WEEKLY EPITOME.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 42, 14 February 1874, Page 6

WEEKLY EPITOME.

The New Zealand Tablet has been noliced in a very complimentary manner in India, England, and America— a circumstance which is an encouragement to us for the future, and a satisfaction aud pleasure to us for our labors in the past. The Wellington Educition Board refuses to grant assistance to tho St. Philoraena girls' school. An able letter from the Hon. Dr Grace to tlie Board, and the Board's resolution on (he matter, will be found in mother column. "The education-,^ battle," we read, " ragP3 in Queensland, where n strong effort is beiiw| made to scume an education which shall be free, secular, raid compulsory. The two bills now before the country are violently opposed by the Episcopal and Roman Catholic clergy, who make common cmso." There is in the secularist; rants a wholesome fear '-that the denornina'ioualists will bo able to turn the scale in favor of whichever side will concede the most to theic demands. Keli"iou3 nstruction in tchoo's w insisted on before any concessions wiTl be made." On Monday lost the Wellington 'Post' called attention to the fact, t'.iat by a proclamation issued October 2 ( 3th, Parliament was called together on tho following day, Tuesday, lOfch February. On Tuesday a number of members met iv the Legislative Council," when the Uou. John Johnson was called to the chair. There were present Messrs Wateih-.u&p, I'harazyn, Grace, and Hart. Mr Waterhouse spote at some lengih on the importance of proceeding according to due form, in order that tV subsiquent proceedings should not be reviewed as i.ivnh.l. Mr Hurt quoted impoi tunt ca*es in tho reign of George 111 , bearing upon the point, and seconded the motion for adjournment for a fortnight, w.is carried unanimously. In the House, the roi reBentatiios pnspnt wcie Messrs Fitzherberr, M'Lean, Bunny, Reynolds, a id Wake field. Mr Fitzhcrbert v.ns called to the chair. Mr M'Lean proposed, and Mr Bunny seconded the motion for adjournment till nei-t da). The ' Oiago Guardian' comments st'-ongly on the negligence disp'ayod in not making a further prorogation." The editor'of ilte l Po~t' ividcntly attends better to bis diary than Ministers and highly pt.id oiiuiuls do to theirs. Mb Yooel has been du'y dinnered in Nelson, — the event took place on Monday evening. The Superintendent who was in the chair, mudu th»> usual allusion to Mr Vogel's distinguished posilion, great talent?, ai d indomitable force of character. TUK'Jhdmes Advertiser' has the following remarks which aro very apropos to utterances at recent banquets : — A famous and witty Protes taut preaclut 1 lias recorded his gratitude to the Pope, by saying that he was bread stud btiUer to him for many years. No sermons "took" like those dnected against the Man of Sin, while the points of view in which Vuo preacher could consider him were infinite, and so the topic never could grow^ stale. Mr Vogol occupies a somewhat cnangnus position iv reference to the journalists of New Zealand. Most oi Lhe"able editors," however, make a mistake in continually Imping en (he string of panegyric. It would be far bettor for Air Vix'i'l, if h s mends would occasionally d.'al in a little mild censure. Ptfule wemy oi perpetual laudation, and nothing will so soon attract ait.l»::e lo Mr "Vogel as to hear him cdeb.-atcd every day as perfection, both as a mar: aud a statesman.

