Diocesan News

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVI, Issue 6, 6 February 1908, Page 14

Diocesan News

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON

(From our own correspondent.)

February 1.

The Very Rev. Father O Sullivan repeated his lecture on ' Egypt 'Ho a -large audience on Thursday cv-" tning in the (Joncrt uhariuDer of, the Town Hall. The rt>v. iecturer was introduced by the Hon. R. A. Loughnan, M.L.C. .. , - Ihe-Ven. Archdeacon " De\ oy and the Rev. Father Hicivson returned to-day by the ' corinthic ' from their \ibit to Europe in cunnedioni with the General Council of the Marist Order. I am glad to say that both the rev. gentlemen are loo k ing much the better for their trip abroad.

Two members of the Catholic Club ace to be married shortly. # Mr. E. J. Leydon is to be married on Tuesday to Miss Margaret St grief, and Mr. P. J. Moran, some days later, to Miss Ella O'/Sullivan. The occasion will be marked by a presentation thiiS evening from members of the Caiholic Club to -/both the gentlemen concerned.

1 regret to record the death on Tuesday last of "Mr. Hernard Cxastjuodne, second son of Mr. >W. C. Ghasquoine, of this city. Death resulted from complications, following' an atfcacic of fe/er. 'lhe interment took place on. Wednesday at Kafori, Requiem] Mass being celebrated at the fcacred Heart Basilica, Thorn-don. The deceased was only about eighteen- years of age. Deep sympathy is fdt for the family, in a loss so great.— R.l. P. Miss O'Sullivan, of the iirm "of Messrs. McDonald Wilscn and Co., who is %o be married shortly to ,' Mr. P. J. Mtaran, of the Survey Department, was entertained on Wednesday evening by her employers, and .was presented with a. cheque irom the firm, a salad "bowl from the staff, and two handsome ■ entree dishes irom Mrs. McDbnafd. The presentations were made by the Hon. T. K. McDonald, M.L.C. i

The Rev. Father. Fay, formerly at Blenheim, and his brother, Mr. Denis- Fay, well known in circles in this city, returned from a trip abroad on Wednesday. The Rev. Father . and his brother started out by the Vancouver line for Canada. ,At Honolulu -they were astonished at the number- of Japanese who had settled in the place andi gained a good position, from Vancouver the two brothers travelled to Toronto by the C.P.IR. line. Tihey found that the influx into Canada was most remarlcaib'ie, reaching, in some instances to lOyOOO per week. After spending " some time in viewing ' the Lake District of Canada the .visitors left for the British .Isles. From London they left for the. Continent"" visiting the principle cities. After an interestins; sojourn,.- in Egypt and the Holy Land, .a visit was paid to China and. Japan. Both the Rev. Father Fay and Mr.' -Denis Fay had a most enjoyable hol ! day, and have retu'rnedto the Dominion muchi benefited thereby.

After some discussion the University Senate decided to accept the O 'Sullivan bentiest. The foil owing extract from Thursday's ' Post ' will be of interest to your readers :— lt was announced last week that the " late Daniel ,O'Sullivan, of Pleasant Point, near Timaru haTd by his will made on Septemher 17, 3907: beatoeathed th? residue of his after the fulfilment of certain trusts

therein contained, to the University of "New Zealand" for the purpose of founding a Sullivan scholarsip, or scholarships for medical students- of the Roman ' Catholic Faith. Ihe pi'esent \ alue of the .estate as shown in the stamp accounts was, it was stated approximately £4800, subject to payment 'of legacies and costs, charges and expenses „ To-day, at a meeting of the University Senate, 'the chancellor moved :— (1) That the senate expresses its gratification at the generous benefaction which Mr. O'Sullivan has bequeathed for educational purposes. (2) That it would be contrary to precedent and not in accordance with the spirit or intention of our university constitution, as explained in its acts and chapters, yfot the university to adminisier such a trust. (3) That the trust should, in the opinion of the senate, be transferred to the Public Trustee to administer. (4) That so far as examinations, etc., are concerned, the university will be glad to assist the Public Trustee in administering the trust. - i Dr. Filchett nfoved an amendment that the bequest should be accepted with thanks and the hope that it may be the forerunner of many benefactions from public spirited citizens for the advancement of sound learning through the medium of the university of New Zealand. , He further moved that in every case where, as here, the university received a benefaction which is not open to stu-dants generally, tout is confined to a specified class, the money should be kept distinct from the university funds, and for that purpose he placed in the hands of* the Public Trustee. Dr. Fitchett su>b\matted that there was nothing to justify the refusal of a private benefaction for specific purposes. He failed to see that the acceptance of a beqoiest reserved for members of a certain church 'was in any way proposing religious tests. There was no practical difficulty in woirk'img out a scheme for administering the terms of the beq.uest. The university and the.. Government should not interfere with a private benefaction. There was not the least danger of introducing sectarian strife. The Hon. J. A. Tole proposed Chat they should take the bequest simpliciter, and moved that the benefaction should be gratefully accepted by the senate. He ' submitted that to reject the Leqiuest was not in the spirit of the university. His idea was ' Let them all come,' whither Socialists, Free-Thinkers, or what not. The university had nothing, to do with, inquiring into the matter. Sectarianism was a mere bogey. The whole of the statute was an anomaly.,- Its wording was such as to forbid a recurrence of the intolerant acts of centuries past. It was) strange tKat the b-ejquest should be al- ' most simultaneous with the chancellor's complaint in his address of the lack of generosity in public benefactions They were willing to take thJe beqtuest, but only by a side track, vicariously. There was the bogey that men would profess to be Catholics just to qualify for the Fchol^rsMn. He had noticed that when he became Minister for Justice a number of prisoners suddenly became Catholics. He asked the senate to consider the question carefully. The first clause of the Chancellor's motion was carried. - The question was finally simplified by the Chancellor, as to whether the trust should be accepted or not. The Senate votedi by 14 to 6i for the acceptance of the trust. "~