WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 20, 6 September 1889, Page 7

WELLINGTON.

(From our own Correspondent.)

August 31, 1889. The Sacrament of Confirmation was administered to a large number of tbe faithful, including not a few adults, at the eleven o'clock Mass on Sunday, the 18th instant. Before the ceremony, his Grace delivered himself of a few well chosen words explanatory of the benefits conferred, and of the duties entailed by the Sacrament. His Gracd was assisted at the altar by the Very Rev. Father McNamara and the Rev. Father Keegan. A sad accident occurred on Saturday, the 17th instant, by which Pilot Simm and two of his boatmen, viz., Robert Tait and Herbert Cox, were drowned. Pilot Bimm and a boat's crew of four men (in the service of the Wellington Harbour Board) were stationed at tn« Heads, and, when required, put off in an open boat to enable vessels to come to a safe anchorage in Wellington Harbour. At one o'clock on Saturday afternoon, the 17th instant, the ' Pleione ' from Port Obalmen, was sighted 18 miles away with a " Jack " hoisted. The pilot and his crew pat off in a heavy sea, and in the teeth of a Btiff southerly breeze. They bad been rowing for npwards of two hours when the steamer Herald, outward bound for Greymoutb, came up and took them in tow ; in 10 minutes the pilot-boat yawed and capsized. Two of the men were rescued from the waterlogged boat half an hour after the accident by being hauled on board the Herald with ropes ; but three others, including Simm, met a watery grave. They were benumbed with cold and were wearing heavy sea boots and oilskin*. The names of those saved are Henderson and Vass.

The Wellington Evening Post, of 20th instant, has an article headed " The Unity of the Empire," in which it deals with a speech made by Lord Knuteford, Secretary of State for the Colonies, at Midhurst, Sussex. The noble lord, it appears, expressed tha opinion that the colonies would despise the mother country if it seriously contemplated a dissolution of the Union with Ireland. Your Wellington contemporary joins issue with him there, and has produced a well written article, and a well thought out, and well reasoned argument ia favour of Home Bute. All honour to tbe Wellington Eventing Pott, who at this important crisis has tbe courage to recognlte that Home Rule is outside the domain of party politics, that itife in fact a great Imperial question vitally affecting the stability of the Empire, It is too much the fashion here in New Zealand for newspapers to shirk the Home Rule question by saying that we do not want old world troubles here, not wishing or caring to recognise the Imperial importance of the question. One or two points made by the Post are worth quoting here, for instance, where he says ' they (the colonies) are proud to belong to the British Empire its greatness ib the-r greatness, its prosperity is their prosperity, its glory is their glory. They themselves enjoy Home Rule of the most pronounced description," and goes on to say, further down, "Itis on this account that the principles of Home Rule, whether they be applied to Ireland, to South Africa, or to Western Australia, commend themselves so thoroughly and generally to the approval of a vast majority of intelligent colonists." It would be impossible for me to quote here all the good things said by your contemporary, suffice it to say that the writer Bwept away the objections raised by those who do not or will not recognise the Imperial importance of the question. At the annual weekly meeting of the Catholic Institute, held at the tooma,Evcning Post Chambers, on the evening of the 22nd inst., Mr. P, Sheridan in the chair, Mr. Maskell doli vered a lecture an astronomy, in the course of which he explained clearly some of the great truths of that science. He requested his audience to place themselves in imagination midway between the earth and one of the planets, when, although worlds might be coming into collision and bursting into fragments all around, on account of the absence of atmosphere, nothing could be heard ; an infinite silence prevailing. He touched upon the discovery of the asteroids, and explained their nature. At the conclusion of the lecture, a vote of thanks to Mr. Maskell was proposed and carried by acclamation. Mr. Maskell promised to speak at an early date on " Distance and Attraction.' 1 On the evening of tbe 16th inst. the Catholic Institute was favoured with an address by Mr. Duignan, in which he gave a short resume of Irish history from O'Oonnell's time. Mr. Duignan was heartily applauded at the conclusion.

