CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 50, 5 April 1889, Page 5

CHRISTCHURCH.

(From our own Correspondent.) Thk ahsert'on by Irish people here of late of their light as citiz >ns to hold meetings and celebrate theii national festival sippears to have stirred up the bile of certain bigots. It is the custom of these people to indulge in sneers at the fancied intellectual ltif riority of the Irish race. VVell-ioformed Irish people, and indeed those who are not well inforinei too, laugh at this vulgar assumption of superior mental power. Experience teaches us that if Irish people only get the opportunity they do not fail to make their mark in tbe world of learning equally as well as Englishmen or any other men. For my own part 1 have never been particularly impressed by the brilliancy of any of our accusors. This has been especially the case with those whose bigotry and want of chanty have been displayed in tic CDlumos of our daily papers since the bazanr and the Paruell meeting have been held in our city. If these diatiibes are to be taken as specimens of the superior intelligence of noo-Irish and anti-Irish people then I deeply pity tbe writers. One and all of them appear to have cultivated to the utmost their sense of Bigotryand intolerance at the expense of learning of an historical, theological, and, indeed of every other kind. For example we find one witness showing his ignorance of tbe history of bis own country by telling the public that ths rights and privileges which Englishmen enjoy arc due to Protestantism. Ie speaks well for the Christian chanty and sense of foibearance of the well-read Catholics of Christchurch, tbat not one ot them replied to this display of ignorance, knowing as they did that every person who knew even a little history was perfectly well aware that every right and privilege and every guarantee of liberty possessed by Enghshm-n exisied in full force in pre-ReformatKii day*. In fact that these rights and privileges weiealmost one and all destroyed by the leadersof the Rt formation and not produced by it. If thry subsequently restored them they need not boast much on that nccount. If they left them alone in the first instance they would have bee-i sj ared their labours. Indeed, I was amazed at ihe want of literary cipacity and the absence of learning on the partot these traUuceis of our creed and country, but there is one crumb of comfort to be picked out of these columns of ignorance. It is this — that it is evident that those whose want of chanty has been to active in Chrisichurch recently do not belong to the well-informed classes of Protestantp. Had they btlongcd to that class their ignorance would have been less cons-] icuous. Thero is one letter which I think particularly worthy of menuui. It is signed— '' A Protesting Protestant." This worthy evidently does not

