Intercolonial

New Zealand Tablet, 15 November 1906, Page 35

Intercolonial

A number of priests for -Australian dioceses -arrived by the « Oruba ' in. Melbourne off October -31.--; His Lordship Div Broyer, Bishop of Samoa', was expected to reach Sydney last week from blurope, "where he had been some eight or nine months. He is bringing with him several missionaries for the. Pacific Islands. During the last week in October the Irish envoys, Messrs. Devlin and Donovan, held meetings at Bathurst, Wellington, Parkes, Dubbo, Forbes, and Cobar. At the first mentioned place a sum of £140 was subscribed. " ' The Victorian Government, statist.' (Mr. E. T. Drake) • has issued returns showing that the" population of Victoria has increased during- the'* last nine months by 13,162 persons. '' ;; ' \ ' ' ' ' Miss Dolly Castles concludes her engagement under Mr. J. C. Williamson at the end of November, and will leave for London in January. She jeceived by the last English mail an invitation from the London Gramophone Company to sing on her arrival in London all the principal airs from Gilbert and Sullivan's operas lor the company's records., His Lordship Bishop Murray, Bishop of Cooktown has recently travelled over a large portion of his extensive Vicariate, and reports that nearly everywhere there are evidences of remarkable progress and prosperity. Several new churches are "being erected or projected in various centres, and his Lordship is very plea-^ sed at this proof of the faith and energy of his people. On Sunday afternoon, October 25, his Eminence Cardinal Moran blessed the foundations of the new. wing and additions to Mount St. Mary's Convent, Golden Grove. There was a very large gathering, and when his Eminence, who was accompanied by the Right Rev Mgr. O'lfaran, and Messrs. Joseph Devlin, M.P., and J. T. Donovan, the Irish delegation to Australia, arrived - he was met by the Rev. Father M. Fitzpatrick, who has charge of the parish, and a guard of honor of the Hibernians, Guilds, and Foresters in regalia. In every branch of a liberal education, Ihe schools and colleges conducted by the religious leaching Orders of this, as of the other parts of the Commonwealth (writes the Melbourne correspondent of the Sydney : freeman's - Journal '), show marked excellence. In music-loving' Australia it is an advantage to fine], these scholasticinstitutions holding their own— and more ihan their own — in vocal and instrumental music. This statement rests on the University test. The results of the -iheoretical and • the practical examinations in music have been given to the public, and our .conventual establishments hold a splendid position. • The cabled report of Mr. D. O'Oonnor's success in the United States following upon his misfortune in. San Francisco, is very gratifying to his friends in Australia (says the Sydney ' Freeman's Journal '). The cable message which was received by Mr. O'Connor's son in , Sydney recently stated that Ihe reception given the veteran in New York by Mr. Spalding, the publisher, was royal. That gentleman's firm- placed 5000 dollars to the credit of his guest, whose book he intends to publish, and Mr. O'Connor had the splendid opportunity of speaking at the monster meetings addressed by T. P. O'Connor in New York, and in the cities of Pennsylvania and Canada. Mr. O'Connor adds that ' Sir Wilfrid Laurier treated me nobly,'- and that his health is magnificent. The Bishops of the Victorian Province, under the presidency of the Archbishop of Melbourne, Jield a conference recently regarding the new training college for teachers at Albeit Park. The inspectors of schools, a clergyman representing each diocese,- and -four representatives of the training college were 'also present. - It was decided to establish a loan fund in connection with the college similar to that which exists at the Cambridge. Training College. The object of the fund is ,to enable promising students of limited means to - pursue their studies in the college, on the understanding" that they afterwards repay the amount advanced to promote their education. The prospects., of the college were said - to be very satisfactory, seeing that, although it had been established only six months, a large" amount of work had been already accomplished. . The systematic . training of. teachers for -Catholic secondary and primary schools was said to receive considerable attention, and the interchange of opinions had led to the adoption of •:• uniformity in the management of the schools "in the various dioceses of the State.