NEWS OF THE WEEK.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 91, 23 January 1875, Page 6

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

Gband Pontifical High Mass was celebrated at St. Joseph's Church on last Sunday, at which the Most Eev. Dr. Moran bestowed the .Papal Benediction. His Lordship was the Celebrant; the Vicar-General, Assistant Priest; Father Carolan, Deacon ; Father a.enoe, bub-Deacon ; the Eev. Thomas Higgins acting as Master of Ceremonies. The latter gentleman also delivered an able and impressive sermon on .the occasion. In the evening his Lordship preached from the Gospel of the day— the Marriage Feast at Cana— in the course of which, while denouncing the abuse of spirituous liquors, he took exception to the course pursued by some in their fanatical zeal for total abstinence, and remarked that while no one had a, greater horror of the vice of drunkenness than he had, vet the teaching and example of our Blessed Lord were opposed to the rigid exclusion of all vinous liquors. One of the priests of Dunedin^visits the Taieri the fourth Sunday of every month, and says Mass, &c., in the chapel of the Immaculate Conception there. We have Deen requested to make thif» announcement, and also to say that on next Sunday a clergyman mil celebrate Mass, &c, in the Taieri. We regret that pressure upon our space will not allow us to more than mention the very successful celebration of the anniversary of the opening of the Charleston Branch of the Hibernian Society, which took place on New Year's Day. The local journal devotes two columns to a report of the proceedings, the celebration taking the shape of a supper, at which several able speeches were delivered in praise of Faith and Fatherland. The parents and friends of the children attending the Catholic school at Arrowtown assembled in the schoolroom on Saturday the 9th instant, for the purpose of presenting the late teacher, Miss Jtate Carden, with a substantial token of esteem and regard prior to her departure from the district. Miss Carden, although but a short time resident at Arrowtown, has won the good will and esteem of all sections, and, on her removal to Invercargill, Miss Norah Crowley was deputed, on behalf of the pupils, to present her with a handsome gold watch and chain, and an address, which will be iound in our advertising columns. We have to acknowledge the receipt of ' The Illustrated New Zealand Herald' for January, the illustrations of which are fully equal to preceding issues, both in point of number and execution, flew Zealand is represented by a view of the capital of Hawkes .bay, Napier, and a portrait of the notorious Sullivan. The illustrations are twelve in number, including two admirably executed page-cuts. We observe, also, that the 'Herald' has been permanently reduced to 6d, a proceeding which, no doubt, will materially add to the patronage it so richly deserves. Mb Eobt. A. Lou&hnan, who for many months discharged the duties of Secretary to the New Zealand Tablet Company, we regret to say has severed his connection with this journal. Mr .Loughnan has been identified with the Tablet since its starting," and not a little of the success which has attended its career has been owing to his earnest labors on its behalf. Mr Loughnan assumes a responsible position on the staff of the 'Lyttelton Times/ and we are quite sure that his friends— and they are legion— will join with us in wishing him every success in his new sphere of labor. • A melancholy accident, resulting in fatal consequences, took place on Sunday last. An express, which was conveying Miss Jennie Anderson, the magicienne, and the properties belonging to the troupe, lupset in crossing the Waitaki, and although Miss Anderson was twice on the point of rescue, on each occasion her clothing, when grasped, gave way, and she was unfortunately drowned. It is somewhat singular that, although not twenty years of age. Miss Anderson had a narrow escape some years ago from drowninp, while bathing at Auckland. After being rescued with some dimculty, she was examined by a medical man, who pronounced hfe to be extinct; but, by the untiring exertions of some ladies, she afterwards recovered, although she remained unconscious for three or four days. n M ? nda y> the 4th instant, the children attending the Catholic School in Cromwell, under the tutelage of Miss Brownlee, were treated to a picnic. The place chosen for the affair was the Five-mile Creek, between Cromwell and Mr Loughnan's station. 1 hither the children were conveyed in vehicles during the forenoon, and a considerable number of adults accompanied them, as also did the Eevs. Father Mackay and Father Moore, under whcsi direction and superintendence the picnic was originated and carried out. Several hours (says the ' Argus') were spent very pleasantly in games and all manner of fun and diversion, the youngsters enjoying themselves most thoroughly. Everything passed off gleefully and agreeably, and nothing whatever— if a dusty ride home be excepted^-occurred to mar the day's sport. The adults, also, found no slight enjoyment in the day's outing, and in looking on at the youngsters' games and fun. Sib Fbancis Dillon Bell, Speaker of the House of Representatives, has declined to allow the Chamber of that body to be used for the purpose of a ball to the Marquis of Normaney, given by the citizens of Wellington. ° J * W « £*?* r ® ceiTed P°*& the agent, Mr T. Wheeler, of Stafford street, Cobbi s Box," being a collection of admirably-written colonial tales, by Mr E. P. Whitworth. The author's name is so widely known throughout New Z»aland and the neighboring colonies as a writer of colonial fiction, that any work from his pen will ensure a welcome re-^ caption. 'Cobb's Box" contains a number cf capitally-told yarns- of JNew-Zeatond and Australian life and incidents, and, owing to. the variety of scenes introduced to the reader, they are sure to possess, as it were, a local interest, no matter in what district they may be perused. ' *

Some time ago Bishop Moran purchased an oil painting, representing scenery in the Valley of the Leith, near Dunedin, from Mr Power, hy whom it was executed, and sent it to London, for transmission to a friend at the Cape of G-ood Hope, By last mail his Lordship received the following testimony as to its excellence from one well able to judge of its merits : — " Let me begin by thanking you over and over again for the gem you hare sent us. All who have seen it, who understand anything about painting, agree it is beautifully executed, and the prettiest scene they have ever seen executed on canvas. Dr. A. was in exstacies, so nicely is it finished, and so good^is the aerial perspective." * The Auckland correspondent of our evening 'contemporary sends the following : — " The ' Star,' alluding to the address occupying five columns in the ' Herald,' and purporting to be a speech to his constituents delivered by Mr Munro, M.H.R., who is known in the House as the ' silent member,' says : — ' Mr Munro never utter a word of the speech published in his name. We will guarantee that it is an imposition on the public, and that he never delivered the address, except to the 'Herald' office. He did try one once at Wangarei ; that is, he got up, and instead of speaking, or trying to, sounded one long continuous growl that sent his audience into fits of laughter. He sat down without being able to say one word, yet the next week his address filled a page in the ' Herald.' The speech was then much commented on by Southern Press, and this exposure of the way it was attempted to be delivered in small country districts, ninety miles.from Auckland, is regarded as a rich joke.' " ' In reference to the frightful {calamity that his overtaken the emigrant ship Cospatrick, as related in our English telegrams, we are informed (says the Napier ' Telegraph') by Dr. J. T. Dale, who lately arrived here as medical officer in charge of the Bebington, that he, before leaving England, had been appointed to the ill-fated vessel, which was then laid on for Napier. Some objections, however, w-ere made to the Cospatrick by the Emigration Officers, and that ship had to be docked and repaired, while the intending passengers by her, 450 in number, were transferred to the Helen Denny and Bebington. In this case we have another instance of the curious vicissitudes of life : Dr. Dale, and the immigrants who lately landed in sound health, humanly speaking, have wonderfully escaped from the most fearful horrors — a ship on fire at s?a. The loss of the Cospatrick is the first misfortune that has occurred to a New Zealand immigrant ship, and ■we sincerely trust it will be the last.