ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 50, 14 December 1899, Page 4

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON.

(From our own correspondent.*)

December 9. St. Joseph's Choir is to give a sacred concert in aid of the organ fund on Sunday. Lady Buckley left for Home on Thursday by the Gothic She intends to reside in the Old Country. The Rev. Fathers Mahoney and Clancy, of the College, left on Thursday for a short holiday in Masterton. The Yen. Archdeacon Devoy has been advised that the result of the examinations of the Catholic schools in Blenheim was highly satisfactory. As in the last few years the echools were examined by the Education Board's Inspector. Ninety-seven per oent. of the scholars presented passed. His Grace, Archbishop Redwood, returned to Wellington on Thursday, and will remain here until after Christmas. The Rev. Father Ainsworth, who has been conducting the missions with him, will return in a few days. He is, I hear, to spend a Bhort holiday on the West Coast where his people reside. The election expenses of a successful candidate generally take the better part of the first year's honorarium to liquidate but, if what I -hear is correct, the junior member for this city 'has established a record which should stand for some time. He is reported to have declared that his total expenses were nine shillings !

The result of the General Election has been the Bole topic of conversation since Wednesday. Even the niost sanguine supporters of the Government scarcely hoped for so overwhelming a majority. For the City seats the 'Triple Alliance '— Messrs. Hutcheson, Atkinson, and Hislop— were looked upon as absolute certainties until the last return, that from the Skating Rink, came to hand. At that booth, however, the ' Alliance ' collapsed, the result being that Mr. Fisher, who there polled a two-to-one majority, secured the third seat for the Government from Mr. Hislop Great was the disappointment and disgust in the 'Alliance' camp when the final figures were posted. This was certainly a complete surprise to the public in co far as Mr. Fisher's return was concerned. Mr. Hutcheson, in returning thanks, said he would have preferred defeat in honourable company than election with Mr. Fisher., Mr. Atkinson, the other successful candidate, and a recognised advocate of Prohibition, wag in his usual intemperate speech mood and stigmatized the defeat of Mr Hislop by Mr. Fisher as ' a disgrace and a scandal to the city and the name of democracy.' The results of the Royal College practical examination in musio, which was held last week, are now to hand and are a flattering testimony to the teaohing of St. Mary's Convent here. Several of the 30 candidates presented from that institution passed with distinction, nine with honours, while all obtained passes. In a letter to the Superioress of the convent Mr. Graham Moore, the examiner, remarks : • I was delighted with the way the work was prepared for the examination. I can hardly recall an instance of to many candidates passing from one institution. Singing, indeed, is generally a weak point in most schools. Even when candidates are sent in they very often fail owing to defeotive methods of teaohing. I shall let the examiner for next year know what he has to expect at Wellington.' The following pupils passed : — Local Centre Examination : Possible mark*, 160 ; pass, 100 ; honours, 130. Honours— X. Connell (senior sinjcinff), 141 ; R. Falconer (senior piano), 130. Pass— M. McLeod (senior' singing), 112; I. Blundell (do), 100 ; T. Shapter (senior piano), 111 ; A. McDonald (junior piano), 113 ; C. Smith (senior piano), 104 ; M. Waldegrave (do), 107 ; S. Clarry (do), 107. Local School Examination : Possible marks, 99 ; pass, 66 ; distinction, 84. Passed with distinction — G. Flanagan (higher singing). 90 ; N. Drummond (do), 84 ; E Maginnity (do), 88 ; E. Waridy (do) 84 ; O. Ritleng (piano elementary), 86. Pass — M. Waldegrave (piano higher), 80 ; M. Redmond (singing higher), 71 ; Mary Waldegrave (do), 68 ; V. Meredith (do), 78 ; B. Flynn (do), 78 ; M Blake (do), 66 ; M. Evans (piano higher), 68 ; B. Gamble (piano higher), 73 ; N. Driscoll (singing higher), 68 ; T. Rowe (do), 68 ; M. Twohill (do), 79 ; O. McManaway (do), 73 ; J. Baillie (do), 72 ; B. M. Collins (piano elementary), 71 : M. McDonald (do), 74 • J Broadbent (do), 66.

upper division is marked by the* examiner aa very good, the weak point being the translation of Krglish into French. In the lower division four of the six pupils are marked very fair. For algebra in the lower division three pupils obtained 100 p^r cent., two 98 per cent., and one 93 per cent, others ranging- from 50 per cent, upwards. In the upper division the marks ranged from 58 per cenr. up to 100 per cent. ; in Euclid, o7 per cent, up to 71 per cent. Of 16 candidates for Stand VI.. all passed ; of 14 for Standard V., 13 passed ; of 13 in Standard IV., 12 passed. Ten passed Standard Standard 111. out of 11, and in Standard 11. the whole class passed, the same being the case in Standard I. In the Convent parish school of 12 in Class V., 11 passed ; of 18 in Class IV., 15 passed ; of 25 in Class 111., 19 passed ; out of 15 sent up for examination in Standard 11., 13 passed ; and of 33 in Standard 1., only two failed. It must, therefore, be conceded that the pupils of the Catholio echools easily hold their own with those of the State institutions as the foregoing report and list of passes amply prove. It must be borne in mind also that this was the first occasion the children underwent examination by one who was strange to them, and whose methods, too, were perhaps dissimilar to what they were accustomed to.