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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 3, 15 December 1893, Page 17

The Archbishop of Wellington baa returned from hia visit to the United Btates. We hasten 'to join in the cead miltfailthe accorded to his Grace. At Chicago ihe Archbishop well npheld the dignity of tbe Church in New Zialand, and won for our hierarchy high appreciation. Tbe American Catholic Press assigned to his Grace a distinguished place among the assembled prelatei.

TilEordina'ion blluded to Tecently in the letter of our Napier correspondent took place at Wellington on Sunday week. The Most Rev Dr Grimes, Bishop of Christchurch, administered the Sacrament. Particulars regarding the clerics ordained were eiven by the eorrespon* deot referred to. Dr Grimes has returned to his episcopal city, where, as onr readers are aware, a mission of the Bedemptorist Fathers is being given. The tnissioD, as tbe Bishop well deserves, has bo far proved a marked succese, and tbe good promise will be complttely fulfilled. His Lordship, by a thoroughly bold and manly course of action, united to a singular gentleness and kindness of disposition, and a fervent devotion to tbe dv ties and spirit of bis high and accountable position, has endeared himself particularly to his people, and Becured the affection and admiration of all the Catholics in the Colony.

A reception- of aspirants into the Society of the Children of Mary took place at St Joeeph'a Cathedral on Sunday evening. The procession of the Society, headed by tbeir banner and wearing their regalia, while the choir chanted the " Aye Maris Stella," was very touching and imposing. The new members are in number twelve.

The annual show of work and distribution of priz.-a in connection with the schools of the Dominican nans, Dunedin, will take place today (Friday, the 15th inst) This yjar the schoola-the High school, St Jjseph's school, and 8t Patrick's school, Booth Djnedin— will be unite.i for the occasion. Tbe distribution will commence in St Joseph's school-room at 230 p. m. The B how of work will be opened in the class-room of the High school buildings about an hour earlier.

It has b^en found necessary to postpone the drawing of the Invercarerill art-union. A short postponement only baa been made. Tne event will certainly com; off o.i January 17th. There will be barely time for one more tifort to insure success.

By tbe death of Mr George O'Priscoll , which occurred on Taeeday, Dunedin has lost an old and estimable citizen. Mr O'Driscoll, who was an Irishman of genuine worth, was 55 years of age, and bad been some thirty years a resident in this city. He was universally and most deservedly esteemed.

Tub late visit of the Premier to Ma?tertoo w»a made a gala occasion. On bis arrival be was presented, at the Occidental Hotel, by Mias Alice Oashion, with a beautiful bouquet of fl lwers, to which were attached streamers of white ribbon, cr.e of them bearing, written on an ornamental card in suitable char cters, the inscription —"To tbe Hon Mr Seddon from a West Coaster." Io thankine tbe fair donor, the Premier said that be had been well acqu tinted with ber parents. Afterwards, at the theatre, the hon gentleman was presented by Mrs Taylor with another boaqnet. la acknowledging tbe gift, he referred to that he had already received from a young lady whom, he said, he had known when she was a little child on the West Coast. He addod that he would carry both bouquets with him to Wellington, where, as long as ttey lasted, they should grace tbe table of tbe Cabinet.

The re-election of the Bey Father O'Reilly by the Deputies on Monday aa a member of tbe Thames Hospital Trustees, («ays tbe Thames Star of Dec. 6) is a matter for congratulation, and is a fittiog recognition of tbe deep interest tbe lev gentleman has always taken in the welfare of the institution. A letter was read at the meeting from Mr Jas McGowan, M.H.8., expressive of his high regard for the Bey Father O'Reilly, and adding that be hop^d to Bee bin re-elected. Ia moving tbe resolution for tbe rev gentleman's election, Messrs Dunlop and Nash ep:>ke in terms of the warmest praise of tbe keen interest he bad for many years evinced in the Hospital, and said 'hat a more suitable gentlemao could not be found for the position. It mast indeed be gratifying to the rev gentleman to learn that his efforts bave been so thoroughly appreciated, and we heartily congratulate him upon bis re-election to a position which he has occupied ever since tbe coming ioto operation of the present Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act,

