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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XX, Issue 17, 12 February 1892, Page 17

The Most Bey Dr Grimes leaves Dunedin this (Wednesday) fore* noon by the Noithern express en route for Ohristohuroh.

Thb Rev Father O'Reilly has been unanimously re-elected Chairman of the Thames Hospital Trustees. In support of the motion high testimony was borne by several members of the Board to the manner in which the rev. gentleman had in the past fulfilled the duties ot the office.

TBS Bedemptorists Fathers closed a successful mission at Clinton on Tuesday, and will open a mission at Gore to-day (Wednesday). The Very Bey Father Vaughan, who arrived in Dunedin from Wellington last wesk preached in St Joseph's Cathedral on Sunday evening. On Tuesday evening, the Very liev Father Plunkett delivered an address at their weekly meeting to the Confraternity of the Holy Family. This (Wednesday) evening Father Vaughan will address the confraternity of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour.

It is worthy of note, as marking the progress of Catholic education, that the Dominican Nuns at Danedin are about to open technical classes in connection with their schools. The services of Mrs Drearer, we understand, have been secured for instructions in scientific dress-making . The classes will, no doubt, be numerously attended, and we look forward with confidence to the best possible results.

A riunUm of the Dominican Convent Ex-Pupils Club took place in St Joseph's school-room on Monday evening. The entertainment was intended to do special honour to the presence in Dunedin of the Most Bey Dr Grimes, who was the principal guest on the occasion. There were also present the Most Key Dr Moran, the Very Bey Fathers Vanghan and Plunkett, C.SS.B. , the Very Bey Fathers Mackay and O'Leary, and the Bey Fathers Lynch, Adm. ; Donnelly, Newport, Hunt, and Murphy, together with some members of the laity. The extreme inclemency of ths weather, however, interfered seriously with the attendance. The various performances of the young ladies were, as usual, of a high class, and exceedingly enjoyable.

A cash has just been brought under our notice which seems to illustrate in a remarkable manner the wonders worked by virtue of faith in the power of the Blessed Virgin. It is that of a young girl whose death has recently occurred under most remarkable circumstances. She was apparently in excellent haalth, and was preparing to visit some friends, when suddenly something seemed to break in her chest, and at the same time she felt as if struck by a blow on the back of the head. She became unconcious, and one of her Bisters, who wag standing by, threw the scapular of Mount Oarmel around her neck and invoked our Blessed Lady. She regained consciousness, and lived for some days, making full preparation for the happy death for which, being a young girl of great piety, she bad always prayed. The strange circumstances are that it has puzzled the doctors to explain how she was restored to consciousness. Their assertion is that the attack was what is technically known as a " dart," or the forma, tion of a clot of blood in the heart, which is then shot up into the brain, occasioning instant unconsciousness, convulsions, and death. At the end of thirteen days this actually occurred in the case we speak of, but a long interval had been vouchsafed for preparation to meet the end. Is not the power of our Blessed Lady evident here 1 No Catholic at least can doubt it.

Thb rain and wind, which began on Saturday evening, and continued, thioughoat Sanday and the greater part of Monday, with more or less severity, have done a great deal of mischief in Otago fend Southland. The harvest hag been extensively injured, and in several instances the crops have been completely swept away. — Traffic on the roads and railway lines was interrupted ; a vessel named the Star of Erin, which had taken in cargo at the Bluff, was wracked st Waipapapa Beef, and two men, named respectivly Swanson and Holdrig, were drowned at the Xaieri. It was many years tinoe so heavy and mischievous a storm had occurred here. Among the travellers who were put to inconvenience, we may add, were the Governor, who returned to Danedin, Lady Onslow who took refuge'

with her children, at the Hon George McLean's farm at Warriogton, and the Countess of Jersey, who was a passenger to this oity from Inveroargill, bnt was obliged to remain at Milton.

Thb following changes have been mads by election in the Danedin Irish Rifles :— Mr John Toomey, Captain ; Bergsant Simmonds, second lieutenant ; Corporals J. Ford and J. M'Tamney, sergeants ; and Privates Day and Golden, corporals.

