RANDOM NOTES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XI, Issue 34, 21 December 1883, Page 9

RANDOM NOTES.

THJB IBISH NATIONAL LEAGUE. When I read Mr. O'Sullivan's able letter on the above subject, I felt tnat he made a mistake in not associating political Catholics of the upper ten among those whom he would excludefrom the branch meetings uShSjfi o**0 **?0??? 0 ?? corre .spondent Plebeian's remarks I do not t,? o w / dlfi £ ult y ? an be S ot °™r: Yet if a number of Catholic ™S *«ra themselves into a branch association, they will have ™ e *Sbt to fleet whomsoever the y chose > and !am strongly of £f™ * % tt^ e P° lIUC /i' respectable, utterly genteel Catholic is a far more effeminate and dangerous friend than the non-Catholic demagogue. From the latter you may obtain a quid pro quo, but from W^S^^S^^"**™*^ he tellS " I love you well, but let no one know it, I love you well, but I dare not show it." And why not? Because he may lose caste among those whose smilp WdTu tO , him , th^ *? ? & 4 fOUd IOVe Of brav * and trT^ n . 8m g cce c would like to act the patriot if it were only a little more respectable, w^^bjvbat infinite disgust such gentility is looked Spon by honest Englishmen and Scotchmen; Still their absence from Irish SrEKSS BWf 0»* enemies rf our country a good handle for abusSfmS « th F amfced boldly aQd fea riessly with their countrymen, they would naturally be at the head of a very formidable

political enjgiue with which they could advance their own cause without losing a tittle of their popularity or respectability. No matter how their respectable (?) acquaintances might sneer, they would feel that they possessed power and influence which would be useful to any cause they might espouse, but disassociated they stand alone " The Teuton's jest, the Celtic's scorn." . Since they will not unite with us for tie sake of " ould Ireland," it is better for us and isnn s cause we should keep aloof from them. "We are enow to do our country good "if we only keep together, and with a will ; but we must also work systematically and intelligently, and in order to succeed pnt up with abuse and even ill-will. Our cause is just, and we must plod on patiently, but cheerily, doing the best we can. I do not think it would be wise fox us to do anything in the way of settling this point until the return of our delegates, but leave the matter in their hands to be dealt with at their discretion. Indeed, it would be an act o£ folly on our part to elect delegates, and ere they returned, take it upon ourselves to settle thxg question. It would seem as if we had not confidence in them, and it is better to relegate the whole thing to them than hate this innovation receive even the shadow of a reality.

RBGIBTBATION.

With, or without this Irish question we must look to the registration of our voters . I believe a number of small committees should be formed in every distiict and in every street to look after it. The Catholic population is estimated^ a seventh of the whole of New Zealand. If so, the Catholic voters must be, if registered, from a fourth to a fifth, because, as a general rule, the Catholic does not marry as early as the non-Catholic. The Catholic must see a prospect of supporting a family ere he encumbers himself with one, consequently there are, proportionally, more Catholic men. If the committees are formed and do their duty, they will see that they are far more numerically strong on the electoral rolls than they have any idea of. In many places where the rolls have been attended to the results have been astounding. If our pebple were once to avail themselves of the franchise they would find that all this wrath and fury now so often levelled against them would subside, and, in the end, wholly disappear.

OUB,PLAN OP ATTACK.

Last year I pointed out that by taking advantage of the party lines in Hew Zealand, we would be able to oust Ministers at our will, but, yield iug to yom: superior knowledge, I refrained from further discussion. Having given the subject much consideration since, I amstill confident it would be the only way in which we could giveeach party a crushing defeat. The very fact of one Ministry being ousted oh our votes would make their successors, .willing to compromise with us for a retention of their seats. After all, as Artemus "Ward says, " There is a deal of human nature evenin Ministries," and you know love of office is very natural to politician's.

EDUCATION COMMISSION.

I have read with pleasure the report of the Commission on Education, and was glad \,o note that there was a general feeing among all Christian sectaries that denominational is tn was making its way among them. It will be iuws to jour, readers, perhaps, to know that the Anglicans are opeuing an infant day school of their own in Wellington. The beginning is small, but asa sign of the times it is portentous. — Mr. Shriraski's boast that the Jews ' believed in secular education, and that there were no conversions among them were sivorn a little too soon, .as even Jewish. secularists are fast joining the Salvation Army. I will send names as soon as they receive their stripes ; as yet there are only a half-a-dozen privates, but if rumour be true you will ere long see some of them going to headquarters in Dunedin, that is if you ever take a peep at tbem at drill. So much for this vaunted education w hich is literally bringing all its votaries to a level at Salvation Army meetings and'Preetbinking, Atheistical, scoffing plays. This is equality and fraternity with a vengeance. Celt.