THE COMING SESSION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 6, 29 May 1885, Page 15

THE COMING SESSION.

ARLIAMENT, it appears, -will be summoned for the despatch of business early next month. There is a good deal of anxiety as to the measures that will be introduced by the Government for the consideration of our legislators. Much in the way of initiative cannot be expected from private members, they have neither the knowledge nor the responsibility required for such a work. Their business is principally to criticise, and approve or condemn according to their judgment and conscience. It is to the Government therefore, the people mtfet look for those measures that are necessary or useful for the public good. It is not usual for a Government to publish a programme of its intended measures before the meeting of Parliament, and in the present instance we do not find any exception to the general rule. The Cabinetfhas not, Tsb far favoured the publio with the nature of its intended^ legislation. Whether this is wise or not it mky well be doubted. Thete are reasons for and against, and it is pretty certain that reticence oh such |a point' is calculated to serve the interests of the Cabinet, whatever'may be said as to the interests of the country. But whilst the intentions of the Ministers are a secret, the expectations of the country are well known. These may be too high and under the circumstances not altogether reasonable. The people in most parts of the country are suffering from the general depression, and not unnaturally look to Government for some help in their distress. It may well be doubted, however, whether in this case Government can do anything.' The causes of the depression were beyond the control of the Government, and continue so. The two great sources of the present distress are the low price of produce of every kind and the almost universal indebtedness. And this latter is aggravated by the high rate of interest. Government can not control the markets of the world ; and it is by no means certain that in the present state of the world any interference by way of legislation with the rate of interest would not do more harm than good, Still, it is quite possible that Parliament might be able to do something to alleviate at least the present depression. There might be, for example, a readjustment of taxation ; there might be more economy in the general administration ; something, too, might be saved on the education budget. Well-to-do people could be made to pay the total expense of the education of their own children whilst those not able to pay could be assisted at the public' expense. Something, too, we think, might be done to place more people on the land, and to encourage immigration of the right sort, without which, it appears to us, the country must stagger under its load of indebtedness, both pablic and private, for very many years. Something, also, could be done to develope our mineral resources. It does not seem necessary to say much as to the development of manufactures, whilst the natural physical resources of the country lie almost untouched. It is in the development of these latter, as it appears to us, that the real prosperity of New Zealand is to be sought for at present. In every other sort of development New Zeaianders will meet competitors "of more skill and capital in every part of the world, but in their country's natural resources developed, there is no rival. If Government would only make roads, so that heavy machinery could be easily and cheaply conveyed to places now inaccessible, much would be done that could not fail to be highly advantageous to the country. Cheap water, too, in many centres would of great advantage! Surely means could.be found to provide these and such things! Nor will it be denied that there are good grounds for believing that New Zealand possesses many metals yet undiscovered that would command a market in the great manufacturing centres of the world. Her geological conformation •yen if there were nothing else, warrants this belief. Could not something, even a great deal, be done to h*»lp prospecting ?

We desire to remind shareholders in the N.Z. Tablet Company Limited, that the annual general meeting of the Company wi]l take place in their office, the Octagon, Dunedin, this (Friday) evening at 8 o'clock. We announce with much regret in our present issue the death of Mrs. Cogan which occurred at her residence the Melbourne Hotel Naseby, on the 9th instant.— Mrs. Cogan was a lady noted for her many amiable qualities which endeared her to a large circle of friends —Her illness was long and painful but was borne with the patience"