find the word " Protestant " sufficient to give expression to his feelings of hatred towards his Catholic fellow-Christians. Judging by a phrase which occurs in his letter he wishes the public to understand that he is not only a ■' protesting Protestant," but that he id a "protesting Protestant parson." I hope the alliteration will please him, for it has a fine Wall-of-Derry ring about it. Shonld he only proclaim himself in this triple character at some 12th July meeting, he would evoke loud applause from the rampant and kindred spirits who meet on that day. But like other writers of the same kidney who have been airing their ignorance and displaying their spleen recently, history has been a sealed book to him, or else he has read it with the limited vision of the bigot. If he had not done this bow could he have hud the audacity to pen a line to the effect that the lives of Protestants had been sacrificed to establish the religion of his ancestors. Did he never hear (f ihe Act of Uniformity, the Act of Supremacy, and the marks of penal legislation which disgraces the statute book of England for two hundred years. If he has not I would advise him to read those, and tben he will learn whetner it was by the sacrifice of the lives of Protestants or by those of Catholics that the religion of his ancestors was established. The matter which has called forth this particular burst of wrath from this out-and-out true-blue Protestant is the fact that we have had recently here celerbations of St. Patrick's Day, and that at one of these banquets a clergyman, more enlightene I than this " protes sng Protestant" one, thought fit to be present. For the purpose of creating ill-will this wiiter once more brandished the weapon of ignorance, his favourite one by the way. He told the public that bpcause the health of the Pope was proposed before that of the Qaeen, supreme power and dignity was claimed for the former in this Protestant country. Why did he not write, in this " protesting Protestant" country, for it is just as much one as the other? Catholics stood in bo need of instruction from this quarter as to their duty in rendering to Caesar the things that are C:eiir'd, and to God the things that are God's. That's a point ibat they never forget ; but I think that it was very much otherwise with the ancestors of this protesting Protestant pardon. If they had not done so then, moved as they were by the desire of grabbing the property of toe hatel " Romish" institutions, I do not think that they svould have made the blunder which they did of confounding temporal and spiritual supremacy in the manner which was done when Uef )rmation loave3 and fishes wera to be gained by so doing. I think our protes'ing friend, if he reflects upon this aspect of the case, will, in the first place, see the advisability of restraining his ignorant and bigoted pen, and in the next place will see why it is that there is now such a " Romanising " tendency in the members of that Church to which he belongs. Were there another nr'lliom of monastic property to be divided amongst the descendants of the Reformation heroes who placed temporal power above the spiritual, there would probably be no necessity for this protesting Protestant parson tj protest against the " bomanisin? ' tendency which exists in bis Church. I should advise this gentle and charitable rev. Christian nentlemau (O( O betake hirmelf to a perusal of the Bib'e. and to euefully lay to heart all the recommendations which he will there find to practise charity towards his fellow-men. If he studies those text* with a wider vim ,n thau that with which he studies history, he will become a better man, if a less protesting parson. On Monday, the Feata t of the Annunciation), ther^ was Pontifical High Mass. Tnerc was a larsz<' c mgrega on. Tne Bishop preiched a short sermon appropriate to the day. In the afternoon the ceremony of unveiling and blessing a s'atue of Our* Lady of Lourrtes in tup Convent ground took place. The statue is placed in a pretty grotto. About five o'clock a procession of school children, (J nkiren of Mary, the local clergy, and the Marist Biothers, proceeded to the spot where the statue was erected. The statue, which is a very beautiful one, having biea unveiled and bli'nScd, his Lori^hip pretchni an eloquent sermon upon the eulM'Ctof the apparition to Eernarc'ette (f Our Blessed Lady. The day of the Annum laiion was, I believe, that upon which iScrnadette held the last interview with h> r heavenly visitor, hence the day cnoseu for unveiling tlu statue was ptcuharly suitable. Another of our prominent men has joine 1 ttie threat majority Mr. George Gould ha- stepped across the boundary which divid s mortals from the other world. He was a fine stamp of a ma", and was universally respected, and his death is widely deplored. He wf-s nearly forty years in Canterbury. He began lite here in a very small way as a store -keeper, and w >rked his way up until h • became a wealthy man. He was ehantablt . not in tee senso only of giviug big donations to public chanties, but in the quiet and better way of relieving distress wherever he found it to e.\i-t. Hi-- cheque found its way to many a poor horn \ Ho was no nig;;aid with his richts, and that ii ore reason why he .s so much mourned. H\s funeral 00 Satin - day was a very large one Dai ing the daystba l ' he liy dead I uotn_e.l that many ■■ihops m to.vu bad up the mourning thu'ie =. Tbe Literary hockty is not dead yet, but it st ems to have lost FOtne of i's old vigour. Father Marnane ha<-» apparently taken tie place of the late spiritual director, Father Briand. whose effoits to m^ke tt c bociety so very l.i^h-tonedond philosophical, was some what of a failure. Its shoit sojourn in the clouds did not improve the Society. However, now that it has come to eaith again, perhaps it will do bett-T. lo give a pic-mc on Eas'er Monday, as the Society promises 10 do, will be something that uupmloeophical outsiders will appreciaie much better thin discussions about psychology. I hope the picnic will be a success. Tai I'ap, I believe, is the place oiio-ji.<i. That would just give patrons a piettx* for a nice dine. It is to be hoped that the E-i^ter weather will be t ivourabl' 1 . The Hibernians hip luxuriating m the possession of Himt newly baptised Hall. At 1 .st week's meeting aouule ot new riuiriibers wtr-> proposal. Am I said last wi ck, the St. Vuicuit de Paul Sf eitty i«. financia \y speaking, in a very bad way. lam sorry foi tin*., as I have Ktely hi come cognisant ot the groat r ejes-ity winch exists for a society like this. There is real downright poverty ia Cbristohurcb. The c are }>cop c who scarcly cut can afford to buy meat, There are

