CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XX, Issue 5, 6 November 1891, Page 18

CHRISTCHURCH.

(From our own Correspondent.)

November 2. Labour Day was generally observed as a holiday here, although the employees in the Government Workstopa did not get it. It is passing strange that private individuals can be forced into acquiescence with the popular wish, whilst the Government of the Colony cannot. Tbe procession of the various trades and labour societies was a decided failure, due no doubt to the apathy and indifference of the great majority of the industrial classes, who look upon all such displays as excellent means of letting off the exuberance of extra political spirits with which a minority of their number is endowed. Very few of the trades were duly represented, and many were noticeable by their absence altogether. It is evident that another anniversary will be sufficient to kill it so far as keeping up the procession and sports. Not one of the friendly societies put in an appearance, so that it might be said that the whole work fell on a few individuals, and if they had not exerted themselves for the general good the procession and sports would not have attained the very moderate amount of success they did. It is mooted by the railway meu that they intend to hold it next year on Show Day so as to draw away the crowds from the Agricultural and Pastoral Association, who, they think, are backing up the Eailway Commissioners in their opposition to the demands of their employees.

The Very Bey. Father Cummings, V. G. entertained the committee of the Marist Brothers' House at a dejeuner on Thursday evening last in St. Lao's schoolroom His Lordsuip Dr. Grimes presided, and there were also present Rev. Fathers Bell, Aubrey, Rsv. Brother Joseph, Mr E. O'Connor, and about foriy ladies. After justice had been done to the excellent repast provided, His Lordship expressed his pleasure at presiding, and complimented the committee on the success which had attended their labours. Rev. Father Cummings then gave in detail an account of the work done by the committee, and specially congratulated the ladies on tbe success which attended their efforts. fry. Brother Joseph returned thinks oi behalf of the brothers for

r< j accommodation provided for them, and paid a well-deserved t ribute j the seal of Mr E. O'Connor in helping tj carry out the work to a successful issue. Mr O'Connor gratefully acknowlelged the compliment paid him by His Lordship and the clergy, and expressed his pleasure at seeing the good works begun by Fathers Ginaty being so ably carried oat by Father Cummings. Musical selections were contributed daring the evening by Mesdames Brick and Holland and Misses Funston, Pander, Kearney, and Lees. A hearty vote of thanks to Mr McGarra, under whose management the entertainment was got up, brought a most enjoyable re-union to a close.

The Black Swan Minstrels, under the direction of Mr J. P. Kelly, gave a very successful concert in the Papanui Town Hall on Tuesday evening last, in aid of the Catholic schools of the district. The entertainment was a complete success, both from an artistic as well as a financial point of view. There was a crowded house, and the audience were most liberal in their appreciation of the efforts of the various contributors. Several of the items were deservedly encored, and the Rev. Fathers Le Menant and Marnane and the school committee of the district are to be congratulated on their success.

