DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 20, 17 May 1900, Page 6

DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

(From our own correspondent.') May 14. The Right Rev. Dr. (J rimes and the Rev. Father Marnane were elected members of the Indian Famine Fund Executive Committee at an inaugural general meeting 1 held for the purpose on Thursday afternoon. At a subs quent meeting of the executive it was decided to cordially accept the offer of Bishop (-rimes to give a lecture on hia travels*, which will be illustrated by limelight views. It was also rt solved to make collections on the d.iy when tl.e news of the relief of Mafeking comes to hand. The question of examining tlie Catholic schools < f the district by the Education Hoard's Inspector his aira'n cropped up 'J he Very Rev. Father Le Menant des Chesnais, V.G , recently made a renewed application for this undoubted right to be observe!, but his request met with a similar fate to the one made last ypar. The mantle of the late chairman of the Board has evidently fallen upin the present one in «o far as his antipathy to things Catholic is concerned, as the following report of his action when the Vi carGeneral's letter was receiving attention will t-how — 'The letter from the Very Rev. Father L» Menant des Chesusiis requesting the Board to examine and inspect Roman. Catholic i-chools was further considered (it having been passed on from a previous meeting). The chairman (Mr. T. S. Watson) pointed out that no member had given notice to rescind the resolutions previously parsed by the Board on the subject, and he moved " That the Very Rev. Father Le Menant des Chesnais be advised in reply to hit, letter dated April 4 that the B ard cannot see its way to r»seind or alter the resolutions it has already passed in re-p°ct of the inspection of Roman Catholic schools, uf \\ hirh resolutions copies were sent to him." The motion was sei.on.Ud by Mr. Peryman and carried after a brief discussion.' At the invitation of his Lordship the Biihnp I was afforded the privi'ege of i-pi nding a mo^t profitable an i enjoyable hour in viewing the splendid cjllection of articles which recently came to hand from Euiope an! elsewhere, and are intended for the art union and bazaar that are to take place towards the end of this year in aid of the Cathedral building fund. The majority of these are simply magnificent ; of the remainder many are unique in their way, and one would be perftcily safe in asserting that for beauty, variety, oostliness, and novelty, nothing approaching the collection has ever been seen in this Colony, 110 ne, the greatest of all seats of art, has been placed under tribute to a considerable extent, whilst Ireland has suppli d a truly wonderful display of carvings in bog oak — cuno--iiits no doubt to a great majority of colonials, and of absorb.)),' inte p e.-t to natives of the Old Land. I will endeavor in the limited space at my disposal to describe at least a portion of the articles comprised in the collection, incomplete and i ladequate though of necessity this notice must be. 'This,' said hia Lordship, pointing to a magnificent paintin? standing nearly 6ft high by 4ft wide, ' is an exact copy of Raphael's •' Transfiguration " and is valued at C2OO, the original of which is in the Vatican. And this one, pointing to another of similar dimensions in a massive gilt frame, "is a copy of Titian's "Assumption" by Jules Rimini, a disciple of Raphael's, the original being in Veir'ce.' We next see an exquisitely chiselled snow-white Carrara marble statue standing over lift in h> L'ht, described as the 'Angel of Purity,' sculptured by Cleric' ' the tirst artist of Rome,' and vnlued at C2OO. His father sculptured the original, which cost an enormous amount. A marble t-tutue of M ses, valued at 2.V) guineas (a replica of the famous one by Michael Angelo in Rome), by the Fame artist is now on the way out. Among the other items in this fine collection

are the following : — A beautiful Mosaic table inlaid with malachite, etc., surmounting a richly carved tripod stand, the mosaic work, comprising a view of St. Peter's at Rome in the centre, surrounded by six of the most beautiful sights in the Eternal City ; a mosaic inlaid picture showing St. Peter's, the Vatican, and surroundings ; others depicting the ColiFeum, Forum, Doves drinking^ at a fountain,' etc., — all of mosaic with* massive carved framef^ inlaid with green malachite, etc. ; a magnificent Crucifix with ivory figure, inlaid with mosaic views of the Pantheon, Coliseum, St. Peter's, the Lamb reclining on the Book of the Gospels, the Basilicas of S*\ Mary Major, St John Lateran, and St. Paul out«idethe wall". The last mentioned is a most superb piece of work, anything of the kind probably being rarely if ever seen in the colonies. There are facsimiles of the Obelisk, the Column of Trojan, and others in miniature. A Roman jewel box with mosaic views of the arch of Titus, and others with famous sights such as the Pantheon, etc., all containing a large number of brooches in mosaic in different designs, whilst also there is a fine painting 3ft, Gin. by 2ft. Bin., of still life by Miss M. Fuller, with massive gilt frame, a gift for the bazaar. In another room are to be seen supurb Japanese vases standing over 2ft. high, similar to those previously described ; a beautiful picture, worked in gold and colors on white silk, of the Empress St. Helena, a gift from a convent in Ireland ; a bridal veil measuring 3yds. by 2yds., composed of the richest Limerick lace ; and numberless useful, ornamental, and distinctly rare articles carve 4 from bog oak, the principal of which are a three-legged stool with shamrocks ornamenting the top ; a Crucifix ; a splendid carved walking slick, silver mounted ; and scores of other articles in the same material, not forgetting also a real blackthorn stick. There is a clock made and presented by Cameron and Kuss, of Oxford street London, which has been going untouched for over a year, and is guaranteed to go without winding for 400 days. A very fine harp in bog oak which, together with the other articles in this material are from the tirm of Mr. J Goggin, Grafton street, Dublin, who was a generous contributor to the Cathedral fund when the Bishop was in Ireland. One could go on, column after column, enumerating all there is to be peen, but the present list would not be complete unless was made of the rich vestments, Irish lace, antique vases, -artistic furnishings, etc, which have been and are daily accumulating, all of which will ere long go to make an effective exhibition. Books of art union tickets, to enable purchasers to participate in this distribution of great value, are now obtainable. Excellent taste and judgment have been displayed by his Lordship in his selections, and all will heartily wish him a full measure of success in the great work he has on hand.