taught by religion, and consoled, by the rites or the Church. — Requietcat in pace. His Lordship the Bishop, assisted by the Fey. Father Purton, 0.5.8. celebrated Mass at St. Patrick's Church South Dunedin on Tuesday last at 9 a.m. and afterwards administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to 46 children, 13 boys and 33 girls. The children, several of whom also made their first communion, entered the Church in procession and singing a pretty hymn with much sweetness, their neat attire, especially the white veils and dresses of the girls and thei T crimson ribon of the Infant Jesus, adding to the attractiveness of the scene. The boys on this occasion wore green sashes as they belonged to St. Patrick's school which, moreover, green being the colour that symbolises hope, were very appropriate. The appearance and demeanour of the children, indeed, did infinite credit to the Dominican Nuns, who conduct the school at South Danedin and under whose instructions the candidates for confirmation had been prepared. The music sung by the choir, also under the direction of the Nuns' was Bordese's Mass with an " Aye Maria " of Mozart's at the offertory, and a hymn b Chernbini after the elevation. The children who had made their first commnnion also sang a hymn of thanks giving at the conclusion of the Mass, and the Veni Creator was sung as the ceremony of confirmation commenced. The choir is very efficient and rendered its part with great success.— Preparatory to the administration of th« Sacrament the Bishop, addressed the children, not to instruct them, he said, for he was aware that they had already been well taught but by way of exhortation, and that they might recollect the importanto rtant nature of the ceremony they were to have a part in. — He also addressed them when the confirmation had taken place, reminding them of the privileges and graces conferred upon them and appealing to them to show by the care they bestowed upon their conduct that they were grateful for what they had received. The Church was well filled with a devout and attentive congregation. — When the ceremonies had terminated the children who had made their first communion and been confirmed were entertained at a breakfast provided for the occasion by the Bey. Father Purton 0.5.8. pastor of the district. On Friday evening last a number of the men who had given their names as willing to join the Irish Volunteer Corps attended at the Odd Fellows' Hall, Rattray St. Dunedin, and 79 of taem were sworn in by Messrs. Reeves, Paterson and Hazlett J.P.'s. Curious to cay, however, no official intimation has as yet been received as to the formation of the Corps, and no instructions have been issued to the men as to the course they are to follow. All this has caused some perplexity and a little annoyance. We perceive that the Hon. Mr. stout has favoured the Melbourne Review with a reclumfte of statistics to prove that Catholic school s turn out more wicked children than do the godless schools. And surely Mr. Stout should be an able hand at dressing a rechauffe" of the kind, for a more practised cook in the matter of statistics it would be hard to find. Mr. Stout now takes the years '81 '82 '83, and gives the returns of all the children committed during them to the industrial schools of the Colony as criminals and who had previously been attending Catholic schools. We have not the means this time of examining his figures or his assertions, but we cannot forget the hardihood with which on a previous occasion he published and repeated statements and statistics concerning the Catholic children at the Caversham school, that were grossly and shamefully false and garbled. We have but little doubt that a careful examination would lesult in similar proofs concerning the facts and figures published by him in the Melbourne Review. On Sunday last, the Feast of Pentecost, at St. Joseph's Church, Dunedin, Pontifical High Mass was celebrated at 11 a.m., by his lordship the Bishop with the Bey. Fathers Walsh and Lynch as deacon and subdeacon respectively. The choir was strengthened by the addition of Mr. and Mrs. Baber, and Mr. Himmer who accompanied M. Remenyi in bis tour of New Zealand, and with Herr Sleinmetz. as organist performed Haydn's No 1 Mass in a very finished manner. At the Offertorty the great violinist himself played an improvised solo, with inexpressible tenderness and beauty — reflecting perfectly the spirit of the holy place.— His lordship the Bishop declined to preach the usual sermon owing to the length of the ceremonies, but addressed a few words respecting the cathedral to the congregation. — He announced that it was intended to open the nave and side ailes now in the course of construction next February, when the Archbishops of Sydney and Melbourne,— with other prelates had promised to attend. — The roof, he 6aid, was now in the process of completion and in a day or two would be fully slated so that the building would be safe from the weather, and the inside work might be proceeded with. — Preparations were being made also for the erection of a temporary Sanctuary, and although a good deal of the interior ornamentation might remain to be done afterwards* enough would be finished to admit of opening the sacred building in a becoming manner. The congregation, said his Lordship, would be glad to learn that not one penny of debt had been incurred, the work had been paid for as it was done and a balance of £500 still remained in his bands, this however, was a small sum considering

the number of men engaged and would be soon exhausted, but he' possessed an unlimited treasury in the faith and generosity of bia people on which he might rely for aid to the end. The Bishop added that the meeting for the discussion of matters connected with the cathedral building, and which he had on a former occasion announced as to be held to-day would be postponed for a fort, night, or until Stwday Jane 7, as he, the Bishop, mnst be in Invercargill where he would administer the sacrament of confirmation on Sunday next the 31st inst. The Danedin Choral Society gave a very successful concert at the Garrison Hall on Mouday evening. The oratorio performed was " Elijah," and it was very finely given. The vocalists who took solo parts were '.—Sopranos : lira. Israel, Mrs. Murphy, Miss Mollison ; altos : Mrs. Williams, Miss Watts ; tenors : Messrs. Marsden and Todd ; basses : Messrs Jago and Smith; The orchestra also proved themselves fully capable of sustaining all that was required of them, and Herr Scherek, the conductor, may be congratulated on the results of the whole. At the urgent request of many persons, the members of the Danedin Catholic Literary Society have determined to give another entertainment similar to that which lately proved so marked a success at the Garrison Hall, and for the same object, the Christian Brothers' Building Fond. On this occasion there will be some additional performers, and steps are otherwise being taken to ensure, if possible, still more satisfactory results than those that have already proved so pleasing. Owing to the unfortunate miscarriage of manuscript we are again this week prevented from publishing the continuance of Dr. Bake* well's work on Lourdes. — We hope to resume it in our next, bnt in the absence of the author from Christchurch we are unable to make any definite promise.