News of the Week.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VI, Issue 272, 19 July 1878, Page 14

News of the Week.

A Catholic Presbytery is in course of construction at Wanganui. It is being built on plans drawn up by tbe Rev. Father Kirk, who has chosen to be his own architect. The style selected is the perpendicular Gothic, and the rev. gentleman's taste and ingenuity are as worthy of commendation as is the energy with which he has worked to bring about the building of the handsome edifice referred to.

Mr. Henry Driver is a candidate to represent Roslyn in Parliament.

A Nelson paper makes some severe comments on cases of perjury, which it asserts frequently to occur in the Eesident Magistrate's Court in the town alluded to, but to be allowed to pass without notice being taken of them.

Sir George Grey is said to have expressed a belief that the moa still exists in the West Coast Banges.

Tawhiao is reported to have excited a good deal of admiration in Hamilton and other places visited by him. He is said to be a good looking fellow, of comparatively light complexion, and not tatoocd

Some of the copper ore from D'Urville Island has been smelted in Blenheim, and with excellent results.

A Qhinaman is deli vering lectures on his country in Victoria.

The settlers at Ohinemuri seem to be particularly unfortunate. The land turns out to be excessively bad and difficult of clearing for cultivation. There is, besides, hardly any market foi agricultural produce.

Curling has been established at Naseby, It has been kept up there so far during the season with much spirit. An expedition to New Guinea is being organised in Wellington. Some children at Alexandra have been severely injured by playing with gunpowder.

At the commencement of the present month the snow at Arthur's Pass on the road from Christchurch to Hokitika was nine feet in depth.

The settlement at Ormondville is said to be progressing rapidly.

There is an agreeable road between Greymouth and Reefton, on which a teamster lately travelling, or rather toiling to travel, with a four ton load and a team of eight horses, took a whole day to accomplish half-a-mile.

Certain of the Hawke's Bay newspapers appear very much put out on account of the way in which the Maoris are being dealt with at present. One of them says that the folk who were made so much of at Waitara were the perpetrators of the White Cliffs massacre or their accomplices. And another complains of the natives being rewarded for rebellion, and assisted to get back land which they have sold "honorably to a European." We can easily fancy that this latter fact is one most grievous to some people. It is a great pity, indeed, to interfere with such " honourable " bargains.

A miner at Coromandel has proved to be heir to a valuable property in London. "We believe in this instance the matter is bond fide.

Some blocks of marble from Milford Sound have been sent to Melbourne.

The Mokau natives are having a steamer built at Auckland for the purpose of trading on their river.

A strong gale at Onehunga lately blew an express off the wharf into the sea.

Mr. O'Malley of Wellington is the successful tenderer for the port contract of the Nelson and Foxhill railway. The amount of his tender is £6,229. Property at Dillmanstown is rising in value. £40,000 were said to be paid annually by the Imperial Government to pensioners resident in New Zealand.

Mr. J. C. Brown, M.H.E., addressing his constituents at Waitahuna, the other evening, spoke as follows on education :—": — " That he was not in love with the present system, because it must lead to an education tax, which would prove distasteful. While he did not think the State had anything to do with religious teaching, it became a serious question whether these bodies who, from conscientious reasons, would not send their children to State schools, should not receive some assistance, if they undertook to subject their schools to Government inspection, and that a certain number of scholars reached the State standard. He thought it right to tell them in what direction his opinions tended."

It is our painful duty to announce the very sudden death of one of the pioneers of the Teviot district, Mr. Patrick Rickards, which took place here on last Friday 12th July, while working at his claim on the Bank of the Molyneux. Mr. Rickards and his mate, named Borland, were working together when suddenly a fall of earth came down, almost covering in Rickards. Borland immediately ran to his assistance, but before any relief could be rendered another large slip came covering him beneath many tons of earth. Mr. RickaTds was highly respected here on account of his being of very agreeable and <*i 8( *1 habits, and a very industrious, hard- working man. He leaves a widow and f onr children to mourn his untimely end. Great sympathy is felt for Mrs Rickards. The funeral, which took place on Sunday, 14th inst., was the largest seen here. R.I.P. The annual report of the inspector of Schools at Nelson, speaks favourably of the Catholic schools. There was some falling off discernible in the boys' school, but it is stated to have been from "the high standard reached in former years." The female schools under the care of the nuns maintain their character, and the inspector in closing his report remarks as follows:— "It may, perhaps, be permitted to me to express my regret that the connection of these excellent schools with the public school system of the Nelson district is about to be severed." The educational requirements of the Oamaru district seem still far from provided for ; Duntroon is now the claimant. The Mail says : —"It is only right that the Government should be made aware of the circumstance that the new Act, so far from being effective, is promotive of ignorance, uDless School Committees adopt the plan of going round with the hat, or give concerts, to help them out of their difficulties » Alas for the stability of all human institutions ! Has secular, free, and compulsory really come to this 1 Considerable dissatisfaction seems to prevail at the Thames respecting the situation in which land has been purchased for a people's park. It is believed that it is to all intents and purposes a useless purchase. The proprietor of a saw-mill in Auckland has purchased from the natives, at the rate of 10s. per acre, a splendid block of excellent land covered with valuable kauri timber, and probably abounding in kauri gum.

We learn that the Catholic Church in Christchurch will be reopened and blessed by His Lordship, Dr. Redwood, on Sunday, 28th inst. The Re ,-. Father Hennebery will be present. Mr. A. H. Ross is announced as a candidate for the representation of Roslyn.