The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 1883. A TRUE BENEFACTOR.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XI, Issue 7, 8 June 1883, Page 15

The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 1883. A TRUE BENEFACTOR.

§E is truly a benefactor of the State who labours to have justice done to all its members. Injustice may flourish for a time ; but stability and happiness can be secured by justice alone. This is a truism, and, in theory at least, no man will be found to controvert it. For this reason we ask all Catholics to make their just claims on the education question known to the Legislature by petitions. This is the .legitimate and constitutional course to adopt, and it is also the patriotic course — the course that should be followed, by all who really wish well to their country and Government. It may be, indeed, that Catholics shall to-day, as in the past, find a difficulty in their way arising from the unwillingness of some members of the Legislature to present their petitions. This, no doubt, is likely ; and probably this unwillingness will be exhibited from the loudest professing Democrats, from men -who are notorious for their advocacy of popular rights. But this should not deter Catholics from pursuing their course of lawful agitation. It is the part of brave, justice-loving, men to cry out for justice, even in the midst of the most discouraging circumstances. Besides so so long as this cry is kept, upland a. considerable number of legislators, as in the^ present case, is prepared to present their petitions and concede justice, hopo is kept alive, and an obstacle is placed in the way of secret plotting, than which nothing can be more dangerous, or more to be deprecated. It may be, indeed, that some members will positively refuse, as was the case at no very remote period, to present the petitions of their Catholic constituents. But what of that ? All members do not share in the unconstitutional notions of those who would prevent the voice of Catholics from reaching the Legislature in a constitutional way, or slam the doors of Parliament in the faces of their Catholic fellow-citizens. There are in both Houses of Parliament many gentlemen who know their duties as legislators, and who are prepared, so far as they can, to do even-handed jnstice, and these will not only present the petitions of Catholics, but also enforce their claims. These members, by their constitutional conduct and their impartiality, are a standing rebuke to the tyrannical' narrow-minded, and bigoted set, whose chief happiness seems to consist in outraging Catholics simply because they are Catholics. It will, we know, be said that a large majority is opposed to the just claims of Catholics, and that it is idle to petition the Legislature. We do not share in this idea, we have not lost faith in the power of justice, nor do we despair of nature. We never forget that justice is great and must in the end prevail ; and we bear in mind that they who would be free must themselves strike the blow. We must do our pat. Taking the world as it is, we cannot expect apples to fall into our mouths, or that we can have them without even the trouble of plucking them ; on the contrary, we are thoroughly persuaded that if, Catholics do not agitate briskly justice never will be done them ; and we go a step further and Bay that mien who are content to tamely submit to a gross and palpable injustice only deserve the fate of slaves.