Ths revival of tbe Irish language is, we perceive, taking a very practical turn. Our readers, too, may gather so much from the following correspondence, which we qnote as an important example. The case referred to is that of Mr Timothy Gleeson and his father, who had been fined, by justices' justice, at Castlemartyr Petty Sessions for having their names written in Irish characters on their carts :—": — " Mr Timothy Gleeson, Lieqainlan, has received the following letter from Sir Thomas H. Grattaa Esmonde, M.P, in reference to the recent case at Castlemartyr Petty Sessions :— ' Ballynaatragh, Gorey, 15, 10, '93. Sir —l s^e that my friend, Cip f ain Donelan, M.P , in consequencs of the recent prosecution »t Castlemartyr, has ordered bis name and address to bo painted on bis carts, in the Irish characters only. It may interest yuu to know that I bave d ne the same,— Yours very truly, Thomas H. Gbattax Esitosoi. Timothy Gleeson, Esq '— ' Ballynastragb, Gorey, County Wexford, 19, 10, '93. Da»r sir,— Yon will be glad to know that tbe idea of having tbe names and addresses of owners painted on their carts, in tbe Irish characters only, is takirg in this locality. I hope that before long we will have qui'e a respectable contingent io tbis district helping, to this extent, ia tbe pre ervation of Ireland's ancient language. Thanking you for your letter.— l am, your* very truly, Thomas H. Gbattan Esmonds. Timothy Gleeson, Esq.'— The following is Mr Gleesoa's reply :— ' Lifqainlan, Castlemartyr, Couo'y Cjrk, Oc'obeT 21st, 1893. D^ar Bir T. H. Grattan EsmoDde, — I am indeed delighted beyond measure to bear that the people of historic Wexford are following the txample so nobly set them by Captain Donelan and yourself in getting their cart*, etc., marked in Irish characters — a result unlooked for by the magistrates of Castlemartyr when they imposed afieof 6 j a n .d costs, for using the Irish language,— l remain, etc , very sincerely yours, Timothy Gleeson. To Sir Thomas H. Grattaa Esmonde, M P., Ballynastragb, Gorey, County Wexford.' "

Wb have to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of the parlour screen almanacs of the D.I.C. The publication is very tasteful and pretty.

We take the following from the Ashburton Mail. The parents so bereaved, we may add, are well deserving of all the kindly sympathy expressed towards ihem, The attendance at tbe funeral marks the respect felt for the family in the district :— " One of tbe largest funerals ever seen ia Ashburton took place on Sunday, the occasion being the burial of the late Miss Mary Ann Leddy, the daughter of Mr Dmiel Leddy of Wakanui. About nine o'ekek the hearse left Asbgrove, Mr Leddy's residence, followed by about forty or fifty vehicles; but by the time the procession reached the Ashburton Catholic Church, there must have bten quite ninety carriages and abont forty persons ridiDg takiDg part. Arrived at tbe church a funeral sermon was preached by the Eev Father ODonnell, tbe

cbnrch being crowded. About one o'clock tie procesaioo, which wu then greatly increased by friends from tbe church, made its way to the cemetery, where a large assemblage of friends were present to pay their last token of respect to tbe deceased. Father CDonnell conducted tbe fnneral service. Considerable sympathy was expressed with ths bereaved parents ia their sad loss, this being the third daughter tbe parents have lost within two years, and that, too, just as each had reached womanhood."— iZ/.P.

Otra contemporary the Nipler Newi is very much disturbed because we hive ventured to hint to tbe political women of the Colony the danger they run in coming forward as public agitators. Our contain porary is shocked and scandalised, and, with much ill. speaking, prescribes for as a coat of tar and feathers. For this, bowever, we were not unprepared ; we shall not be readily forgiven for penetrating tbe mask of bonhomie and general benevolence assumed by the News, and exposing the rancour and bigotry which, in fact lay beneath it. Oar contemporary wh", at first, amused us by hit, condescension is now eager to devour us raw. — Snob, however, is the rule. The smooth-faedd knave in truth prefers the whip.— -What we bud seen of the political woman in tbe part of a public agitator had impressed us strongly as to what must eventually oconr. Now, indeed, the lower element was favourable, and thing* passed quietly oS. But it would not always be so — and then ? There ia neither refinement nor ktadne?s in rot giving warning as to what may be expected. On tbe contrary, to speak oat boldly and at least suggest what the future mast bring forth appears to as a duty that forbids all squeamish reserve. We have, meantime, spoken of our cactemporary aa a " smooth-faced knave." We have now to correct oar epithets, and call him a brazen-faced knave. The fact is, be has forged a sentence, attributing it to us, and placing it witbin inverted commas as oar very words, which we never wrote, and which never appeared in our columns. We allude to a sentence which the Netvt pretends to quote from tht Tablet, referring to a meeting addressed in Duoedin by Mr Pish. Oar reference to the meeting in question we may add, was published ia oar issae of October 27. The sentence attributed to as by th« Herts, we say again, is an impudent forgery. Who, then, deserves the bad language and the tar and feathers ? The man who gives women a warning as to what their platform appearances and public agitation mast sooner or later expose them to? Or tbe man who, to gratify his vindictive spite is gailty of forgery and lying? We fancy that to err on the side of frankness and honesty, if tbe Tablet huso erred, is better than to err, as the Napier Nens certainly baa erred, on the side of falsehood and calumny 1