'Commenting on the announcement that the " Commissioner of Customs baa resolved to engage, the services of well-oducated youth* as cadets, the «,New Zealand Herald' expresses itself with much eound sense, and with point, as follows-: - « Parents will look upon these cadetshipß as being highly respectable, . the appointment promising in the very distant future a' miserable annual stipend upon which to maintain a spurious gentility. The salary of these cadets we are informed will range from £40 to £50 per annum. And it is by the uao of such cddetahips that the Colony is deprived of young blood Jo open up the interior, whilst our towns and "cities become orer-:-rowded by surplus respectability being encouraged to hang about the doora of Government offices, supplicating that kind of patronage which can only be obtained at the sacrifice of much independence and feeling Our solemn contemporary at Tokomairiro has actually been en'.ivening its columns by publishing the squibs of a ontributor who signs himself " Lei me be honest." As the latest English telegram Mr " Let; me be honest" manufactures the appended :— " Au English envoy has% been presented to tho Court of Ashantee. lie has detected a re- ~ markable resemblance between tho manners of tho King and those of Sir James Fergusson." Thb establishment of the English-Catholic University has caused an extreme sensation in an up-country town in Ot&go. Tho local journal in its news by the mail has no lees than four paragraphs on the subject. When Archbishop Manning reads that paper he will feel • himself honored. i The stay of the Governor of Tasmania and Mrs Dv Cane and the I Earl of Donoghmoro in New Zealand will extend over six week*. The Cromwell paper explains that tho Governor " did not even have the opportunity of snubbing the dignitaries of the place, as ot Shotover Bridge, for none of the dignitaries took tho trouble to <»b and meet him. ° Tokomaibiro feasted on the horrible the other day. The local sub-editor must have been hard up for exchanges, and' got liold of a copy of the c Illustrated Police News.' Upon no other supposition can we account for the fact that his Irish news by tho mail consisted of a" Shacking murder in Limerick," a triple birth (these will yet be clever children), "Another Irish outrage," and a " Frightful tragedy in Tipperary." Mb M'Gtlliviiay, M.H.R., called his constituents together at Riverton the other day, but only two of the free enlightened electors of the district put in an appearance. So ho dismissed the two and sent to the local paper, for publication, Lis prepared address, which concludes thus :— " I am free to confess that I am tired of Colonial politics, and would not be sorry to take my leave of them altogether." The following is the number ,of immigrants which, by the latest a Ivices, are on their way out to the Colony. The s.s. Mongol with 320 souls for Dunedin ; Dilharoe and City of Glasgow with 300 each for Lj ltd on ; she Woodl.irk with 320 for Wellington; and tho Scimitar with 43o for Dunedin. Thb 'Southland Times ' is of opinion that the captains of vessels who met al, Port Chalmers to expres3 sympathy wiih the late master of Ihe Surar, would have shown a better appreciation of the responsibilities of their profession, and a greater s.nso of the qualifications which it requires, had they abstained from questioning the judgment of the Court of Inquiry. Effoets have been made to get Mr C. C Bowen, R.M., Christletmroh, to contest the Canterbury Superintenc'.ency election, but he positively declines, consequently the present Superintendent is expected to have a walk over. The want of female immigration is stated by the ' Grey Rive* Arjrus ' to bo felt with excessive severity on the West Coast. Taa •Argus' demands "that at least four or five hundred single women should be sent out to the West Coast during the next twelve months." These was a terrific circular galo from tho north-east at Aucklundl on the night of the 6th inst., whiuh did great damage to the shipping, the loss being eatirvated fit something over £'5000. Several vessels wero smashed, and navin-* broken loose ran into each other. Tho steamer Challenger is completely smashed up, an 1 a cutter sunk on top of her. Many boats woro sunk, and tho flcot of small vessels iv tha harDor wa3 much damaged. Two lives were loit. Whilst tho corrospondonco was proceeding bet-vveon tho Gauoraj Government and tho Provinciil Government of Wellington upon tho subject of bridges, roads, and other works of tho Appropriation Ordinance, lately passed by tho Provincial Cjunt-il— an appropriation whioh was about £50,000 on account of an anticipated ionn— it was discovered that the Provincial Auditor had signed a warrant for tho whole amount appropriated. This act is likely to Icid to his dismissal, and it is also probable tho Ordinance will bo dis.vicvel. T!io General Government have formally suspended Mr J Dossett fi3 Provincial Auditor. The Provincial Council of Wellington have received a reminder that as it voted Dr Featlierston £2500, it ought to do something for Mr Buller. Tho 'Wanganui Herald' speaka its miad thus plainly: — " Our cwn opinion is that votes liko the IValherston grant are cousurable in the highebt degree, and that neither Dr Font hers ton nor Me Buller is entitled lo any grant from tho public exchequer or public estate. Dr Feather&ton, liko Mr Busier, is, and always has been, well paid for his services. If we commence tho corrupt syaLern of dividing the public ettuto among the civil servants, let