RELIGIOUS DISTINCTIONS.

Cromwell Argus, Volume VII, Issue 320, 31 December 1875, Page 6

RELIGIOUS DISTINCTIONS.

To the Editor of the Cromwell Argus. Si.i.—l have no desire to give rise to any uns or lo stir up c'ass dissension, but I would] :Ue to know why it was that the children of the Roman Catholic persuasion were not invited to join the ju verges of oother persuasion intheir innocent amu..ements on Monday. This ippears siajular, inasmuch thac last Christnaswhen the Roman Cathohcs gave a picire the; cbMdren of other denominations were eordiaty invited and pauicipated in the various Wnentbe collectors went their round thepaßntsof Catholic children subscribe, no doubt that their little oue's would be rcqiested to take par!, in the enjoyment. If it was intended they should not, do..s it not, S: r, setrn uu rea onable to honor the parents w -th a call ad solicit pecuniary pss'stance? I re Jet that such a cout.;e should have b ;en adaptel by the Committee, nnd as a Romrn Catholb I thiuk a slur, perhaps unintention-lly, has ben cast upon the membei ; of that Church, and I meerely hope a simiHr course wi'l not 1 o adoptefl in the future. —I am, Sir, yours truly, Gall.

Thei;otal gold escort returns of the Province -i Otago for the present year amount to 1124730z5., as against 115,7340z3. for last year. The grand total since the discovery of golcin 1861 has been 3,161,9440z5., which at £4 per ounce gives a total value of £12,61776.

We egret exceedingly to learn from a telegram ih ; ch was received in town on the 22nd iit that Mr Charles Smith, who for many jurs was clerk of the Provincial. Council of (fcago, was drowned while bathing at Rivertn on Tuesday afternoon. It seems that hchad gone to bathe in the river, and that soae time afterwards his cloth?.a were found n the bank. The river was dragged on Tueday night and a?! yesterday, but the body ha not yet been found. Mr Smith took arpctive part in social matters in Dunedin, ad for several years past he has been a consent contributor to the Press. JFl>"s pen hal frequently been of valuable assistance toour own columns, as he was an able critic, ad was thoroughly conversant with Provintal and Corporation affairs. — Otago Daily %mes.

The Times Oamarn correspondent tele-' graphs hat on Sunday news wi's received intown that a ftal affray had taken pkje at Reidtown, Kakanul on Chris mas moti)" <* at 10 o'clock, it appeis, from the k'ncPy ftu by bergant Smith that two men cam:d John M'Evoy aid Jobn Murphy, better known as Dublin ack, were in the hotel di.'ik : >'j when a dispute A man named Andrew Blr.ck attejipbd to prevent a quarrel, and in do'.i * . o wasstiilKin the face by M'Evoy. Black rtaJiated. and after three blows had b,sn ex charged: he struck M'Evoy a kea\y blow on the ribj when M'Evoy dropped down dc. ■}. tiovce sjnpathy is felt for Black, who appears to bc.ir a £|od character and :'s genera'ly a quiet young 1 an. He is now in custody here. An inquest*.! l ! be held on Monday. From what can be leaned it appears that the pri.oner only acted rofeelf-dcfencc, f..'.d that at the fr:ne he was erjeavouring to prevent M'Evoy (f:;o d'jeep. : .;'.) from a': dung a drunken mau.