Erish News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIV, Issue 11, 5 February 1897, Page 11

Erish News.

(From Contemporaries.) €ORK.— The late Bishop of ROSS.— The remains of the late lamented Bishop of Ross, the Most Rev. Dr. Fitzgerald, were laid in St. Colman's Cathedral, Queenstown, on Friday. November 27. The Office of the Dead was commenced at ten o'clock in the ProCathedral, Skibbereen, in the presence of a large number of prelates and clergymen, including the Most Rev. Dr. O'Dwyer, the Most Rev. Dr. M'Redmond, the Most Rev. Dr. Sheehan, and the Most Rev. Dr. Browne. At the conclusion of the ceremonies the coffin was Temoved to the railway station en route to Queenstown. All the shops were shuttered, and a long procession was formed. A large "number of priests and citizens awaited the arrival at Queenstown. His Grace the Archbishop of Cashel was present. Telegrams of sympathy were received from a large number of prominent persons, including Cardinal Logue, the Archbishop of Dublin, the Archbishop •of Tuam, and Baroness Burdett-Coutts. DUBLlN.— Scarlet Fever and Measles in Dublin.— At a recent meeting of the Public Health Committee the following report was presented on the state of public health in Dublin: — •' During the first 47 weeks of the present year the death-rate was 27 below the mean rate for the corresponding period of the previous ten years. During the week ended on the 28th day of November, 1896, there were registered in the city districts 15 deaths from zymotic diseases ; in the corresponding week of the previous year the number was 8. The deaths last week comprise — 1 from measles, 1 from typhoid fever, 3 from scarlet fever, 6 from whooping-cough, 3 from diarrhoea, 1 from meningitis, or cerebro-spinal meningitis. During the week ended on the 28th of November 1896, the following cases of diseases were notified under the provisions of the Infectious Diseases Notification Act — 2."S typhoid fever, 50 scarlet fever, 7 erysipelas, 27 measles. 3 croup. 2 German measles, and 2 continued fever — total 1 Hi. The epidemic of scarlet fever continues unabated, and \re are threatened with one of measles, 27 cases of that disease having been notified last week. It has been found possible to get accommodation for all the scarlet fever cases in hospital, but in several instances persons suffering from other infectious diseases could not find admission to hospital. 1 have been in communication with both Boards of Guardians on the subject of hospital accommodation, but up to the present the results have not been entirely satisfactory."' The Court of Appeal ■• Bequests for Masses-— in the Court of Appeal, before the Lord Chancellor. Lord Justices Fitzgibbon> Barry and Walker, the arguments were resumed in the case of the Attorney -General r. the Rev. John Hall, OC C. and another. It was an appeal from an order of the Exchequer Division whereby they dismissed an information filed for the purpose of obtaining legacy due on certain bequests contained in the will of Christopher Cusack. The chief question to be decided is whether a sum left by a testator to clergymen to have Masses said for the repose of his soul becomes a charity by reason of the fact that he directs these Masses to be said in public. This was the first time such a question came before any superior court either in Ireland or England. The testator bequeathed the sum of £3.">0 in separate sums to the clergymen connected with Clarendon street, Whitefriar street, and SS. Michael and John's churches, to be applied for Masses to be celebrated publicly in these churches for the repose of testator's soul and that of his wife. The bequests also included separate sums for the cleaning of the Whitefriar street and Clarendon street churches. The gross value of the personal estate was sworn at £2.293 13s Id. The defendants claimed that the five bequests mentioned were charitable, and were exempt from legacy duty under the .">th and (sth Vie, cap 82. section 3S. Counsel for plaintiffs : The AttorneyGeneral, Q.C., M.P. : the Solicitor-General. Q.C., M.P. : and Mr. C. M'Dermott (instructed by Mr. O'Brien Furlong). For defendants : Messrs R. P. Carton, Q.C. ; Charles O'Connor. Q.C. : and D. F. Browne (instructed by Mr. D. Purcell). The arguments occupied the day. The arguments having concluded, the Court reserved judgment. KlLKENNY.— Practical Farmers on the Recommendations Of the Recess Committee.— The Callan Board of Guardians at their last meeting rejected by a majority of eleven to four a resolution approving of the recommendations of the Recess Committee. The practical farmers who chiefly compose the Board scouted the pretence of the proposals as a serious attempt to solve the difficulties of their position. One member denounced the whole project as a red herring manufactured to distract the country from the business of rent reduction. The decision of the Callan Guardians makes it plain what the general verdict of the practical commonsense of those engaged in the farming industry will be upon the policy of '• the book-farmers "' if it ever so far matures as to need a popular judgment to settle its fate. LIMERICK.— The Viceroy and the Christian Brothers. — On Thursday. December 3. the Mayor of Limerick (Mr. Michael Cusack) and the High Sheriif (Mr. J. P. Gaffney). accompanied by the Rev. Mr. Brophy, Superior of the Boys' Orphanage Industrial Schools. Limerick, waited upon the Lord Lieutenant at Adare Manor in reference to the Government grant in aid of the new buildings at the Boys' Orphanage. Heavy expenditure has been incurred by the good Brothers to meet the demands for accommodation. Lord Cadogan received the deputation at the Christian Brothers' schools at Adare, and cordially entered into the views of the deputation, who explained the necessity of an increased grant. The Christian Brothers' schools are the only certified boys' industrial schools in the district. His Excellency promised to do all in his power to secure the object of the deputation. A distinguished house party is now assembled at Adare. In addition to the Lord Lieutenant and

