Notes

New Zealand Tablet, 22 June 1911, Page 1154

Notes

Getting Even The revelations of wholesale bribery and corruption that came to light in the hearing of the election petitions at Cheltenham, Exeter, and King’s Lynn, have been rather an eye-opener to the British public. The disclosures have evoked many comments in the press; but none more interesting and pointed than. that of the London correspondent of the Dublin Freeman, made in answer to a Pecksniffian outburst on the part of the Westminster Gazette. The comment will have a special interest for our Irish visitors. The Freeman correspondent writes: ‘The unctuous comment of the Westminster Gazette on the North Louth election evidence was to thank heaven that they did things differently in England. On reading the evidence at Cheltenham Exeter, and King’s Lynn every Irishman will join the Westminster in thanking heaven that they do.’

The Envoys : Probable Results of the Tour It is estimated by Mr. Martin Kennedy that as a result of the tour in New Zealand of Messrs. Redmond, Donovan, and Hazleton, a sum of about £7500 will be raised. Of this, the North Island has already contributed about £4500, and there are still two or three more places in it to bo visited. The Wellington end—-that is, from the capital up to New Plymouth and Napier— given £2500, the remaining £2OOO coming from the Auckland end. When a similar appeal was made five years ago, £SOOO was collected, but then only thirty-five meetings were held as against the sixty-five arranged for in the present tour. ‘ This time the delegates have done remarkably well,’ said Mr. Kennedy to a N.Z. Times reporter, ‘and they are highly pleased about it.’ One of the greatest surprises of the tour so far was the collecting of £BO at Nelson, a town where there was thought to be very little interest in the cause. The delegates are now all in the South Island, and are having most successful meetings everywhere. Catholic Crowned Heads Of the sixteen crowned heads of Europe, six are Catholics; and an American contemporary supplies the following list and particulars. Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria, now eighty-one years of age, and since December, 1848, a reigning monarch, leads in the list of Catholic sovereigns. His nephew, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, forty-eight years of age and morganatically married, is heir presumptive. i King Otto, of Bavaria, born in 1848, is insane like his brother Ludwig, whom he succeeded. His uncle, Prince Luitpold is regent and heir presumptive. Frederick August, King of Saxony, is forty-six. His marriage (to Archduchess Louise of Austria), was unfortunate. A son George, born in 1893, is heir apparent. Albert 1., (born in 1875), is King of Belgium. He has two sons, the elder born in 1901, Victor Emmanuel 111. (born in 1869), is King of Italy. He has one son, Prince Humbert, born in 1904 ' Alphonse) 111. (born 1886), is King of Spain. He has two infant sons.