people who cannot even obtain bread, and are almost without clothes. I saw a poor woman of our own Church the other day, at a charitable institution, to which she had gone in the pouring rain for the Sunday's dinner for her poor, hungry children. She had walked a lon<jr distance, her boots were bad, her clothes were thin, she had no umbrella, and she was saturated wi>h the heavy rain. I thought that, if t^e people of our Church saw her as I did they would recognise the necessity of supporting the St. Vincent de Paul Bociety. I have heard, too, of cases which have come before the Society where the people had no food for three days. When cases like this are to be found among our poor people, it does not speak well for us that there are no funds at the disposal of the Koc'e'y for relieving them. I do not myself think th-it the present mode of collecting funds for the Society ia the best possible one that could be devise I. Then' is something about the mode of holding the boxes at the gate which i* calculated to deter pejple from con'rUmting. In the first place, people foreret abiit the oll>'ction until the box suddenly appears before them. Beside?, there is a look of ostentation about, dropping nr>nay intothese these boxf»p that causes pc >pleto refrain from doinij so. A. much better plan would be for the Society to endeavour to extend its membership. .Let t ie active members try to get as many names on the roll of the Society as possible If they were asked, there are few people in the Church who would not become honorary members. Then let the active members collect the money from circles of the lion* ary members By this means, and assisted by an occasional charity sermon and concerts, the Sjciety cou d be kept in a be ter financial position than it is evpr likely to be under present conditions. Since the starting of the Society its membership has not been much increased. By ex tending the membership, the influence ot the Society would be increased, and it would get talkei about and become better known. And that would be one sure Btep towards progress. As the Bishop said ut eleven o'clock Mass. There is enough food and clothing going to waste to k;ep these poor people from being in want, and if the influence of the Society were wider, the waste and the want might be brought in contact. Now, before the winter sets in, something should be done to put this .Society in a more healthy condition. A little organised power, is I am sore, all that is needed to do this. Oi Friday next at nine o'clock the Church of St. Mary's, in Manchester street, is to be opened. Part of the old building in which the Nuns of the Good Shepherd were located has been turned into a church for the present. It was at first suggested that a new charch shorld be built, but that idea has been abandoned, and the old building is to be utilised. Father Le Menant, assisted by Father Marnane, is to take charge of the new mission. The Bishop, in making the statement about the constitution of the parish and the appointment of its pastors, paid a high complimeut to the energy ant devotedness of Fathers Le Meoant and Marnane. Papanni will henceforward be included in the parish of St. Mary's. A concert in aid of the Brothers' school will be given shortly — about Easter week. I tnink. As it is to be under the directorship of the Brothers, I am sure it will be a success. The personal friends cf the Messrs. Lonarjran, and all tho'e who like to see Irishmen push their way to the front in business circles , will be pleased to hear that Mes-rs. Lonargan have secured the bear business site m Ch-istchurch. When the new building which 14 being erected in place of Mr. Hobday's shop ib completed, the Lonaigan Brothers are to be the tenants. 1 hope tueir onterpr.se will m.'et with ih.3 inward which it merits. Af icr a spell of coM. wtt weather, during which it seemed as if wp had passed at a bound trom March to Jane, the sun is again tihiniug biitj it and warm, aud the hedges anil grass plots look en I fiesu and prdt-n that one teels quite ready to forgive the advent of tlie unlookt U-tur week of winter. I see by the pap-n to.it the Freethought lecturess, Miss Clnpman.anl her husbtnd, Mr. Se'.by,once .1 leaiiug ,i^htof the Dunedm Lyceum, have given up advanced th night, and, like other luminaries loi Sir Robert tvout's temple, have gone back to Christianity. The I conversion of S r Robert himself is, doubtless, only a work of time. Ihrouuh au over-p e^a ot mailer in my last letter I omitted to j mention Mr. Robert Loughaan's lecture upon the " Press." Mr. j L uvrhnan'H lecture nils brilliant and 'acy, and well deserves a hrgo audience wherever it is delivered. Mr. Loughnan has abundant wit and d^als with his suoject in a very able manner.

Fat) or McCarthy, who is charged with inciting boycotting, was arr.ii^ned for trial at Clonakilty on January 24. The hearing wa<? adj timed. A lar^c crowd which ha 1 gathered about the Courthouse was charged by a force of 200 policemen, and many persons weTe injuied by batons and bayonets. Tbe crowd used stonci and bottle* agaiust the police. IS of whom were injured. One of the wounded policemen will probably die, and thrre others are in a daneerouscond.tiori. The t ill was resumed rest day. Father McCirthy w-a« found guilty, and the magistrate impts^d a sentence of four months' imprisonment upon him. Notice of apreal was given. The London Times m enraged over ihe collection of money ia this country for the defence of Mr. Parnoll ; but it is not likely that t'ns will put an end to th* 1 laniug of snosciiptions here, or even discourse the promoters of the Parnell fund. The dppires of the Tnnei in the case do not grow ou t o f its anxiety to secure fair play for the ln-h leader, through whose defeat it is trjing to destroy the hopes of Ireland. Let the subscription? from Ameiica for the Parnell Defence Fund bo kept up till notice is given that they are n> longer needed. The frieuis of Ireland in the United States mu«f do their duty 111 this case —New Yoik Sun. In reply to an autograph letter from Cardinal Lavigerio. Quoei Chi Ist ma has promised to support the anti-slavery campaign in Alnca, whion wi 1 aI3J be assisted by the Spanish African Society. Tuis brvly nurnbrs among its members men of all paitie 3 . including Seiuri Cas'elar and Canovas The Midriel Press points out tint neater homo tl.oi-lave trade i's openly carried on — namply, in Morocc -, wh< v young natives ot both s^xes are brought to the rnirketa from the interior of North Africa.