Countess Cadogan and suite, a large number of friends of Lord Dunraven's from England are staying with him. The afternoon was devoted to visiting objects of interest in the neighbourhood. The Vice-regal party drove to the Catholic Church, and were received by the Venerable Archdeacon Flanagan, and thence to the Girls' Convent School. Afterwards they proceeded to the Christian Brothers 1 schools, and were received by Brother Ryan. In reply to an address his Excellency addressed the students. The Bacon Trade Dispute ; Limerick Towns Support the Buyers. — A meeting of the members, of the Fairs and Markets Association was held at Newcastle West under the presidency of Mr. George L. Sheehy, J.P., at which the following resolution was adopted on the proposition of the chairman, seconded by Mr. M. H. Woulff : — "Resolved. — That having given due consideration to the serious matter in dispute between the principal bacon merchants in Limerick and the pigbuyers. we have firmly resolved to sustain and support by every means in our power the buyers : we fail to see by what right of justice the merchants «eek to deprive of the means of living a respectable body of men who have always attended our markets, and whose dealings were strictly honourable, and in whose hands we would much rather place ourselves than in the trio of merchants who could unite and • rule the roost ' as they pleased — to their undoubted satisfaction — and the detriment of the agriculturalists and householders of West Limerick." The secretary was directed to get posters printed and sent to the country districts explaining shortly the views of the association. LONGFORD —Mr. Healy and his Constituents ; Vote of No-Confidence at Omeath. — A large and enthusiastic open-air meeting of Nationalists was held on November 2i> in Omeath, and was attended by delegates from the surrounding districts. Mr. M. O'Meara. P.L.G., presided. Speeches strongly supporting the Irish Party were delivered, a branch of the National Federation was started and a resolution unaniinoxisly adopted condemning '■ the selfish and obstinate action of our representative, Mr. Healy, in persisting to disrupt the National movement." It was decided to make arrangements for holding a great Nationalist demonstration between Christmas and the New Year. MONAQHAN .— The Bishop of Clogher ; Address at St. Louis' Convent. — The children of the boarding school attached to the Convent of St. Louis. Monaghan. have had their prizes distributed by the Bishop of Clogher. His Lordship the Most Rev. Dr. Owen" then addressed the company. Hi« Lordship said that as, in the words of their epilogue, the young ladies who had taken part in the play were no longer countesses and shepherdesses, it was his very pleating duty — he believed it devolved upon him — to return thanks on his own behalf and on behalf of that select and distinguished company for the very rich and enjoyable entertainment that they (the children) had given that evening . They (the audience) were justly proud of the high distinction that the children had won for their school, and the very unique distinction they had won for themselves under the Intermediate Education Board. It was an unique distinction to hold the first place two years in succession among the convent schools of Ireland, and that was what they had done for their schools at Lakeview. Monaghan. To hold the first place in all Ireland in English wa-> a matter to be proud of, and it was a distinction to hold the third place in all Ireland in English. Then again, they held the fir^t place in Celtic, the fh>t place in Italian : in fact he could hardly remember all the first places they had secured. They were all proud ot the^e distinctions. WATERFORD.— The Bacon Trade Dispute ; Fifty men leave Off work. — As regards the bacon trade dispute, there is every reason to fear that a stubborn fight \\ ill ensue. Out of the sixty-six men who protested against the dismissal of Phelan for refusing to kill pigs taken from farmers direct, fifty have come out. The remaining sixteen have decided to kill all farmers' piers and are to be accommodated on the merchants" premises. Pending a settlement of the dispute the men and women who have come out will be paid their weekly wages out of the Pigbuyer*" Association Fund. WlCKLOW.— Adoption of the Compulsory Education Act. — The Wicklow Town Commissioners have informally approved of the adoption of the Compulsory Education Act in the town. As there is no legal authority to rai^e money for payment of officials to carry on the Act. local subscriptions will have to be raised. A strong letter as to the necessity for putting the Act in operation was read from the Rev. Michael O'Hea, P.P.. at the meeting of the Commissioners : " Advice, admonition, and severe reprimand have all been tried to induce careless parents to send their children to school, but with no satisfactory result ; and the failure of gentle methods proves the necessity of resorting to stern measures. Canon Rooke will be willing to act on the attendance committee, and to help in every way to improve the present unsatisfactory state of the school attendance. Everything now would seem to favour the introduction of the Compulsory Education Act. Canon Rooke and I earnestly desire it in the interests of our respective flocks." GENERAL. Public works required to develope Ireland's resources. — Mr. James Dillon, President of the Institution of Civil Engineers in Ireland, delivered to that body at its recent meeting a most important address on " the nature of the public works now urgently required for the proper development of Ireland's Jresources,"' The country, he showed, is urgently in need of a suitable number of deep water harbours near her fishing grounds. There are more than fifty naturally-sheltered areas in which such harbours could be built without being exposed to the full force of the open sea, the cost in such cases being largely reduced. Need exists for further railway development, and it w ill not be satisfied by Mr. Gerald Balfour's small measure. In connection with the existing railways Mr. Dillon pointed out that the distances between the different

points in Ireland at which the railway companies receive farm produce is much greater than in other countries. The average distance is six miles, as compared with three, and the Irish system imposes an unnecessary tax on farmers. The address did not insist a whit too strongly on the importance of maintaining the inland waterways of Ireland intact. They cost .C 3,000,000 to make ; but many of them have been deliberately allowed to become worthless in order either to facilitate the railway companies in extracting heavy rates, or to save the British Treasury a small outlay. Mr. Dillon instanced the revival of the Grand Canal Company to prove how valuable the canals might be made to both the capitalists owning them and the public using them. Arterial drainage has come to a standstill, the existing Acts being wholly unworkable. The address is full of valuable suggestions, and in these days, when so much uninformed and unintelligent talk is heard on the subject of the material improvement in Ireland, it is well to listen occasionally to the voice of an experienced and thoughtful expert.