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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XX, Issue 23, 25 March 1892, Page 18

The mission of the Redetnptonat Fathers was renewed in St Joseph's Cathedral, Dunedin, on Sunday, and has continued through

tbe week. The iiev Fathers have been kept busy at the altar, in the pu'pit, and in the confessional, and the attendance of the laity has been numerous. On Tuesday evening the attauilauci wa9 restricted to men only, and thu citholral wai well filled, a congregation of tully six hundred alula b3ing preseit. The Rev Father Hovrell delivered the missionary address, and oa its conclusion reqaested the BUhop to gpeak. His Lordship, on ascending the platform, waa received by the men with a mark of homage, borrowed from the confraternity of the Holy Family at Limerick, an! which consists in holding up the right hand — to signify thaf the blessing of the parieular prelate or priest is craved. Tbe Bishop spoke on education, delivering a stirring address. He denied the chaige that he bad been the means of excluding the Bible (rom tbe public schools, recalling how ho had summoned a public meeting of Catholics to denounce Mr Bowen's Bill and to reject the compromise offered. He denied the assertion that because the name of God occurred here and there in. the school books the secular schools were improperly stigmatised as godless. It would be as well, be said, to call them pagan because tbe names of the heathen deities occurred in the books, as to call them Christian for the reason stated, and, in fact, he declared thase schools were as much pagan as Christian, His Lor iship took back the retraction he had made as to the use of Collier's history in the Queenstown public school, giving as his grouada the facts we have stated elsewhere. He asserted that he bad been practised on and tricked in this matter. The most rev speaker further alluded to the teaching of Collier, that the Pope sold indulgences, and to the insistance made by correspondents of the newspapers that such was the case, and also that pardon for future sins was sold by the Church. It would be no wonder, he said, if, under such teaching the children of the pnblic schools learned to abominate and detest their Catholic neighbours. He jointed out the gross injustice of applying money extorted from Catholics to the purpose of providing such teaching. In conclusion, his Lordship appealed to the mm to u9J their power as electors, and to make education thtir one test qutstion — to vote for no man who would not publicly pledge himself to do them justice He asked them to give him thmr promise thit they would do so. The response was an enthusiastic and resonant " We will " — which must have awakened the echoes of the street without. The whole scene was a most impressive one, and waa well calculated, as it was intended, to unite the Catholic men of Dunedin, and to teach them their own strength. The mission will be closed on Sunday evening.

On Friday the 18tb inst, the teas'; of the Rev Mother Prioress was observed at the Dominican priory, Dunedin, The children of the kindergarten an entertainment, which parsed off with great eclat, and this was followed in St Joseph's school by a similar undertaking. The classe?, each iv turn presented an address, every child also haDding to the rev mother a pretty bouquet of flowers, and all taking part in recitations and songs. The crief event, however, was the presentation of a handsome cabinet. The Bishop, who with the Rev Fathers L/nch, Adtn ; O'N^il, O'Djnuell (Port Chalmers) and Howe 1, C.Ss.U., was piesjnt, returned think* uu bjhalf of tha Rev Mother Prioress, and expressed h.mself as much pleased at what he had witnessed. His Lordahip referred especially to a promise given by the girls that they would be the best of good children. Their best wiittrs, they said, had written their addresses, their best readers had read them, and they were resolved to carry out their attempt to give the best of everything in the manner mentioned. Everything was done very nicely, and a pleasant morning was spent.

St Patrick's Day was ibis year aa extremely dull day n Dunedm. The weather was gloomy ; there was no attempt of aay kind at a secular celebration of the day, and a state of tranquil depression seemed to be the ruling characteristic. In the Northern towns the weather wad wet, and the sport 3 bad to be postponed.

The appointment as truant officer in Dunedin of the gentleman who fills the post of Inspector for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, may perhaps be regarded from, more than one standing point. People of settled habits and sieady ways will consider it appropriate. But what will the cagtd truants think of it?

It appears that the denial made of Dr Moran's charge by Mr Mehaffey, head teacher of the Government school at Qaeeastown, is not to be tak^n without a graia of. Bait. The Bishop's informant, after all, was not so completely mistaken. We have it on good authority that, although CjKier'a his.ory, as Mr Mehaffey slates, had not been tbe class-book appointed for use in the schojl, still, any pupil having that history, and not having the appointed class-book, was permitted to use it. This levela ion puts altogether a different face on Mr Mehaliey'a denial. Where a bold refutation appeared we now find a mere quibble.

In addressing thu Nuw Z alanJ Medical Association at Wellington last week, the lion Dr Grace. Count of the Holy Roman Empire, their president, made sjme pertinent propjaals for raising the charac-

ter of the teaching in the Dunedin School of .Medicine, and for generally improving the intellectual status of medical men trained injthe colony. The proposals are such as must commend themselves to every man of understanding. The address, which is an important one, will be found elsewhere.

