AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 20, 5 September 1884, Page 19

AUCKLAND.

(From our ova correspondent.) August 28. That portion of the precocious youth of Auckland who love late hours, hate all idea of law and order in general, and the police in particular, resolved on commencing a siege on those blue-coated guardians of the peace on Saturday night last. About 10 o'clock some hundreds of these youngsters were making the night hideous by their yells and lewd remarks on all and sundry at the market entrance, when they were dispersed by Constable Carroll, who proceeded to arrest the ring-leader on refusing to be pacific. Immediately an immense horde attempted bis rescue, and then ensued a scene at once disgraceful to humanity and the country we live in. Upwards of five hundred of the larrikin element, throwing stones, hooting and yelling, surrounded the constables who had come to assist, all of whom were severely hurt by various missiles. A few young men, to their credit be it said, had the courage to assist the preservers of the peace, and about a dozen were eventually placed in the lock-up and brought up at the Police Court on Monday, when they were sentenced by the R.M. to from one to four months' imprisonment with hard labour, and to pay all damages occasioned by the fracas. The conduct of the constables and the civilians who rendered assistance was highly commended by the Resident Magistrate. The police force, I believe, is to be increased at once, such a step being considered advisable by those in authority, in order to keep lopped off the branches of this evil tree " colonial larrikinism," but, while the roots are so effectively nourished by our admirable system of education, the task is indeed both expensive and ineffectual. Mr. Laishley, late chairman of the Board of Education, Auckland, at present on a tour through Europe and America to compile a report fur the New Zealand Government of his observations on the various educational systems, visited Italy, where he interviewed Cardinal Howard, as also Dr. Bernhardt Smith, principal of a monastery for the training of young men at Borne, from whom he obtained opportunities enabling him to grasp the specialties in the Roman Catholic system of education in the great capital of Catholicism. His labours promise to result in an acquired mass of information regarding the working of the contemporary systems of education, that cannot fail to be of much benefit to the New Zealand Government, when that body is effecting that change in our own which is necessarily impending. An application by His Lordship Bishop Luck and the Sisters of Mercy of St. Mary's Convent, Ponsonby, to have the leases of part of their ground extended from 21 years (the time specified in the original trust deed) to 60 years, was refused by His Honour Judge Gillies at the recent sitting of the Supreme Court, His Honour, at the same time, admitted that the application was proper and reasonable, but a special Act of Parliament would have to be enacted for the purpose. I understand steps are to be taken as a means to this end in due course. On August 15 (Lady Day), at Hamilton, a branch of the association of the Children of Mary was established by the Sisters of the Mission, who have lately come to New Zealand and settled in the Waikato. Their school is largely attended by girls of the different denominations. Considerable damage has been done here of late by the continual heavy rains. The old site of Fort Britomart, which is at present being cut down, gave way, and tumbled on to the street leading to the railway station, blocking up the roadway completely, but happily the men were just leaving off work in the evening, and no more damage was done than slightly bruising a telegraph messenger and killing a horse. About 2,000 yards of stuff fell, through the landslip. An ably-written little work on the spoliation of the library and property of the Propaganda at Rome, has been prepared by Father Vaggioli, 0.5.8., Newton. The proceeds of the work are to be forwarded to the College of the Propaganda, in defence of that body against the ruthless incursion of the Italian Government. Bishop Luck, of Auckland, at present in London, has cabled to the architect for the new building of St. Patrick's Cathedral to delay the flooring, pending the arrival of a consignment of Mosaic tiles, which liis Lordship has procured for that purpose.