IRISH CATHOLICS IN SCOTLAND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 72, 12 September 1874, Page 8

IRISH CATHOLICS IN SCOTLAND.

A ■WONDBEETJt GBOWTH. Almost as wonderful as the growth of the Church in New England has been its increase in Scotland. We learn from the G Wow SJ respondent of the ' London Register' that in the beginS of tS present century the Catholics of Glasgow and neighborhood did no? number more than 300, who heard Maslin a garrefin one of the lanes ot the city. At the preseat moment, as was stated publicly some tim« ■ago by one O f its Parliamentary representatives, theVffi plula! thSdty gg ° W OutDumberß afl y of the religious ' bodies in Scotland is divided into three districts of vicariates— the Western Eastern, and Northern. The whole Catholic population 7ot the" western district may be estimated at about 240,000 souls. To attend to the spiritual wants of this large number, there are only 115 priests of whom twenty-two are members of religious orders. Jastem district is under the authority of the Right Rev. Dr. Strain, who reside? at Edinburgh. In this city the Catholics number about 12 000 -and in Dundee, a large manufacturing town in the same vicariate' the Lathohc population amounts to ever 20,0000. The number of Catholics has greatly increased in this district also since the beginning of the piesent century, although not to the same extent as in the wes°t Thi« vicariate contains fortyseven secular priests and nineteen members of

Ibe northern district, governed by the Right Rev. Dr. Macdonald. has a Catholic population of only 20,000. Comparatively few Irish Catholics have settled m this part of Scotland, so that the number of Catholics has not increased so rapidly in this district as in the other vicanates. ihe Catholic population here is mostly of Scottish oriain as in most districts, and notably in Banffahire, the ancient faith was never completely suppressed, but, through the protection of some of the powerful lords of the soil, was able to hold its ground from the time of the Reformation down to the present day. In Aberdeen, theresidence of the Vicar- Apostle, the Catholics number about 2000 The • Register' says :— « lt is painful to be obliged to add that in. spite of such vast numbers, in all matters affecting the public interests of the city, whether municipal or Parliamentary, the Catholics far from being represented in any way proportionate to their numerical strength, have no representation whatever. The only occasion oa which the Catholics of Glasgow showed their strength was at the election for the School Board last year. They placed their three candidates second, third, and fourth on a list of fifteen members. Their influence would be no less felt in municipal or Parliamentary elections were ther to get themselves qualified by registration to record their vote. However, it is nob in Glasgow alone that the Catholics have to reproach themselves with the'r backwardness in this respect. — c Boston Pilot '

The ' New Zealand Gazette' publishes the following Provincial Ordinances allowed by the Governor : Riverton Harbor Board, New . River Harbor Board, tfaseby Recreation Reserve Management, Riverton Government Reserve, Lower Kaikorai District Road Lands Ex. change, Papakaio Railway Reserve Sale, Dunedin Sdhool Site, Education Reserves Management and Leasing, New River and Jacob's River Ferries Reserves Leasing, Waifcahuna West District Road Compulsory Land-Taking, Riverton Drillshed Reserve Management, Palmerstoa School Glebe Exchange, Invercargill Reserves Management Ordinance Amendment, Port Chalmers School Reserve Sale, Dunedin Presbyterian Church Lands Ordinance Amendment, Roads Diversion, Roads Diversion No. 2, and Castle street Diversion Ordinances. Provincial Ordinances left to their operation : Hospitals, Municipal Corporations Act Amendment, 1873, Introduction, Dunedin City Coutfcil Borrowing Powers Extension, Clyde Corporation Borrowing Powers Extension, Otago Municipal Corporations Ordinances Amendment, Otaeo Dock Trust Ordinance, 1565, Repeal, Sawyer's Bay Land-Leasing, Koslyn Institute, and Caledonian Society of Otago Incorporation; Ordinances. ,

In a peers family the daughters take precedence of all the brothers wives, except the wife of the eldest ; in like manner, in theKoyal family, after the Queen, comes in order of precedence, the Princess of Wales, as wife of the Heir Apparent, next 'the Sovereign's daughters, and after them the wires of the Sovereign's sons.