NEWS OF THE WEEK.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 57, 30 May 1874, Page 8

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

Mb Stout during the debate on Wednesday evening on the discontinuance of Sunday trains, made one observation of which many gentlemen ,n the Provincial Council had better make a note ll speaking to the question the Provincial Solicitor said he failed to sS the consistency of those hon. members who were so anxious to respSt the religious opinions of a minority in the matter of Sunday obserrance.when they had outraged the feelings, and totally ignored the conscientious scruples of a very much larger minority of their fellow! msss&ssr eveniDg> with regard to £—«■•* s: A most distressing accident, by which four young men beloxwrinir £22 II V B *f'S d ?? Unti T m6ljr afternoon of Monday last. It appears that about noon on that day seven young men left Dunedin in a boat with the view of proceeding WrXj i?!? 5? Wlt ? eBB the re « atta in honor of He?Maiesty'f birthday. At the time they started a fair wind was blowing, but the wind was occasionally chopping round, which increased to a perfect gale, accompanied by heavy stalls of rain aud hail. However, Se boat proceeded m ra fety until the Cross Channel had been reached! when a sudden gust of wind of unusual strength came upon them and the sheet of the sail having been made fist, the boat was immediately capsiezd and the whole party precipitated into the water. On the boat rising to the surface, the men managed to lay hold of her been agaiQ r?^ "* Ca P ßized - Three ° f those ** S been clinging to her, sank never to rise again. On the boat aearn coming to the surface four of the party m^aged to hold on byK keel but only two of whom remained antil ultimately rescued by a boat whlct put ff foy the pu , poßOi One Qf tl)e tt(m J & mcd ea jy a oTA* P° W T- Ul 7lmmer7 Immer L 9truck 0"^ iov the shore which he sueM«! mT TT U A\ J Ut "^luwtely another of the party made a Ihri a " em i > lv aild - befOre ,^ £** P roceede <* *»'. uttered a piercing shriek, and throwing up his hands disappeared for ever. The names of the unfortunate men were Frank Butterfield, Frank Castles, Andrew tnTc n l h T Lmt °r' allem P%^ by Messrs. Brown, Ewing and to. Up to the time of our going to press, none of the bodies had

A FiffAi meeting of the Surat Relief Committee has been held at which ten guineas was awarded to Mr Hay ward, harbor- master at Cadm s River, in recognition of his services. It appeared that 172 persons had been relieved by the Committee, and £40 of a balance in jam was voted to the Benevolent Institution. The work on board tie ill-fated vessel has been discontinued for the winter season, an J the hands engaged in getting salvage have been discharged.

An inquest was held on Tuesday upon the body of an unfortunate woman named Isabella Tassey, who had been found dead in her bed on the previous morning. The jury after hearing the evidence adduced, returned a verdict that death was caused from suffocation by an over-dose of laudanum. The nomination of candidates to fill the vacancy in the City Council for .Leith Ward, caused by the resignation of Mr Barnes— that gentleman having accepted the position of Inspector of Works to the Corporation— took place on the 22nd inst. But two nomiaation papers were received, the candidates being Mr P. Gibson of Great King street, and Mr Harrop, of iibany street. A poll was taken at the Caledonian Grounds on last Wednesday, who* Mr Gibson was elected to the vacant seat by a majonty of LI I ov* p his opponent, the numbers polled being :— Gibson, 194 j Harrop, 83.