The Wellington Branch, I.N.L , held their usual business meeting on tbe 19th instant. Mr. J. J. Devine, president, in tbe ebair. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr. Fleming, seconded by Mr. D. McCarthy, that all expenses incidental to the reception of the delefates be borne by the Branch. A vote of thanks, on tbe motion of Ir. B. Carrigan, was conveyed to Mr. Lawlor for services rundered to the Branch while hon. sec. Accounts having been passed for payment, the meeting dispersed. On Friday evening, the 23rd inst., the working members of tbe Delegates' Reception Committee held a meeting in the Eocning Post Chambers, the Rev Father Lane occupied the chair. After considerable discussion, it was resolved that a banner be procured to be used at the reception of the delegates, and it was further resolved that those ladies who, acting in the interests of the National League, had presented the St. Patrick's College students with their beautiful banner, should be requested to give their valuable services on the present occasion. As an outcome of the above meeting, a number of ladies met on the 23rd iust. at 8 p.m. in the Marist Brothers' School, when a committee was elected, officered as follows : — Mrs. Devine, president ; Miss Nidd, treasurer ; Miss Denneby, secretary. Subscription lists were handed around by the secretary, to be used by the ladies collecting for the proposed banner. Some discussion re details ensued, and tbe meeting dispersed, to meet again that day week.

There baa been a sensational prosecution for perjury, at the suit of Mrs. Cbemis (wife of Louis Chemis, who was recently sentenced to death for the murder of Hawkins atKaiwarra,and whose sentence was afterwards commuted by the Governor to penal servitude for life) against the detectives concerned in that case, and wbo procured

the evidence on which her husband was convicted. Mr. Jellicoe, the lawyer conducting the case for Mrs. Chemis, has thrown his wbolo sou 1 into the matter, and has ex imined everybody and anybody in tbe remotest way connected with the case. Sir H. A. Atkinson, th) Premier, was placed in the witness box and subjected to a searching cross-examination. The wife of the Minister of Justice, wbo bad visited Mrs. Chemis in a friendly spirit and ivilh a desiie to help her in her trouble, was also placed in the box and subjected to the same, ordeal. The energetic counsel has left no stone unturned to weaken the case got up by the detestives on which Chemis was convicted. That the learned counsel believes in the innocence of the prisoner is patent by the manner in which he has conducted this case and the steps taken to obtain the reprieve. I again saw Chemis, this time in oonvict's dress, and under examination in the Resident Magistrate's Court. He wore the same air of imperturbable coolness. An excited, eager crowd were craning their necks to get a view of Chemis ; the eyes of everybody in court were fi*ed on h m, yet he looked as quiet and self-possessed as the least interested of those around him. The Crown lawyer, Mr. Bell, has an action against Mr. Jellicoe, the prosecnting counsel in the perjury case, for alleged libel in connection thorewitb. Damages are laid at £5000, and the case is to come on in the Supreme Court on tha 4th prcx. I have beard that Bir Robert Stoat is engaged for Mr. Bill ; as yet Ido cot know who will conduct Mr, Jcllicoe's defence. One of the most interesting football matches played in Wellington this season wa9 placed on th« 24th inst, by St. Patrick's College football team against the first fifteen of ihe Petone football club. There were fully 2000 persons on the ground. Archbishop Redwood was present in an open carriage. The Very Rev. Dr. Wattors, rector of tbe College, the rev. gentlemen who comprise (he teaching staff, and others attached to the churches in towa, as well as quite a number of the leading Catholic laity, were also present. The match was a very close one, and the excitement was intense. The St. Patrick's was physically tha weaker team, but they made up for that defect by science and combination, and came off victorious by beating the Petones by 7 points to 6. This victory practically puts St. Patrick's College team in full possession of the junior cup, as they hafe only another win to register to Becure tbe coveted priz3.