BALCLUTHA.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 21, 21 May 1903, Page 6

BALCLUTHA.

There was a Rood attendance at the Oddfollow# ITall on Friday e\ening (says the Clutha ' Leader'), on the occasion of a concert and lecture in aid of the funds of the local Catholic church. The first part of the programme was de\o(od to miscellaneous items Ihe Balclutha Orchestra, played the opening selection and were accorded well-monto-d npphuise. Mr .1 P. Walls sang ' Eileen Alannah ' Master R. Angus received an encore for the excellent manner in which ho danced a sailor s hornpipe Miss Pearson (Dune-din) had to respond to an encore for her rendition of ' Tho slave song,' giving ' Erin my country.' Mr. Deaker sang 'Adas serenade and in response to an encore sang ' The wearing of the

green. Mr. J. C. Macdonald was very successful as a reciter. Miss Nora Angus had to reappear for a Highland fling. Miss K. Moloney (Lawrence) was heard to advantage in ' O dry those tears,' for which she was recalled. Mr. E. P. Lavery (Kaitangata) introduced a novelty by giving an Indian club exercise, and was also encored.

The second portion of the programme was devoted to an address by the Very Rev. Father O'Neill, on his travels in the old country and on tho continent of Europe. The preliminary interlude was a pianoforte solo, ' Killamey,' which was tastefully xendered by Miss Mary McCorley. Mr. Dunne (Mayor) occupied the chair and moved a very heai ty \ote ol thanks to the performers for their assistance. He then introduced Very Rev. Father O'Neill, who said that he had left New Zealand on his homeward trip with pleasurable anticipations,and was not disappointed. After describing his experiences at Fremantle, Colombo, Naples, Genoa, and London, he referred to his arrival in Ireland, which he found in a \ery peaceful state, the judges at the Assizes and Quarter Sessions being the recipients in ■various places of white gloves becaoise there were no criminal cases to be tried. Agrarian crime had disappeared. The police had nothing to do, and were interesting themselves in philanthropic works. There was a good future in store for Ireland ; the time for no redress was passing away, and there is appearing an entire change in the attitude of the ruling powers. The ruling powers were going to adopt similar land laws to tho^e of New Zealand, and there was no doubt that the king was at the bottom of it all, and that he was detoimined that Ireland should no longer be a thorn in the side of Britain. There were thirty or forty thousand lush soldiers in the British army— and they were the best soldiers— b>it there would have been more if it were not owing to the arbitrary nature of the land laws, which compelled her >oung men to cross the ocean to seek a home under a new government. He visited Glasgow, and saw the beautiful crypt of St MJungo's. The structure strikes the visitor as of massive build, and to the credit of the Glasgow people, be it said, they were determined that the beautiful old building should not be destroyed when a city improvement scheme was contemplated. He took the Highland railway past Dumbarton Rock on the Clyde, and on to Oban. He then proceeded to the Island of lona. All true Scotchmen dwelt with pride on this cragg-ed rock from whence came that Christianity which had spread o\er the world. From thpnee to Glencoe, and saw the monument which was erected in memory of men, women, and children wiio weie massacred by an unfortunate transaction during the reign of William of Orange. He Msited Aberdeen, the city of granite, which bore evidence of great p,rosperitv From thence to Dundee, and on to Edinburgh, the latter city having special charms for a \ l.sitor, and, as the rev. gentleman remarked, one Msits there with great pleasure, and leaves with feelings of regret He then brought the audience back to Dui.edin. the ' Edinburgh of the South,' and concluded a \ery interesting address of 40 minutes' duration by remarking that ha\ ing seen other countries at their best he returned to New Zealand more an admirer of it, ami with a firmer conviction that it was the finest country in the woild.

The 1 address, which was listened to with rapt attention throughout, was interspersed with humorous anecdotes. A hearty -\ote of thanks was accorded Very Rev. Father O'Neill on tho motion of Mr. J. Dunne, seconded by Mr. James Uoger, and a vote of thanks to the chairman closed the proceedings.