West Coast Times, Issue 690, 10 December 1867, Page 4

THE CATHOLICS OF WESTLAND.

TO THE EDITOB OF THE WEST COAST TIMES,

Sib — In your issue of Saturday there is a letter signed " Hibernicus," on which I claim your indulgence for a few words. It is a letter I have no doubt will be replied to by those more able to do so than the humble individual now addressing you, but I would ask Hibernicus by what process of reasoning ho has discovered the " Celt" to be a seditious newspaper ? I have read its every number since first issued, and fail to discover anything bordering on the crime Hibernicus impute 9to it. But in fact one has only to read the first part of his letter to place him in either of two positions, that is, ho is either no Catholic at all, or else grossly ignorant of the fundamental principles of the church he lays claim to. He suys Fenianism has been condemned by all the Bishops of the Catholic Church in Ireland. I will take the passing liberty of asking him what has Fenianism to do with the " Celt" newspaper, or the " CeU" newspaper to do with J?enianism, or why introduce the subject at all ? "All the Bishops in Irelaud condemn it ;" this implies a uuanimity between the Bishops on the subject, when in fact, the Bishops have no power of deliberation on the subject whatever, there being a fixed law to administer on the matter. He says again, " and Catholics have been solemnly cautioned against joining its ranks" (by the Bishops). They have been cautioned as to no such thing. A caution is a negative command which often its non-observance may not break a law ; but, in this case, tho Bishops are positively bound to command their people from joining any secret society whatever; and the most ignorant and illiterate member of the Catholic community knows well that as soon as he joins any secret society — either political or otherwise — bound together by oath, he becomes self-excommumcuted, so long us he remains therein, and denied a Christian burial at death. This is the law of the Church, which every Bishop and Priest within its pale are bound to administer, including the Priest alluded to in the letter of " Hibernicus."

Sir, I will hold myself excused from expressing the motives which I believe actuated " Hibernicus" when he charged the rev. gentleman alluded to with "exciting the bad passions of his flock, and endeavoring to stir up strife aud dissension ;" — charges deserving of no other notice than the expression of my belief that there is not an individual in the district to which the rev. gentleman belongs — no matter of what denomination — but would give them a flat denial. It is too bad that such unwarranted charges should be forced upon the publicpressagainstayoung andpatrioticclergyman who has severed all the ties that bound him to home and kindred, and all the associations of his youth, to come to a country very little removed from the condition of a wilderness to minister to the spiritual wanta of those of the creed to which he belongs, and whose every act, since he came amongst us, has been the' furtherance of the grand motto of the festive season we are now approaching — " Glory to God in tho highest, and peace on earth to men of good will." j

Sir, it is very true that tlie Rev. MrLarkins has given his aid to establish a newspaper to represent the nationality to which he belongs, to elevate and purify its tone, to prevent it from descending to sedition, while brooding over centuries of tyranny and misgovernmenfc, and to raise its hopes to Him who has promised a blessing to those wlu> suffer persecution for righteousness sake.

But as I find, Sir, that I am travelling beyond the limits I proscribed for myself at the out3et, I will conclude with reminding Hibernicus that we Irish people become acquainted with some funny little phases in newspaper literature. I remember seeing an anonymous letter, eminating from a very patriotic and devout Catholic, in one of the Tory landlord journals of the North of Ireland (to which place I belong), but a solicitor's letter, containing some gentle hints of an action, brought it out that it was the editor (simple man) writing to himself. I don't mean for an instant to insinuate that the press of New Zealand would descend to such amusing little episodes ; it is only in Ireland that sucb fantastic tricks can be played before High heaven ; bnfc, in the meantime, the more I read of " Hibcrnieus's" letter the more I believe it to be spurious, a conviction which will not be removed till I am introduced to my rery patriotic fellow-countryman and very nervous co-religionist ; and, as I find in the concluding part of his letter, you, sir, have a license to givehis name to any one doubting the genuineness of his letter, I claim the proffered favor, and remain, sir, &c, John M'Eldon. Six- Mile Beach, December 9,1867[Our admission of the latter part of our correspondent's letter will, no doubt, be added by him to his catalogue of " funny little phases of newspaper literature." — Ed W.O.T.]

A correspondent, writing from Stafford Town, complains of the difficulties put in the way of " opening up the counlry," and says, "There are probably hundreds of thousands of acres of Buriferpus land which the

miner is unable to occupy, or even approach, for the simple reason that there are no tracks, and no possible means of getting provisions through the scrub. By the time that Westland has lost two-thirds of its population, and the shops in Hokitika [ are marked 'for sale,' some steps may be taken to bring the people back when it is too late. I have travelled during the past three weeks a good deal amongst the back gullies Jieve, and in some very wild country, and I firmly believe that if the miner was j allowed a fair chance of prospecting, in a very I short time Westland would double its population. Hundreds of those who are leaving for Queensland and elsewhere regret to leave the gold, as they say, 'staring them in the face. 1 " Our correspondent adds: — "I see that the census papers are being distributed. I aiu very certain, from wliafc I know of tlie district, that the one sub-enumerator will find it utterly impossible to send in anything like a true return of the population of this district. Three sub-enumerators would be nearer the mark. I regret to say there has been a death here from typhus ferer, and the doctor informs me he has another case this morning. There was a great flood here yesterday, leaving it doubtful whether I should have an opporunity of sending a note to town. The Wainiea was in some places almost as wide as the Hokitika river. It has been very destructive to the gardens." The rest of our correspondent's letter refers to the rumored appointment of Mr Sale to the Chairmanship of the County Council, and expresses the strong feeling against such a nomination prevailing throughout the Waiinea district.