WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 3, 15 December 1893, Page 4

WELLINGTON.

(From our own Correspondent.) December 9. 1893. • Arrßß the Btorm comes the calm." We art-. I hope, B afe for the ruxt three years from the turmoil of aimber general election, w ll.n^t n on election day was a pattern and an example of how a c.ty B hou d con lu.t itself on a great occasion of the kind, for to its c .di , b • it s-iitl that tta-re was not a single case of drunkenness on tha- day This fact should be a sufficient anawer to th >se who advocate the " Direct Veto," that there is real'y no necessity for an Act of Parham-nt to compel a salf-respecting people to become sober. Too much praise cannot be expended on the ladies, who for the first time took an active part in an elect.on contest. Their behaviour was admirable ; and, althojgh mixing Wlth the sterner sex at the booths they were in no instance effeuded ; and if the Catholic candidates did not occupy a ommandinz position at the declaration of the poll tne Cthnhc lady voters are, I am sure, in no way to be held reeponiible. 1 acre were otr )e r causes for that result, which it would occupy too much space to mention h re. Tne laying of the foundation-stone of the new it f ant school in connection witb St M ry's Co .vent, to which I referred in my last coramumcatior, became an accomplished Ucl on Sunday week last The Very Rev Father Devoy, V.G , pe , formed the cremony, assisted by the V.-r, Rev Fa her Daw,n, Aim, and the Rev Fatne- Power 1 h r- was a large gathering of Oa holies and other present to witness th.ee. emony. After the s'one bad b ea laid the V.-ry Rev Father I) voy a (dressed the assemblage, »nd ,0, 0 the course of his spe.cn he thanked Father Dawson for inviting him to represent tbs Archbishop iv p-rform.ng the ceremony. He pa v e f actfl and figures showing the R.eat strides made by the Catho'.c body in lh, work of education bt Patrick s Co.lege was ea-ablnhei ar « cost of £25 000. and no 1h 88 a sum than b.-tw..pn £4000 and £1000 was annually expend -d by that inst.tution ,Q, Q Well ngton. A many more .t^s of information didlherer^ntlemin impart to tm hear, n. bat space will not per-

ma of rec.pi uluioa. H.r Patrick 15 wkley, the Hjn W. Johnston, and th ■ Hr.H >r. Dr Gr,i C " also addressed the assomb y. Sir P. Buckley toM his hearers that he retains! a free h uid on the education question when he j nned the Government of which he is now a member. He also gave an interesting statement of the amount of mone> expended in each of the dioceses of New Z -aland by the Catholic peoplp. Th^ lion W. Johnston, among other thing-, said he was as on.sbed th.t the Sco'eh Members of tho Home of Representatives should be always found epposing religious education, as the Scotch wete an eminently religious people, ass-en by their literature. The Very Rev Fa her Dawnon thanked tho Vicar-G neral and the gentlemen who had so maten illy assisted by their words and preatnee and the people who bad come to witness the ceremony. The assemblage then dispersed. On 'he evening of Wedneslay, 2!) h ultimo, the pupils of St Francis Xivier's Academy gave an entertainment in aid of their puze fund, b.fore ? large and fashionable audience. The fir 3 t part of the programme was of a miscellaneous character, which gave opp.rtunity for a fine display of individual Ulent and capacity, highly developed by cipab'e training among the jouthful performers.' The cur'ain rose to *n overture by the -clmol orchestra, followed in quick succession, the invrest of the ajdienre never ben g al owed to abate, by piano .met-, phyud by Missps V. Wright and M Kimb 11, Mfses WhH aid Ililpm ; «r< citation. '• My earring," by M, fcß G. S.xto ; V.cal dints by M,^s F Wng' t and K. X Imeades recitatior, ■ K,n he martyr," by M^h Wnght; piano solo, M lb s Anders .n; piano duet, Mi^es F.iid and Wright, ; relation, -Dot b^by of mmc," Mi h8 L>on ; and fo np •• D. rmot Astore,'- Miw BUckie. The joung la vis all acqurUd th mselves admirably Am mg the ins rumental-sis little M 18 >. Andeiton shone conepicuons M.BB Ljon showed h.rae.f pos«Bscd ot considerable dram itic ability and of being a skilful character delineator in her recitation. Miss 81-ckiegavedel.tfhtful rendini? of •• D rmot Astore," and an encore was only avoided by the fall of .he curtain. Part two opened with a pretty overture by tne school orchestra, followed by a pmno duet '• Airs from the Bohemian girl," played by Misses Eaasoa and G*

