Irish News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 9, 2 March 1899, Page 9

Irish News.

OUR IRISH LETTER.

Dublin, January 9. The question of the over-taxation of Ireland is a?ain to the fore and has gathered new strength, if we may judge by a large meeting? just held at the Mansion House in Dublin. Influential men of every shade of politics and religion, including: some advanced thinkers amongst the nobility, were present, and if millions of words could be turned into golden coin 1 Let it be remembered what the question is. It is that Ireland, in spite of the articles of union, ha* been made to pay an ever-increasing taxation over and above her fair proportion as a part of the British Empire. This surplus taxation is not far from £3,000,000 per annum, so that the arrears due to this oountry amount to something like £2.*>0,000,000, without counting compound interest, which we would handsomely forgive. The questions agitating great and small are : how to get these millions refunded ? how to get rid of this unjust taxation ? New Year's Day was celebrated in Catholic Dublin according to the custom that has been observed for many years past. A solemn thanksgiving service was celebrated at the Pro-Cathedral, Archbishop Walsh officiating at the High Mass, at which the Lord Magac and Corporation were present in state. Afterwards the Lord Mayor entertained his Grac-i and some hundreds of the principal oitizens at » banquet in the Mansion House. This, we may say, waa the last official and social function at whioh our Lord Mayor during 18M* presided, fox on Thursday, at 5 o'clock, the Corporation ceased to exist, pending the first municipal elections for the Urban Councils, whioh will replace the old Corporations, and which will take place throughout Ireland on the 16th January. The general upheaval caused by the substitution of the new popular County Councils for the Grand Jury system has not come on quite yet, but we hear the rumblings. GUIITOESS'S STOUT. What would be the condition of these Islands were all the poor to become total abstainers ? If we could get together the statistics of the wealth put by the poor of every country into the hands of men living by the drink business, the result would be striking. Lord Iveagh is only one individual of that Guinnesß family who have made their immense fortunes by brewing porter, which is mostly consumed by the humbler classes. The fortune of this one nan »loae is stated to be over £14,000,000. The interest on that sum would be £.">4O 000 a year, and on that sum 2240 workingman, and their families could live well, aB each would have £230 per annum. What fools to themselves drunkards are ! Lord Iva»'<h and other members of the Guinness family certainly make princely gifts, though England benefits most by this generosity. His latest gift to Dublin (where all the porter is ma »c) iB both a kind and a munificent one. He offers to finance a scheme for the re-housing of the very poor within a certain area in the city of Dublin, and his plans are most generous, providing not alone deoent dwellings, but also places of recreation for body and mind. A company with a similar purpose has also been started with a capital of £20,000 in £1 shares, so as to enable even the working olas<es themselves to have a share in the scheme, a thin-,' whioh would be a great incentive to thrift amongst the class, of all others which iB practically shut out from all ways of profitably and MQiucaly investing their small earnings. His Grace Archbishop Walth applied for 500 share* and was, I believe, the first shareAgood deal has already been done in Dublin in gradually providing healthy and neat houses for the better class artisans. But in an old city like Dublin, this was a costly work. Hitherto— and of course the same state of things largely prevails— the labouring classes, forming a very large share of the population, were housed in tenements, these tenements being the cast-off city mansions and large houses of the nobles and wealthy residents of the pre-Union days when Dublin was one of the gayest cities in Europe. When the Union carried the Irish nobles and members of Parliament away to London, one mansion after another fell into disuse until whole streets were deserted ; then by degrees the houses came to be let out in parts, fell lower and lower ; the better class left the neighbourhood of the fast decayiDg streets, until finally whole districts of magnificent housps became common lodging quarters, the fine dwellings, too costly to be kept in proper repair, became a thousand times shabbier and more insanitary than the poorest cottage in the country could be, the once stately streets became great, unkempt emporiums of shabbiness, neglect, ill-health, and all the ills of overcrowding. So the lodging of this large class of the very poor still

