NEWS OF THE WEEK.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 186, 20 October 1876, Page 12

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

♦+ The numerous friends of Mr. John Dungan -will hear with great pleasure tbat he has been appointed to the editorship of the Oamaru ' Evening Mail,' vacant through the resignation of Mr. Frederick Humphries. Mr. Dungan has long been reckoned amongst the most able of colonial journalists, and lie is peculiarly fitted to conduct a newspaper whose staff is necessarily limited, as his resources are boundless, and the versatility of his genius renders him capable, in an eminent degree, of fulfiling all the duties required ; from admonishing a prime minister of the error of his ways, to detecting a flaw in the trills of a prima donna. For some time his agreeable style and sharp satirical touches were evident in the columns of this journal, and the articles penned by him go far in entitling our bound volumes to an honorable place on the shelves of various libraries. During his residence in Dunedin, Mr. Dungan succeeded in gaining for himself a large circle of friends, by whom his brilliant social qualities and high sense of honor were thoroughly appreciated ; and we are confident of being joined by very many in wishing him all success and happiness in his new sphere of duties. The Catholic Church in Barbadoes-street, Christchurch. was consecrated on the Bth inst. by the Most Rev. the Lord Bishop of "Wellington, assisted by the Rev. Fathers Chataigner, Chareyre, and Olaffy. The church is said to be extremely handsome, a, credit to those who assisted in its erection, and, above all, a fitting sanctuary for the celebration of the Divine mysteries. The collections made during the day amounted to over £200 " Selp praise is no praise." but unless we sound our own trumpet occasionally, we fear the instrument will become " out of tune and harsh." We must claim credit fov a certain amount of charitable reticence. We were in possession of the paragraph relating to Messrs. Moody and Sankey, which appeared in our last issue under the heading of " General News," for more than a month before we inserted it in our columns, and we only then published it because we found that the transaction alluded to was announced in the telegrams. We do not consider that our cause is made to shine the brighter by blackening the reputation of those who are opposed to us. Nor do we, at random, give circulation to every scandalous report that reaches us concerning them. Our faith supplies us with more honorable methods of warfare. A few weeks since the members of St. Joseph's Branch (H.A.C.8.5.) laid the foundation stone of a hall to meet in, by resolving that a sum of money, which was at the disposal of the members, should be constituted the nucleus of a Hall Fund. This action has been followed up by deciding to hold an open-air fete on the 9th. November, the proceeds of which are to be devoted to the above-named fund. The Society, -which is growing very rapidly, is beginning to feel the want of some permanent place in which to hold their meetings ; and we hope that the fete committee may be fortunate in their enterprise, which, judging from the great success of former undertakings of a similar nature, may be confidently anticipated, one tiling only being still a desideratum — viz., a fine day. The fete is to take place at Burnside, on the property of A. Kins, Esq., -who has kindly placed his beautiful estate at the disposal of the committee. We are informed that the most complete arrangements have been made with the officers of the railway department, who seem most anxious to do all in their power to assist in making the day a sreat success. Considering that the 9th is the first holiday of the season, and, as a rule, the most successful of all holidays, we may expect to see one of the largest gatherings, at what has been termed " Nature's Amphitheatre," that has taken place in Otago. The Internationalists, who lately held a congress at Bologna, propose to form a " new popular conscience "in Italy. The object of this party is to do away with all the decent restraints that bind society together, and reduce mankind generally to the condition of the lower animals. It will, therefore, be easily comprehensible that the state of mind they desire to propagate amongst the people, is akin to that described in a somewhat inelegant, though expressive, Irish proverb, as the " conscience of a pig in a potato garden." In the country to which we allude, the way has been duly paved for the accomplishment of the designs of the Socialists, for the corruption of morals there is spoken of os something almost incredible ; but, as yet, the principal evil has been conGned to the upper classes, in which the most gross depravity prevails, a necessary consequence of an immoral court and an unscrupulous government. However, it seems that measures are to be taken to extend the evil to the masses which are, as yet, comparativrly pure. Do those who aided in throwing Italy open to the " gospel . feel that fresh laurels are about to be added to their wreahhs ? Ix is very natural tint the people of England should be shocked at the accounts of tin* Turkish atrocities, not only because of their barbarity, but also because of their having been committed by a nation of ■whom they had learned to think favorably. The English people have, in a manner, been educated into thinking well of the Turks. Gibbon was a warm admirer of certain Mahommedan leaders, and Carlyle, in his Hero- Worship, loudly extols Mahomet ; and great writers sway the minds of those who study their works. It has also of late years been the fashion for travellers in the east to speak highly of the Tm-kish character, and although, they who are not natives of England I- now that there is no more unreliable a source of information than are English travellers, the nation to -which they belong is guided by their dicta. Moreover, during the Crimean war, the Turks, who had then no opportunity of showing their teeth, were favorites with the British soldiers, who bestowed upon them a kind of pet name — Bono Johnny, if we recollect aright — and all these things gained credit for them in England, and tinged the popular mind, so that it is not at all strange if their true nature was over-looked or misconceived. Clifford's Mirror of the World is well worthy of a much larger share of public patronage than has been accorded to it hitherto. The pictures' shown are photographs magnified to life size, so that the impression produced by witnessing them is almost identical

