Dublin Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 26, 27 October 1893, Page 21

Dublin Notes.

(From Irish and American contemporaries.) It U cnrioot to not* that just three of the girls examined under tbe Intermediate system this year took Celtic as one of tb« subjects. One of these pbilo-Oelts was from Cork, the second from Bally mote, and the third from Oahirciveen. In tbe male department there was some Tery good answering in Celtic, especially on the part of the Christian Brothers' pupils. Tbe messages of congratulation and thanks from tbe IrishAmerican leaden to Mr Gladstone, will be welcome to the great old statesman. One of the best fruit* of his just and noble policy has been the rapid conciliation of Irish-American sentiment. The proof he has giren of a desire to do justice to Ireland, and the splendid tenacity and fidelity with which h6 has struggled to fulfil his pledges to Ireland have done more to eradicate the resentment for the wrongs that created Irisb-America than any British statesman could hare dreamed. Mr Gladstone will count that result as not tbe least of his rewards. Meantime the words of the Irish leaders, accepting the proffered measure at its true worth, hava beea speedily proved to reflect the opinion of the scattered eoas of Ireland abroad. In an interesting paragraph tbe Glasgow Daily Mail announces that Mr T. VI. Healy, M.P., and Mr John Barry, M.P , hare presented ■ solid silver snuff box to Mr John SandiUnds, an ex-soldier living in this city. It will be remembered that when Sergeant Palmer in tbe Nineteenth Century two years ago made an infamous attack on tbe courage of Irish soldiers in Highland regiments at the Battle of Tel-81-Kebir, Mr Sandilands. although a Conservative, convincingly defended his former Irish comrades. An inscription on tha snuff-box, besides tbe names of tbe two hon gentlemen, records that it is presented to Mr Sandilands " in recognition of his manly defence when the courage of bis comrades was unjustly assailed." In the class lists of the Cambridge higher local examinations, which consist almost exclusively of women (only three men passing in the whole examination), occur the names of the following Irish Students : — Group A — English Language and Literature, History of Inglish Literature, and Early English — Second clasp, Miss M. B Oorkery, 76 Sunday's Well, Cork, passed in all three sections of the group at Liverpool Centre. Group B— French, G Tman, Italian. Latio, and Greek— First class, Miss L. B. Fisher, Donegal Place, Belfast, in French and Latin at Liverpool Centre. Group F — Mueic Third class, Miss 8. E. E. D'Arcy, 1 Carlisle Terrace, Mslahide, County Dublin, Cambridge Centre. Group H— English History, Constitu. tional History, French History— Third clas«, Miss E. Qnne, 63 Deby Square, Douglas, Isle of man, passed in English and French History (would have also passed in mathematics in group C, but failed in Algebra), Liverpool Centre ; Mies M. H. Mead , 8t Margaret's Hall, Mespil Road, DubUn, passed in English and Consti uiional History at London Centre. The Waterford Corporation honoured itself on Friday, September 7, in honouring tbe distinguished General who was born i i its city. Lord Robert* 1 , in replying to the a idress conferring on him the freedom of tbe ancient and historic city of Wat-rfori, had a eat ject made to his hand— the prestige of the Irish soldier. He himself if, M everyone know?, a conspicuous example of some of ihe best qualities of our race, and some of those qualities the possession of which is so often denied to ns. His brilliant military and administrative career has added anothfr to the many indebtednesses which the British Army is under to our countrymen. Especially were Lord Boberts's gift of command and statesman-like qualities noticed in his connection with India, where be has left a great name, Consequemly his testimony to the splendid qualities of the Irish soldier ia lodia, which formed so interesting a part of his speech has a peculiar value. We need not add anything to his words of warm eulogy of our national traits. The thirty-first report of the Inspector of Reformatory and Industrial Schools in Ireland has been laid on the table of tbe House •of Commons. It deals with the working and management of those institutions during the whole of last year. There were seven reformatories and eixty-nine industrial schools io active opera' ion at vthe end of 1892. Of Artane tbe report says : "Amongst these industrial schools Artane is the largest and most remarkable. the year the average number of boys in the school each day nwm 800, and the coat of maintenance for each was £20 17s sd. It «ppears that from July. 1870, np to the present over £30,000 has been expended on this institution by the Christian brothers and their friends, without any grant in aid from tbe Government or wi hont borrowing tix pence from the State." It is pointe 1 out by Sir Bowland Blennerhasset that the eire taken of boys in Artane is proved conclusively by the low death-rate, which for years past has been remarkable. Tbe total amount received from all sources during •the past year for the support, clothing, and education of children in

reformatory schools was £17,370 5s 61, which was £1170 5s 81 less thtn was received in 1891. In his final remarks Sir Rowland Blernerhasset says : " In concluding this report I cannot too strongly express my conviction that tbe public owes a deep debt of gratitude to the managers of these institutions who labour ao unselfishly for the good of forsaken and unfortunate children. In this work Pro'estaats and Catholics, Nuns, Brothers of the Presentations, Christian Brothers, Rosminiaos, professional men like Dr Samuel Gordon, busy merchants, ladies of rank and position— are all equally zealous and all equally deserve well of their country."

