AUCKLAND NOTES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XX, Issue 42, 5 August 1892, Page 27

AUCKLAND NOTES.

(From an occasional Correspondent.)

News from oar good Bishop has been received. He spent a week daring last month (Jane) at Lourdes, from whence he proceeded to Ireland. It is probable that his Lordship will return home, via America.

Much needed improvements have been completed at the residence of the Marist Brothers, necessitating a considerable expenditure of money, the collecting of which is mainly due to the exertions of Meedames Martin and Hiscocks of Hobaon Btreet, and the generous assistance of Mr John Campbell of Point Erin, Ponsonby ; Mr Wm Mahoaey of the Oxford, Hotel ; and Mr P. Gleeson ; the latter gentleman superintending the work thronghout. lam sorry to say that the Superior, Bro Augustine, is still in very bad health, bat in the most heroic manner he sticks to his post in the High School.

Mother Btrnard, of the Sisters of Mercy, was in such a precarious way daring the week that the Last Sacraments were administered to her.

On Tuesday next (July 26), the Hon J. A. Tole will deliver a lecture before the Auckland Catholic Literary Society on the " Life and times of Daniel O'Connell." In such able hands the subject is not likely to lose any of its great importance. O'Oonnell'a life and time might fairly be ranked as one full of import, inasmuch as he found us, as it were, upon our backs, and through his herculean efforts he placed us on our feet, inspired the whole of Ireland with a sense of its manhood, hurling defiance at our unrelenting foes, which, thank God, has borne good fruit, for we are now drawing near to tbt end of our long and bitter struggle, and whan it is completed we will look back with admiration to the " Liberator " who taught us to fight the constitution by constitutional means.

" Home Rule is dead." Who said so ? Why, the editor of the N. Z. Herald. Like Judas Chamberlaia when the records of the Divorce Court dealt Ireland such a blow, the sapient editor shrieked " Home Rule ia dead." In the first flush of Tory victories flashed through the wires this wise-acre of the " scissors and paßte " put two and two together, and in a chorus of delight he exclaimed, "We knew that the voting intelligence of England would not desert the loyal men of Ulster to whom we owe a debt of peculiar gratitude." Then a piece of presumptuous advice is given to the Irishmen of Auckland to disband their local organisation, as it was no longer required ; the article concluding as it started by announcing that " Home Rule is dead." The Loyalists, taking it for gospel, actually had memorial cards printed "on the sad demise " and forwarded the tame to several prominent Home Rulers. They now swear that that editor's veracity is on a par with Fals'aff's.

A most enthusias'ic meeting of the local branch of the Irish National Federation took place on last Thursday evening, and as the final returns of the elections were to hand the members were in great spirit. The President the Hon J. A. Tole presided, and made a stirring and patriotic speech. Six new memb.rs were elected. It was decided to send a cable on the following morning to Mr Gladstone, congratulating him upon bis victory. It was also decided not to use the funds of the society in forwarding the cable, when almost immediately the coat w»s subscribed twice over in the room. The presideut sent the cable as directed.

An amusing story was related to me during the week. There lives in our western suburb, Ponsonby, an ardent son of the " ould sod," who, like the majority of his countrymen the world over, has been anxiously waiting for the opening of the doors of the old Parliament House in College Green. In anticipation of this great event he bad erected near his dom'cile a large flagstaff and had made to order a splendid green flag with sunburs', etc.. etc., to float proudly from the top. When lo I his patriotic ardour received such a chock from those nasty divorce revelations, that the staff was uprooted and the flag put carefully away. Daring the week I was assured that the pole was again to be put in terra, firma, the halyards ia position, and the flag held in readiness. This ca9e is a typic il Irish one, with its attendant moral, hence my reason for its publicity.

The nineteenth anniversary of the H A.C.8.5., Auckland branch 81, was celebrated iv the Ca'holic Ins itute, on Friday evening, 22nd inst. It was a great success. During a lull in the festivities the opportunity was taken to present Brother S. Fair weather, for his untiring exertions on behalf of the Society, a splendid Past District

President's collar. Bros D. Flynn, V.P., and /.' J. Dobbs, V.P., acted aa Mastars of Ceremonies.

By a question asked in the New Zsaland Parliament during the I noticed that it was alleged that Mr Clarkson wae refuss 1 employment by the North Canterbury Board of Education because he was a Catholic. Aye, indeed, I kaow of instances in Auckland where several of our young men were denied employment upon similar grounds. These are the peop'e who, parrot-like, take up the cry, "It would never do to hand over the minority in Ireland to the intolerant majority." What hypocrisy.