with that occasioned by a visit to the places represented. And places are not the only things exhibited. A number of exquisite statues are also put forward in every detail perfect, and distinctas if the rea,l marble were present. The Zoological Gardens, in London, are called into requisition as'well, and an additional interest ia added to the portraits of their denizens by the anecdotes related of ' them. In particular, some told of the snakes being of a nature to excite the envy of those of our Australian contemporaries, who, in the time of "big gooseberries," go in so tremendously for the serpent tribe. The 'Illustrated New Zealand Herald ' for October is one of the best numbers of that periodical that has appeared. The illustrations give a capital idea, of the vicissitudes of colonial life, from *\ the wild occupations of the aborigines to the festivities of the r fashionable residents in the cities. Persons contemplating a visit to the Kumara would do well toexercise caution in the matter, as the accounts from there continue anything but uniformly encouraging. In fact, for the present, the new gold-field appears to be completely over-crowded, and there seems but little chance of a man's bettering his condition by a move in that direction. An opinion seeras to bo gaining ground that it would be advisable to confine the music nerformed in Catholic churches to the Gregorian chanfc. The death of the Very Rev.fcDean O'Connell is announced with regret as welL by the Irish Protestant papers as by their Catholiccontemporaries, and the venerable ecclesiastic's long and honorablecareer of usefulness is commemorated respectfully by both. Mrss Abbott, the American prima donna, continues to makegood in her native land the reputation she gained at Covent Garden, during (he last London season. This lady was a protegee of thecelebrated Miss Kellogg, by whom Bhe was educated for the lyric stnge. She is said to have attracted the favorable notice of MdineNillson, whose salutation of her was strikingly business-like. "You can sing as well as I can. There aro golden ducats in your voice/* were the words in which the fair Swede is reported to have addressed the debutante at first sight. It is to be hoped that the latter will turn the gold produced by her vocal organ to as good account as does the lady who thus saluted her, and who is noted for her charities. We regret to say that we belong to that portion of the press of .Dunedin that has neglected to protest against the manifest injusticeof importing into New Zealand an Inspector of Prisons. Our negligence was owing not to indifference but to an inadvertence of which we confess ourselves a*hamod. We have all along held with those who condemn the absurdity and gross unfairness of superseding an officer of long standing and eminent merit, such as Mr. Coldwell. A step of this kind would go far, and very naturally so, towards discouraging colonial officials generally from seeking to rise beyond mediocrity, or doing more in fulfilling the duties of their office than common honesty demanded of them. We hear from a private source that the news of the death of the Rev. Father Petit-jean having reached Nelson, the Eev. Father Garin, on the Sunday following, announced from the pulpit to his congregation two Masses of .Requiem at which the faithful were invited to attend, and which were accordingly celebrated on Tuesday, 26th ult. la addressing the congregation, Father Garin said that as he had arrived in New Zealand twelve months ufter Father Petit-jean, he had the good fortune of being associated to the labors of so holy a priest, during the war of Heke, at the Bay of Islands, where he had an opportunity of appreciating his zeal and selfdenial in those hard times. He might, as an instance, mention how, in his first introduction among the Maoris, he had to learn from Father Petit-jean, whom he accompanied, how to travel barefooted through rough paths for five or six clays ; — times were bad, they had to spare their boots. On the Sunday Father Garin delivered a most appropriate sermon adapted to the circumstance, referring principally to the virtues not only of the public ministration but also of the private life of this truly zealous missionary, the Rev. Father Petit-jean. The Prince of "Wales Hotel, opened in Princes-street south on Wednesday last by Messrs Waters and Ryan, is an establishment in every way creditable to its enterprising proprietors. The building is spacious and convenient, and it has been fitted up in a style that speaks for itself. Apparently all other considerations have been sacrificed to that of the comfort of those penons who may be fortunate enough to frequent the house during the long and successful career that has evidently commenced for it. In addition to the many internal advantages enjoyed by the hotel in question, the salubrity of the situation it occupies has been insured by the improvements that are now being carried out in the street wliere it is located ; and, in short, it possesses all the excellencies elsewhere to be found, with several others peculiar to itself, to recommend it to public patronage. The Rev. J. Donovan has beeii removed to Dunedin, and the Rev. W. Coleman to Oamaru.