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New Zealand Tablet, Volume VIII, Issue 415, 25 March 1881, Page 13

The Government of the United States have claimed tke surrender by the British Government of Mr. Michael Boyton, who is an American citizen, and who was the first member of the Land League arrested under the Coercion Act. Mr. Boyton is also a distinguished engineer, and holds a, foreign decoration conferred upon him for services performed abroad in the prosecution of his profession. Clouds begin to gather once more on the European horizon. Not only is it almost certain that hostilities must immediately occur between Greece and Turkey, but it has already been announced that the accession of Cear Alexander IU. must lead to a speedy settlement of the Eastern Question, and this can hardly be accomplished peace* fully. The semi-offi-ial journal of the German Government, more* over, attacks M. Gatnbetta, and declares that his prominence in France betrays a warlike disposition on the part of that country— the truth being most probably that Bismarck judges thejtime close at hand for a f resh campaign. Mb. PaS-NETX is at present in Ireland, and it is said, his abaenoo from his place in Parliament is occasioning surprise. We ar<', however, inclined to believe that the party he leads have sufficient confidence in him to judge that his movements are undertaken with due consideration and directed to some profitable end. Mr. Gladstone announces the introduction of the Land Billfor April 7. On the following d»y the House will adjourn for tine Baiter recess. It

will be remembered that the Premier passed his word a month or two agro that the Bill should hare been passed before Easter, but it is in such a manner that faith ha 9 always been kept with regard to measures for the benefit of Ireland, and we 6ee only an additional instance of the Teckless want of truth that prevails in this respect. No man in the British Parliament, whatever may be his position, 01 his character, need be ashamed to tell a falsehood concerning Irish affairs, for he knows that nothing else is expected of him, and that he will be amply supported and justified. Our exceedingly honest friend, M. de Molinari, writes in the Dthatft declaring that the Land Act of '70 hindered the satisfactory settlement of matters about to be made in Ireland by inducing numerous people, who would otherwise have emigrated, to remain in the country. M. de Mohnari might add, and the people in whose pay he evidently is, if they wore to tell the whole truth, probably would add, a regret that the large subscription made last year for the famine stricken peasants had also militated against a satisfactory arrangement of things, by keeping many people alive to attend land meetings and remonstrate against eviction and savagery in general. Emigration and death are the two cures for the ills of Ireland, which meet the requirements of the landlords and their advocates, and as. to which of the two obtains we may conclude them to be, in a great degree, indifferent. However the people go, they are well gone. Mb. West's New Zealand Annual, published in Dunedin, contains a vrry choice selection of dancing music, and will prove a valuable acquisition to all lovers of a merry strain. The Communists of Paris, under the leadership of M. Felix Pyat, have adopted the cause of the Boers and intend to petition the English people on their behalf. The matter, however, bids fair to be arranged without their intervention. Popular feeling at Home in Europe, backed up forcibly by 6harp shooting in South Africa, has inclined the Government to be lenient, and a royal commission is to be appointed immediately to settle affairs in the Transvaal. Meantime the Boer forces are to be disbanded. This "little war," then, is over ; but whether is Her Most Gracious Majesty or Paul Kruger to ■wear the laurel wreath ? It seems a curious coincidence that Dr. Skae also has an, objection to newspapers. He gave it as his reason, the other day, for appointing Whitelaw to the "Wellington Asylum rather than advertising for a man to fill the place that he was afraid, amongst the rest, l«st some " newspaper pet" should obtain the position. The Press is a very inconvenient institution indeed, in the eyes of officials of a certain class. For the present, however, we refrain from farther remarks on anything touching the inquiry now taking place at "Wellington, but we shall most probably return to the subject when the investigation in question has terminated. The Bill for the prohibition of carrying arms in Ireland has passed th« Commons and been sent up to the Lords. Their lordships will certainly expedite it with all celerity. There is, in fact, sound reason to believe that they would without hesitation and at headlong speed do their best to perfect a measure to hane every tenth Irish peasant at lea6t, and all their advocates, right off and no questions asked. We are inclined to hope that the fury now shown by them marks the dying convulsions of a cumbersome Chamber. Hereditary legislators are surely an anachronism at the present day, and those others associated with them seem to partake fully cf their imbecility and bigotry. As a specimen of the candid and enlightened writing; of the Saturday Revieiv on the Irish question we select the following : The picture of Mr. Parnell inciting to murder and outrage by refusing to open his lips in the way of advocating them is remaikably fine. It reminds us of Racine's Nero with his silence farovche from which everyone wanted to scamper away. It is, nevertheless, a little amusing to find this chief of satirists obliged to take refuge in inuendo like some nervous old lady shaking her head to indicate horrors that are too intense or too »ague for her to express. "We may add that the reviewer relied when he wrote this article on the proofs to be produced by Attorney-General Law in convicting Mr. Parnell's associates of all the " allusions " he mentions, but as the AttorneyGeneral failed to do this, the paragraph fails in its conclusion*. Here it is :—": — " Mr. Parnell, as most people know, has refrained {t rom what motive we need not pause to inquire) from direct incitement to violence, and even from the cheerful allusions to pills, ropeslengths, and so forth, which some of his lieutenants have allowed themselves. He has sat by or stood by and listened, but that is all." His Lordship the Bishop of Wellington arrived in Melbourne from Europe by the Suez mail steamer, and has left for this colony by the s.s. Tararua, which set sail on Tuesday evening, via, Hobart. His Lordship, therefore, will probably reach Dunedin on Tuesday next. The Dominican Bisters inform ns that there still remain at the Convent some of the prizes won in the late art-union. The Sisters are desirous that they should be claimed as early as possible. We may add that the art-union, everything considered, was a success. A sum of. over £400 was realised by it, and this has enabled the community to clear off th,e amount remaining due on the portion of their-

