WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 49, 6 April 1894, Page 19

WELLINGTON.

(From our own Correspondent.)

March 31, 1894. The most important event of tbe hour in Wellington, at least to Catholics of both acxep, is tbe mission acd tbe almost superhuman labours of the good missionaries. The mission for the women of Te Aro closed on Palm Sunday, and, to quote tbe words of the Bey Father Hanley, with singular and almost unexamplid success Tbe mission for tbe men of Te Aro opened at Vespers on the same day. and throughout Holy Week the church was literally crammed at tbe evening service, witb the result that on Easter Sunday at the 7 30 Mass in Buckle street, tbe church was aheoluttly filled witb communicants. Solemn High Mass on Barer Sunday was celebrated at the Cathedral by his Grace the Archbishop, with the Bey F-t >er Bower, deacon; Bey Father O'Meara, cub-deacon ; Very Bey Dr Wattere, assistant priest ; and Very Bey Father Daw&on, Adm., masttr of ceremonies; His Grace also preached a most eloquent and erudite sermon on the festival of the day. The choir was under tbe leadership of Mr B. A. Lougbnan, ana tbe orchestra under Mr MucDuff Boyd. Haydn's "Imperial" Macs was performed with fine effect. Madame ttosaie M«iz eang at the > fiVrtory in brilliant sty c Mi! lard's " Aye Verum ," the other soloists being Mrs Allen and Miss Gibbe, Messrs Longbnao, Bowe and Green. Mr Mac Duff Boyd played two magnificent marches on the violin in bis usual graceful and finished style. The Cathedral was beautifully decorated with tl iw.-re aud oikau palms. At St Mary of the Angels, Bju cott street, High Mass was celebrated by tbe Bey Father McCarthy, tbe eloquent and popular Vincentian missionary. Bey Father Goggan was master of ceremonies. Gounod's " Messe Solencelle" was rendered by the choir under Mr Oakes ; tbe orchestra wai under tbe leadership of MrJ.Spack mao, and Mr Kearaley, jnnr, presided at tbe organ. At Buckle sieet courcb, where the mission it being held, High Mas? was suug at 9 30, tbe oelebrant being the Bey Father Aubrey ; Father Htcltso-, deacon ; Father Tymonr, sub-deacon ; and Father O Sullivan, mtßter of ceremonies. Caglieri's Mass was excellently interpreted ky the choir, Hn Taylor taking the solo parts. Tbe bey Father Hanlej, ihe oldest of the Vincentian Fathers, preached a sermon, which was a beautiful word paioting of the grand feast, and he did not forget to praise the Catholic men of Wellington for their zeal and devotion ;

and one coold easily see that the good missionary, although looking pals and worn from his labours, was rendered most happy by the generous response those labours had met witb. An error crept into tbe report which I sent you of the extent and numbers of that admirable Association, The Holy League of the Cross. It should have read : The League numbers upwards of one hundred thousand souls in Australia alone. On Monday evening last, after an earnest, eloquent appeal from tbe Bey Father Hanley to the congregation of men of the Te Aro parish who crowded tbe down-stairs part of the Buckle street church, all present, with very few exceptions, were enrolled. Each member will procure a Maltese cross, which his Grace the Archbishop will blees and hand back to tbe owner. The rev missionary told bis hearers that th<3 pledge which they had taken they could be released from by a priest in confession. The Australian tquadron has paid a short visit to Wellington since I last wrote. Our city has been enlivened by the Liberty men from the fleet, and the upper tea thousaud have welcomed the officers, entertaining them in various ways. The wife and daughters of Rear-Admiral Bowden-Smith bave also visited Wellington and the two Misses Bowden-Smi h were the guests of the honourable Dr and Mrs Grace while in tbe Empire City. The men-of-war bave sailed and the Bear-Admiral's parly have departed for the Hot Lakes prior to returning to Australia The Hon J. G. Ward, Postmaster-General and his lady and Mr Gray, secretary and permanent head of the New Zealand Post and Telegraphs and Mrs Gray were, I notice, the recipients of flattering testimonials from the members of tbe late postal conference when at Auckland. The presentations consisted of, to the Hon J. G. Ward and Mrs Ward, a silver tea set, and to Mrs Ward from the ladies, wives and daughters of the members of the conference, an address and a strawberry and cream set ; and to Mr and Mrs Gray, a silver mounted spirit stand and claret jug. The Australian members of the conference were treated right loyally while in New Zealaod, and that they were grateful is shown by the presentations to tbe Minister and to Mr Gray, so now that when those gentlemen have returned to the colonies thry represented they will not forget to speak of the glories of New Zealand nor thai they were received with &eeadmille failthe. This popular Irish gentleman and Catholic, Dr Cahill, is, I regret to say, now lying dangerously ill of typhoid fever at the residence of Sir G. Wbitmore, Clive. Napier, where he went about a wetk ago io attend the meetiog of the Medical Association. Sir Patrick Buckley, the close friend of Dr Cahill, left Wellington on Thursday morning, and with him went an eminent medical man, Dr Henry of this city, and a trained nurse to assist the Napier physician, Dr Moore, in his treatment of the patient. Dr Cahill, by his great ability and genial bonhomie, has won boats of friends in Wellington who sympathise sincerely with bim in bis sickness, aod who hope to see bim soon among them again fully restored to health. An extraordinary covtretenqts occurred at St Peter 'e Episcopal church here oo Thursday last. A young couple were being married, and when it came to that part of tfce service where the lady waa asked whether she would take the gei tleman for her wedded husband, etc , she replied distinctly, ' No." On being further interrogated, the answer came ag^in short, sbarp, and decisive, 'No ; I won't have him.'* There whb nothing for it but to adjourn to the vestry ; and afterwards tbe clergyman announced to the assembled friends that, owing to the sudden indisposition cf the joung lady, tbe marriage had to be postponed. However, yesterday morning she was in another frame of mind, and the marriage was duly solemnised. This, I believe, is the first caste of its kind that ban occurred in New Zealand. A ten ible example of the t ff-c s of over indulgence for years in intoxicai-u came to light in tbii city a day or two ago, when a man named Smith waa brought before tbe S.M. and fined £5 and costs fur supplyii g drink to an old man and bis wife, named Mulligan, who had had a prohibition order issued against them, The facts revealed in tbe H. M. Court were the Bad lest imaginable. At one time th« unfortunate couple had property which brought them £105 per month ; but through tneir drinking this sum had dwindled to £36 per month, and the property carries * mortgage of £1,500. They lived in a bouse described as a human sty ; their only child died alone and neglected about a week ago, und when told of her death they could not understand it. The 8.M., who is a humane gentleman as well as eminently practical, animadverted strongly on the conduct of tbe man Smith, who acted as agent for the Mulligans * and advised that an order be obtained from tbe Supreme Court to bave tbe unhappy pair removed to a lunatic Asylum.

The City Boot Palace, George and St Andrew streets, Dunedin, still remains unrival ed among institutions of its kiud. Free inspection of a stock that speaks for itself is invited. Mr James Allan, bouse painter and decorator, Manchester street Christchurcb, is ready to execute in tbe most satisfactory manner possible all commissions entrusted to bim in connection witb bis branch of trade. His stock of p.iperbaogings, panels, and slats is of tbe best possible qualities at moderate prices.