NEWS OF THE WEEK.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 113, 26 June 1875, Page 11

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

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Wi observe from our Australian files that steps are about to be taken in both. Melbourne and Sydney for celebrating in a fitting manner the centenary of Ireland's Liberator. The name of O'Connell, like that of the Apostle of Temperance, Father Matthew, is dear to Irishmen without distinction of creed. His labours and philanthropic efforts were confined to no creed or colour, and his powerful voice was uplifted with the same earnest and passionate eloquence in behalf of the poor slave as for his fettered countrymen. Every year our Scottish fellow-colonists meet together to do honour to one whose genius shed immortal glory on Caledonia's name, and the sympathies of a community are ever with, the praiseworthy object of honouring the illustrious dead. The time is drawing on ; in but a few weeks the 6th of August will be upon us, and it is to be hoped that Irishmen throughout the colouy will lose no time in inaugurating some celebration in honour of the man whose labours in the cause of freedom were of a lifetime duration, and whose name alone sheds lustre on the land of his birth. We have been shown a literary curiosity, which has been in the possession of a gentleman of this town for the past quarter of a, century. It is the first and only number of "The Irishman," which was published in Dublin on 10th June, 1848, by the late John Mitchell. There never appeared a second issue, as the Castle authorities not approving of the doctrines enunciated, caused the plant and presses to be seized, and the office to be taken possession of by the police, ere a second number had time to make its appearance. The paper though but of small size, being issued at one penny, makes up in quality what it lacks in quantity. It contains a likeness of Mr. Mitchell, and also a biography of the same gentleman, whilst the leading columns are evidently written by a f earlees pen. The half-yearly meeting of the Juvenile Contingent of the Hibernian Society was held on Monday evening last, in the rooms of the Association, at which the election of office-bearers for the ensuing six months took place with the following results :—President, Bro. D. Heffernanj Vice-President, Bro. A. Corrigan; Secretary, Bro. John Harris ; "Warden, Bro. W. Cantwell. For the office of G-uardian, the election for which wiE take place on next night of meeting, three candidates were proposed, Brothers Williamson, Murphy, and. Carroll. E. Carroll was initiated into the order, and it was resolved that the members of the Contingent should receive the Holy Sacrament in a body on Sunday the 4th proximo. We arc unavoidably compelled to hold over a most interesting tale which we had intended to commence in this issue. • It is entitled " Florence O'Neill, the Hose of St. Q-ermain's ; or, the Seige of Limerick," and is by a well-known authoress. The story, which treats of the times of the Revolution of 1688, has been published in America in both magazine and bookform, aud being founded on historical facts cannot fail to be instructive as well as amusing. Still another addition to the number of lodges in connection with the Hibernian Society. We understand that arrangements have been made to open a branch of the Association at Akaroa. We are not at this moment able to give the exact number of lodges at present open in the colony, but the manner in which the Order has spread itself throughout New Zealand during the past few years is almost without precedent. Considerable discussion has arisen at home in the efforts being made with regard to the establishment of a Celtic Chair at Edinburgh, in the course of which not a few mistatements have been made. One gentleman in speaking of -the number of monuments and antiquities with Celtic inscriptions to be found in Ireland, expressed a regret that they were unable to be deciphered through the absence of Celtic scholars. The speaker had evidently been oblivious of the existence of such men as O'Donovan, Curry, and Professor O'Looney. An interesting lecture delivered by the latter gentleman will be found in another column, and possibly will possess more than ordinary interest at the present time. On Ait that the conduct of a prominent member of the Provincial Council, who is an equally prominent member of the LO.GvT., is to be made the subject of strict investigation by the latter body. The grave delictum with which he is charged occurred while proposing a vote of thanks at a recent lecture, and consists in the recommendation of, and the highly eulogistic manner in which he dilated upon, the many excellent qualities of Stout. The very arduous feat of walking 100 miles in twenty-four hours was accomplished on last Saturday at the Drill-shed, by as well-known pedestrian named Edwards. The task appears to have-

"been got through tinder considerable difficulties, the last score of miles being performed when the feet of the walker were cut up in a fearful nianner, and he required strong doses of brandy during the last few miles to keep up the stimulus. Notwithstanding this drawback, however, he gamely struggled through to the end, and came in a winner with time to spare. As Edwards made stoppages to the extent of four hours, his speed averaged five miles per hour during the twenty hours in which he was engaged. "We learn that the same feat will soon be attempted by a lad 14 years of age, named Scott, and those who are in a position to know of his capabilities are pretty confident of the boy being able to walk the distance in the stated time. If self-praise be no recommendation, the utterances of the 'Cookstown Herald,' grandiloquent though they be, must be received cum grano salis. Our readers have no doubt read the fable of the frog that distended its body to the size of a bull, and the lamentable consequences thereof, a fate, we fear, destined for the comnmnity so glowingly eulogised in the "following strain : — " No •wonder we are loud in our encomiums — we stand in the Present looking down the aisles of the temple of Futurity, the same as did the founders of Rome, London, Paris, New York, Melbourne, and Sydney — we see nought to regretj though experiencing much depression on discovering that language fails us in the delineations of the vista before us. There is nothing Etitopian about it, the realities already realized in such a short space of time, are all too solid in their component parts to be confounded with the phantasy of an incongruous chimera." The King of Burmah is going to publish a newspaper, and those of his subjects who decline to subscribe to it are to be beheaded. A short time ago his Majesty gave notice that he wanted a competent English editor, with Anglo-Indian experience of journalism, to whom a thousand rupees a month would bo paid. He added that he would only make one stipulation — namely, that the editor shotild pledge himself to follow with constant approval the Hue of policy adopted by the Court, that nothing displeasing to his Majesty should ever appear in the journal, and that in the case of the rules being infringed the editor should beforehand sanction his liability to receive immediately five hundred strokes on the sole of the foot with the " sluckkak wukk" — whatever that may mean ! The capital of the Burmese Empire is still in want of a newspaper.