ELLESMERE NOTES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 13, 28 July 1893, Page 11

ELLESMERE NOTES.

(From an occasional Correspondent.) The half-yearly meeting of St John's biaoeh of the H.A C.B 8 , which was postponed cwing to the inckmenry cf the weather, took place at South bridge m Monday e*ening. tt c 10th in at., and war well attended, The- HPcrrtßTy present' d the banner -s^cct for the past quarter, which showed the branch to be in b very prt f-perous conditio 1 , several new members having joined the branch during the quirtpr. The trustees were instructed to place an additional £100 of the funds at interest. A di cusmon took place re the advisability of havin? two district boards for New Zealand, onp for th" M ( , r »b Hind, ard one for the South Island. It was pointed out that there w<s no f ult to be found wi h the m<nj)g( merit ( f tie [went di-, net board at Auckland, but it was considered lhat the ( sthblinhmfn* of aneparate district board for the South Island would be the means of infusing more life into al] mitteis connected with the Society ; by triviug branches an oppojtunity of being visited by district efficer?, ai d mi re direct representation at district board meeting It was agreod lhat the branch deltgite be arked to bring the m ltter before the next district board meeting to be held at Auckland with a view of having the matter considered by delegates representing the various branches, It wa» decided to bold the annual social in the Southbridge Town Hall ear'y in August, and a commi;tee of s veral members was appointed to mike the necessary arraogemi ntß. The following members were elected as ifficers for tie ensuing half year :— Presidmt, Bro P. J. Henley ; vice-president, Bro John Kilbride ; secretnry, Bro J. Moiphy ; treasurer, Bro E. Bohan ; warden, Bro O'Reilly ; gnardian, Bro J. McCabe ; sick v.si ors, Bros Jimes Xi bride and T. Donohne ; delegate to D. B, meeting, Bro Tubberty. The officers were installed by the paßt president, Bro S. Haughey.

As the general elections are appn aching nearer and nfarcr people are beginning to fake more mUrc&t in political matters, end from all app< arancts we are like y to have a goodly number of candidates contesting the two electoral districts of which now the old Ellesmere electorate forms part, For Ashbuiton, Messrs Wason, Puroell, and McLaughlan have a 1 rend y announced themselves, while it is rumoured that Messrs Sawleand Jonep,of Ashburton,arealso likely to stand. For t'je E lißncere electora'e, which now includes the Peninsula ant a portion of the Selwyn eltctor te, the Hon W. Hollcston is expected to come forward, ned three '' raw recruits " in the persons of Messrs Montgomery, R< nnie, and Waby, are also spoken of, The first-named is, I understand, a son of the Hon W. Montgomery, and the two last are gentlemen who have been connected with local aflaiib in this district for a number of years. So, from all a]pearances, to use a spotting phrafc, wi> are likely to have large fields. It is to be hop d that thot-e who have been iDtrusted with the task of putting the names of all Catholics eligible to Tt to on the register, have fulfill! d their duty in this respect, for, no doubt, we shall require every vote we can get. •■ It is a pity that some arrangi merit is rot made whereby meetings of ri presentatives from a.vcral e>tnmitteen could be held at convenient centres thruun'ioiit New Z-iland for the purpose of considering their position, and the best means of giving a substantial block vote. lam sure it would be the means of bringing Catholics more in uirson with eich o'>her, and would, therefore, considerably strengthen the Catholic vote. The erection of the new church is progressing very favourably, and, with the exception of the tower, it is expected to have all the brick w rk completed in tbe course of a few wnks. The contractor has bet n very fortuna'e in being favoured wilh such fine weather, for with the exception of a few severe, frosts, and a fe* days ram, ho has had nothing to trouble him ia the shape of bad weather,