NEWS OF THE WEEK.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 75, 3 October 1874, Page 6

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

Ihe Wellington 'Tribune' in- contradicting the statement that MrKennaway, of Christcliurch, had been appointed to the post of Secretary to the Agent-General, falls into a grave error in giving the antecedents of the gentleman who has been temporarily appointed to timtoihee. It says:— "There is no truth in the statement that MiJvennawuy, of Chmtchurch, lias been appointed Secretary to the Agent-General. The successor to Dr Walter Buller in this office is Mr Cashel lioey, who is known in colonial circles, and went Home irom Melbourne with the Agent-Genera! of Victoria. He is perhaps better known, however (if we may use an Irishism in connection with an Irishman), as the husband of his wife, the celebrated novelist Mrs Oashel Hoey." Perhaps the ' Tribune' will be somewhat surprised to learn that Mr John Cashel Hoey has never been in Victoria or any other Colony, and consequently its statement with regard to his going JdLome witli the Agent-general of Victoria is altogether a mistake Mr lloey was associated with Sir Charles Duffy on the ' Nation,' hold, nig a small interest in the paper, but on Sir Charles emigrating to >ictoria, ho became chief editor and part proprietor, in conjunction with Mr A. M. Sullivan, its present owner, and one of the members tor liouth. Many years since Mr Hoey, having been admitted to the .Bar, resigned his editorial position, and having married a widow lady named Stewart, a constant contributor to the ' Nation,' and now the celebrated authoress, he migrated to London, of which city he has been a resident ever since.

Fob the second time, through the inclemency of the weather the. entertainment in aid of the Port Chalmers Church, had to bo postponed. As a most attractive item in the programme is the Moonlight Excursion, and as having the trip without being illumined by "the "moons pale lamp" would be somowhat like playing "Hamlet" with: the part of the melancholy Dane excised, it has been a matter of necessity that the further postponement shall be to such a date as tosecure that most necessary accessary, and with a hope that tlie elements will be then more propitious. It may also be stated that tlie holders of tickets will not suffer any loss by the delay, as it has been decided tlitit, taking advantage of the extension of time at command, the committee will furnish an improved programme. As it has been, arranged that the entertainment should be postponed for a month, holders of tickets and others will receive through advertisement ample intimation of the date on which it will bo carried out.

lub project of connecting Dunedin with the Peninsula and Ocean Beai;h by railway is not to be allowed to slumber. The j>r - ospectus of the company appears in our advertising columns, and from, tlie long list of influential names on the Provisional Committee small doubt should exist of the matter being brought to a successful issue. It is proposed to commence near the crossing of the Clutha line at the Anderson's Bay road making- use of the Dunedin portion of tlmfc line until the Company deem tkoiaselves in a position to construct a. separate one for their own use. The Government recognising the benefits arising from the . ndorlaking have made most liberal concessions mits favor, giving all public lands required for the construction, of the lino, including the land for a terminus at Dunedin, and also offering to work the lino with its rolling stock on fair and reasonable teams. The Forbury Branch will pass the Racecourse and terminate near the Forbury road, and there can be little doubt that the receipts to be derived from the pat singer traffic will pay a good percentage on. the outlay.

Tub tempestuous -weather which has been experienced during the .'a?t week appears not to have been confined to Dunedin alone. From all parts ot the colony reports Ixare been received of destruction of property and the imminent danger of life. Every town throughout the

