CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 48, 4 September 1891, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH.

(From our own Correspondent.)

August 31. The students of Canterbury College had a field day on Tuesuay last. Diploma day is not an especial one on which the oulchamed youth of the upper crust of society shows oft to the best advantage. Thi9 year has been a notable exception. Save a little hilarity and indifferent poetry, the conduct of the under-graduates was not at all bad. They amused the immense audience for half an hour previous to the ceremony, by vocal and instrumental selections, the former being original, some in Latin and some in English, and all a good deal more remarkable for originality and vigour of lendering than for harmony and classical style. They celebrated the deeds of the College football club in Latin verse, which would certainly be considered by a classical connoisseur to be somewhat after the style of Virgil — but such a loDg way after. They expressed their appreciation of the many graces of the fair sex in gpneral and the sweet girlgraduates in particular, through the agency of the most popular of the dead languages. The woes, tribulations, and the vexations iocidental to the students were recounted in classical English prose, whioh was chopped into suitable lengths and retailed to admiring mammas and pietty cousins under the name of poetry. For at least one day in the year those pedantic oppressors of the rising generation had the tables turned on them, and their fads, whims, personal peculiarities, weaknesses, and methods of imparting knowledge were criticised with a frankness that would appall the most radical society paper editor. Why they did not sing of the professors in classical Latin, I know not, except that language is neither comprehensive enough nor sufficiently emphatic to express the pent-up feelings of wrath and untold wrongs which the ill-treated undergraduate has to bear in silence for a whole year. The preliminary concert was brought to a close by the arrival of the university representatives and mi»ny gentlemen connected with educational institutions, among the latter oeing Bishops Julius and Harper, the entrance of these being notified by the irreverent salutation, " The animals come in two by two." The addresses, of which there were only two, were commonplace enough, and devoid of that air of florid ness and pedantry for which the efforts of the speakers at eimilar functions on previous occasions have been remarkable. On the whole, the proceedings may

be said to be a decided improvement on preceding years. By mutual agreement, it almost seemed, the students were less rowdy, and the speakers were less prone to air their superior talents in flowery but enigmatical periods. There was a very representative 'meeting of the Bishoo's Testimonial Committee on Monday evening last. The reports of the various district collectors were of a very satisfactory nature, and showed that their efforts were meeting with a very hearty and generous response from the majority of those on whom they called. sums were handed in, and the Met of promised subscriptions will even make for the pro-Cathedral parish alone a very respectable sum. Very encouraging accounts have also been received from the other parishes of the diocese, and there is no doubt that the most sanguine expectations of the promoters will be realised. The ladies of St Mary's, Manchester street, are working very hard in preparing for the forthcoming bazaar, which is intended to be held during Show week. At present they have collected together a very good stock of articles of a varied description, and from the enthusiasm and industry displayed it is safe to say that the Rev Father Le Menant des Chesnais and his popular assistant, Rev Father Marnane, will have the pleasure of opening one of the best bazaars, and it is to be hoped, one of the most successful ones that has been held here. It is to be hoped that all those who are blessed with the world's goods will give a hand towards lightening the very heavy debt which unfortunately presses on this parish and is such a source of anxiety to the clergy and their flock. In consequence of the increase of the Catholic population in the Papanui district, it will be necessary either to enlarge the present church or to build a new one in the near future. With this objer in view funds are being collected in that locality, ar.d it will depend in a great measure on the amount on hand in a short time, as t> which of the two alternatives will be adopted. It is a very gratifying fact to be recorded now-a-days that the Catholic people are on the increase, as it very often happens, on account of their Bocial position, they are the first to suffer from the depressed times, and consequently depart for some of the other colonies. Thanks to the munificent generosity of the Rhodes family the spire of the Anglican Cathedral is once more a thing of beauty, instead of being an eyesore as it was since the morning of that destructive earthquake experienced here some few years ago. Imme. diately after that catastrophe Sir A. Gordon sent a cheque for £100 towards its restoration, <md it was thought, from the expressions of regret that was heard on all sides, that a few weeks would suffice for getting sufficient money for its restoration. Expressions of sympathy are very good in their way, out the Anglican authorities very soon discovered that they were not convertible into filthy lucre, without which the practical builder would not commence operations. Had the completion of the spire been left to the generosity of the immense and fashionable congregation who worship beneatl its shadow, I am afraid it would remain uncompleted for many a day— a monument of the forces of nature ia her angry mood, and of the meanness of mankind. There was only a moderate attendance at the meeting of the Literary Society on Tuesday evening last. Mr R. P. Ciarkson, president, and the rev chaplain, Father Marnane, were also present. The programme was a discussion on magazine articles, the principal one read being on dangerous literature, which was taken from the Catholic Young Men's Journal of Sydney. Messrs Clarkton, Milner, Kennedy, Cuitin, and the Rev Father Marnane spoke on the subject. The most of the speakers agreed with tne main points advanced by the writer, who divided this kind of literature into three classes— the anti-Catholic, the anti-Christian, and the immoral. As it was a very comprehensive and important subject, many members expressed regret that they had not more time to piepare criticisms on it. The Wine Trade Review of a recent issue contains some very interesting information for tbe disciples of Bacchus and others who are not of that ilk. It appears, a committee of the House of Commons have been taking evidence on the adulteration of spirits and especially of whisky, which is known to the trade under the innocent name of 41 blending." Scotch and Irish Whiskies aie mixed with spirits manufactured on the Continent, and which can be produced at a nominal cost. It was clear from the testimony of many distillers that Yankees have not a monopoly of manufacturing " forty rod whisky," but that the Continental distillers have so far advanced in this science, that they can produce a spirit from almost any kind of fruit, potatoes, beets, turnips, hops and other vegetable products. This stuff costs not more than one shilling per gallon, is mixed according to the evidence of a distiller, with a small percentage of J - ish product, and then exported to the Australian colonies as " Good old Irish Whisky." This is certainly to be regretted, for although it is not an industry of which Irishmen can be very proud, still a pure article ia certainly less hurtful than an adulterated on;. Many years ago, the Irish Members raised a protest against the practice of permitting this vile product of Germany to ba brought into the country for •' blending " purposes, and the member for Limerick s id th*t a man who drank a glass of this compound experienced the. sensation of a torchlight procession passing down his throat. The