m be impartial — let us divide it equally among thorn. The IY-laod inoiiiteur the ' Wuka,' tho newspaper published by tho Government printer and ortitecl under tho supervision of the Native Ollicc, receives great pruiie from tho ' Wangantu Herald ' for its appreciation of tho spirit of paternal government, and for educating the natives to bo able to appreciate the superlative wisdom aud power of tho Nativo offieo. But tho 'Herald,' while giving credit to the ' Waka Maori ' for the mnnnor in which it does the duty it has undertaken, objects to tho policy of Hour and sugar. His Honor the Superintendent; of Otago eoul<? haidly attond an excited meeting of tho members of the Dunedin Athenseum with advantage to his own dignity, so ho got over tha difficulty by sending the President a manifesto, which we havo heard described as " tho k Epistle to the Athenians." In this epistle Hia Honor states he is op-

posed to the opening of the Athenteum on Sundnys. It was shown in the daily press on the publication of the letter (which was prior to the ' meeting), that Hi 3 Honor was acting inconsistently in allowing the running of trains and objecting to the opening of the Athenaeum. It is a common impresMon that Scotchmen who don't go out on the Sabbath drink whiskey inside of doors on that day ; but a little incident which became public just at the right time, shows that in His Honor's case this is incorrect; aud that his Sunday weakness (tirao for morning and evening 'service being, of course, excepted) is the making of statistical calculations. His Honor, it appears, whilst in Invercargill, made a speech at the luncheon given to His Excellency the Governor, and in his speech alluded to the vast forests of Southland. He said the forests were worth " fivi-hundred millions of money,"- and that he made the calculation yesterday — that is, on tne " Sabbath." For so calculating, a writer in the 'Southland" News' takes Mr Macandrew to task, and says :— That he made his calculations ' only yesterday,' — that was Sunday — -was publicly disrespectful to the observance of that day, as regarded by British Christiancommunities " •' What," osks tli6 1 Daily Times,''" will the writer of the L-tter say when he learns that Mr Macandrew thinks it right to calculate the timber supply of Southland on the first day of the week, but wrong in the" members of the Athemßum to read his Sunday calculations ' But is it not fortunate for His Honor that his taste for spending the Sunday shapes itself in this way, as otherwise, in travelling in country districts, he might be made the victim of unprincipled accommodation house keepers and bad whiskey. A CONTEiBtTOB, to the ' Wairnrapa Standard ' represents tits letters •' V.8." as standing for " Vogcl Rex." Col. Goedos. at Nelson, lias expressed his belief that when his report v» as sent in, he believed thit reductions would take place in the Force, and that many of the sedentary Volunteers would be made to resign. At Cofomandel a novelty in cricket matches was recently played. Eleven handsome cricketers are said to have played eleven ugly ditto, and were well beaten for their conceit.- The selection, we understand, was made by a committee of ladies, the majority deciding any vexed question. Several of the committee withdrew their names on the ground of partiality. At a meeting of the subscribers of the Dunedin Athenceum, held on "Wednesday evening, a motion to open the Library for four hour 3 oa Sunday was carried by 252 to 242. As up-country contemporary states that there is a large demand for land iv the S withers' "district. Several thousand acres would be taken up with avidity if the Government would make it available for settlement. A large block on Gow's run has been promised 'for some time. " CtrcEOO," writing to the Napier ' TelpgrapV says :— " I see, tb.it at a public dinner lately held in- a Southern province, after the toast of 'the Governor,' (he band played 'The King of (he Cannibal Islands/ and after the toast of this ' Bishop and Clergy of the Diocese,' a choir sang «Ye Spotted Snakes." Can you tell me, sir, why these are considered appropriate V The winding rope of the Queen of Beauty claim at the Thames ■was cut early in the night of the 2Sth ult., the rope being almost severed. The flaw was fortunately discovered before the cage was set to work, but the oPeuder has yet to^be caught. The Thames ' Star ' fays :— " Of all the Llar.chester rattening during the last strike nothing so diabolically fiendish was ever attempted as that at the Queen of Beauty on Thursday morning last." The golden goose has been killed at Charleston, Nelson, ft had : half a pennyweight of scaly gold in its gizzard. At Otaki, Wellington, a powerful half-caste of local celebiity as a wrestler has been apoointed policeman and bailiff. Ho is looked upon as the right man iv the right place. He Moriarty, the Sydney Government Engineer, proceeds from Auckland to Greymouth to report on the harbor works there. Mdixe Jenny Claus, the celebrated violinist, is to arrire in this colony in a few days from Melbourne with a concert party, and is likely to give performances in Dunedin about the 20th of the'month. The 1 ist monthly crushing of the Wealth of Nations claim Reefion, yielded 49S ounces of gold, value £1918. At the general meeting of the shareholders it was decided to increase the batter? from 15 to 20 stampers. At a t-ial of (he submarine boat, the Platypus, irr Dunedin Bay a fortnight ago, the vossol after being submerged would not, through