remains a disgrace to <ur city, and the work now about to be undertaken is one of the most urgently needed public work.9 of the day. As you no doubt receive in New Zealand all NEW BOOKS worth reading that are issued over here, I will mention two that help eminently to fill a much-felt want in Catholic literature : wellwritten booka for youths at college. One of these books, Geoff nj Austin, Student, appeared a year or two ago and was most favourably received by reviewers. The second, The 'Triumph of Failure, has only appeared with the New Year. It is a sequel to Geoff nj AllA 11 st hi, and both are from the pen of a gifted priest, the Rev. P. A. Sheehan, of the diocese of Clnyne. Both works deal in a very practical, real life way with certain rocks that lie in the p ith of all young students, and, unhappily, trip a great many np. Young people cannot always be persuaded that they have not older heads on their shoulders than their elders. Taey cannot always be convinced that it is not possible for them to possess the ripeness and depth of judgment that only come with grey hairs, much study, and more experience. It is very, very difficult to make them appreciate how very little the most learned of men can know, compared with the vast amount of subjects no human mind can gra«p ; above all, it is very difficult for them to realize the greatness of humility, the humility that ia often actually a proof of great knowledge. And so they unhappily sometimes fall into a pitiful habit of pitting their intellects againet the omniscience of the Almighty. It is with all this Father Sheehan deals in a most powerful manner in his two books, books which no youth would easily throw aside, so fascinating is the style and the story, and certainly they are works which ought to open many a father's mind as well as the minds of students. Speaking of YOUNG MEN, there is a great deal of good work being done in our large cities ju9t now through a movement which, I think, in great part emanates from young Catholics themselves, and which, curiously enough, seems like a response to the very books of which mention has just been made. The movement is amongst the assistants employed in various classes of business hou»es, who are, by their own desire, being organised into religious sodalities. One large class, grocers' and publicans' assistants, have just this week formed a sodality numbering 1,500, all earnestly joining together for mutual help in leading true Christian lives ; this is but one of many such associations in Dublin, yet there are some who speak and write as if religion were dying out amongst our people. SOCIAL DOINGS. How do you amuse yourselves in New Zealand society ? Pretty much, I have no doubt, as people do over here : the same social gatherings, afternoon at homes taking the place of the old-times peasant informal evening dances ; occasional big balls where no one is really happy ; for of the hospitable 'come and take pot-luck wkh me ' of our mothers' days, instead, a rare, costly dinner party ; even tor afternoon visits, people only receiving their friends twice, or at most throe times a month, instead of every day taking chance of some few friendly faces dropping in to vary the household routine ; the same frantic cycling around after excitement, with — in consequence — almost total loss of the capacity for true enjoyment. I wonder will the next century — how near we all are to being ' people of the last century !'— bring some wholesome reaction. i Will people grow sick of wanting to seem richer, faster, cleverer, more high'y • higher educated,' more everything than they really are. Shall we go back to simpler, more wholesome tastes and pleasures ; shall we, in the words of the very exemplary Rev. Henry Sandtord (on lease to the ' Vicar of Bray), not only be as good as w e are, but ah good as we ought to be 1 Meanwhile we work like slaves here (ani I suppose in New Zealand) to be not only as happy as we are, but as happy as we ought to be. Dublin never had a run of theatrical amusements or better accommodation than at present : trage ly, comedy, historic plays, comic opera, pantomime. The historic is supplied by a p werful drama founded on the life and death of Wolfe Tone, given at the Queen's, which, spite of its name, has come to be the stage for ultra-national plays. ' Lord Edward, or '98,' which was such a brilliant success, was produced here, and ' Wolf Tone ' promises to be as popular. Our theatres are now mndels of comfort, beauty and safety, although the working people of Dublin nightly look for the burning down of the pretty gem, the Gaiety, as there is a popular belief that such must be its fate. It appears that the completion of the old Royal (which boasted the largest stage in Europe) was worked at into the morning of Christmas Day, in order to have all ready for ' the opening of the theatre on the following Boxing night. The

