Thursday.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XI, Issue 29, 16 November 1883, Page 13

Thursday.

The Otago Daily 25wi?s" says:— At 'the meeting of the Irish National Convention in Melbourae, a telegram was received from Mr. Paxnell wishing success. Dr. O' Dogherry was elected president. A long series of resolutions were passe I deploring the> present condition of Ireland, and pledging the Convention to assist in trying to ameliorate it : adopting a petition to the Imperial Goveinment m favour of local government in Ireland; deploring the crimes which stained the recent history of- Ireland, and declaring the coercive policy to be a fruitful source of disorder and crime. Ihe next Convention is fixed to' beld in Sydney next year. A violent thunder storm occurred at Invercargill yesterda-v'after-noon. A man named .Crisp was lulled by' lightning at' the* Ellesroad station, and it is repoited that twp children, named Fraser at the Gap road station suffeied a like fate. ' ' Mr. Ilealy, M.P., speaking at Limerick, insisted on the abolition of landlordism. ' '" "' ' '"" • ' - Proclamations have been issued by the Irish Executive,prohibiting the intended meeting of the Irish National' League andQra-ige-men in Fermanagh. The Otago Land Boai-d passed a resolution last week cancelling the hesns s at Silver Peak issued to Messrs. Bortbwick, Hertslett, Watson, W. and C. Higgins, and Francis, together with all the deposit moneys paid by them. Mr. fitout, who proposed the resolution, explained the situation very clearly and fully, and argued^ that fre land taken up by the selectors in question most eventually become the freehold property respectively of Messrs. Gellibrand and Co. and *Jvas lt would be im P°sßibte f or the licensees to pay the amount L^ T ir l dd u y [ bem -~ An &l fl S ainßt the decision of the Board will probably be made to tbe Supreme Couit, and this probability prevents us from making any comments on the cas- s. The' conduct of Messrs. Clark and Green in leaving the meeting before »£ vX bad 4 ? oncl v Uf lecl his speech, and without supporting or opposing the motion, has been much remarked on. It is to be hoped that the appointment, which is annouaced, of Mr James Ashcroft to be official assignee under tbe new Bankruptcy Act for Otago and Southland may be taken as an earnest of the Government s sincere determination -to stamp out the dummy system, with exposure of -which tbe name of the gentleman in question is so creditably associated, -and indeed to discover and put down