Oq Sunday last, tbe feast of All Saints, Pontifical High Mass was celebrated in tbe Pro-Cathedral by his Lordship the Bishop. The Hey Fathers Aubrey and Marnane acted respectively as deacon and sub-deacon, and the Rev Fathers Cummings and Bell were assistant priests at the throne. Bey Bro Joseph and Mr J. McAuliffe were masters of ceremonies, His Lordship gave a brief address on the festival of the day.— ln the afternoou at 3 p.m. there was Benediction of the Mo6t Bleeeed Sacrament. — Immediately before High Mass his Lordship consecrated the chalice which was presented to him by his Holinees the Pope on his recent visit to Home. The chalice is a splendid specimen of workmanship, the fretwork surrounding the bowl, and the chasing about the stock and pedestal, displaying rare taste and skill in tcgraviDg. Fonr amethyits are mounted in the fretwork around the bowl. The following inscription is engraved on the rim of the pedestal : — '' Leo XIII. Pont. Max. ad prim. epis. Chns'opol. J. J. Grimes, S.M., donavit 1891." The chalice was on view in tbe annctuary during the day. when many persons took an opportunity of inspecting it — o^e and all of whom were loud in (heir praiso of its worth and the beauty of the workmanship and design. Pontifical vespers, followed by vespers for the dead, were sung at 6.30 p.m. by the clergy and the choir. The ceremony was a vtry solemn and affecting one, especially during the latter part, when the altar was draped in black and the greater number of the lights were put out. His Lordship preached a very elcquent — in fact it was considered to be the bast he has delivered bince his return from Europe — and impressive discourse on the suffering souls in Purgatory. The congregation was a very large one, and the sermon, which lasted very near an hour, was listened to with the deepest attention, not alone by the Catho ics, but also by t'ae non-Uattuhc portion of the congregation, I regret that I am not able to send a precis of it, as it was most ably trtatsd from every point of vit-w. Mr George has filed a petition re the late Parliamentary el-ction here, so that whichever Bide wins, the gentleman ot the 1-iw will have their little pickings. Should there be a fresh election, v is to hoped that some follower of the Opposition will come forward as a candidate Of course Ido not mean a eiystalised old Tory or a religious faddist, but an independent Liberal-minded business ruaa who has an interest in the progress of the country, and is not under the delusion that all the wisdom and justice of the colooy are centred in himself an! his party. We are supposed to be represented at the present time by three Liberal members, all of whom are distinctly opposed to the Catholic body on the education question. Tne Catholics of this city have consis ently supported the present party in power, and, as I pointed out a week or two ago, the return of tbe thieo Government members hare was unmistakably due to the solidity of oar phalanx. There ein be n)thing plainer thaa this The highest number of votes polled was 2,700, whilst there were about 900 Catholic voters on the rolls, or whom it is computed 700 vo ed Bolidly for Reeves, Perceval, and Taylor. One would imagine ihat, when a vacancy occurred in the Pailiamentary representation a few days ago, this body of electors would be asked their opinion on the bui ability of a candidate. Nothing of the sort however took place. A number of electors amounting in the aggregate to about 80 meet in a trades-hall and then ani there se ect a cauiiidate, not because he was a distinguished or a well-kn_,wn man, but because he was able t« get more of his followers intj the meetmg than his opponents.

We, as a body, are paying heavily for our conscientious objection to partake oE the public system of education. And yet are expected by the Liberal party to forget our sacrifices and the suras of money which we have spent on education for tbe somewhat dubious hononr of supporting the nominees of the trades and labour committee. The time has come for us to shake off the allegiance to party which has shackled the independency of our action. Let us only support that party which will make the Catholic demand for State aid to their schools a Government question. So long as we divide oar forceß, supporting a Liberal here, and a Conservative there, so locg will our effjrts be laughed to scorn. Take example by the Irish party, who were prepared to support whichever side granted them the most concessions. If we do this, we shall certainly make our weight felt, and show that we are not to be cajoled with honeyed words of hollow sympathy at election times.

Lady Onslow held a reception during week before last, at which it is estimated over four bundled persons attended. I have not the slightest idea how such functions are arranged, whether those who attend are specially invited, or whether it is at the option of Jack, Tom, and Harry, accompanied by Mary, Jane, and Anna Maria, to pay their respects to the first lady in New Zealand. I presume the latter is somewhat the mode, for on reading over the list of those who attended the first reception, which took place about a fortnight ago, I perceived the names of many who are not accustomed to mix with the upper ten. This intermingling of the various strata of colonial society may be looked upon by some as an omen of tbe destruction of these class distinctions, which the liberal education that the rising generation are receiving will, in the course of another generation , completely remove. There must have been some heartburnings, however, over the first affair, for, on the latter occasion, the newspapers did not publish the najaes of those who attended, nor did they get the opportunity to do so, as the visitors' book was, I understand, refused to tbe Press. This is extremely satisfactory to tbe general public, who did not attend, and the very reverse to those who expected to see their names figuring in the newspapers, and intended to invep, in half-a-dozen copies of the morning papers to seni to friends I presume the reason that the list was denied to the newspapers was that some of tbe cream of society did not wish to see their names in juxtaposition with their bakers, tailors, and other flunkey-worshipping tradesmen.

We are a democratic people, ages ahead of the slow-going nations of Europe. We have broken through the trammels of the Old World ideas and prejudices. This is our theory, but alas 1 how little of it there is ii our practice. When any aristocrat with a title, in whose veins flow the — well, let us say— impure blood of many generations of id'era appears, we are ready to fall down and worship him, as did the R jmaus of old wheu celebrating tbe triumphs of their generals. No sooner djis Lord or Lady Onslow stop their carriage before one of tLe shops her^, than a crowd oF onlookers collect in order to catch a glimpse of our Governor or his Laiy, much to the annoyance of those personages, who must view bucu proceedings with well- leserved contemp .