IN WHAT WAY DISGRACEFUL?

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 10, 6 July 1894, Page 17

IN WHAT WAY DISGRACEFUL?

Several anonymous letters have been recently published in the Otago Daily Times seriously rt fleeting on the present Government and the Liberal party. Anyone who has read Sir Robert Stout's speeches in the House of Representatives and attentively reads betwefn the lines of these anonymous letters will have little difficulty in coming to a conclusion as to who has either suggested or written these letters. The conduct of the Liberal party and the Ministry in reference to the Sergeant -at- Arms has been declared by Sir Robert Stout to be disgraceful, and he has been backed up by two gentlemen from whom we expected better things Captain Russell and Mr Bell. Their language has been reiterated with emphasis in anonymous letters in the Otago Daily Times. The Liberal party also is censured in no unmeasured terms as regards the robbery of Colonel Fox's letter to the Premier. We fail to see what is disgraceful to either the Ministry or the Liberal party in these episodes of

Parliamentary life. A few years ago a situation exactly similar to that of the Sergeant-at- Arms' affair took place in the House of Representatives. No particular attention was paid to it by Press or Parliament or people, and certainly no one had the hardihood to pronounce it disgraceful. Why should it be disgraceful now ? Only one answer can be given : Simply because Sir Hoijeut [-tout is not Premier instead of Mr c^ddun. Aa U» the puiloining of Colonel Fox's lottr>r ; whit has ether the Ministry or the Parliament to do with it'? It was the act of a thief and a low fellow, in which the Ministry or Parliament haw nothing whatever to do, as is now proved beyond the possibility of a doubt. It can only be called disgraceful to either by a disappointed writer who "thinks that everything in heaven and earth is going wrong because Sir Robert Stout is not Premier of New Zealand. Again, it is said that the Premier has been feathering the nests of hia relatives, and this is held up as something very discreditable to the Ministry and the Liberal party. We well remember how a few years ago there was a Premier who bestowed a rich situation on a certain gentleman, having promoted him from n place of moderate salary to one of very large emoluments and very little to do. This was not pronounced by Sir Robert Stotjt to be disgraceful ! and he knows the reason why. Why should a man who more than doubles the salary of his wife's relation find fault with the action of a man who employs his friend by marriage to the extent of £23 or £25 m inspecting machinery ? We see nothing disgraceful in the part taken by the Mimst.y and the Liberal party in all this. The word disgraceful cannot certainly, in the matter of billets, be applied to a man who has served 18 sessions in the New Zealand Parliament and has not a single relative in the Civil Service. We are not quite suie, however, that it isn't disgraceful in a man becai se of disappointed ambition to make so many exhibitions of his overweaning vanity as Sir Robert Stout has lately made in the House of Representatives.

In St Jusoph'a Cathedral on Sunday, Benpdiction of the Most Holy Saciamcnt, aa usual on the first Sunday of ihe mootb, waa given, espec.ally for the children of the congregation, at 3 30 p m Toe prayer of tbe Association of the Holy Family of Nazareth waa recited, many parent and elder imembers of families being also present. Tbe Very R S v Father Lyncb, Rect,r, in addressing the children exhorted them to make reparation to the B'essed Sacrament for eacrilei; s recently committed in Europe, and to do so particularly en FnUy next, the fourth Frid ly cf their novena to the Sacrtd dearc

The Wellington branch of the Irish National Federation have i-sui'd an appeal with a view to increasing tba nambar of their membora They ar^c very for Cl bly that every Irish man or woman whose spirit is truly Irish, should form a member of their body' The.r motto is t^e oM war cry, Far, an healach, inspirited by which they I ope to d,, solid work in breaking down the barriers still in the way of Ireland's independence. We regret that the circalar of the branch has reached us too late for insertion in our present issue Mr P. J. O'Kegan, M.H.R., was to address a meeting und er the auspices of the branc\ at St Patrick's Hall, on Monday evening

" f CAKCELV noticed," says the Dundalk Democrat, of May 12 except in its accidental aspect, by Irish newspapers in geoeral the dea'h occurred at L nd n last week of an Irinhman of much note in his early days-Torrens M'Cullagh, member for Dundalk from 1847 to 1852. Torrens McCullagh was in the early decades of the century a promising young Irishman, an associate of Dnffy and a prencher of what Duffy calls ' an enlightened national Whieeerv It was the influence of Wallis, Duffy, Davis and others of that stamp that kept Torrtns M'Cullagh ont of the vortex of Whiggery for some time, bet eventually he drifted into it. He was one of the assistant CDmmissioners to inquire in>o the condition of the poor and waa largely instrumental in passing the Irish Poor Law. Other useful works of a less official character are recorded to his credit, for example the founiinj? of the first Mjchanic'a Institute in Dublin It was Lord John Russell who gave him a post in tbe Irish Executive, in 1816, and the following year he was returned for Dundalk His connectitn with Ireland ended shortly after this. He became subsequently member for Finsbury, devoting his life to Eoglith politics and li.erature.--Mr Torrens M'Cullagh, we may add, w,s married to a sister of the late Sir John Gray and the late Mr Wilson Gray

Among the n.ams of the gentlemen who have just been appointed to the commission of the peacd the following appear— Messrs E.I war 1 O'Uonnor, Christchurch ; Patrick Kinney Hyde • and William O'Uritu, Tim*ru. la each case the appointment is .

very ht and proper one -on whicta tbe Government are to be congratulated.