worst aspect of the case is, that neither the Scutch nor Irish distillers could suggest any preventative against blendiDg. Perhaps the best means whereby such fraud can be counteracted is to follow the teaching of Father Mathew and give the whole of such liquors a wide berth. The thirty-second annual meeting of the local Chamber of Comui rce, wlnoli took pluce during the week, waschiefly distinguished for the able and exhaustive address of the chairman, Mr Recce, and the hoi ef ul tone iv which he spoke of the future prospects of this Colon} . Mr Recce, as he himself admitted, said nothing new, still his remarks were certainly those of a man who has a thorough knowledge of the public and private indebtedness of New Zealand, and in direct contrast to the prophetic jeremiads of many of his predecessors in office, who could see nothing but ruin and disaster looming in the distance. As he pointed out, the value of our staple products is increasing, and trade engagements have been met moßt regularly during the past year f to that, unless the policy of constantly changing and alarming legislation is not pursued, it is reasonable to expect a return of prosperity to the Colony. He then dealt with our railways, and the duties of labour and capital, wealth being a great blessing, if utilised, as it ought to be, in developing the resources and advancing civilization, Ihe half a million spent on harbour defence has been well employed, but our land forces are unreliable, being badly armed, short of ammunition, and completely disorganised. At the pro-cathedral on Sunday the choir rendered tor the first time a new Mass oy Forrester. It is in the Cecilian style, which ia modelled en that of Palestrka, and is approved of by the ecclesiastical authorities at Home, and in an especial manner by his Grace Dr Walsh and the Most Rev Di Donnelly. It would be hardly fair to expect perfection in a first attempt, still Mr Funston must be congratulated on the very excellent manner in which the choir acquitted thtmselves after so short a practice. The Mas 9is a very impressive one and is written in a style perhaps not bo taking as that of better known and more popular composers, a fact which reflects all the more credit on the able and painstaking conductor. In connection with the above it may not, perhaps, be out of place to mention th*»t Palestrina was an eminent Italian composer, who was born at Rome in the early part and died towards the end of the sixteenth century. He completed his musical education under a distinguished French musician who was for some time chapel master to Pope Julius 111. On the death of the latter he remained for some time in obscurity until he was engaged by the council of Trent to write a Mass of a grand and solemn nature. He entered upon his task with religious enthusiasm, and produced a work which set a great example to fature musicians, and is one of the most beautiful Massea to be found in the catalogue of Church music. He spent the remaining years of his life in composing sacred music. After his death his remains were interred in St Peter's. At Vespers on Sunday at St Mary's, the Rev Father Le Menant des Chesnais delivered the fifth of hia series of discourses on the duties of labour and capital. This one was chiefly devoted to the so-called progress of modern days, which, according to the Christian standpoint, was nnt very often an onward but a retrograde movement. He ntxt dwelt with the women's rights question and the extention of thu franchise to womankind. He pointed out the position which women occupied m the past, at present, and is likely to occupy ia the future. He showed that the so-called slavery which existed in early Christian times and about which there was so much misconception, was not such in the modern acceptation of the term, but that the slaves were, in fact, much better off than the average servant of our progressive times, He was strongly opposed to the Women's Franchise Bill, and gave many strikirg illustrations of the anomalies that would arise on such an Act being placed on the statute book.