convent which has V»een erected. There still, however, are the chapel and the wing, intended for class-rooms and dormitories in connection with the schools, to build, and in some little time it will be necessary for the Sisters to endeavour to raise funds in aid of this object. We have read with pleasure in the Melbourne Argns of the 10th the account of the eminent success of a young gentleman from. Timaru, Canterbury, at the recent February matriculation examination at the Melbourne University. From all the colleges in Victoria the only scholar who passed the matriculation examination with credit was Denis Francis Gerity of St. Francis Xavier'a College, Kew. The names of two of his school-fellows from the same college also appear in the list as having passed the examinations, obtaining between them four "wells." Mr. Gerity, we may add, is nearly related to our respected fellow -colonist, Mr. Tliomas O'Driscoll. During the week a conference of the rev. clergy of the diocese has been held in Dunedin. All the clergy of Otago and Southland have been in attendance at it. We have recivcd a pamphlet, entitled " Ireland : a Historical Sketch explanatory of he Past and Present Condition of the Country,"' by the Rev\ Robert McKinney, Auckland. We shall notice it at length in our next issue. The official ca-talogue of the exhibits in the Melbourne International Exhibition contains an accurate de&cription if the matters in question, and gives a good idea of the extent and importance of the undertaking. It has been arranged that His Lordship the Bishop of the Diocese is to leave Dunedin for Europe on Apnl 21st. The Hon. Major Atkinson is reported to "have spoken as follows, on Monday night in bis address at Patea, respecting the education question :—": — " With regard to a change in the system, he had always been in favour of limited denomi nationalism, and had always thought that the Catholics had special right to sonic special concession. He, however, did not want to be misunderstood, and would say distinctly that it would be unwise at the present time to alter in any wa7 the present Act. It must remain as at present until after the elections had shown the views of the country on the subject." If this has any meaning, it means only that Major Atkinson is still resolved, as it now seems he was at the time of the introduction and passing ot the famous Bowen Bill under his Premiership, to sacrifice his views of justice to expediency. He believed, and still believes, i he tells us, that Catholics should by right obtain concessions in the matter in question, but, as he opposed their rights at the period I alluded -to, so he is still prepared to oppose them in the future, if it suits hi* purpose. This seems very like a sacrifice of principle to interest.