WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VIII, Issue 414, 18 March 1881, Page 15

WELLINGTON.

/'From out own Correspondent.) March 14th, 1881. The transposition of a period has made * sad mess of the address to Father Coffey published in my letter last week. It shonld read thus: " Dear Father Coffey, — On behalf of your numerous friends and fellow-countrymen in this city, we desire to congratulate you on the mark of confidence and appreciation which the administrator of the diocese has conferred upon you in appointing yon to the spiritual charge of the palish of Ashburton. As a slight token of respect and esteem we beg to offer you this purse and contents. Out of consideration for your deep spirit of humility, we omit all those praises which are usually introduced into an address of this kind. Be assured that you carry with you our warmest regards, that we shall ever be glad to hear of your well-being, and that whatever friends you may hereafter make, thers will be none more sincere than those who, with feelings of deep respect, now bid you forewell — Alex. P. Burns, chairman ; Jno. O'Meara, Patk. Sheridan, S. W. Green, Patk. Redmond, Jas. Madden, Richd. Duignan, J. P. McAliiter, committee. Again, I did not suggest that the N. Z. University should teach geology, as that is taught in the primajy schools, hut I suggested it should teach the elements of geography, which the primary schools appear to think beneath their attention. Since I last wrote the Asylum Superintendent has been "relieved " of his duties pending the report of the Commissioners, but Mr. Woodward has not been " relieved " of his seat on the Commission, and surely one thing is as necessary as the other. Meantime the inquiry drags its slow length along. The reported discovery of valuable gold reefs at Terrawhiti has i not been confirmed jet. The companies to work the reefs seem to be hanging fire in formation somehow. Mr. W. W. Johnston's taking office is no news now. Ido not think it will make any difference to us Catholics on education matters. In fact, E think wo lose an advocate, for he will, as a Minister, be muzzled. A few people say that the Ministry are, perhaps, about to abandon the present costly and useless system of education, but that is unlikely. We have not come to the end of our credit yet, and we are still prepared to spend £500,000 a year of other people's money in pelting boys who can't spell with higher mathematics, and surfeiting girls who can't read with botany. The. whole receipts from the Property Tax: won't half pay the expense of this pretentious and useless imposture. The present double harbour authority here causes inconvenience. The Corporation have control of the old or Queen's Wharf, while the Harbour Board manage the new Railway Wharf. The Board offer £64,000 for the Queea's Wharf, but the Corporation want £70,000. It is to he hoped a speedy settlement mil be arrived at. I see you complain of a noisome smell from Dunedin Harbour. If you walk along the road from Wellington to Hutt yon will pass some miles of smells, and the bye roads through the deep valleys at Kaiwarra and Nghamanga are almost unendurable. The fellmongers pollute the streams at their sweet mill, and every pool and eddy has a festering sheepskin or two, while along the shore the skins are washed in heaps. The gulls circle round the horrid mass with hoarse orj, and the smell may be cut with a knife. The only joke we have this week is, as usual, provided unwittingly by the Nero Zealand, Timet. A letter appeared praising the editor for calling attention the the alleged grievances at Wellington sad Christchurch Lunatic Asylums (which, by the way, the Times did not do in the first case till it knew the inquiry was to be held, and in the second case did not do at all). Of course a laudatory letter went in without scenting, and the following appeared : "If newspapers generally would prove (sic) social sores as you do." . . . " The Japanese have a proverb Todii Threynac si na." The Japanese proverb being simply the now familiar phrase " Chantrey is an idiot."