Irish News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3, 18 January 1900, Page 9

Irish News.

ANTRIM. — Putting down Orange Rowdyism in Belfast-— The Orange youth of Belfast (*ays the Irish Weekly) has a special predelietinn for indulging in the recreation of cursing the Pope when he is not engaged in any more congenial pastime peculiar to hid race. Against this apart; from consideration for the youth's own welfare, and pity for his ignorance, we have nothing to say. He may indulge his whim to his heart's content. But we have a strong objection to his being allowed to compel all and sundry to join him, and so has Mr. Hodder, R M., who taught three young men in the custody court the other day a lesson they will not soon forget. These three worthies, who had attempted to force their opinions down other people's throats in the vicinity of a Catholic district, have been heavily fined and put under a rule of bail. Respectability and good character were unavailingly pleaded on their behalf — they almost always are— but your ' respectable ' rowdy is the worst of all. The Seal of the Belfast Board of Guardians— Mr. Allison, a member of the Belfast Board of Guardians, has given notice that he will move at the next meeting, ' That a seal representing King William crossing the Boyne be obtained for this Union, in order to perpetuate the memory of the man who delivered us from Pope and Popery, leather money, and wooden shoes.' There is undoubtedly ample scope for an interesting debate on Mr Allison's resolution (Pays the Catholic Times), and it is to be hoped that tne chairman who has intimated his intention of closuring King William's admirer, will relent before the day of battle. ARMAGH— Collecting funds for the Completion of the Cathedral.— His Eminence Cardinal Logue has authorised the Very Rev. Canon Rogers, P.P., Ardee, and the Rev. Thomas Cassidy, P.P., Louth, to proceed to America, with the object of collecting funds for the completion of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh. Both reverend gentlemen have left for the United States, and wili commence their mission in New York with the cordial approval of I Archbishop Corrigan. I Clerical Changes in the Archdiocese.— His Eminence Cardinal Logue has made the following clerical changes in the archdiocese of Armagh :— Rev. Francis Murtagh, CC, Ardee, has been appointed C.C., Dunleer, and Rev. P. Matthews, C.C., Dunleer to be C.C., Ardee. CAV AN-— Retirement of a Police Superintendent.— Superintendent James Smith, of the Dublin Metropolitan policei has retired from the force, and has gone to live in his ancestral home, at Arva, County Cavan. When res : dent in Dublin Mr. Smith was remarkable for his calm and judicial temperament, and he left the metropolis respected and regretted by hosts of friends. CORK.— A Family Of Soldiers— Mrs. O'Kcefe, of Kinsale, County Cork, the widow of a sergeant in the Mun3ter Fusiliers, who has seven sons serving in the British army, has received a letter from the Queen, through the private secretary, congratulating her on the fact and enclosing a present of £10. The New Church at Charleville.— The new Catholic church at Charleville, County Cork, the foundation stone of which was laid 12 mouths ago by the Bishop of the diocese, is rapidly approaching completion. DUBLIN.— A Remnant of the Penal Laws— The other day (says the Freeman's Journal) the case of ' Hughes, a minor,' came on before the Lord Chancellor. We do not know that any matter of recent date has created so profound a feeling in Catholic circles as that which lies at the centre of this case. Mr Hughes is a young man under the age of 21 who has entered the Jesuit Novitiate. He is entitled to some property, and, for some reason, probably of a legal character, it has seemed desirable to his legal advisers that he should be made a ward of Court. In approaching the Court in order to be made a ward, the young gentleman sought a sanction from the Chancellor for his act in entering the Novitiate. When the case came on before the Chancellor he, with that sound wisdom which he is not deficient in, sought to give the seiious side of the case the go by. ' Why,' he said in effect, < make this young gentleman a ward of Court at all ? It is admitted that his guardians are faithful and his estate safe.' The upshot of the matter will be that the petition of wardship will be withdrawn and a troublesome question thus got rid of for a time. But it is only for a time that the matter is got rid of It must arise again at an early date, and cannot in the end be avaded. When the caae of ' Hughes, a minor,' was before the Chief Clerk in Chancery he refused to sanction the young man's entering the Novitiate, on the ground that the Jesuits were an illegal body like the Ribbon Society. This is the undoubted law of the land, and sooner or later the whole Catholic population of the Empire must join in securing the repeal of this infamous clause of a beneficial statute. Our modern civilisation has as its noblest product religious liberty. It is absolutely intolerable that the disgraceful laws against the Jesuits and the religious orders should be allowed to continue to disgrace the Statute Book, and it is not to the credit of the Irish Catholic members that an attack in force has not been made long ago. Catholics sit in the councils of the Empire. Catholic statesmen rule great provinces and are trusted with difficult posts of duty. The blood of the Catholic soldier has been freely shed for the English flag in every battle6eld of the century from the Peninsula to the campaign of Ladysmith. It is intolerable that the regular priests of the Catholic Church should still remam outlaws and banned and proscribed men. Another singular trace of the old penal days was disclosed in the discussion in the Court of Chancery. When a young Catholic

