WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 2, 28 October 1892, Page 31

WELLINGTON.

(From our own Correspondent.) October 22, 1892. THE twelve long-expected appointments have been made to the Lagislative Council, and the result has been, that the same number of gentlemen have been made happy with a seat in the Upper House, £150 a year, and the pnfix of hon. The elevation of theee dozen gentlemen has offended at least twelve times as many more, who were fully prepared to sacrifice themselves on the altar of public utility. No doubt tbe Government wonld be only too glad to accommodate many more of their suppoiters, if a grateful country were only agreeable. The Government have disappointed hundreds of men in New Zealand, but they have grievously disappointed their opponents by the selection. The Evening Post, which cannot see anything good in the present Government or in their actions, admits that hey have done as well as their opponents could have done. There is nothing but praise from the Opposition Press regarding the appointments. Whether the Government will receive the same amount of thanks from their supporters remains to be sein. When O'Connell received praise from the Whigs for anything which he did he generally went through an examination of conscience, to fiad out how he had transgressed against his country's interests, as congratulations from such a quarter was a certain sign that he was straying from the path of rectitude. The Government could not do better than ask themselves il they have done wisely for the interest of their party, when their opponents are quite jubilant at the selections made. Not alone are the Conservatives elated at what they consider is a selection which could not be improved upon if they had the doing of it themselves. But they deeply sympathise with the many workingmen candidates, in various parts of the Colony, who were moving heaven and earth to get appointed. We can very well understand the deep interest which the Opposition Press takes in the disappointment of several workingmen, who almost looked upon a seat in the Council as an accomplished The two Wellington nominations have been well received. The Conservatives see in the person of Mr E. Bichardßon, a man after their own heart, who was never very remarkable for anything in tbe world of politics, save being a very mild Liberal— a man whose political principles would fit either party without much tension of conscience. Mr John Bigg, the other Wellington Councillor, is a man whose Tiews are more in accordance with the working men, being himself a printer by trade. His nomination is very popular with the industrial classes, he being president of several of their unions, and is, I believe, one of the best they could make. Of course there wer« at least a dozen men spoken of here whose voices have been beard from time to time at various public meetings, and who have taken a very prominent part in politics. These will be grievously disjointed, but the majority of tbe working classes are thoroughly in accord with the Government in their selection of a Labour Member. Mr Bigg is only about 34 years of age, being a native of Victoria! He sppnt a couple of years, after his arrival in this Colony, in Dunedin, but tbe family finally removed to Wellington, where the present M.L.C. received tbe greater part cf his education at the Catholic school. He was, after leaving school, apprenticed at the Government Printing Office, where he has worked tie greater part of bis life. Two of his sisters have been for many years prominent members of the choir of St Mary's Cathedral. Master Joseph Maher, of Lyttelton, has been awarded the trophy given by bis Worship the Mayor to the highest scorer in the St Patrick's College Cricket Clnb during the ssason 1891-92. The committee of ladies and gentlemen belonging to tbe TborndoD and Te Aro parishes, who are interesting themselves in St Joseph's Orphanage, held a meeting last Thursday evening for the purpose of making arrangements for the annual outing at the Bey Father Lane's gardens at the Hutt. It was decided that the annual affair should take place this year on November 9th so as not to clash with other demonstrations and outing?. Various committees were set up to attend to details, and should weather permit, this promises to be tbe most successful of its kind ever held here. At the eleven o'clock Mass last Sunday, at the church of St Mary of the Angels, Boulcott street, the Bey Father Goggan made a strong appeal to tne congregation to assist in making the forthcoming baz»ar a succees, and earnestly invited those persons who were in a position to do so, to contribute either prizes for tbe proposed art-uoion or goods for the stalls. The committee for carrying out the arrangements in connection wilh the bazaar, hold meetings periodically, and tie details are being rapidly put into a concrete form It is expected that from the enthuiiasm displayed by the people and especially the organisers, that this vill be one of the, if not the, most successful bazaar that has ever beet held in this city. The Bey Father also read tbe report and balance-sheet of the Te Aro Branch of the Ladies St Vincent de Paul Society presented to a meeting of the members a few dayi ago by Miss M. McDonald, secretary, which was a very clear and lnoid statement of the affairs and

