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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 35, 25 December 1885, Page 15

The form of the demonstration to be made in honour of the Most Rev. Dr. Redwood will be Been from the following resolutions passed unanimously at a meeting of Catholics held the other night at St Mary's Convent Wellington :— "(1) That during the visit of His Eminence Cardinal Moran, to Wellington, advantage be taken of the opportunity, and of the opening of St. Patrick's College, to present to His Lordship the Bishop a fitting testimonial from the whole of his diocese. (2) That with this object a circular letter be addressed to the priests of every parish of the diocese, asking them to make a collection from every adult Catholic for the purpose. (3) That sabs* criptions be received to the amount of one shilling and upwards as donors think fit. (4) That Rev. Father McNamara and Mr. P. 8. Garvey be appointed joint treasurers of the Testimonial Fund, and that the moneys collected be placed by them in the Bank of NewZealand. (5) That a sufficient sum out of these moseys be devoted to the purchase of a crosier and pectoral cross and chain, aod that the remainder be banded over in sovereigns to His Lordship. (6) That the mode cf collecting subscriptions be left to the different parish priests but that they be asked to obtain and transmit the collections to the treasurers at Wellington not later than January 31st, 1886. We have received a pamphlet entitled " The Origin and Spiritnal Nature of Man," by James Copland, M.A., M.D., Ph.D. We shall notice the publication more at length in an early issue. We notice that the pupils of the Catholic schools have scored another success at the recent Junior Public Examinations for the University of Sydney. The Marist Brothers, for example, sent up 31 boys from their St. Joseph's College, Hunter's Hill, of whom SO passed, obtaining two silver medals and one pros. ace. Several boys also passed from their parochial schools. We learn that it is the intention of the railways department to run special trains, or to issue excursion tickets so as to enable people at a distance to be present at the opening of the Dunedin Cathedral on February 14. The opportunity offered, as we have reason to believe, will be taken advantage of by many who art looking forward to the approaching ceremonies.

We have seen some beautiful specimens of the Catnohc Christmas cards and small religion pictures provided for the season by the Messrs. Whitaker, of Wellington. The pictures are beautifully executed and embrace every devotion that recommenls it3elf to religious minds. The prices are very cheap. We may add, to the credit of the Catholic community generally, and that of Wellington in particular, that a gentleman who is a competent authority, and who has lately returned from a visit to Sydney, declares that the the Messrs. Whitaker'e stock is larger and their prices lower than those to be found at any Catholic bookseller's in the city in question. The usual meeting of the Dnnedin Catholic Literary Society was held on the 18th inst., Mr. Callan, the Vice-President, occupying the chair. Mr. R. A. Dunne gave a reading from Sydney Smith, and Mr. W. Hall an interesting pape • on " The Pyramids," which was criticised by Messrs. Carolin, Columb, and others. It was resolved that the next meeting after the Christmas vacation be held on Bth January next. Our Dunedin readers will no doubt re me nter the Hibernian Sports at Tahuna Park, to-morrow. The usual Caledonian Sports, will Le held on the first days of the New Year at the Society's grounds, at Kensington, Danedin, the programme is very attractive. Majob Atkinson, in his speech at Hawera the ether evening, showed himself an able hand at pulling down, and if the Colony could only be prevailed upon to believe that the Major is as well capable of building up all that would remain to be done would b? to restore him to the management of affairs as quickly as possible. The Major in fact did not leave the present Government a leg to stand on, and if we must judge by his indictment every moment of the present Ministry's existence is a moment of imminent danger and mischief to the commonwealth. It is woll that the speaker began his address by professing a great respect for Sir Julius Vogel as a man. although it is the task of a nice mind to distinguish between the man worthy of respect, and the ways of that man that are worthy of contempt and suspicion only. Major Atkinson declares that great as is his respect for Sir Julius Vogel he cannot by any means bear hie ways. And indeed if Sir Julius be in any degree like the picture that the Major draws of him, neither the man nor his ways can be any great shakes, and the less any honest man has to do with both together on either teparately the better for himself. That the Major should be on his guard as to the nature of the Premier is more easily understood, for the Premier as a philosopher has by the very nature of the animal his d*rk and unsearchable depths that no one can reasonably fathom— and as a man of a progressive mind must be expected to be continually undergoing a new and more excellent change. That the Premier is a puzzling and mysterious element in the Governmeut we readily admit, but that is not his fault fur is he not under hereditary laws,or something equally fateful, that determine all his actions before hand, and lead him by the nose whether he will or no? There is always hope for the Premier to those who do not! know an evil history of his grandfathers, and grandmothers too, of course, for let us not attempt to defraud the sex of one tittle of their rights, and at any time we may expect to tee some twist of rectitude from the past dragging him into path-ways that are more in conformity with reason, common sense, and Christianity. But this is a digression— Major Atkinson then has given us a most harrowing account of the career run so far by the present Ministry and exposed their failure in a very touching manner, for does it not concern all our pockets when the affairs of the Colony are depressed and what can possibly be more touching for us than that ? — The fact, however, remains that, let the faults and failures of the present Government be what they may, at the very worst they have but failed to remedy the state of things that began, and progressed, and reached its height under their predecessors, and any return of th e Colony to the control of the continuous Ministry would be like seeking a cure by means of a hair of the dog that had given the bite. It sounds all very fine for the Major to speak of his poh-y as •' to labour and wait," but the waitiDg of those wnose intere ts and welfare hung upor his labour was quite sufficient to show them that his labour had been thrown away. The worst of all workmen it, I c who half kills himself and does nothing worth speaking of all the time. W^ doubt very mucn as to whether the Colony is prepared to i-'turn to .-,ach a spill of waiting once more. We differ, |moreover, irutn Major Atkinson in his opinion that the demerits of an Oppositio-i are not a fair plea for aMi jistry to ur^e in their own defence. He was a wise man wro sail that of two evils we should choose the lesser one and his advice is worth acting upon. We do not believo, nevertheless, that Sir Julius Vogt l's policy would prove only a, bsser evil. We believe, on the contrary, that it would prove a positive good, and we are convin ed that unless it be put into practice aud that without delay, nothing but misfortune lies before the country. Majo r Atk'Dßon is capable of making a very plausible speech in exposing the faiiures of the Government he opposes, but that he is capable of adopting a better line of policy than theirs, or of rescuing the Colony, J or contributing in any marked degree to its progress or prosperity, ! we may deny from a long and unpleasant experience.