DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 17, 27 April 1899, Page 6

DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH.

CFrom our own correspondent.)

April 24. The inspection of private schools question, and the attitude of a bare majority of the North Canterbury Education Board in connection therewith, so fully commented upon in your last issue, have given rise to several pointed letters in the local papers very much in favour of the just and reasonable request of the Very Rev. Vicar-

General. With Catholicß there is a settled conviction that the matter cannot be allowed to remain without a satisfactory settlement. Besides paying their due proportion of taxes, and at the same time supporting their own schools, they are handicapped still further by having their children debarred from participating in the privileges of acquiring certificates whereby they would be enabled to seoure employment in the Civil Service and other walks of life equally with their neighbour of the State schools. Great praise is due to the late Very Rev. Father Cummings for the energetic manner in which he commenced the task of bringing the board to a sense of their duty, and also to his worthy successor, the present Vicar-General, for so ably continuing the work. On Sunday evening last in the Pro-Cathedral the Rev. Father Crotty preached a very instructive sermon on ' St. Joseph, patron of the universal Church,' to a large congregation. Miss Rose Blaney, the talented soprano of the southern city, sang Gounod's ' Aye Maria,' with violin obbligato by Rev. Father Richards, and organ accompaniment by Miss Funston. Mr. Charles Read sang with good effect a new sacred composition, 'In the cathedral' (De Chaueet). Miss Blaney again rendered in a finished manner an 1 0 Salutaris ' at Benediction, which was given by the Very Rev. Canon Franklin.

At St. Mary's, Manchester street, Gounod's ' Mcsse Solennelle' was sung at the 11 o'clock Mass, the soprano solos being taken with fine effect by Miss Blaney. Following the example of some of the other Catholic centres, where dramatic productions are taking the place of the timehonoured and somewhat hackneyed concerts, a movement is on foot to form a club or company for the purpose of staging dramas of a semi-religious, or at all events,' wholesome character, in aid of deserving objects.

In a letter in the Lyltelton Times, commenting on the action of his Worship the Mayor, who had the correspondence between the Town Clerk and the head of the Salvation Army published, because he could not get a satisfactory answer to his communication inquiring why the chief citizen had not been invited to preside at the meeting to welcome General Booth, the writer asks why this [display of offended dignity, when, during, a former oocupanoy of the civic chair, he, of his own accord, refused to preside at a welcome meeting tendered to Messrs. Dillon and Esmoode, visitors who were distinguished in their way equally with the General. His Worship can evidently give a slight with better grace than he can accept one.