1 work of the Society during the past year. The report referred to the severity of the past winter, the demands on the resources of the Society being more numerous than usual, bnt thanks to the generosity and seal of the president (Mrs Kennedy), and the co-operation of the members, the more argent wants bad been met. an appeal was made for more members, and circulars asking ladies to join have been sent out. The membership consisted of 26 active and 8 honorary members on the roll. There were 37 meeting held ; 250 new garments were made and distributed, and nearly 500 new and old goods distributed, not mentioning abont 350 yards of unmade material. Three patients have been sent to Mount Magdala daring the year and a donation made to the funds of that institution. The receipts from fees, honorary and active member's subscriptions, and donations from friends were very nearly £20, and collections and poor boxes, £22 odd, making a total of nearly £42 for the year. All of this, save a oredit balance of £4, has been expended. The following ladies were then elected officers for the forthcoming year;— President. JMrs Holt ; rice-president, Mrs Black ; treasurer, Mrs Devine ; secretary, Miss Mary McDonald. The resnlt of the examination for passes in music, held here some time ago under the auspices of Trinity College, London, are to band, and I am glad to notice that amongst the number are the foh lowing from St Patrick's College : —Nicholas B. Moloney, Charles 0, Cimino, Patrick Burton, and Patrick J. S Garvey. A banquet was given to his Excellency the Governor on Monday evening last in the Butland Hotel, Wanganui, on bis passing through that town for the North. The chair was occupitd by the Mayor, who had on his right the guut of the evening, his Grace Archbishop Redwood, and the Bight Hon Henry Mathews ; and amongst the invited guests was the Bey Father Kirk. I did not notice a single other clergyman — not even an Orangeman chaplain — present. What are the an ti- Papal societies doing in allowing his Excellency, who was supposed to be the special protege of a Government remarkable for its pretended horror of Catholics and its appreciation of the loyalty, patriotism, and various other social and political qualities which are supposed to be the special attribute of persons who meet in Orange lodges, to fall into the hands of such dangerous companions. For some time the good ladies who compose the Wanganui congregation have been working hard in getting up a bazaar whereby funds may be raised for the maintenance of a school which has been lately started by the Marist Brothers with much promise of success^ Everything has been in readiness, and on Wednesday evening last the opening ceremony took place about 7.30 p.m., when his Grace Archbishop Bedwood arrived, accompanied by the Mayor (Mr A. J. Parsons), the choir at the same time singing " God save the Queen." The Mayor, in his opening remarks, said that he felt honoured by the request of the committee and Father Kirk to be present on the occasion. He had hoped to be able to induce the Governor to remain for the opening certmeny.but in consequence of the travelling arrangements which his Excellency had made, it was impossible for Lord Glasgow to comply with the request. His Excellency, however asked Mr Parsons to hand a donation of £5 to the committee as a' token of the interest which he took in the bazaar. The Mayor then called on his Grace tbe Archbishop to formally open the bazaar. His Grace, after referring to the quastion of education in its relation to the establishment of a school, conducted by the Marist Brothers, in Wanganui, tben paid a tribute of praise to the liberality and generosity of the people of that town, who always excelled by the kindness and goodwill shown by them in their support of any good object. He said it was vary pleasant to have to express his high appreciation of the liberality of the Bey Father Kirk's congregation. His Grace then formally declared the bazaar open. Space does not permit m« to give any account of the stalls or their coatents, but merely give the names of the various stall-holders and their assistants. The fair itself was called tbe " Continental Bazaar " and the assistants were suitably habited to represent the different nations their stall* were called after. Suabian stall ; Mrs Cribb, Misses Neill, Carroll and O'Leary, assisted by Misses Leydon, Cronin, and H. O'Leary. Cosmopolitan stall ; Mesdames Blight, Akerston', Neylon and Coupe, Misses Hyiand and Conroy. Auvergne stall > Mesdames W. H. Olapham, A. Woolley and Geise, assisted by Mesdames Turner, McDonnell and Johnston. Swiss Stall— Children of Mary— Misses Links, Corcoran, Carmody, Hickey, Byan, McCollogh McMahon, and Mrs O'Neill. French stall ; Mesdames Jackson Lloyd, and Mrs Dr Connolly and Miss Wright, O'Brien, Wall, and Bobertson. Italian stall ; Masdames Dempsey, McCarthy, Mullins Ollivier and Misses Mullins, Dempsey, Gascoigne and Turcich. Britague ; Mesdame Provost, Pareell, O'Connell, Donovan, assisted by Misses E. Geise, O'Neill and Mesdames McCullough and McLochlin. Tbe bazaar was a great success, tha building being crowded on. the' opening night, when between £90 and £100 were taken, and a larger sum on the second night.