Sexton, and then cime the piece de res ittance, the operetta " Pby.lia the farmer's daughter," in which sixty young ladles took part. The dramatis personae were " Farnur Meadows," Miss Bwiney ; '• Margaret " and "Phyllis" (his daughtere), Miss M. X mbell and Mis* Blackie , " D u^Ub " (a young farmer) Miss Rircb ; " Cnapleigh " (a city dnde), Miss I>, (I These young la<l,e«i t fi uoih.ng to bti desired, all being letter peif ct, and their conception of the various parts was excellent. Miss Rlackie in the ntle idle, and Mtss Birch as " t)'aglaF, ' gained most of the appl.use aod bouquets, of which numbers were thrown on to the Btagp. The choruses were beaotifully rendered both as to time and luue ; the evolutions of the children went like dock wotk, and the dussicg was perftc'. Mils Reeves and Miss Ahem, assistant teachers in the academy, who trained the pupils in singing, etc., cannot be too highly commendei, and Mrs Walsh's careful training sh.wei itself in the admirable piano p'ajing. Mr Cimioo conducted the orchestra, Mrs Walsh presided at the piano, aud the whole w*B under the direct supervision of the Lady Principal. His Lordship Dr Grimes of Christchurch on Sunday last ordained five priests and two sub-deacons in St Joseph's Ohnrcb, Buckle street. His Lordship's seronn »t Vespers in the same church was indeed spkndid. Taking for his text the Divine wordp, " All power is given to me in heaven and on e«tb, go then teach ye all nations baptising them, ec," he tevealed the dignity of the prießtnood and the connection between the ceremony of that morning and that of nineteen hundred years ago. la glowing words he spoke a panegyric on the Catholic Churco, t*e soouse of Christ without spot or wiinkle, and he held his congregation in dcci est atttntion for an hour. Bishop Grimes possesses a fine voice which be manages wnh exqaisite art ; every word of bis noble discourse must have au k d t ep inco the minds of h s hearers ;heis a fijisbed elocutionist, and his Lordship is, I should Bay, the very beau ideal of a pulpit ordtor. St Patnck's College held its annual breaking up ceremony for the Christmas holiday and distribution of prizes on Tuesday evening last. That the aff lir was attended with its usual ielat goes without

saying. Mr Pa- nek Buckley distributed the pnzee, and made a very happy speech in the way peculiar to the genial Colonial Secretary. The pupils of St iUry s Convent High School gave their usual entertainment prior to the Christmas holidays on Wednesday evening in the spacious schoolroom. The attendance of parents and friends was very large. The programme consisted of the well-known juvenile , play »Ji auty and the beatt, ' followed by a concsrt in which, j particularly the violinists, pupils of Mr Mac Duff Boyd, showed the ! excellence of the mition received. Their annual distribution of . pnz ? by the Vicar-General took place on Thursday afternoon. Tho children, previous to receiving their friz 1 ?, went through a pro. gramme of music and recitition to the delight of the visitors. The pupils of the Marist Brothers Bchool, Bonlcott street, held the.tr annual entertaiumeut and distribution of prizeß on Thursday evening This school is a very favourite one, being, as a preparatory institution, second to no other in New Zealand and gtntlemen | holding quod positions in this city owe their success in life largely to ■ the excellent preparatory training of the good Brothers. It is not i wonderful, tberefon , that the Princess Theatre should be packed to the doors. Ihe programme consisted of choruses by the pupils, a reciUuoD, and tho drama in four acts of " Sebastian a Roman Martyr/ to which Master Clau le Hicksoj recited a prologue. The acting and uYelaniiiiion of the pupi's were beyond all praise and evoked frequent applause. The vaiuus scenes were pretty aud realistic, and Brother Mark a- d his c .adjutors deserved tne unstinted praise lavished upon j them from a 1 bides. After the performance the Vicar-General, Very Uev Father Devo), distributed the prizes. The Rev Fathers Goggan S M , and Dawsoa adm., were the examiners. To-day the young ladies of St Francis Xavier's Academy hold j their annual pic-nic ; and the size and importance of that institution | can be guaged from the fact thit about 100 pupils and their friends have gone on a steamer chartered for the occasion to Lowry Bay, one of the numerous sunny nooks around Wellington Harbour, to spend t he day.