province wms to have felt the effects of the storm in a greater or leaser rlotrreo, but its effect seems to have been moro^serious at Greytown Dr. i elsewhere. A telegram from that place on Tuesday says: — " TLj flood covered Greytown again yostordny, Mr O'Mcara's house ■was carried away altogether, but the family and f rniture had been previously removed." Miles of fencing hnvc been destroyed near Masterton, and there has beon a great loss of cattle and sheep throughout the district. An attempt was made to carry the Wellington mails through Abbot's creek in a trap, but the mails were lost and the driver nearly drowned. On Wednesday the Commissioner of Police received a telegram from Oamaru stating that a man named JohStandish had beon lost while attempting to cross the Wairoka Rhcr ■with a dray and horses. The efforts of Mr J. A. Eoardon, townrds the establishment of a Branch of the Hibernian Society at Napier, have not been allowed to pass without recognition. From the ' Daily Telegraph,' we learn that Mr Beardon had been entertained at a complimentary dinner by the Association, on Thursday, the 24th ult. On Tuesday evening, the employes of the Telegraph Department entertained Mr F. J. Bunny at a complimentary supper, prior to his removal from Dunedin. Upwards of thirty gentlemen were present ; the chair being occupied by Mr Muir, the vice chair being filled by Mr J. Allan. A number of toasts were proposed and responded to, the principle one, however, being " Our Guest," which was drunk with three times three. The chairman expatiated in most eulogistic terms on the sterling qualities and gentlemanly conduct of Mr Bunny, and bore testimony to his business capacity as an officer. Although every one would be pleased at the change of position wliich caused Mr Bunny's removal to St. Bathans, still it was a matter of regret that it should compel a severance of that friendly connection which had so long existed. Mr Bunny responded in suitable terms, and expressed his proud satisfaction at being able to say that, while he had made troops of friends, he was not conscious of having created a single enemy — at least, there was not a person whom he deemed as such. The entertainment was prepared by Mr John Hnydon, of the Star and Garter, and reflected groat credit on his ability as a caterer. According to report, the commercial and literary heads of the * Guardian' are to be pitted against each other in the contest for the seat rendered vacant in the Provincial Council for Mount Ida, by the resignation of Mr Oliver. A third candidate is also announced in the person of Mr Armstrong. At the departure of the Juno mail, nn opinion was prevalent that the vacant See of Cloyne would be offered to Dr. Crooke. A paragraph in the ' Cork Examiner' states that his lordship received, and accepted, the appointment. Although there is every probability of the statement being correct, the clergy of the diocese have not as yet had any intimation to that effect. Under the hoadingof "A Deserted Infant," the 'Border Watch' lias the following significant, but quietly sarcastic rap at the Victorian .system of education and its author, the present Mr Justice Stephen. Mr Stephen held the position of Attorney-General and Minister of Education — in which latter capacity he introduced the Bill — but, ■when a vacancy occurred in the Supreme Court he followed the example of another Law Minister in a neighboring colony, and appointed himself to fill the vacancy. This is how the ' Watch' mildly refers to the circumstance :—": — " The other clay an infant was found in a street in Melbourne rolled up in a copy of the '.Age,' with a paper beside it on wliich was written, ' The name of this infant is Free Education ; be kind to it, for it will not live long.' The polico, on seeing the child, recognised it at once, and declared that they had had n good deal of trouble with it already, and expected a good deal more. Its father, they said was a sailor man named Stephen, who had recently deserted from a ship called the Viceroy." The Lakes correspondent of the ' Lunstan Times' thus chronicles the advent of a third legal luminary at Qiieenstown :—": — " You might scarcely credit the fact, but a third real live lawyer has settled down to business in Quecnstown. Such an event during a most unparalleled season of commercial depression, and when so many people arc leaving the district, looks ominous. We must either be in a state of transilu from bad to worse, or from worse to better. Perhaps the old fable is about to be realised, that " when something falls to pieces somebody must make something by picking up the bits." The legnl gentleman in question is Mr H. J. Finn, brother to Mr Finn, a distinguished Victorian barrister, and well known on Ballarat and Ingle--vvood.and who, in all probability, will shortly be clevateJl to the Judicial Bench. Mr Finn once contested the Avoca election, in company with the Hon. the Premier of Sow Zealand. Mr H. J. Finn comes of a very clever family, and there can be but little doubt but tliat a large share of the legal business of this district will fall to lus share. There should exist an opening for a good mining lawyer." Ox arrival of the barque Oneca at Port Chalmers from New York, the second mate was handed over to the custody of the police, on the ohargo of causing the death of one of the crew during the voyage. It appears that on the 17th ult. one of the seamen, named John Green, was reported to the master as having been lost overboard, but circumstances have since transpired which go to prove that his death •was caused by the mate. One of the crow states that; while Green was ascending the rigging the mate struck him violently with an iron belaying pin, when uttering a shriek for mercy he loosed his hold, and fell overboard. The prisoner is detained in irons on board the vessel, the ship being under the American flag, and the crime having been committed in neutral waters ; but on arrival of Mr Driver, the American Consul, from Wellington, the case will be proceeded with. Meanwhile the Port police keep watch-and-watch over the prisoner. The deceased was a native of the North of Ireland, and thirty-eight years of age. The remains of a man in a frightfully decomposed state were found lying on the beach at Observation Point, on Monday, by some fishermen. Indeed in such a mutilated condition was the body that ivcre it not for the clothing, there is but, little doubt the limbs woidd

not have held together. Although ovidontly in the water for a considerable time, the clothing, which is of good quality, was in'a fair state of preservation. It was at first supposed' that the body was that of one of the four men drowned by the upsetting of the boat on the 24th of May last, and which has never since beon roeoverod. It ha 3, however, boon recognised as the body of James Smith, who deserted from the ship Corona, on the 30th of June, by swimming ashore. Deceased was a native of Liverpool, twenty-four years of age. On Sunday, the 20th ult., the new Catholic Chapel, at the Kanieri, completed a few weeks since, was formally opened with High Mass, the Rev. Father Martin being the celebrant. The attendance was large, the edifice being filled to overflowing. Among those present not a few had come from the Blue Spur, and from Hokitika to do honor to the event. The choir who did duty on the occasion was that of St. Mary's, Hokitika, (says the 'Loader'), and the musical portion of the ceremony entrusted to them was rendered with due effect and solemnity. If wo might single out one portion of the choir's porformance which struck us as particularly sweet and appropriate, it was the duet, " O Jesu mi," sung as an Offertorium, by the Misses Fitzsimmons. The chapel is dedicated to St. Joseph, but its consecration is necessarily deferred until Bishop Kcdwood, who is expected in a few weeks from England, has arrived. The dimensions of the building, though not largo, are quite adequate to meet the requirements of the district ; while the taste, appropriateness, and completeness displayed, more especially in the interior of the structure, reflect much credit on the architect, Mi* Thomas Cook, of Gibson's Quay, who, if we are rightly informed, gave his services gratuitously. A fine oil painting, of large size, representing the Holy Family, and said to have been presented by Father Martin, appropriately graces the back of the altar of a chapel dedicated to St. Joseph. This new addition to the places of worship on the Kanieri, while supplying a want much needed, testifies to the confidence that is felt in the stability of that district, as well as to the attention to the spiritual requirements of those who reside in it.