SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 528, 8 June 1909, Page 3

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

The Lata Mrs. Donnelly. Our Napier correspondent, in the course of a telegram eulogising Mrs. Donnelly, t!io v Maori chieftainess, who' died on Saturday, v . after a very long and painful illness, tells of her- royal birth and, the deeds of her famous ancestors. She was a very wealthy, land- " ;owner, her land extending ?'from Taupo and /•:Patei to; Napier,' -and: from the banks' of. .■ OpAYairoa , ''tpVtlie • AVairarapa. ; Mrs. .Donnellyiwas'^mnrried. in 1877 to itt'ri ,George ' Prior Donnelly, : the well-known ruiiholder, and she leaves one daughter, Mrs. I>\ C. Perry, and three grandchildren. - ; She•was 54 .. years of .ago.' .•' ■ -' ■ Mrs. Donnelly's consistent and persistent defence of her people-'s rights-in our. Court's for thojlast 25 or 30: years have been noble, , and her brilliant advocacy and extensive knowledge of tho. history and lore of, the . ■ Maori have on many occasions been the means :, of w-resting' frQm thoih'ands of legal antago- : \ nists,, the . laurels of victory. > ' Ons of nwiiy . illustrations may bo cited! ACNatire. 'Cpurtryaa: fitting -in tho: ; Rangitikei district,lvhen word- "came . that >! thej'caso was, going, against her people. . Renata was ill at tho time," and could not attend. ' ; Suddenly'- she announced . that -she t would go and represent her uncle herself.. At her determination'was opposed, she .being. quite.'a-young'. girl . ali'd unaccustomed . to .Courtprocedure.. However, : with the fighting instincts of her race," she proved ' adamant,-and ultimately set out "■ for • tho ; "seaiy of; with Rehata's .consent., ' On, . . reaching\the ' Court' , tho case was' practically over and judgment about:to..be delivered in tho favour of her opponents, but she claimed ;£. e '- hsard. The'. Court demurred and coiin- ' ;.y..sel/;objected, biit sheVinsisted.'on; her right to speak for. her absent people. Courage. • *?.s•[ tho. diiy, and after:eight or ten . hoiirs ■ ~ or -argument :and. history,. worthy of. Portia, vjudgment'•;was..recorded . recognising -the :■ , substantial claims of llcnata, , Airini, arid . those; associated with thoni. Her, people, by :her efforts, -were. madosomo'of the wealthiest landed proprietors in the island. .' Telegrams: of condolence have been rcceived .by, Mr. ■ Donnelly; from his Excellency : tpo .Govornbrj jSir Joseph:nnd-; Lady ,'Ward,- ' . -'.;-anq "the Hon. ;;Jas. ..Carroll, : each of. them ' ,: - . speaking •in ..terms. of great, admiration of ■ the late Mrs. Dounelly.