lady who is a ward of Court seeks during her minority to enter a convent as a Novice permission is refused. Everyone knows that entering a convent as a Novice is no ' irrevocable step.' Years elapse during which the girl can return to the world. There is no Catholic circle in which there are not happy and respected matrons who found that they were mistaken in thinking that they had a vocation for the conventual life. The Chanopllor is, of course, bound to see that the postulant knows her own mind and has considered the matter fully before «hf> enters a convent. This being done leave should be given, as it is given for that truly ' irreparable step,' marriage. It is not care for the girl, but hate of Catholicity that has developed an opposite practice. The Chancellor stands in loco parentis to hin wards. He should treat a ward-of Court exactly as a wise and affectionate father would his own child. Serious Accident to Mr- Davitt.— A serious accident befell Mr. Michael Davitt whilst driving along Great Brunswick street, Dublin, on November 21. Mr. Davitt was riding on an outside car, when the horse slipped and fell. Mr. Davitt was thrown violently off the car right in front of the horse's feet, and lay stunned on the pavement. Several spectators of the occurrence ran to his assist* anco, and helped him into a shop. He remained in a dazed condition for a considerable time, but refused to allow a dostor to be summoned, and drove off in a cab to the residence of Mr. John Dillon, M.P., North Great George's street. Shortly after entering the cab Mr. Davitt fainted, and on arrival at Mr. Dillon's was in a semi-unconscious condition. Dr. Thornley Stoker and Dr. Cox wer sent for, and remained for some time in attendance upon him. He was injured both in the head and back. It was afterwards asoere tamed that he had sustained no permanent injury, the medical menpronounced him to be suffering from severe shock, which would necessitate perfect rest for several days. GALWA V.— The value of Irish Marble-— A great deal of Gal way marble is being employed in the building of the new Westtnineter Cathedral, and it is used even in the Sacred Heart Basilica at Paris. It is an interesting fact (says an American exchange) that two-thirds of the marble and granite quarry owners and operators in the United States are of Irish birth or descent. There are very few among the thousands of existing patents for quarrying, dressing, polishing, carving, and setting stone that are not the invention of men of the same race. The business of quarrying, dressing, and carving marble at Carara remained unchanged from the time of Michael Angelo until a few years ago, when an enterprising Irish sculptor and stone-worker, who designed John W. Mackay's mausoleum, bought a quarry there and introduced the latest methods, but they did not produce any permanent benefit to the marble workers, for the Italian Government immediately clapped such big taxes on the quarry-owner that, as before the machinery was used, the workers continued to be nothing but slaves working for the Government. How important this business of quarrying is to the sculptor can only be-gleaned by those who have read the lives of such men as John Hogan, who personally attended to the dressing of their own blocks and statuary, aad worked at them with hammer and chisel until they had evolved their grand .deals. KERRY— The Muckross Estate— An attempt was made to sell the Muckross estate, which includes the greater portion of the Lakes of Killarney, by auction in Dublin about the end of November, but the bidding, which started at £35,000 and ran up to £30,090, did not reach the upset price, and the property was passed in. A few days later the Evening Telegraph stated it was authorised to announce that the estate had been sold by private treaty. The purchase has been made by a firm of solicitors in trust for a purchaser, whose name would not be communicated to the Press. The amount of the purchase money was also withheld, but conjecture placed it in or near the sum of £30,000, which was the highest bid at the recent sale, at which the property was bought in on behalf of the vendor for £51,000. The greatest interest centred in the disclosure of the name of the purchaser, inasmuch as the question of the safeguarding of the public rights depended largely upon his character and personality. The Evening Herald now states that the purchaser of Killarney is Lord Iveazh. Messrs. Sutton, who completed the transaction, are the family solicitors of the Guinness family. The sum paid is not named, but rumour puts it at £.10,00). If Lord Iveagh is re.lly the purchaser the question of iourists' privileges is likely to be arranged in a way satisfactory to the public. The tolls amount annually to upwards of £1000, are easily collected, and, of course, become payable to the new owner. The rights accorded to visitors are merely permissive, but they do not interfere with the privacy of the demesne. KlLKENNY.— Dedication of a Church.— Hia Lordship the Bishop of Ossory dedicated recently the beautiful new ohuroh of St. Patrick, Kilkenny. The old church dated back to 1781, and had become unfit for further use. A great number of priests and an immense gathering of people witnessed the imposing ceremony. Father Kane, S.J., preached an eloquent sermon. LIMERICK.— A Noble Pioneer of the Faith— A pioneer of the Faith in Newfoundland passed away recently at Knockaney, in the person of the Rev. Michael Hanly, who had been stationed for a number of years at Harbour Grace. Father Hanly was brother of the Key. Patrick Hanly, P.P. of Blessington, and the Rev. William Hanly, CO., Leixlip. He was educated at Waterford College and ordained for the Dublin Archdiocese, bnt volunteered for the Newfoundland mission, which was sadly in need of priests, the Catholics being scattered over a wide area, and facilities for travelling very few. The good priest was frequently compelled to use an open boat on long journeys of 120 miles in almost Arctic cold, and at other times to cross immense forests in those ice-bound regions on a sledge drawn by dogs. The severity of the climate and the hard work told upon Father Hanly's health, and returning