any other system of dishonest trickery that may beinvented instead by a ( very ingenious class of people. , It is announced that the bust of Garibaldi ordered for the Chii&tchnrch .Museum has arrived from Italy.— Would it not be well to form ft gallery illustrative .of evolution for ita'receptionj-rbeginnin* with 'a; morsel of preserved protoplasm, going through all the reptiles and apes, and ending with this representation of tfye perfectly de,v«jloped hero. We do, not know, besides, how gool society m Christcourch could bring itself to show veneration and worship to the image of a man without a pedigree. ■ ™ ' Atrt !>e-ineeting of the Otago Land' Board on Wednesday, Messrs. Uark and Green opposed the confirmation of the minutes of the previous meeting, and which contained the, resolution of cancellation. , Ifteir contention was that before they, had, quitted, the meeting a motion against cancellation" liad been carried, and th'at^ supposing ail to have been settled, they left to avoid listening toA&ng.speech that Mr. &.out insisted upon reading., Mr. Green persisted in declaring that a vote .had been given, and affirmed that otherwise he would hp,ve ' stopped a week rather than .be . bested, by a man like Mr. ktobt on a motion of that sort." Nd'twittisfahdihg the opposition • i?- !L by gentlemen referred to, the minutes were, confirmed. - un the application of'Mr: Denniston, howeW, itf'was" decided to , *%P* ■*<*&*s*& of the cases of Bortnwick and Hertslett on the grounds thatihere had been a misunderstanding; in the matter. t-'The weather on Fiiday last^'was most unfavourable for the OathoUc pic-nic at Purakanui, the^ehildtim-iieterthless mustered m> force -from Bt. Joseph's and the Christians Brothers' schools, Dunedin, St Patrick's school South' Danedin, and' the Port Chalmers Oath&lic sch'dol; ' The programme of sportew-as-carried out so far as it was founed 1 possible; and St. Cecilia'* and St. Patricks choirs sang some pretty choiases in a highly creditable manner. St. Patricks Brass Band also performed their part with good effect. His Lordship" the Bishop and the Rev. clergy of the Dunedin and Port Chalmers mission* were present for the greater' part of the day. | On the whole the young people managed -tj enjoy themselves fairly although owing to the constant rain, they did so under difficulties. I HAS, Mr., Archibald Forbes correctly guagei the loyalty to the Empire 1 of these » Colonies 1 It seems he has published in one of the London periodicals his opinion that so soon as ever the Colonies have baen harrassed, as he says they are sure to be, by foreiga cruisers .daring -a iLuropean war, they will protect themselves by separation. And this, notwithstanding the outcry made by our Press against all sympathy with Ireland^aa tending tier the dismemberment of the Empire. Yeteven were tH-» Irish- mWfcment aimed at dismembering tue Empire in order to secure the welfare of Ireland what would it include more than Mr. Forbes, who no doubt has hai an ample opportunity of judging, pronounces ti be in the minds of the colonists. . The Colonies', he says, would save themselves by the dismemberment of the Empire,— ant yet they denounce the danger of dismemberment, and give itas a sufficient reason for Ire'aud's being requirad to suffer from such ills a* no hostile cruisers could inflict upoa themEelves. Mr. Forbes is mistaken, then, or else the loyalty of our coloni-ts is a sham, and their outcry against the Irish cause a reckless display of falsehood. If they are not very loyal, in fact, they are' grossly hypocritical. ■ .This Melbourne correspondent of- the Otago Daily Times referring to the Melbourne schools scandal speaks as follows :— " ln the meantime letters appear in the papers written by correspondents who do not sign their names, giving instances which they think need investigation. Nothing, however, of a very definite character is stated, but parents are rendered uneasy, and a feeling injurious to the State schools is aroused. The dangers ti which attention is directed are inherent in the mixed school principle, and can be avoided only by the strictest supervision on the part of teachers and parents. In some of the State schools in the city the evil of pernicious example is likely to be increased by the fact that children are admitted whose homes are in the most vicious localities, and who are surrounded by a constant atmosphere which cannot have otherwise than a- deteriorating effect." This paragraph confirms an assertion made by us last week to the effect that, even apart from all questions of religion, the mixed State schools were dangerous "to the morals of children, and such as they could not with any degree of safety frequent.

The Washington Star is accountable for the following—" Victor Hugo told an American visitor recently that he regarded Ed^ar A. Poe as ' the prince of American pojts.' He thinks Mr. Whittier « a womanly versifier;' Mr. Lowell a 'smart chatterer,' and Oliver AVendell Holmes ' afflictiagly ' laughable.' * As it i?, nevertheless, known that Victor Hugo, even bis long residence in Jersey, refused to learn one word of English, notwithstanding his profession of universal brotherhood, it is difficult to understand how he is qualified to pass any ( judgment on the American poets. He surely does not base his criticism on translations. It is, moreover, very foreiga to Victor Hugos habit to (-peak adversely of any poem of any kind. M. Maxime dv." Camp tells us his custom has been to praise immoderately any verses sent to him. "I do not know, sir," he is wont to reply, '• whether I am a poet, but I am sure that you are," — and thus, adds M. dv Camp, he makes sure of claqueurs for his next Play.

Messrs. J. A. Park and Co. will sell by auction to-moirow, sections in the Belleknowes Kstates, one of the finest situations in the ,suburba of Dunedin. • ■ > • Mr. George Bodley'j Star Cafe Eestaurant, Moray Place, Dunedin, offers extremely comfortable accommodation to boarders in the very centre of the cily. ' Messrs. J. A. Allen and Co. are now manufacturing, at their ( stablishment, Maclaggan street, Dunedin, aerated water and cordials of unrivalled qualities; Messrs. Begg & Co., Princes street, Danedin, have opened a circulating musical library, which will be found of the utmost convenience by all musicians. Mr. I. Martin, Princes street, Dunedin, has received a superior stock of tailoring goods. They will be found of the finest qualities, and suitable to the approaching season,