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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 8, 12 June 1885, Page 13

It is grievous to see that the earthquake shocks are still continuing in bpaio, and that their effects ara felt in so many towns and places. The shock which occurred in Andalusia on Saturday was felt to a considerable distance, and in a town in the province of Malaga three houses fell, fortunately no one was injured by the fall but there was natuially a wild alarm amongst the inhabitants, who' fled from then- homes and encamped in the open country surroundine the town. B Cardinal Newman has just celebrated his 84th birthday at the Birmingham Oratory. The London World says :-«' His Eminence who is enjoying a second youth rather that a second childhood shows au amount of vitality quite surprising to those who some little time ago were anxious about his health. He said Mass at seven o'clock on the morning of his birthday, and later received visit* from a number of his friends. With one of these, Mr. Wilfred Ward, a son of his old friend, the Cardinal was able to talk for an hour and a half although a few months ago his doctors told him that half an hour was to be tna extent of his conversations."

To-day, Friday, being the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Vespers and Benediction of the Most Holy Sacrament will take place in St. Joseph's Church, Dunedin , at 7 p.m. As it is intended to form in Dunedin, an Association of the Sacred Heart for women and girls, similar to that already established for men, ladies interested in the matter will hold a meeting in St Joseph's schoolroom on the termination of Benediction of the Most Holy Sacrament in St. Joseph's Church on this (Friday) evening. It is not necessary that all those attending the meeting, should join the association, and a full attendance is requested as it is desirable to obtain as much information as possible concerning women and girls unable to attend but probably willing to become members of the Society. The girls admitted into the Association must be above school-age. We forward by this day's mail to Mr. Joseph Winter Treasurer of the Irish National League Melbourne the sum of £267 19s 4d in aid of the Payment of Members Fund, including contributions from Kumara, The Lead, Westbrook and Caps Terrace, Humphrey's Gully, Hokitika, Grey mouth, Brunnertown, No Town, Maori Creek, Boatman's, Dunedin, Kaitorai, Milton, Nevis, Balclutha, Clyde, Kawarau Gorge, and all of which have been in turn already acknowledged in the columns of the New Zealand Tablet. Wb desire to remind our readers that a secoDd concert in aid of the Christian Brothers' Building Fund will be given in the Garrison Hall, Dunedin, on Friday evening, the 19th inst : A great improvement has been made on the programme of the first concert which

proved such a success, and it may confidently be expected that a most agreeable entertainment will take place. Particular attention is being bestowed on Irish music which will be one of the principal features of the evening, The current number of the New Zealand Herald well sustains the character of the paper.— Views of New Plymouth Harbour and Waiau river are especially deserving of notice. The defeat of the Gladstone Cabinet on their financial proposals has been a most unexpected event. Having survived, as they did, the proposed vote of censure on their Russo-Afghan policy, it might have been thought that they were all bub invulnerable. It remains to be seen, however, whether the soreness of the country concerning the concessions made to Russia, and its anger at the way in which the ridicule and pity of the Continent have been poured out on it, may not have exercised some influence in this defeat. If such were the case we shall probably witness a failure in the proposed arbitration, and a new departure in negotiations with the Czar. It will be of much interest besides in several ways to watch the coarse of policy pursued by the Tories if they ccme into office, as we must naturally expect. We copy the following sensible remarks from our correspondent the Bruce JSerald :— The cost to the State of education in "New South Wales, including that of school premises, has averaged £7 10s lOd per head for the last four years, and if the interest on loans for educational purposes were added, it would come for the last year to about £8 per head. The percentage of attendance was very unsatisfactory, there being 250,000 in the Colouy of scoooi age, and only 167,000 ia attendance. Nearly three-quarters of a million of money was expended in teaching about two-thircs of the children for whom the schools were brought into existence. Without the aid of the State, fully aa satisfactory results would have been attained educationally, and infinitely higher morally and socially, for about one fourth the cost. The balance which is chiefly expended on State machinery would thus have been available for other purposes. The same may be said, to a greater or lesser extent, of every national education system in the world. In connection with the reform of ecclesiastical music, for which an energetic movement is now on foot in Europe the following paragraph and letter clipped from a contemporary will be found interesting. We may add that copies of the Mass alluded to may be ordered of Messrs. Whitaker Bros. Wellington. " Mr. Joseph Short seems to have made a 'hit' with bis mass, 'S. Joseph.' The following is the compliment (translated by Canon O' Sullivan), which Cardinal Bartolini, prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Rites at Rome pays :—' Most Honoured Sir, — The musical work, entitled 'Mass, (S. Joseph), sent by you to the Sacred Congregation, deserves all praise, because it has been composed upon rules suitable to sacred music according to the regulations published recently. Wherefore I have to congratulate yon on your work, and to exhort you to continue to enrich this part of the Sacred Liturgy with other such praiseworthy compositions. With deserved regard, I have to subscribe myself, etc., etc., etc., D. Cardinal Bartolini, Prefect of Sacred Congregation of Rites. The Most Illustrious Professor, Joseph Short, Birmingham.