Auckland.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 20, 3 March 1893, Page 18

Auckland.

(From our own Correspondent.) February 23, 1893. Ax St Patricks Cathedral on last Sunday week, and upon the Friday and Saturday preceding, the anniversary of his Holiness the Pope's episcopal jubilee waß celebrated with becoming ceremony. On Friday and Saturday evenings eloquent and instructive discourses were delivered by the Rev Father Duffy, SJ. Oa Sunday evening the principal ceremony took place before a packed enngregation. The Very Rev Adm, Father Hackett, preached a magnificent sermon on St Peter and his successors." The rev preacber commenced with the chief Apost'e'u entry into Rome, friendless and unheeded, during Nero's reign, and how as time progressed he extended the sphere and influence of that great Church, destined to play such a prominent part in the world's history. Step by slep down the ages was the Church's progress maiked ont. How she had rescued the world from barbarism and slavery, stretching out all her protecting arms in defeuce of right and truth. Every religious and civil right enjoyed by Christendom to-day is attributable to the Catholic Church. Powerful nations have risen and tottered and sunk into oblivion, but the grand old Church of Peter is now as fresh and as vigorous as at any time dui ing its existence. The rev Father concluded with a special reference to the present illustrious occupant of the throne of Peter, to whom at the present moment, from every part of ihe habitable globe, his dudful Catholic children bowed tbeir submission and ft-alty. A procession of the Blessed Sacrament was then foimed, consisting of the boys and girls recently confirmed, the children of Mary, guard of honour, etc. Rev Father Duffy deacon, Father Doyle cub-deacon. The canopy borne by four of the Marist Brothers, under which his Lordship the Bishop held aloft the Sacred Host. The procession, under the supervision of Father Hackett, passed through the aisles of the Cathedral. Bedediction followed, the children kneeling round the altar rails each with a ligh'ed candle, the whole affording a truly devotional and edifying spectacle. Hta Loidsbip journeyed to Onehurga on last Sunday morning week, and f'.rmal y invested the good r/ar'sh prie j st with the insignia of his new title of Monsignore.

Towards the erection of the new parochial fefcool in Ponsonby, Father Gillan h?s aheady collected £140. For its completion £200 is needed. The genial and kindly Father Doyle of St Patrick's, who, for about a fortnight, has been laid up with a poisoned foot, is now, I am happy to state, convalescent, and on last Sunday evening he preached a tine sermon on Lenten observances. His Grace Archbishop Redwood arrived at the Manakau by the Mahinapua yesterday afternoon, and while in Auckland he will ba the guest of the Rev Father Hackett at St Patrick':) presbytery. fiver thirsting for novelty ant sensation, and good reason, for upon it they thrive, the various incongruous sects of Protes'antism in the city have departed from the conventicles and tea-puddles, and now purpose turningtheir attention to the conversion (!) of the heathen Chinese in whose hovels upon thq Sabbtth there reiga supreme, fan-tan and the stupifyine opium. Upon the very week proceeding the meeting called for the above " sensation," the annual rrpor s of the Anglican and Diss-nting sjcta were published in all thu local papers, anii m,alm<B' every instance there appeared a woaful chorus of lament at the falling off, pirticularly amongst the young men, in the attendance at the churches and meeting houses. Well might thu sons of confucius explain to these proselytizers " put thine own house | in order, ere seeking to reform ourp."

An outcry is raised at the action of the Government it their contemplated cashiering of the resident marine examiners, and appointing initerants to perform the duties. The objectors, I must certainly cay, have considerably the best of the deal. There has been collected here for the distressed Qaeenslandeis at the time of writing, the sum of £1,440. Very creditable and charitable you will say. Not quite 220 milts eoulh of us occurred another 4 flood, prior to that in West Aus raha, and appeals were raado in tbe)A_ local Pres3 for succour, especially f>r the Maoris w io suffered heavily, so much co, that it will take yeara ere they again reich the etasje of comfort, lumbers of the white Bettlers are similaily circumstancei.

With the cash response you could barely cover the crown of y->ur hat. ' Verily " distance lenda enchantmsnt to the view." Our composite Harbour Board is seemingly akin to Mr Glads'one's definition of a deputation " which comprises very many, but conlains very little." lie cjailiutiou is as follows : — The City Couqcil sends four members ; the N.Z. Government two ; one ea h from the marine boroughs of Devonport, Birkenhead ani Parnell ; and only three are eleced by tie payers of baibour dues. Of the whole, therefore, responsibility rests only upon the shoulders of threj, and whose constituents aie but a mere handful. Immense sums of money are at the disposal of this irresponsible body. £10,000 were lately voted to patch up the ever-tottering Queen street wharf. Not a permanent work have they, but continually eqaander ng and patching. Lord Qjsebery recently Blid ''Not by its roads and aqueducts, but through its institutions is Borne remembered," and if ia this essentially maritime country we to'erate institutions like the oae under review posterity will most likely not remember us. Preparations are af jot for the due celebration of St Patrick's Day. The various parishes are organising the children's treat ; the Hibernians are holding meetings to carry out their annual fete, and last but not least, the ever popular " National concert " in the hands of the Rev Father Hackett, promises to be as successful aa hitherto. The approaching National festival should be one of the most joyous to Irish hearts, because that for which we have longed and struggled for centuries is at hand.