a weakr-es3 in the air pumps rise, and had to be towed till the manhole appeared cle-ir of the water, when those in her, to their great relief, got out. A subsequent trial a few days ago was completely successful 30 far as her power to lisa vas concerned, but it still remains to be seen whether the ves=el will answer in the rough bottom and swift curreiitb of the Moljncux. The question of a e^e fov a fourth public school for Dunsdin has been settle 1 at last. The City Council has agreed :—" That, in consideralior. of the Provincial Government conveying to the City Council cf Duueciin, for the puipose of public traffic, the piece of hud known as the Fire Brigade Stand, fhis Council will lease totheSchool Committee for twenty-one years, at a rental of Is per annum, soction 31 and half of section 30 of the Market Reserve, for the purposes of a Fourth | School." Cr Beck protested against the motion being adopted, aud Cr 'Reeves did not vote. The amount of Customs revenue collected in Dtmediu on the 9th jnst., amoanled to £5497 14s Sd. This is perhaps the largest amount ever received ri Dunediu in one day. The principal item on which duty wa* paid was drapery. Tuekish baths are to be erected in Dunedin ; at a meeting of persons favo.uv.ble to (he project, it was resolved to form a company with ICCO shares, at £1 each, 10s to be paid an application. Nearly 800 shares were taken up iv the room. Thi: Provincial Government of Auckland have despatched Barry, a rcincr, to prospect the Uriwera country for gold, in compliance with the wishes of the Natives. Gbjiat m.'rtdity prevails at Wellington. The death, rate of last

month; was double that of the corresponding mouth of last year. For" this month it is already double that of- last February. ' - A SU2XDE2T death occurred in Walker _ street, Dunedin ; a few"" evenings ago, a mau named Alexander Affleck^ lately employed in a wood-yard, falling down dead opposite the Royal Hotel. Wb (* Thames St4r ').. are informed that the name of No. 1 Royals is about to be changed to the " Royal-Irish Brigade," and that it will ba at once recruited to about 150' strong. -Thb upshot of a very prolonged debate in" the City Council regarding the Town Hall Site; was the carrying of the following motion, by fire rotes to three : — "That the Octagon bo' the only site for the Town' Hall." A proposal had boon mado to secure the present University Building as a Town Hall. The motion was moved by Mr Prosser. It was twenty minutes past four a.m. when the Council adjourned. Habtesy- hands are very scarce at East Ta-ieri, the wages offered being £2'a week and found. The workmen engaged in cutting a drain in one of the streets of Invercargill came across a bed of lignite. At the Otago Waste Land: Board, a lease of a copper mine at Waipori has been applied for and granted. A Christchtjbce: paper of the3oth ult. says:— "The treat to the children attending the Catholic Schoo]s,Barbadoes street, took place yesterday. The boys assembled at the Catholic schoolroom to the number of 13G, and marched' to the Staumore bridge, headed by the Rev. Father Kcuyer, Mr Edward O'Connor (schoolmaster), aiul Mr D. STGai.mesi (member of the school committee). The boys artived at JTcw Brigh'on at half- past 10 o'clock, having been conveyed there by Sir Hopkins' new 6teamer. Shortly after their arrival the children were served with cake, gingerbeer, &c, after which a number of ganes (including cricket) were indulged in on the beach. The girls nmecd at 330 p.m., and spent as pleasant an evening as could have been expected under the circumstances, considering the late period of their arrival. Several sports were initiated and gone through with great success, after which the children returned to Christuhurch highly sjiisCed with tfoe day's proceedings, The services of the new steamer throughout the' day, aud the attention of the officers, deserve special commendation. Last month Capt. Logan, of the Hero, set apart, a day on which he gave the children of the various charita-Ke institutions of Aujkland, including those of the Catholic institutions, a trip in his vess-'l to and from the Hot Springs. There were 183 children on board, and about 150 passengers at 10s each, whose fares were equally divided among the several institutions. There was an excellent bund oa board, and the comfort of the excursionists was well atiendel to. On the return, and just before getting alongside the wharf, Victor Pom ire, belonging to St. Stephen's Home, Parnell, anl godson of her Jlipsty Queen. Victoria, j,umped on to the top of a scai and cilled out in a loud voice, '• Tiiree- cheers for Captain Lo^a-i." T ! ie cry wj.s take a up by the other little ones, and three hearty cheerj were givjn. The adults on board took it up and also gave three cheers for the worthy captain, the band playing " For he's a jolly good fellow." Ciiecrs were also given for the other officers of the ship. It is saiJ to be Captain Logan's intention to give such a treat annually, a id he hopej the next one will be even more successful. Theee appears to be a large demand for fetu'e soi-vints in Auckland. All the female immigrants, par LiuJer.lsiltj, w^ro i n ;i3diately engaged. There were 80 applbitio is in excels of tha supply. Tub Annual Moveable Meeting of (he Ili'jcr si.in Aus'r ilasion. Benefit Society is to be held in Slelbo irne th;s> inj.illi. Bro. P^Ler Griffen, who is connected with the Charleston 8.-a^oh, XZ., has been appointei a delegate to represent the Dune.lin, Oanjarn, andNaseby branches