The farewell banquet given to Lord Onslow on Saturday evening in Dunedin was a marked success, and gave, in more senses than one, conclusive proof of the popularity gained among as by his Ezoelleney. His Excellency's speech was, of course, the feature of the evening. It was that of a man taking just and moderate views, and who was not afraid when the occasion offered to give fall expression to his opinions. In the month of Lord Onslow the reputation of ths Tftry peer will lose nothing. His Bxoellency expressed views regarding the ties that unite the colonies to the Old Country similar to those which we ourselves have from time to time advanced, giving a doe place to sentiment; but allotting to the necessity of defence the chief importance. His views as to the desires and designs of foreign powers are such as must open to us a long prospect of protective sod precautionary measures. In alluding to the Tory party In Kogland Lord Ooslow took credit for them principally with regard to their foreign policy, and, to do Lord Salisbury jostice, we must Admit that, in this respect, he seems to have been so far fairly snosessful. It is to be regretted that be has resolutely and blindly opposed at home the policy needed to confirm and strengthen any steps taken by him abroad for the welfare of the Empire. Lord Onslow does not conceal the fact that ths future of the Tories is uncertain, He even goes so far as to express his belief that the party may be actually in a state of transition. Let us hope their change may be, as is sorely needed by them, one for the better; That there are politicians in the party of Lord Onslow's calibre gives us room to believe it may be so. His Excellency and Lady Onslow left Danedin by the Northern tx* press on Monday morning — but their journey was broken by the interruption of traffic caused by the floods. We fully share in the general regret at his Excellency's impending departnre from the colony, and we join in wishing him and L&dy Onslow a safe and pros* perous voyage.

According to the official statistics for 1881 (uys the Sydney Freeman's Jtumal) the total Catholic population of New South Wales was 207.006. The latest returns for 1890 give the number as 312,000. In 1881 the total Catholic population of the colonies was 543,803. For 1890 the figure is 606,969, not including returns from Sandhurst, Bockhampton, and Cookstown. The' estimated total Catholic population of Australasia and the islands is 680,000.

The late victory at Bossendale seems to have been emphasised by the inflnential local position of the defeated candidate. The National Press gives us the following:— Sir Thomas Brooks, Bart; of Crawshaw Hall, president of the Bossendale Unionise Association, has consented to contest the Bossendale Division in the Unionist interest, in succession to Lord Hartington, who becomes Duke of Devonshire. The Liberal candidate is Mr John Henry Maden, of Bacup, eon of the late Mr Henry Maden.

Hebe is another note of Catholicity for Dr Nevill :—" The Protestant Archbishop of Armagh and the Protestant Bishop of Deny and Down," says the Liverpool Catholic Times, " are trying to dissuade the Protestant Archbishop of Dublin from his resolution to go on ordaining ministers for his new ' Befonned Church of Spain. ' He has already defied the great body of the protesting ministers of the Mother Church of England, and, as might be expected, he politely brashes aside his Irish episcopal brethren by hinting that they only represent a minority in the Irish Protestant Church. He declines a ' f rieodly conference ' with the English Bishops. In the opinion of the Archbishop of Armagh this course is calculated to ' break the unity of the Church of Ireland ' and strain ' those loving bonds which bind us to the Church of England.' So loving indeed are they that over two thousand clergymen in England have been signing the petitions against his Grace of Dublin. Here we have the ' Primate of Ireland ' and the Archbishop of Canterbury on the one side, and the Archbishop of Dublin and probably the Ballykilbeg and Boyne Water contingents on the othsr. The former worthies are trying in vain to reform the latter, but the latter crying ' handß off ' are intent on their little game of reforming the Catholics of Spain, Oh I shade of Don Quixote bring forth thy good goose quill and write as up the incidents of this conflict."

A cablegram, under date London, February 8, to the effect that Canadian Catholics have been forbidden to Bend their ohildren to schools where Protestant children attend seems to be a canard designedly published for the purpose of injuring Catholic schools, and prejudicing the minds of Protestants against them. There is, of courar, no truth in the report. It may, perhaps, hare been found

neoemry, in some parti of Canada, to call attention to the standing prohibition against the attendance of Oatbolio children at nonOatholic schools, and this may be the foundation of the calumny. Bat as Canadian Catholics are well acquainted with tbeir duties and exact in performing them— particularly in the matter of Catholic schools — this explanation seems hardly tenable. As we have said, the report is most- probably a canard intended to do mischief.