GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 72, 12 September 1874, Page 9

GENERAL NEWS.

The following from the ' Catholic Sentinel,' of Portland, about a very disrespectful habit which, we are sorry to know, is quite common among a certain class of Catholics, is to the point : — " Some few people who call themselves Catholics have a habit of leaving tha Church whenever a sermon is to be preached. This offensive custom doubtless, is borrowed from Protestant practices, and is one that no Catholic who pretends to a belief in the Real Presence should be guilty of, as it is not only a mark of gross disrespect to the e'ergyman about to address the congregation, and to the congregation itself, but it is a Tiolent insult to God in His Sanctuary, and we should remember His words when He tells us, ' He that will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as a heathen and a publican.' " When a family has vigor enough to keep one place, one name, and one title in its blood for seven consecutive centuries, it eertainl/ deserves at least as much respect as an oak tree of equal age, nctwith". standing Ben Jonson's dictum on the subject. And this the Bo Couriys of Ireland have done. Michael Conrad de Courcy, thiritieth Lord J&ngtale, of Ringrone, in Ireland, has just died, a comparatively young man and unmarried, leaving his estate and his title to his cousin, Fitzroy de Courey, now thirty-first Lord Kinsale and Premier Baron of Ireland. No title in England or Scotland is of equal date nor any blood among the British peers, unless we are to except that of the Courtenays, Earls of Devon, whose actual peerage, however, is a thing of yesterday in comparison with the barony of Kinsale, granted. in 1181 to Do Courcy, Earl of Ulster, with the privilege, still possessed, by his descendants, of standing covered m the presence of the sovereign, after the first obeisance of homage made.

The 26th of Maygwill be a mournful one for the Catholics of Germany. One of their most celebrated leaders, whose name is, known, not only in Germany, but also in all circles in the Catholic world, has been called by the Atmighty to receive the reward for hi* firm undaunted defence of the rights of the Church, and his manly opposition to the progress of injustice and anti-Christian legislation. Hermann von Malliuckrodt was Councillor of the Regency until the year 1872, proprietor of the estate of Nordborchen, member of the German Reichsrath and the Prussian Landtag. He was bora on the sth February, 1821, at Minden ; he studied at Aix-la-Chapelle, Berlin, and Bonn, and died after a very short illness. He died as he lived, as a true and faithful Catholic, holding in one hand tho crucifix, the sign of Him for whom he spent his strength in the cause of Holy Church ; in the other hand the hand of his young wife, whom, he had only married on the 12th of February in the present year. Afflicted as if our father had left us, we Catholics stand beside the grave of one of the noblest, kindest, and justest of men ; and feel our trouble in these troublous times ; yet we bow our heads to the inscrutable decision of Him. who calls away His soldiers in the midst of tlid combat to repose in the peace of Paradise. There surely will rise from millions of Catholic hearts, who honored and loved the deceased, one earnest prayer to heaven, that the Almighty would grant him the> reward he merited of eternal rest.— Correspondent ' London Tablet.' In the bitter war against the Catholic Church, the Protestant government of the very Protestant State of Wurtemburg makes a refreshing exception. That all feelings of justices are not laid aside there, is shown by the recent proceedings for the erection of a Catho» lie Church at Tubingen. Government itself asked the Lower House for a grant of 107,000 florins for this purpose. The * Kolus-Volkszei-tung' remarks : " Not a quarter of our Parliament belongs to the Catholic Church, and in the Lower House the National- Liberals have the upper hand. From what they do everywhere against Catholics, and from the opposition of the Catholics in Wurtemburg during the last elections, we had every reason to fear that the money would bo refused, or only a smaller sum granted. A strong minority in the Finance Committee voted for only 65,000 florins, charged with burdenBorne conditions. But the result in the Houses was the grant of the whole sum, by sixty-three votes against eighteen. The eloquence of Canon v. Dannecker ,bad great effect. " You cannot," he said, ut the end of his speech, " refuse this grant without wounding the feelings of ; one-third of your fellow-citizens." Great applause followed bis Bpeech. Our good Bishop will rejoice at this news, which was telegraphed to him at Rottenburg. The response which our Catholic wishes and requirements have met with from our Government and our representatives, will cause joy to the Catholics of other States beside* our own." — Correspondent ' London Tablet.' The jGreymoutb Star ' thus neatly refers to a recent matrimonial venture :—": — " In another place wo announce the marriage of Mr Sale, formerly Commissioner at Hokitika, to n lady named Fortune. It is not surprising that a lady with such an attractive title should secure a ready Sale in the matrimonial market, and we sincerely congratulate the gentleman in having succeeded in reducing the number of Miss Fortunes that, alas, are too numerous in this world." • Figaro,' in speaking of Mr Bradlaugh's visit to Paris, announces that " Sir Bradlaugh, the famous English Republican," was pwsenfc at Monday's sitting of the French Chamber, and adds that the only thing which struck him was the number of times the president had to ring his bell to call the deputies to order. Sir 'Bradlaugh. is described in appearance as " every iuch a clergyman." ' The ' Irish Times ' of June ,sth, says :— " The Marquis of Sligo is, ia one respect at least, an interesting specimen of an Irish abaeutee. He is fifty-four years of age, and a member of the Traveller s Club. Georgo John Browne is not only Marquis of Sligo, but Earl of Altamont, Viscount Westport. and Baron Alounteagle— titles taken from the Irish localities. During the discussion of the .Gas Bill yesterday, one of the London lawyers thought he made a hib by saving that Lord Sligo, who was chairman of this committee, • had a great atfettioo for Sligo.' His lordship Beems to have thought that to be loved by his tenants in Sligo was anything but desirable. He exclaimed, ' I never was in Sligo ia my life,' which is, of course, true 3 but it 19 a shame it is true."