If anything is wanted to prove tbe necessity for a reform in the matter of the national school books, it was supplied by the ridiculous questions aek«d in tbe House of Commons last week by Mr Macertnej and Mr William Johnston. If these gentlemen had set themselves purposely to work to prove the absolute nee£ for a sweeping revision, they could not have done it better. Mr Macartney's soul was troubled because in the sew edition of the Fifth Beading Book Archbishop Wbateley's articles on the British Constitution and on political economy were omitted. He discovered in this some deep •' Popish plot," for were not Archbishop Wbateley's out-of-date and utterly false economic theories replaced by contributions from Cardinals Wiseman and Newman, tbe Most Bey Dr Healy, Monsignor Molloy, and Lord O'Hagan. But Mr Johnston found oat something stilll worse. In the Third Beading Book is published Moore's Canadian Boat Bong, " teaching the invocation of the saints," and he wanted to know if this change had been made with the sanction of the Government. Mr Bodkin simply smothered tbe member for Bally kil beg with ridicule when be asked if the Intermediate curri. culum included tbe works of " a certain Pagan and alleged poet, named Homer," and if his works taught the " invocation of heathen deities." And Mr Austin made equally light work of Mr Macartney by pointing out that tbe congress representing the organised workers of the United Kingdom had protested against the retention of Arcb. bishop Whateley's views on political economy, and that the Belfast Trades Council had also denounced these articles as " prejudicial to the interests of Irish workmen."

Mr Morley's reply was complete and conclusive. The revision of the Fifih Beading Book, he pointed out, was completed in 1892, Both in that year and tbe previous year the absurdity of some of the contents was pointed out in questions in Parliament. Borne of Archb shop Whateley's economic theories consisted of attacks on trades unionism ; others were that the effect of the fixing of a fair rent would be to leave the farm idle. These doctrines be described as •' clearly antiquated," As to that terrible invocation of St. Patrick in the '■ Canadian Boat SoDg," which has troubled Mr Johnston, the poem appears in every elementary public school in Great Britain, and though it has hitherto escaped bis notice, it has been in tbe national school books since 1884. 8o it was not the present Government that was responsible for the introduction of this fearful appeal to bt. Patrick. It is well that the Government are kept straight by such capable ani intelligent critics as Messrs. Macartney and Johnston.

Writes the London correspondent of the Dublin Freeman: A return of the number of evictions which have come to the knowledge of tte constabulary, and also of the number of tenancies determined in the quarter ended Jane 30, 1893, has just b^en presented to Parlia tnent. The number of tenants evicted under ihe L«nd law Act, 1887, and by other processes of law at the suit of the landlord, and not re-admitted on the day of eviction, was— in Ulster, 46 ;in Leinster, 22 ; in Connaugh% 53 ; and in Munster, 56. The total number of tenants evicted in Ireland during the period mentioned amounted to 176, aa compared with 186 daring the preceding quarter. The following are the highest county figures : Mayo, 18 ; Kerry, 16 ; Boscommon, 14; Leitrim, 11 ; and Monaghan, 11. The number of tenansies de'ermined during the same period under section 7 of the Land Law Act, 1887. by wr.ich tenants are converted into caret*. ken was — Ulster, 617 ; Leinster. 182 : Connaught, 582 ; and Munster, 290 —a total for all Ireland of 1,671, as against 1,184 during the quarter ended 31st March last. The following are the principal figure! : Mayo, 288 ; CavaD, 206 ; Leitrim, 109 ; Oalway, 98 ; Monaghan, 96 ; Tyrone, 94 ; Cork, 93 ; Donegal, 84 ; and Kerry 73. Tbe following note is appended to the return, showing the number of evictions carried out: "No nearer statistical approximation can be give i to tbe number of tenants and sub-tenants finally turned out of their holdings. Bat it is to be recollected that this approximation must be considerably in excess of the number permanently evicted, since this table merely 6hows the number of tenants and sub-tenants turned out of their holdings and not re- id mit ted on the same day without giving any indication as to the number of those who may or may not afterwards be rf -admit Ud as tenant?, sub-tenants, or caretakers." From a return of the number cf eviction notices filed in tbe High Court of Justice and County Courts of Ireland, under section 7 of tbe Land Law (Ireland) Act, 1887, dm ing tbe quarter ending tbe 30th day of Jane, 1893, it appears that 26 notices were filed in the Queen's bench Division, 8 in the Kxchequfr Division, and 1,637 in varioue|country courts. With reference to the latier number, Mayo

heads the Hit with 286, tbe other o'jief figures being — Oavan, 206 ; Leitrim, 109 ; Galway,96 ; Mooagban, 96 ; Tyrone, 94 ; Cork, 85 ; Donegal, 82 ; Kerry, 66 ; BosoomonD, 59 ; Longford, 64 ; Tippsrary 89 j Fermanagh, 39 j Limerick, 36, and Clare, 33.