Hibernian Society.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 9, 26 February 1903, Page 20

Hibernian Society.

» (From our Auckland correspondent.)

The annual meeting of the N.Z. District No. 8 of the H.A.U.B.S. was held on Wednesday evening, February 18, in the Hibernian Hall, Auckland, Bio. J. B Stead in the chair, Rev. Father Holbrook, of St. Patrick's, and Bro. Noonan, of Lismore branch, N.S.W., were piesent. The following officers were present : Bro. Bechan, D.V.P. ; Bro. W. Kane, D.S. ; and the following delegates : Bro. Mason, Greymouth ; Bro. T. Chrisp, Onehunga ; Bros. Harney and W. J. Nolan, Thames ; iiio. J. fcnuith, I>unedin ; Bros. F. Gordon and Y. Williams, Auckland ; Bro. C. Little, Christchurch ; Bro. John McNoiaura, Napier ; Bios. Carmody and D. Rice, Wellington ; Bro. C. O'Brien, New Plymouth ; Bro. F O'Meara, Waipawa ; Bro. T. M. Corbett, Hastings ; Bro. Patterson, Leeston ; Bro. J. Mulholland, New Headford ; Bro. Owen Kielty, Masterton ; Bro. P. Kane, Milton ; Bro. H. Duflin, Oamaru ; Bro. Luke Spellman Waimate ; Bro. John O'Brien, Denniston ; Bro. William Brown, Westport ; Bro. D. Flynn, Gisborne ; Bro. G. D. Patterson, Reefton. Bro. Noonan, from Sydney, was heartily welcomed to the meeting. The report of the district officers showed the financial position to be as follows :— Funeral fund, £4821 18/-; profit on the year's transactions (after paying in death claims £260), £298 15/- ; management fund, £99

Bros. Patterson and Gordon complimented the officers upon their careful management. From the Christchurch branch a voluminous report was read, the purport of which was that the statements made at the last half-yearly meeting by the district secretary reflecting on the Christchurch branch were incorrect. The D.S. said, after reading the report, he regretted the statements made, and hoped the incident would now be forgiven and forgotten. The delegate for Timaru moved that the district secretary's salary be increased. The delegate for Wellington seconded the motion, which was carried.

The delegate for Auckland branch, No. 81, moved — ' That the entrance fees of full benefit members be : 16 years and under 2."> years, 2/6 ; 25 years and under 30 years, 5/-. The motion was carried.

The following resolution, moved by the district treasurer, was passed : ' That all notices of motion by branches intended for the next half-yearly meeting following shall reach the district office not later than the first day of May in each year ; and in like manner all notices of motion intended for the next annual meeting following shaJl reach the district office not later than the first day of November in each year.'

The election of officers resulted as follows :—President, Bro. W. fteehan ; vice-president, Bro. C. Little ; secretary, Bro. W. Kane ; treasurer, Bro. M. J. Sheahan; auditors, Bros. F. J. O'Meara and P. O'Kane.

P.P. Bro. Stead installed the new officers. Father Holbrookt closed the meeting with prayer. At the conclusion of business the officers invited the delegates to the supper-room, where refreshments were provided. The officers returned thanks for their election and assured the delegates that they would faithfully discharge the duties imposed upon them.

The D.S. announced that the laws were now nearly ready and in a few weeks th<j, executive would call the Board again together to consider the laws before registration, etc.

Sir Francis Bertie, who has been appointed Ambassador in Rome, is the second son of the sixth Earl of Abingdon, and in his 59th year. The seventh Earl, who is a Catholic peer; is 67 yea>rs of age.

It 1 is somewhat significant (says an Irish exchange) that the Earl of Mayo, who took so prominent a part at the Land Conference, in which he presided in the absence of the Earl of Dunraven, was a few days ago sworn in for the first time to be one of the Lords Justices of (Ireland to administer the government of the country in the absence of the Lord Lieutenant. Tne Viceroy himself appoints as his own personal act the Lords Justices who discharge his official duties in his absence from the kingdom. Lord Mayo, as a Lord Justice and temporary Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, can be pleasantly contrasted with Lord Clonbrock and Lord Ba.rarymore as the signatories of the first proclamation from Dublin Castle under the provisions of the revived Coercion Act.

It is perhaps not generally known that Mr. Brodrick, the War Secretary, who Was married recently to Miss Madeline Stanley, the stepdaughter of Sir Francis Jeune, the President of the English Divorce Court, comes himself of a ' Castle lawyer ' stock. Alan Brodrick, the first Lord Midleton who was raised to the peerage to which Mr. Broderick is heir apparent, was an Irish barrister, who became Lord Chancellor of Ireland. He was notorious as the chief instigator of the atrocious chapter of legislation known as the Irish Penal Code. A document signed by this personage, recommending to the English Privy Council a provision for the punishment of ' unregistered priests and friars ' too horrible to be mentioned, is preser\ed in the Dublin State Paper Office, of which Mr. Lecky thus speaks : ' It is a memorable fact in the moral history of Europe that such a penalty was seriously proposed by the responsible Government of Ireland.'