workmen, who were forced thus to ply their trades, looked upom the theatre as doomed. It was consumed by fire about 20 years ago, and was only replaced last year. The Gaiety was built to fill the gap, but it, too, was to be opened on a Boxing night, it, too, was finished on a Christmas morning, and there is a firm belief amongst the tradesmen of Dublin that it, too, is to be burnt down. Yet all throng there until at times it is so packed that exit would be hopeless were there a panic. There has been for the last few years a capital fashion in vogue here, one that would be a boon to numbers of ladies if carried out elsewhere. Hitherto, no matter at what cost, ladies not too well blessed by fortune must be genteel or die ; at all events, do without much theatre-going. One lady rarely cares to go alone to any place of amusement ; you want someone to Bhare your laugh or your cry or your delight in music. Again, in Dublin County great numbers live miles from the city, so that when it comes to theatre or concert, with seats ."is and 7s 6d in addition to travelling, many have to think twice before spending £1 on two hours' pleasure. The happy thought struck some ladies to make it quite fashionable to go to pit and gallery of theatre and concert-hall at the matinees and now it is quite the correct thing for ladies to throng pit or gallery in the afternoons, a fashior which enables many a less wealthy sister in the same class of life t( enjoy ten pleasures for the one she used to have. COUNTY NEWS. ANTRIM.— The Crusade Against Ritualism in BelfastThe anti-Ritualistic crusade in Belfast reached a climax early on th< morning of January <>, when, immediately the police had departed from St. Clement'^ Church, rt was entered, and everything remaining after the previous night's proceedings, which bore the slightesi vestige of Ritualism, was taken into the street outside, and aftei being saturated with paraffin, the whole collection was turned ink a huge bonfire. The Rector, Mr. Peoples, swore an informatior before a magistrate that the church was in danger of being pulled down. A Suspicious Coincidence- — Mr. Labouchere states in Truth— The chairman of the Belfast Water Commissioners has written tc me in reference to a recent paragraph concerning an appointment made by that body. What I stated was that the engineer recommended the appointment of a particular candidate, who was a Roman Catholic, and that this recommendation was over-ridden, and the situation given to another candidate, who was a Protestant. These facts are not called in question, but in regard to the inference which was drawn from them the chairman of the board tells me that 'the gentleman to whom the appointment was deputed was not aware that one of the candidates was a Roman Catholic' I had supposed that the appointment was made by the board, but it seems that they delegated their duty in the matter to an individual member, and that it was he who disregarded the recommendation of the engineer who had first been asked to select a candidate. The circumstance that the rejected nominee was a Roman Catholic, and that he was supplanted by a Protestant, must apparently be considered a mere coincidence ; but in view of the reputation the local authorities at Belfast have acquired, it was a decidedly unfortunate coincidence. ARMAGH.— Death of a Centenarian.— a woman named Susan Cunningham, re-id ing at Faughiletra, County Armagh, died recently at the a<*e of 10l years. Deceased was able to get about until the last, being ill only a day. She had a good memory, and was able to relate many of the incidents of the Rebellion of 1)8. CLARE.— Death of a Vicar-General.— The death of the Very Rev. Father Newell, P.P., V.G.. Miltown-Malbay, is> reported in our Home file*. For sometime past the devoted priest had not been in very robust health. His death was greatly regretted by his parishioners. DERRY.— An Anti-Catholic Lecturer Baulked.— The bogus es-pnedt Ruthven paid a vi-.it to Derry in the early part of January and engaged the Guildhall, tlie property of the citizens, for a lecture. The tone of the discourse as pet out in a handbill scattered broadcast through the city was to denounce the Catholic religion and the priests of this Church, whom he called ' The Vampire Priests of Rome.' Needless to say. in a cify so intensely religious in its feelings towards its priests, the utmost indignation was expressed by the Catholic people at this indignity sought to be put on themselves and their pastors. So intense did feeling g row that the authorities felt that it would be almost impossible to prevent a breach of the peace, and it was consideied that the best course to be pursued was to refuse to give the us-e of the Corporation property to the ' Anti-Romish " adventurer. Accordingly, at three o clock, the hour at which the proceedings were to commence, a large crowd had gathered in the vicinity of the Guildhall, and when they found admittance was refused them their anger was expressed by many bitter reflectiona on the Mayor and Corporation. Count Moore Elected —Count Moore, of Moore's Fort, Tipperary, has been elected as the Nationalist representative of Derry in the Imperial Parliament. It will be rem»nibered that he sat for a Munster constituency some years ago. as a Moderate Home Ruler, until displaced by Mr. Parnell. DUBLIN.-The Control of a Catholic University —The Archbishop of Dublin, in a letter to the Jrnh E< rh viastiral d'azitti , removes the misconc°ption that the Bishops want exclusive control of a Cutholic University. His Grace says that, so far from layin» claim to any exclusive control, they did not think it reasonable to claim that there should be on the governing body of the new University any preponderance, not to say of Bishops, but even of ecclesiastics. They were prepared to accept a University having upon the governing body a majority of laymen.

