INTERCOLONIAL

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 40, 7 December 1905, Page 31

INTERCOLONIAL

The celebration of the King's Birthday at the Exhibition Building, 'Melbourne, attracted many thousands of citizens. The Catholic schools made a brave show, sending 2000 children to give a grand concert. Cycling and running amusements were provided in the arena. The proceeds go towards liquidating a debt of £6000 on the Cathedral Hall. x The consecration of the new Bishop of Rockhampton (the Right Rev. Dr. Duhig) has been fixed to'take place next Sunday in the Cathedral, Rockhampton. Owing to the multiplicity of his engagements in Sydney, covering almost every day up to Christmas, it is scarcely likely that his Eminence the Cardinal will be able to go to Rockhampton. All the witnesses in the Coal-lumpers' ease before Sydney Arbitration Court were foreigners. One- day, after hearing many Olesens and Hansens, the name of Bernard Jackson was called. " An Englishman at last,' said counsel. But he was mistaken. Witness was a Norwegian, 'and probably his real name had been Jacobsen. The venerable Bishop of Maitland (Dr. Murray) is still confined to his bed at St. Mary's Presbytery, Newcastle. It is about six weeks since Dr. Murray had to take to his bed, and a correspondent of the Sydney ' Freeman's Journal ' regrets to have to state that the venerable Bishop has not made the least headway towards improvement, and has not since been able to celebrate Mass. The Rev. Father JVT. A. Flemming, the popular private secretary to his Grace the Coadjutor Archbishop of Sydney, who spent several weeks in Lewisham Hospital, where he underwent a serious operation, has returned to St. Benedict's. 'He has been granted a few months' leave of absence by his Eminence the Cardinal, as he has been advised by his medical attendants to take a rest and change to recuperate his exhausted strength and vigor. The Rev. Father Thomas Gray, who has been parish priest at Narrandera for the past eleven years, celebrated on Tuesday, November 14th, the silver jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood. He was presented by Mr. J. J. Quirk, on behalf of the parishioneers, with an illuminated address and purse of sovereigns ; also with a travelling bag and illuminated address from the Sisters and children of St. Joseph's Convent school. The New Chum Railway mine, Bendigo, achieved the distinction of being the first mine in Australia to sink its shaft 4000 ft. As previously stated, there are workings below that depth on the field, but in these cases the depth has been made up by winzes. The New Chum Railway has a centre-country winze down 4226 ft., and that of the Victorian ,Quartz is over 4100 ft deep. In the case of the New Chum Railway, however, there is now a straight shaft from the surface to the bottom at 4005 ft. Immediately after tl.c conference of the clergy at St. Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, the other day a presentation of a fine work of art in the shape of a marble bust of himself was made to his Eminence the Cardinal. It was originally intended that the work would be the gift of the clergy on the occasion of his Eminence's golden jubilee, when the address was presented to him. Since then, however, the work has been executed in the b^st Carrara (Italian) marble by the famous Sydney sculptor, Mr. Nelson Illingworth, who has produced a most perfect likeness of his Eminence. The Right Rev. Mgr. Carroll, V.G , representing the clergy, in a few well-chosen words, made the presentation to his Embence, who suitably replied. On Friday November 17, a meeting was held in the Tovn Hall, South Melbourne, to express sympathy 'with the Home Rule movement, and to co-oper-ate with the United Irish League in Victoria in its efforts 1o augment the Irish Parliamentary Fund. Dr. N M. O'Donnell presided, and there were also present on the platform the Rev. J. B. Ronald, M.H.R., Senator Givens, J. Nicholson, J.P., Cr. Murphy, and other wrill-known citizens. Members of the local branches of the H.A.C.B. Society and of the Irish National Foresters -were also on the platform, whilst the excellent band of the latter body enlivened the proceedings during the evening with selections of Irish national [airs, which were greatly appreciated by the audience. The meeting was addressed by Dr. O'Connell, Serator Givens, Mr. Ronald, Mr. Russell, Cr. Murphy, knd other gentlemen.