The withdrawal of the German Education Bill must not be taken as marking the sense of the country respecting religious teaching. The Bill was so constructed as to provide for the religious education, per force, of the children of Freethinkers, It provisions, further, entailed a possible expenditure tbat was contemplated with great alarm. On these two points we may conclude the unpopularity was based that has resulted in the failure reported.

We have seen a very beautiful chess-table, which is in the proceßß of completion at the Dominican Convent in Dunedin, as one of the prizes in the Oamaru art-union. Tbe Very Rev Father Mackay has been presented by Mr Reidle, of the Dresden Company, with a violin valued at fifteen guineas, which, owing to the successful sale of tickets, he will add to the list of prizes.

We record with much regret the death of Mr J. W. Humphrey, which occurred last week in Wellington. Mr Humphrey, who was a native of Scotland, was a colonist of some 30 years standing. His career was creditable, and at one time he filled the position of Mayor of Westport. He afterwards removed, a 9 manager of a branch of the firm cf Bailie and Humphrey, fo Oamara, where he resided for Bonie years. Of late he had carried oa business in Wellington. He has left a widow and one child, abjyof six, to mourn his loss.— M.I.P.

The Rev Father Browne has been removed from Rangiora to Rosg. On the eve of his departure the rev gentleman waa presented by his late flock with an address and a purse of sovereigns.

It is announced by cable that the Bishop of Salford haß been appointed as successor in the See of Westminster to the late Cardinal Manning.

At a meeting of the unions lately held at Townsville, Queensland, to oppose the reintroduction of Kauaka labour, one of the men present declared himself ready, if necessary, to make use of force. As force, or wiles, or both in combination, will certainly be employed in reintrodDcing tbe labour allude! to, perhaps it would not be inconsistent with the situation to employ force in keeping it out. Bythewy, talking of Townsville puta us in mind of a meeting of parsons held in Sjdney some twenty -fi*e years asro also to protest against the employment of Kanakas. The late Mr Towns was hailed as a benefactor cf his race, and declare 1 the one exception perfectly qualified to own slaves if it pleased him. The moral to be drawn seems to us obvious. The exception nude, however, quite neutralised the effects of the meeting— at least in some quarters. It is to be hoped that, as things are now, no exceptions will be heard of, but that the iniquitous proposal will be strenuous. y and successfully opposed everywhere. For our own part, we have no interests connected with Queensland, and still less if possible, with the South S;a Islands. But everyone fit to live is interes ed in our common humanity.

As a piece of canting hypocrisy, we think our readers will agree with us that the following can hardly be surpassed It is an answer lately received by a Catholic priest r'rjoi a perton to whoiu he had announcjd by letter that a sum of m>jey had been handed to him for restitutioa to sai 1 deponent. Addressing the rev gentleman as j.lain Mr — tor which, however, habitml ill manners and ignorance may account, the disciple in question writes :— ' I may say thai it is pleasing to see persons being lei to see the value of acting honestly to their fellow-man. I trust that the person who H«»nltd you the money as owing to me may not merely be exercised in conscience only about earthly things, but be ltd to see the value and the Efficacy of the precious Blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanseth from all sin." — The pious chip adds, by way of paa'script : " I should be pleased if the person would give you permission to tell His mmc, I would really like to wii c Him a letter." — Bat was it not just as well thi.t the person making restitution had not been converted beforehand 1 As one of the Lord's elect the act of retribution, or a'iy other good work, would n^t have bet n necessary f. r him. Uader those conditions he could have walked into heaven, so to speak.with ihe money snugly stowed away in his pocket, lhat proposed letter could now do n j harm to the writer's interes s. Let us hjpe he may be enabled to bear bis wcrd of testimony.

As we go to press a quantity of matter reacbej us containing reports of St Patrick's day celebrations and othtr events. We rtgrot that it i* impossible for us to publi-b any p irt of it in our present issue. We would again r.-mia i our readers that, to, insure publica-

tion in any particular issue, contributions should reach this office not later than Tuesday.

A PABTICULA.B point in Dr Moran's address as St Joseph's on Tuesday evening was that in which he denounced the injustice of applying the money forcibly extorted from the Oatholioß o! the Colony to pay for teaching the children of the public schools to hate and despise their Catholic neighbours. This is a point that cannot bo too strongly insisted upon. None but an insane bigot can fail to perceive its force,

Another good point in Dr Moran's address at St Joseph's was that made by him in allusion to the threat of an opposing block vote. From this, he said, be was persuaded the love of fair play and sense of justice among the great body of their fellow-colonists would protect them.