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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 32, 8 May 1891, Page 17

On April 22nd the kindergarten attached to the Dominic m Convent at Oamaru was opened. The beneficial result of the system have already become apparent, and the appreciation shown by parents in sending their children bids fair before long to require an addition to the ball —although this is large and well adapted in every respect to the purpose. On Friday, May Ist, a reception took place in the school of 22 members of the Sodality of the Holy Childhood and of nine members of the Guard of Honour of tha Sacred Heart. In tie evening a reception was held in the church of aspirants into the Association of the Children of Mary, seven being received, of whom all, with one or two exceptions, had baen pupils of the coiveat schools. Nine aspirants were received on the occasion. Tne Very Rev. Father Mackay, paetor of the district, who had made special arrangements that the ceremonies should take place in connection with tht hour devoted by him on each first Friday of th j month to tha Society of ths Sacred Heart, delivered ao impressive address on devotion to the Blessed Virgin, and exhorted the nawly received members to be especially careful in giving a good example. The growth of piety in the district manifested by the progress of the Sodalities is very encouraging, and its fruits must be very apparent. The clergy and religious of the mission are to te congratulated on these admirable results of their labours.

The seal has been openly placed upon Prince Bismarck's disgrace by his absence from the funeial of Count v-n Moltke. Had not the breach between the Emperor and the Prince been irreparably wide he must have taken a prominent part in the cerernuuies. As the surviving partaker in the glories of the great General s iuh was certainly hiß due.

A peactical contradiction has been given to the reports aa to the influence of the Irish vote on the dispute about Behring ssa by Mr. Blame's refusal to be nominated for the Presidency. It is now plain that the Secretary baa been acting independently of any inch consideration.

The famous French tragedian Madame Sara Bernhardt, is on the Pacific Ocean sailing or rather steamiog from San Francisco to New Zealand and Australia. " Bee Naples and die," was the traditional expression of the neplus ultra. Permission to depart in peace, bowever, now itself approaches our shores. Afler the visit of the Divine Baru, Dothing will be warning to crown the fulness of Australasian content. Mme. Bernhardt must carry with her even to Ultima Thule the atmosphere of the boulevards.

The expedition of the Boers into Mashonaland assume? a more formidable appearance. President Kruger can do nothing to check it, and 20,000 men are taking part in i>. The British colonies in the neighbourhood are uneasy, and Natal begins t< -nnke military preparations. We may, perhaps, look forward to ah. to more sharp-shooting as among the varieties of the period.

" Mb. O'Brien, M.P., is writing a novel." Let as hope it will leave a pleasanter taste on the mouth of the mind that bia first one. " When We Were Bays," though clever, aad in some respects even, brilliant, was a most disagreeable story. It requires an effort to recall that its writer was at heart either a Catholic or an Irishman. In his second attempt the best object Mr. O'Brien can propose to himself is to reverse the whole tone of bis first one.

The May Day demonstrations have not been attended with the catastrophe that some people desired to bring about. Enough, however, has t'.ken place to show what lioe beneath the surface — coming nearer every day to appsajyig »boy« it. Riots occurred in several

places in France, and in one encounter with tbe troops several people were killed, at Borne, also, an outbreak took place and four men were shot. This time th« riots have been suppressed, but their suppression does not mean tbe lessening of discontent. It is plain that the day is not far off when the result will be more general and more serious.

It seems a little carious that the explosion of the magazine at Borne has been followed by one in a dynamite factory in the same city. At a time when the anarchists were busy with special preparations such events have certainly their suspicious features.

Thb Prince of Wales, we are told, quite approves of Baron Hirich's plan for the emigration of Buuian Jews to Australia.— Loyal colonists, of course, can no longer object. Baron Hirsch, meantime, is an Austrian Jew who has amassed twenty millions of money in that empire, now said to be the possession of his race— not altogether to its advantage. Can we look forward with pleasure to seeing the foundations of similar fortunes laid among ourselves, to be spent, perhaps, like that of Baron Hirsch with princely profusion among princes in other lands? Is there, by the way, any special pertinence in the formation, reported, of a society, under the presisidency of Lord Dunraven, to prevent the influx of destitute aliens into England.

Fobm the Sydney Freeman's Journal of April 25 we obtain particulars of the rejection of Mr. Cox's mission by the local branch of the National League. The resolution was as follows :— " That this meeting is of opinion that the policy of neutrality in regard to the leadership of the Irish Parliamentary party already decided upon should be maintained, and that a convention of the Irish National League be summoned at Sydney to appoint delegates to raise funds in aid of tbe evicted tenants. "—The division was— Ayes 25, Noes 2. Several members abstained from voting in favour of the resolution on the ground that they did not approve of the proposed convention.

Mb. Da Cobain, M.P., has not yet surrendered himself to justice. He now pleads, from bis foreign place of refuge, that be is the victim of a political conspiracy. As to the assumed nature of a conspiracy, against which an Orange Deputy Grand Mister for Ireland protests, it is not difficult to conjecture what it must be. Even in this case, howpver, " No-Popery " may be a suffi. cient defence— as it would certainly be a consistent one.

Dunedin has lost a well known resident by the death of the late Mr. Joseph Daveis which took place suddenly on Friday. Mr. Daveis was by birth a Portugese, and wbb 56 years of age. He had been notable for the interest taken by him in the establishment and working of the fire, brigades of the city and suburbs, and their body was present on Sunday at bis funeral —R.I.P.

The City Hotel, Dunedin, has been engaged for the drawing of the Art-Union in aid of the building fund of tbeCburch of tbe Sacred Heart, North-East Valley. The drawicg will take place, as stated, on Monday, the 25th inst.