We are requested by the Dominican nuns to acknowledge a donation of two guineas towards their Queenstown Convent Fund, from Mr. Mason ; and returns in connection with their Oamaru ArtUnion from Mr. Mclntyre, Arrowtown. At St. Patrick's church, South Dunedin, on Sunday, the Rev Father Purton, 0.5.8., celebrated High Mass at 11 a.m., the choir singing the Kyrie from Mozart's Twelfth Mass and the Gloria and Credo from Haydn's Imperial. After Mass, exposition of the Most Holy sacrament took place nnttl after Vespers. The adornments of the altar were as U3ual very chaste and beautiful. Besides the testimony of the bishops to Mr. Parnell's merits quoted by us last week, Bishop Fitzgerald writes that he •« cordially and with a thorough appreciation of signal services rendered to Ireland," joins in any testimonial that will adequately mark the nation's gratitude. Bishop Conaty writes, that "no movement has for a long time appealed so directly to the gratitude of the Irish nation." Bishop Conway writes, « If the Catholics of Ireland deemed O'Connell's exertions to emancipate them from those penal laws deserving their tribute of gratitude, with equal reason do the exertions of Mr. Parnell deserve a tribute of gratitude from all the tenants of Ireland without distinction of creed or party." And, finally, in the last letter* that has reached us-that of Bishop Power to the Lord Mayor of Dublin, we find the following, under date April 9 :— « By your having undertaken to organise and to give great effect to the Parnell Testimonial you have acquired a new claim in addition to the many you already possess on the confidence of the people of Ireland. To some it may appear that the critical nature of recent occurrences renders Operative such a demonstration in favour of Mr. Parnell. The malevolent charges levelled by insinuation against him of complicity with the murderous outrages which have appalled all civilised society impose on the people of Ireland the twofold duty of first repelling indignantly such foul imputations, originated by a disappointed statesman and ruined ex-Minister, and echoed by a hostile English Parliament and Press ; and, secondly, of expressing in an unmistakable manner their unabated confidence and faith in the wisdom of the constitutional policy so energetically an J successfully pursued by Mr. Parnell as the leader of the Irish Parli imentary party." Lokd Wolsbley is evidently up to a thing or two, and amongst the rest he knows how to be a total abstainer by proxy, as any of us might be indeed if we could only find the proxy. Here is his explanation of how he goes about it. « Although I take a deep interest in all things relating to temperance, I am not a total abstainer, and have never claimed the character for myself ; but whenever it has been found necessary tp enforce on the troops nnder my command a tofcU abstention from alcohol, I have invariably observed this practice." There, in fact, is the whole matter, and something more Derhaps, placed in a nut-shell. "X.Y.Z.," who writes to our contemporary the Otago Daily Times, has been in Rome. And, again, we are reminded of that venerable dame, in « Mr. GilfiTs Love Story," who had been abroad in her time with her lady, and knew all about the foreigners and their nasty ways. " X.Y.Z.," then, ba* beeu in Rome, and has there ny t with an amazing doctor, who, confidentially of course, told him all about how it is done. - Droves of ritualists, said the doctor, arrive iv Rome continually, and are there converted on the spot— by being forbidden to say a word c >ncerning their conversion for the space of three years. This is the last straw that breaks the back of their Protestantism, and swamps them once for all in Romanism. But wliy, or what it is all about, is not so clear. We seem to be involved in fact, in the nightmare of some spoon-fed wean. The matter, how* ever, cannot be hidden from the doctor— he necessarily finds con version to " Romanism "on the patient's tongue or in his pulse. But even the doctor must not enter the patient's religion in his perscrip. tions, as doctors always do we know, uutil the mystic period has expired. Such seems to be the information conveyed by " X.Y.Z." to the Daily Times— but what is the beginning of it, or what is the end of it, we know not. Does " X Y.Z." himself ? Mb. Julian Thomas, « The Vagabond," delivered a lecture in Dunedin the other evening, in which he spoke of a whole world of people whom he had known, and of ever so many sayings that he had heard, and of 90 acute a hearing did he give evidence that it is clear he has in his time even heard words that were never spoken at all. He has heard, for example, Father Hennebery, whom he consequently refuses to like, speak as follows :— " Come, and let us pray that the curse of God may fall on all Catholics who do not join up." Now we have ourselves heard Father Hennebery speak a great many times many more in all probability than has Mr. Thomas, and we never heard him say anything at all like this in public. We never heard him in private give utterance to any expression that could lead us to suspect it possible he c^uld address a congregation in any such manner. We never heard anyone of tke crowds who attended his mission in New Zealand even hint at anythng of the kind, and we are convinced it would take a great deal more than Mr. Thomas' assertion to persuade those -people who have known anything of Father Hennebery that he ever couia have given such an Hn-Catho-lie, uncharitable, and altogether shocking invitation to his con-

gregation. Mr. Thomas, however, is among people who will relish such assertions very fully, and they will salt his lectures admirably for these listeners, and serve to attract an audience. So far he is to be congratulated on his extraordinary hearing. — We may add a few words of speculation as to why " The Vagabond's " belief that he heard Father Hennebery propose to invoke the curse of God on Catholics should have earned from him for that ecclesiastic a dislike that has not been conferred upon a great many people who continually, in the name of all their gods, curse Catholics, and whom, nevertheless, " The Vagabond " seems very much to admire. Thb Nation speaks as follows in reference to the wretched Carey :—": — " It is bad enough to have a hand in so many murderous enterprises as those to which he has deposed ; but, assuredly, it is worse to have been, while engaged in those enterprises, engaged at the same time in performing the religious duties the discharge of which all real Catholics regard with so much solemnity and awe. It is shocking and horrible to think of the profanation involved." It is, besides, we may add, very suggestive to find the light manner in which the vile wretch conducted himself while under cross-examina-tion on this point, even attempting to return a joking reply to the question of Dr. Webb. The following is clipped from the Nation of April 21 : — " The account which we publish in another column of the progress of Mr. Redmond' 8 mission in Australia furnishes one other proof of the inextinguishable hate with which the typical Englishman pursues the Irish all over the earth. Mr. Redmond has, on the whole, met with a most gratifying reception in Australia — or, rather, in the very few districts of that vast continent which he had been able to visit up to the date of the letter of our correspondent ; but his success has been achieved in the face of the most virulent and unscrupulous opposition on the part of the English Pres3 in the Colony. No falsehood has been too audacious, no calumny has been too mean, for the Anglo-Australian journals in their warfare against the representative of the Irish National League and the movement that organisation directs. Cceluvi non animum mutant, gui trans mare cur runt; the London 2*imes and the Dublin Daily Express find their counterparts in Sydney and Adelaide. And the nation which thus* shows its hatre d of the Irish race under all circumstances and in every clime still expects Ireland to regard its rule with affection, and wonders why Irisbme n like to govern themselves 1" Hislop and Hooper's ABC New Zealand Monthly Time Table for June is now issued, and will be found invaluable by all who need information as to every means of conveyance throughout the Colony. It contains besides a neat and convenient diary. The Melbourne Age is very much concerned about the report that Carey and his informing crew are to be sent to Australia. — The Age is afraid their presence will spoil the appearance of the streets, " Anyone who has seen their pictures," it says, " will be aware that the brand of Cain is stamped unmistakeably on those repulsive physiognomies. No one could pass them in the street without suspecting a byegone history of crime." Well, some of their pictures were bad enough we admit, and to see men of such physiognomies " doing the block " would undoubtedly spoil the view, but in real life we could hardly find anything to equal the pictures alluded to and whose producers indeed seem to have had a very fair share of the " biand of Cain" in their imaginations. People, anxious to identify the informers on their arrival in Australia must not, in fact, look out for exceptionally ugly men, for even James Carey, as represented in the London Graphic might be considered almost good looking, and " Number One " as given by the Dublin Freeman is positively handsome. — In the present case, guilt mnsfc not be judged of from the manner of the countenance and it will be a misfortune if some perfectly innocent individual whom nature has not endowed with beSuty receives a warm reception in the streets of Melbourne or elsewhere. The Dunedin Catholic Literary Society held their usual meeting ! on Wednesday evening, the Rev. President in the chair. After th c routine business had been disposed of, the following notice of motion was given by a member for discussion at the next meeting, " That a memorial be drawn up for presentation to Parliament, approving and supporting the petition in favour of the Catholic claims in the mat. ter of Education." A paper on " Youthful Culture and its Advantages " was read by Mr. J. T. Harris. The paper was a very creditable production and Messers. Callan, Daniel, Haughton, and other members, in criticising it, spoke in great praise of Mr. Harris' effort, and trusted that it would be only the first of many which the Society would have the pleasure of listening to. The Rev. Chairman, in submitting a vote of thanks to the gentleman for his paper, took occasion to point out to the members generally the advantages of self-culture while members were young, and before they had reached that age when it would be difficult to overcome habits already formed. It was announced that the Rev. Father Burke would give a paper, on " The Manner of Writing an Essay," at the next meeting, to be held on this day week, the 15th inst. We understand that, on the ipvitation of several of the members of the Dunedin Catholic Literary Society, Mr. J. B. Callan has con-