The annual examination and distribution of prizes in the Oneluinga Catholic Schools, Auckland, took place on the 7«h inst The schools comprise three-a boys' school, with a gross attendance of 43 pupi s ; and two girls' schools, under the tuition of the Sisters of Mercy, having upon their roll 107. The examination in the bW school was m the presence of the Viaar-General of tho diocese and several of the clergy and leading members of ihe community. The \icai-Qeneval at the close complimented both master and pupila, and expressed Wlf highly pleased with the high state of efficiency winch had been manifested. The visitors then attended the school under the b.sters of Mercy, in which tho pupils were examined in reading, writing, spelling English grammar, geography, history (ancient and modern), arithmetic and astronomy; plain and om menta needlework (of which latter there were samples well worthy of notice) } music (instrumental and vocal), with recitations most distinctly delivered. A drama, -The Apple of Discord," was most creditably performed, when the age* and acquirements of the iuvenile actors are considered. And this, followed by the sinking with good ta.te and effect of the royal anthem, " God Save the Queen," intro« dueed the distribution of prises, which were select and of value ana deserving in many instances to be kept by tho fcrfcuuate recipients as souvenirs of the days of their schooling. It will be seen by a notice in our advertising columns that Meeting of the Shareholders of the Tablet Company will take place in St. Joseph s Schoolroom, on Thursday evening next at ei^ht o'clock when the yearly statement aud balance-sheet will be placed" before the meeting* ■

Ix an article on Wednesday, advocating the teaching of the Bible in public schools, the • Guardian* winds up with the following Bentence :— " As a matter of expediency, therefore, we say, maintain the present school system, which will not outrage the religious scruples of any parent, while it satisfies the scruples of the majority." Of course tbe dictum of so high and liberal an authority as the 'Guardian' Bhould pass unchallenged. But does that journal mean to assert that the Catholic body have not made the injustice under which it labors sufficiently public P or is it that the ' Guardian,' with characteristic liberality, will not even accord them the possession of eueh articles as scruples at all ? In another column we publish the division-list on the debate, and it would be well for our readers to bear in mind the names of those gentlemen whose opinions are in unison with those expressed above, Fbom the Government ' Gazette ' of the 14th inst., we learn that the total imports for the ports of Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, and Dunedin, for the quarter ending 3 1st March, 1874, were :—Auckland, £382,963, as against £337,291 during same quarter of 1873 ; Wellington, £237,573, against £177,851 ; Lyttelton, £434,044, against £295,922 ; and Dunedin, £724,344, against £475,765. The total return of exports during the same time, and at same places, were :—: — Auckland, £143,375, tgainst £305,815 during corresponding quarter ; Wellington, £333,731, against £265,733 ; Lyttelton, £462,613, against £507,790 ; end Dunedin, £843,969, against £1,005,793 last year. It will be thus seen that while all the ports, with the exception of Lyttelton, exceeded during the present year the imports of last J ear, the exports have fallen away in all places save Wellington, which have increased to the value of £68,000. \

jPbom the ' Charlestown Herald ' we learn that the anniversary of the Brighton Branch, No. 43, of the Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society, was celebrated by a grand ball in that town on the 7th inst. Previous to the ball a procession was formed, which marched through the town headed by the new silk banner, belonging to the Charlestown Branch of the Association. A most pleasant evening was spent, all agreeing that the celebration of the anniversary had been well and truly honored.

The Wellington ' Independent ' suggests the propriety of the Government having a Bteam launch there and at other ports, for the landing of immigrants. We b» lieve that plana have been made for the building of such a launch at this port.

A solemn requiem mass was celebrated on Sunday, the 10th inst., in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland, for the repose of the soul of the Rev. Patrick Grolden, who died at Macroom, County Cork, on the 11th October, 1873. The celebrant was the Rev. Walter McDonald, the deacon the Key. G. O'JDwyer, sub-deacon, the Eev. J. Golden. The deceased was a brother of the last-named clergyman, and a student of Carlow, Genoa, and St. Mary's, Oscot, Colleges. The "month's mind " for the deceased took place on the 10th November in the parish Church of Kilnamatyra, where his remains are interred. The lamented gentleman possessed talents of a high order as a scholar and musician. He spoke several languages, aod edded wonderful mental capacity to a herculean bodily frame. He died in the 42nd year of his age, and the 15th of his priesthood, sincerely regretted by his numerous friends. St. Patrick's Cathedral was draped for the occasion, and the choir executed the impressive music of the mass in a touchiLg manner.