to Ireland he died at the residence of his sister, Mrs. Fitzgerald, Knockaney, County Limerick, after a lingering illness, borne with calm resignation. Bishop O'Dwyer on Nursing the Sick Poor.— At a meeting held in Limerick, in support of the movement for the nursing of the sick poor, under the auspices of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Most Rev. Dr. O'Dwyer presided, and in the course of an address on the work of the Association taid that this work of the Nursing Association was one of the youngest of their religious institutions in the city, and his Lordship was happy lo Hay that it was very flourishing, and in his humble opinion it was one of the most beneficient. The work had been, by God's blessing, extended at a great rate during the past year. The nurses in the one parish of St. Michael told his Lordship that they had actually 28 cases between the two of them to visit. Thus there was a full and hard day's work for the nun and the lady who was joined with her in nursing these poor people. Consider those 28 homes, and what kind of comfort and physical help those nurses are giving. Then there was more than that. The sickness in which the nurses visited the poor was often the very last sickness. It was the knocking of God at the door to call the poor human soul to Himself when life was over. If it was a great act of charity to give them food and to give them their medicine and to help them to recover, how infinitely greater it was, when recovery was impossible and when they were going to their last account, to help them to prepare for that awful time. That was what the nurses did. They gave to the poor people, not only physical, but spiritual help, and they prepared their poor houses to receive the last Sacraments with some virtue and respect. He remembered his experience while a curate in that parish — the fearful squalor he met with, and the difficulty he had in finding a single square foot of cleanliness from which he could administer to the people. Their nuns could alter a great deal of that, and when the clergy came to administer to the people they would find the house prepared for them, and some outward sense of reverence for our Divine Lord shown. For all these reasons he was satisfied that there was nothing in the city that deserved so well the help that they had been giving the Association, and which help he trusted they would continue to give in the future. Lord Emlyand the Commission of the Peace— Some time ago the cableman informed us that Lord Emly was deprived of the Commission of the Peace on account of some remarks he made regarding the South African War. This was not the case. Lord Emly's offence was that at a labourers' meeting at Kilmallock he was reported to have said that if they had not come in their numbers and with blackthorns to the Road Sessions they would not have succeeded. The Lord Chancellor is stated to have asked Lord Emly to deny, qualify, or explain this language, and Lord Emly having declined to do so, has received a communication from the Lord Chancellor depriving him of the Commission of the Peace. SLlGO— Death of the Father of the Bishop of Elphin — The death is announced of Mr. Martin Clancy, Ballygrania, Collooney, County Sligo, father of the Moat Rev. Dr. Clancy, Bishop of Elphin. The funeral of the deceased gentleman, who was widely respected, was attended by a large number of priests and a vast concourse of people from the district. The Penal Laws.— The Mayor of Sligo (Mr. E. J. T. Tighe) has given notice that at the next meeting of the Corporation he will move a resolution to the effect that the Irish members of Parliament be called upon to use their best endeavours to have revoked a clause in the 'Catholic Emancipation Act of 1821),' which holds every Jesuit, friar, and monk in the Kingdom criminals in the eye of the law. TYRONE —The City Of ClOgher.— The most unique city in the three kingdoms is Clogher, eituated in the south of Tyrone. It is an episcopal city, consisting of a single Btreet with houses only on the one side. Theie is a saying : ' All on one side like Clogher.' The other side of the street ia occupied by the wall and overhanging trees of the Macartney's demesne, which gives the place a very picturesque appearance. TIPPERARY. — A Magistrate's Commission Cancelled. — Mr Kendal E. O'Brien, of Cashel, states that he has been removed from the office of Justice of the Peace of County Tipperary, which he held as chairman of the Tipperary No. 1 Rural District Council, on the ground that he refused to verify a newspaper report of two meetings — one of the District Council and one of the Board of Guardians — at which resolutions expressing sympathy with the Boers were reported to have been passed. He was ' pulled up,' he adds, for merely presiding at the first meeting, and ' worse still,' for seconding a resolution at the second meeting. GENERAL. An Irish Pair to be held in New York— According to our American exchanges the Countess of Aberdeen was in New York recently for the purpose of making arrangements for an Irish fair to be held in New York in April, under the auspices of the Irish Industries Association. Should nothing interfere with Lady Aberdeen's plans there will be an influx into New York next April of peers and peeres-ea. Prominent among the proposed managers are : The Countess of Cadogan, president of the association ; Lady Audry Buller, wife of General Sir Redvers Buller ; Lady Betty and Miss Balfour, the Prime Minister of England, the Countess of Carnarvon, the Duchess of Marlborough, the Countess of Kenmare, the Countess of Arran, the Countess of Mayo, the Marchioness of Londonderry, the Viscountess de Vesci, Lady Inchiquin, the Lady Mayoress of Dublin, the Duchess of Abercorn. and Lady Wolseley. While in the United States the manager* of the fair will be entertained by the American delegates to the last International Women's Congress,