sented^to enlarge on the paper on Shakespeare recently read by. him at one of the Society's meetings, and reproduce it a3 a lecture in aid of the Cathedral building fund. Oue contemporary the Lake County Press, for June 1, furnishes us with the following report of the Dominican, nuns' bazaar at Queenstown :—": — " The bazaar in aid of the Queenstown Convent buildiag fund, which was opened on Wednesday, 23rd ult., and continued till Saturday, 26th, was a great success. All sorts and conditions of people responded most liberally to the invitation to assist, and the amount realised was very handsome. On Thursday the Town Hall was thronged with " customers," and the fair vendors plied them with the goods placed in their hands for disposal. On entering the hall, No. 1 stall on the left was kept by Mrs. M. J Malaghan, while next, on the same side, was the one presided over by Mrs. Hicks. Mesdames F. M l Bride and P. Butler held one stall on the right, and Mesdames J. M'Bride, McEwan, and Eichardt the other — these latter ladies also held the refreshment stall. The stall opposite the entrance door was under the care of Mrs. R. M'Bride, assisted by the young lady boarders of the convent. The display of articles was both rich, rare, and plentiful, giving evidence of the work of love done by fair and willing hands, as well as munificent gifts from the general public. A Madonna, painted by Mrs. Chalmers, N.E. Valley, was greatly admired, and many envied Mr. Wilmott — the fortunate winner— the possession of it. A set of three bannerettes, most beautifully painted by the same lady, were won by Mrs Eichardt, and presented by her back again to the Convent fora future occasion. The ladies holding the stalls were very much pleased at the prices obtained." The bazaar vras followed by a concert, given at the Town Hall, and in which the pupils of the Convent Schools distinguished themselves highly. The net receipts from both bazaar and concert amount to £290, which it will be admitted is a very creditable sum, and speaks well for the liberality of the people of Queenstown and the surrounding district. If an " Irish Roman Catholic " who replies to us by advertisement in the Otago Daily Times will read the Bishop of Ossory's explanation of the Bull of Pope Adrian he will see that Father Burke might have found better grounds than a mere preference for his rejection of the Bull's authenticity. — And the Bishop of Ossory's reasoning has been confirmed within the last few months by the learned author of the Analecta Juris Pontifioi, who has found fe'tf original document recommending King Henry 11. to apply for advice to the Irish Bishops and take no step without their sanction. As to this correspondent's not having profited as he afterwards found he ought, by the instructions given until " far into his teens " by priests and nuns in Ireland, it is to be regretted. — Others, however, have very fully profited by such instructions, and as a proof we have seen them recently beating the pupils of Protestant schools — acknowledged to have been most successful as educational institutions^ It is hardly fair to visit the inattention or indocility of the past on those who, no doubt, were grievously tormented by it — possibly by their having led the writer and his parents to understand he was " highly educated," we are to conclude that they simply said he was as much so as they or anyone else could make him.