In reference t > the election of M Casiaair Perier as President of the French Republic, it may be of interest to our readers to rwla fact recently mentioned in a report published by us of tbedevoted work of the Mother Mary Joseph Anbeit at Jerusalem, thai the venerable nun is nearly related to his Excellency by blood. How fortuna'e it would be for France were he inspire 1 with even a 'ithe of her spirit. While there is life, however, there is hope. The change is at least worth praying for.

Tjie wedding of Mr William Cameron, secunJ son of ihe late Mr Angus Cameron, of Otepopi, to Mies Margaret Ross McGowan, eldest daughter of Mr D. McGowan, of Gowanbrae, Matnura, which took place on Wednesday, the 27th inst at the residence of the bride's parents, was a very joyous event. The c:remony was performed by the Rev Father O'Neill of Gore. The bride was given away by her father, and wore a beautiful dress of white nun's veiling, trimmed with white lace and orange blossoms, and fastened with a gold brooch, the gift of the bridegroom. Tbe bridesmaids were Misses Annie and Jeannie McGowan, sisters of the bride, who were also dressed in white nun's veiling, with gold broochet, also the gift of the bridegroom. Mr John Cameron, brother of the bridegroom, acted in tbe capacity of best man. A large compiny were entertained on the occasion with all the generosity and festivity suitable to the happy event. Tbe bride and bridegroom have gone lor their honeymoon to visit Wairoa, Hawke'B Bay. The presants were numerons and co9tly.

The namce of Mr John Boyle, Heddon Bush, and Mrs Kate Sulli. van, Naseby, were omitted from the lists of the Dominican Nuns late art-union. Tbeir blocks and remittances had been duly received.

TfiE quarterly meeting of the local branch of the Hibernian Society (says thq Wellington Post of June 28) waa heln at St Patrick's Hall last nighr, Bro. J. Hyland in the chair. The following members were nominated for the different offices :— President, Bros J. Stratford and E. Dealy ; Vice- Presided, Bros. F. Haughey, P. Leasington, and W. Scanlon : Secretary, Bros. W J. Grand and H. G. Houldgworth ; treasurer, Bros. M. Bjhan, R. Robioson, and H. G Houldswortb ; guardian, Bros. Kelliher, J. Lessington, L. Qainlan and W. Counahan ; Warden, Bros, W. Scanion and T. Tracy ; Sick Visitors, Bros. Carmody, M. Griffin, and J. Lessington. Two candidates were initiated. The evening's takings amountei to £41. The numerical strength of the Branch is now 106.

Tjie Pout also gives us the following :— The Commitlea of the Catholic Young Men's Club and Literary Institute met at St Patrick's Hall last evening. It was decided to advertise for ro ms, The membership is daily increasing", ani the committee have every reason to think that the project will be an unqualified success.

We publish in another place the Scholarship paper fur the year, cf St Patrick's College, Wellington.

The funeral of the late President Carsot, which look place on Sunday was a mighty demonstration. It is a big saying that nothing to equal it had ever been seen in Paris— but possibly, there may be no exaggeration. What is cf special interest to Catholics ia that the funeral rites of the Church were performed at Notre Dame. The body was laid to rest in the pagan Pantheon— from whose desecrated threshold the priests turned back. Prayers for the repose of the murdered man's soul were offered in St Joseph's Cathedral, Dunedia. Rcquiescat bi'pacc.

Readebs of the N Z. Tablet, who desire to do us a good turn, may readily fulfil their kind desire. If, on going to make their purchases of transact business in any shop or other establishment whose advertisement they have 9een in our columns, they mention this fact they will serve our interests. The trouble will be but a few words, and we shall be much indebted to those who speak them.

A vdlqab and violent letter, signed T. Buxton, appears in the Southland 'limes of the 3rd ins f , commenting on our recent article on Presbyterianism, reproduced by the paper in question. This epistle, which is a tissne of unsupported assertions and denials, requires no further notice. We have simply to say cf the writer that, if his ignorance does not excuse his impudenca. it is without excuse.

Mb Whit Well Butlkb, who lately came to New Zealand recommended by the Earl and Countess of Rossp, the Earl and Countess of Huntingdon, and aeviral other members of the nobility and gentry of the King's County, Ireland, is about to undertake a series of concerts, to commence in Dunedin on the 12th met, with the object of aiding the movement for the promotion of Irish local industries. There are already several centres established at

which tnese work 3 are carried on, to the great advantage of the adjacent peasantry. All, however, labour under difficulties arising from a want of capital. Mr Butlei's inen'ion is, on returning to Ireland, to place the sum obtained by him in the hands of a committee, by whom its destination shall be decided— whether it shall be distribute 1 among existing centres, or devoted to the foundation of a cew one.