The last meeting of the local branch of the Irish National Federation was most entbuaias ie and cheerful and full of buoyant hope and spirit. With the great throbbing Irish heart the wide world over, the hearta at this meeting beat in unison. Tne Octogenarian's speech tinkling in their ears betokened the dispersion of those dark centuries of wrong imposed with gross maligoi y upon the residue of a noble people in the cradle of their race. The President, the Hon J. A. Tole, in a splendid and patriotic speech at once aroused the assemblage, and said it was one of the proudest moment of his life to Btand that night amongst hie countrymen to pin with them in their exuberant joy at the fact of Home Rule being within measurable distance. He hoped that ere long we would again assemble to rtjoice at ths opening of the old House in College Green, and concluded by moving the resolution which I have already forwarded for publication in the Tablbt. Mr W. J. Speight seconded the resolution in one of his characteristically elcqaent efforts. Councillor Julian (a Yorkshire Home Ruler) and Measis Garlu,k, J. J, Daly, Mr Tole, A. Millar and Nay lon also spoke in support of the motion wnich on b<uog put to the meeting w<tb carried by acclamation. A pleasant incident here took pUce. A member called tLe secretary aside, and said that he would tui of his «jwn pocket pay to have the resolution cabled to Mr Gladstone in the morning proviled his name was not mentioned to the meeting. <^n Mr lole making this announcement it was greeted with loud applause. As most of my readers are already aware, the motion was cibled to Mr Gladstone signed by the presi ient, the Lion J A. Tole. I will nek the gentleman's displeasure woo acted so magnanimously, by publishing his rjame. Acts of this kind are not to be lightly passed over, especially when tbis sum now exp' nded will b:ing the amount subscribed to ihe Irish cause by this gentleman within thre± years up to no less than £50. Ttiis Stirling and generous Irishman is Mr John Campbell of Point Eiin, Pon3onby, and while Ireland posses-es sons of this calibre her caune will mo9t assuredly eni in triumph.

Auckland'^ expor s for the q larter enlin^ Do^mb^r 31st, 1892, amounted to £328,852. Our best custjmer was the United S a r es, which took from us £153,002; the United Kingdom coming next with £86 886. We poeseßS almost a monopoly of the export trade to the Pacific islands. During 'he quaiter we sent to the islands exports to the amount of £21,589, whil» Wellington, who came next s^nt only £1,198 to New Caledonia, and £416 to the Cook Islands. The heal branch of the H.A.C.B.S. donated £10 10< to the Q aeenplind Disaster Fund. When Mi Dillon was here ihie Society coauibu c i £40 for the Iriah evicted tenants, aud it was astonishing to bhold vho numerous wnttrs in tLe local Piess who were then so solicitous for the funds le=s they should be tqunndered, and that too upon tuose " troublesome Irish wLo refused to \ ay their rents. ' Not a syllable has thtre been uttered agiinst the ten guineas donalion. These carpers are now as dumb as the mv zzin's cry ftom the minarets of modern Greece. Consistent inconsistency. It is with regret I have to record the death of Mr Coinolly, father of Mr J. D Conm lly, U.S. Consul. This fi ie old gentleman died in hiß native Gilway, on September sth last. He left Ireland Mime years ago foi the dtate-i, where he lived for a <_ousi<Jeiabli3 time, out always pined for his dear native land, to which, with his wira, ai.d one son and daughter, ne returned somu years ago. He has another and several daughters in the United States, all of whom are in comfortable circumstances. He attdiutd the ripe age of 80 yeais. — 11.1.P. At the recent law examinations held in this city sevetal of our Catholic youog mea were, to usa toe piofessbnal term, " plucked." Explanation,— too many irons in the fire.

" What do you think of the Home Rule Bill ? " This his bejn amongst the Irishman in this city and suburbs for tha lait fortnight, the question. Though tin cible news is nec3S3irily meagre, yet the B'H haabjen almost uaanimoasly voted Al. This is neither the time nor placi to give the several obj ctiois raise 1, but one circumstance excited here much controversy and surmise, and that was the objection raised by Mr Sextan to tha fiaancul p&rt of the Bill. Upon what grounds the Member for North Kerry objected the cable, like the interest ing romance stops short "to be continued in our next." Under the present financial arrangements Ireland is being drained to hsr very lifd's blood. What are tin f»cts? Under Grattan'd Pa 1 am9nt from 1782 to 1798 Ireland's national debt was 2£ millions. Raisn* the reojllion, and quelling it, and bribing Eoglish nominees to vo'e for the Uni m 22$ millions. It was laid down in the act of Union that Irelanl saould pay interest only on her na ional debt till such tims as it saould attain to the proportion of one-seventh of the nation il bebt of England. When the two exchequers were to bj consolidated 17 years after the Union, the Irish national debt, under English minagemant, rose to £125,000,000. When the exchequers were consolidated, ani from that day to this, Ireland had to pay interest on England's national debt as well as her town. Ireland's wealth is lees than one-fifteneth that of England, and she pays yearly one-seventh of the Imperial taxation. Just prior to the assembling of Parliament and speaking at Newcastle-on-Tyne, Mr T. M. Healy said—' 1 Now we cannot pay one-fifteenth, and what is more we won't, pay one-fifteenth." Mr Healy here referred to what was rumoured to be Ireland's ratio in the coming Bill. If Ireland canaot pay one-fifteenth, is it any wonder tnat she is a mendicant when the cormorants squeeze out of her one-seventh 1 Lord Byron was not far out whan he said " Tne union of Ireland with England was the union of the shark witb its prey."