A most contsmptible and dishonourable hoax, lately perpe* rated on two respected priests of tbis diocese (says the Hobart Catholic Standard, of Dece-nber 1), has given coosiderab'e pain not to them only, but to His Grace tbe Archbishop and to many others besides. Letters, purporting to havo been written by His Grace, were for. warded to tbe priests in question, off 'ring them promotion to the charge of other more important missions. It one case the matter found its way into tbe pnptic press, and much annoyance b*s thus been caused to a zaalous and respected priest. Tbe individuals who have been guilty of these forgeries have no doubt chuckled over the i access of tb»ir Rtratig'm, bat, as they bave been guilty of. a serious misdemeanour it is earnestly to be hoped they will not escape the clutches of the law, nor ouj?ht it to be a very difficult matter to unmask the culprits. The Launceston, Examiner published details of one case, in which it was stated that after miture deliberation a priest in the country, who believe i thU he had been approached by bis Archbishop on the subj ct of a c lange to S J jseph's Church, Hobart, decided to accept thi off t, an I wmll lewe for his new sphere of duties ab ut the mi Idle of Jinairy. Now he finds, oa reference to His Grace, thy no such letter wu cv t penned by bis ecclesiastical superior, and that be had been duped by s:>rm impostors. His friends, who congratulated him on hismipposad prom ition, are deeply ptined, whilst the Archbishop feals still mire keenly tht slight cast upon himself and one of bis priettp, whim he deservsdly esteems. Tbe feelings of the fl >ck are outraged in witnesnng tb.3 cool effrontery with which their pastor is held up to ridicule by some anonymous scibbler. Nor is this all. A deliberate lie is coined, giving the whole diocese to understand that another pastor has either resigned bis charge or baen daposei from his ofH:a. It may matter very little to (he forgers that the feelings of a v nerable Oean, who has spent forty two years of bis lift in the service of the Church in Tasmania, are outraged, or his faithful c >-lab >urers in Goi'a vineyard, and the people committed to their charge p-rpltxed and annoyed; but it should matter a great deal that cDndign punish neat be mzted out to the gailty ones in order to prevent at leait a repetition of such detestable practices in the fu ure. We sincerely hope chit His Grace tbe Archbishop, who has express -d very clearly bis indignation at the liberties taVen with his name, and at the insults off :r -d bis priest*, that the clergy themselves, belittled in the person of their brother- priests, and the laity, who feel the deepest regarl for those placed to rule over

them, will take effective measures to sheet home to the reil culprits, whoever they may be, this dastardly act, and not rest till such an example be made of them that will save the diocese from the perpetr*tioa of any auch outrage in the future. We thought that, for tbe time being, we bad spoken our last word regarding the recent elections and the peculiar circumstances relating to them. Dishonest and spiteful reference, however, to our pairing remarks, seems to make it advisable that we should add still a word or two. It has been said that elsewhere the exercise by women of the franchise conduced to order, and a better state of things. We deny that this was the case in Duoedin. True, the meetings addressed by women were orderly, ao far as tbe behaviour of the audience was concerned. To bear a woman, nevertheless, apeakiog in a great hall, filled by a mixed multitude, and which her vcice was quite incapable of filling — where her speech was a shrill scream and her whole appearance that of violent effort and strain, was not a thing to exercise a refining influence or add to tbe dignity of tbe sex. An attentive bearing was given, because the rowdy element was interested, and there was no one to create a disturbance. It was, however, easy to see what must be the consequence if mat. ters were otherwise. Women cannot be too careful as to their appearance in public. When, for example, some years ago, tbe "Ladies' Land League" made themselves prominent in Ireland, aTory gentleman, a Professor of Trinity College, Dublin, called them by a name of wretches whom no decent man sh mid kaow to be in the world. Whileour lady agitators are united ani hold tbe rowdy elemeit on their side, things may go smoothly with them. But when things are not so favourable, when, for instanc, a division takes place, as may well bt the case in the impending contest between Sir Robert Stout and Mr S«ddon ; we sh»ll see whtt we shall see. and hear what we shall hear. We have done our beat to warn the women, and place them on their guard. — Where the opposite* side was concerned, the influence of women electors in Danedin bad no effect whatever in keeping order. On the contrary, itstffect was at least negatively evil. It did nothing to prevent most disgraceful proceedings. Meetings held in Dunedin by candidates whom the women did not favour were among the most ('iaorderly, or altogether so, ever held in the City, and, as we have already said, the trickery around the polling booths was notable, ani such as never before had been witnessed here. Again on the night of the declaration of the poll there was order. But the popular candidates supported by the women were returned. Woo shall answer for how it might otherwise hive been ? Personally, we koow of a cass in which a lady returning quietly home had a stale fun thrust into her face, with an impudent remark. Evidently, preparation had been made for diff rent results. On the whole, therefore, our duty is to point out to women tbe risks they run, so that at least those for whom we particularly write may know how to protect themselves and what to avoid. If evil-minded people or knavish fellows take, or pre.end to take, scandal from this we cacnot help it. ■' Honi soit gui mal y pense-"