Death of the Hon. Mrs- Corbett- — a. Requiem service for ;he Hon. Mrs. Corbett, who died at the Viceregal Lodge whilst a *vest of the Lord Lieutenant, was celebrated in St. Franois Xavier's Church, Upper Gardiner street, Dublin, on January 5. Among bhose who attended the obsequies were :— Their Excellencies the Lord Lieutenant and Countess Cadogan, Sir William Kaye (private secretary), Viscount Chelsea, Viscountess Chelsea and Mrs. Hardinge (sisters), Hon. Humphrey Sturt, M.P. (brother) ; Hon. Gerald { Cadogan, R. Peel, Victor Corkran, Sir Gerald and Lady Dease, Walter Smith, M.D. (physician-in-ordinary), Right Hon. Mr. Jußtice O'Brien, Sir Andrew Reed. Tuia is the first time since the Union that a Lord Lieutenant has attended a Catholic service. GAL WAY*— The Gort Technical Schools.— Anybody who pays a visit to the Gort Technical Schools, says an exchange, cannot fail to be struck with the air of prosperous industry which pervades the whole institution and which gives one a useful key to the solv ing of the ' problem in the West.' The convent, which was founded in 1856 through the energy of the late Father Shannon, was originally the residence of Lord Kiltartan, and is picturesquely situated on the banks of the Gort River. The good Sisters having resolved to revive some of the old industries, appealed for assistance to the Bishop of the diocese, the Most Rev. Dr. M'Cormack, and other friends, with the result that in a short time they were possessed of eight handlooms, two the gift of Dr. M'Cormack, two from the Sisters themselves, and one each from Lady Aberdeen, Lord Ashtown, Colonel Blake, Mr. P. H. Sheahan, Gort, and Mrs. Browne. A competent teacher of linen weaving from Belfast was employed, and about twenty girls in a short time had attained extraordinary skill as weavers. At present the Gort industries can hold their own with any in Ireland, and include linen and woollen weaving, hosiery and vestment making, lace and embroidery. The linens are extremely fine and to be had in all colours. In the vestments department the designs and rich embroidery in gold and silver are most lovely and artistic. At present the Sisters are busy preparing specimens of their work for the forthcoming Paris Exhibition. Naming the Streets in Irish— in Loughrea shields have been erected bearing the names of each street in Irish. Father Nolan, 0.D.C., who is an Irish scholar, is responsible for the idea, and the painting and lettering of the shields was done by Father Thomas, 0.D.C., assisted by the nuns of the Carmelite Convent. KERRY— An Economical Board of Guardians— The sum of Is has been passed by the Cahirciveen Board of Guardians as remuneration for the services of Dr. S. Walker while acting as locum tennis for his father, who was away at the Tralee Quarter Sessions. It is probably as small a fee as was ever tendered to a doctor in Ireland, and it is explained by the fact that the Local Government Board pointed out that the Guardians were bound to pay, but could fix the amount. The majority of the Guardians argued that a doctor, when summoned as a Crown witness, is well paid by the Crown, and should reward his substitute. At any rate, 14 voted for giving Is to young Dr. Walker, while only six were in favour of the more professional fee of two guineas. GENERAL. The German Emperor and the Irishman. — On the occasion of his recent visit to Malta the German Emperor conferred the medal of the Royal Prussian Order of the Crown on Mr. Patrick Casey, steward to Admiral Sir John Hopkins, H.M.S. Ramillies, flagship of the Mediterranean fleet. Mr. Casey, the recipient of the dibtin< tion, is one of the four sons — now serving in the royal navy — of Mr. Patrick Casey, of her Majesty's Customs, Dublin, who also served in the navy and is a native of Kilfinane, County Limerick. Appointment of County Court Judges-— His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant has appointed Judge Anderson to be Recorder and County Court Judge of Galway ; Mr. R. P. Carton, Q.C., to be County Court Judge of Clare ; Mr. Joseph H. Moore to be County Court Judge of Tipperary. The Pope and Ireland. — Despite all this audience-giving (writes a Roman correspondent) his Holiness said Mass on Sunday, January 1, New Year's Day, in the Throne Hall, which had been arranged as a chapel. Upwards of thirty persona were afterwards received in audience. The first of these was Mrs. M. G. Mulhall, of Killiney Peak, who was also received in audience in the spring of ISD.s. His Holiness at once recognised her, and showed the tentierest affection for her, touching her head with his hands, and blessing her. Almost the first words which he said were words of praise for the faithful Catholic country to which Mrs. Mulhall belongs. He spoke of ' faithful Ireland,' and said that he greeted his visitor as his faithful daughter coming therefrom. Mrs. Mulhall had, after her own audience, the pleasure of presenting Mrs F. MacNutt, the newly-converted wife of a colleague of Mr. Mulhall.