'■-■J: Unofficial, parent. :;•; ■' : 'V V;;';:.:-";;-■; : :'. ■'.- '"••■■ ■:■■ ■'.• Yesterday .Ithfl -women; of .Wellington' na'r- .: :': : rowly..escaped;suffering, a :grave : injustico at .. ,\;xhe.;,han_ds of the. Government..' Little :: -lid ■ ; .they.:;think::of-itho, danger-.that,.hung .over . : ; vlittlo. did, they•dream-that the ;■■.-. ■ Government, of ithis: country—where women '■, ;whero-ivomen .could, if V.. : they;.wishedy.-,clathroDe>thb Government—had •:•:.,: very.nearly dooided not to. admit tHem'totho -,■;■•.;: firaye! deliberations which. took.' place 'in" the ■ neiv Parliamentary chamber. so it was. ■:■'.' ;Tnp. : .-leEislatire.',Conhcillors-wero.admitted to' ■;■:.. ■: the.;sacred /Lower ,Housb,' tho ip'eople of-the .-..:; press,.ivero :;there,>but-it was- not till- after- : nobn-.that the Cabinet,-sittinE in solemn de- '■-. : : I '° c r n !'°n^«&i. t !pj< that.women too should-be • :- .allowed;■to.'hear %hat : ; went on. •"- Th'ere 'was , ;. ;pnly_a:6mallVgallery at ; their--disposal.'.and,- ■,; m r tho ■aftdrnoon; not enough: women were .; present, to .-fill it, .i-but; in.-.the evening; many ; ; ': more camb, and;tho; seats Were nearly all oc-~ . ;. .cupied:,.AmoiiE.'otliers.who were present dur- 1 ; '-■■■'■■'■■ v a C^ e V ;li! icly^Ward -and Miss^ ;■..-;: Wardi;Mfs;;;iVilford/-Miss Mackenzie: Mrs .:.: ; \ Jaume,- ; .Mrsy. M'Lean, Mrs. ■ ■.;.■ Nosworthy.v Jlrs. ;Fisher;>and .-'Mrs. Jas. ....-;■ Allan.'.- , lhe..Chambe_r. this:session is miich .; more. beautiful. tliaii- it^'was : last year."" Tho' ' : •wallsaro .delicately tinted' with'a' most be- : .;. comingl-.'green,. , -and''.■tho. Galleries' painted '■■ .-.iwhite, ; ;while,;where draperies;-are' required .;. ; r,ed:curtains.are hung.;::it'is a pity that all ■ ,tno members desks,aro..in:vcry'ddrk,■ highly: ;■:.; varriished woocl,-'of the real"sideboard colour ■ : ~ and.-heav.vJn'qppearanco; It-is'not .....vet-'known which 'gallery "will be devoted ,fo ,;tbe t ladies, but, .whichever it is will'be-a dis- '•:-■ ■■ ' tincMmprovement; .oh .the cramped quarters ■ ;;of last -session;: - ;>./M-; :'"•.'■;■ v ;--v: :?;-■ -^ ■ ;-;- ; A. Coltlen".Wedding,. ! : ;< v l ; ;" -vV:,--■.;■•;,;. ■?:'■■■. y ■ ■ ■ «W? ;I^: :H T "*oy, ; 'and;;Mrs.- Tuckey,' ivhp : to-day, celebrated I ffieir golden wedding, ,f. wore/;married. : mv.England;;iiftyVyears ago .; will;:in December;-be;fifty years sirice -.they landed in-Nelson, after a voyacroof ; ..X2O :.day 3 . .They/lived Jri iNelson. for "eight .or iuno ; years, and thencamo to .Wellington ..: v, Where in conjunction ivith :Mr;^HamUton , K ;.Mr. ruolser oponed, in Woodward Street .■ajchool,..attended'at;-.first by-sk.or seven '■ \ra n' \ oys : R &nd ; « allpd ' at-that time, the :.^'a*'A,Ss,£Kftrgs: , ; . ; v since then,- mth tho: exception of four years : when Mr. Tuckey Jjeld tfd position df 3 pr n' ■ . , Tucke f/., .Captain. Tuckey, another .., ■ «>n.;. w, now.,;ivin g at: Kimberley; and Mr.'' "' -'S^ifi'- n " lafol[in g-"' !Wr. and 'Mrs, v, luckey. will have the congratulations of tbeir ; ..very, large circle..of friends;,both hero and ..... in-other parts of the Dominion, on the cele^ j .bration .of:,their;.golden wedding. . . ;' ; Tho Skatlnig filnk. ;; : ;;.;.\"':'-.': - : , ' ;'■''■■■,■ , ■ c ? cil .'Jones; invited 'several of. her . ; -friends - .to . the , Skating Itink yesterday morning, where/a band- played for tho skaters.:during the hours from teii till twelve, and tho visitors , had a> 'delightful :,".;.time.£"Soveral.,.of:.thoso present skated cx- . V qnisitejy, and, two in were so fascinating, to: watch "that .tho 'other skaters : woro as ready tp>'stand and look-on, as to •' * k . at 9 .themselves;- Some' of those" who camo ~;;, had flot; skated-for years, but the oldcharm qu.ckly. reasserted itself; and very soon.oiio c ? u ', d they woiiltl again .ha devotees . : ; o .tho, rink. Mrs. Cecil .Jones, who is a very clever, skater, as .is hor duiighter,- has ar--ranged' that.'the band shall "he in attend- ; ?n.M«n. one- morning evory'week, when it ■Sfin^- U? rt h?t 8 ■ }V** ; "'»«fe of' peoplo will .take tho opportunity of being present

Compulsory Physical Training fer Cirls. ']~'■ " An Auckland.liidy has gone further than tho.women who, in other parts of'the Dominion, havp carried resolutions urging ,tho.compulsory military training of boys. At a meeting of-the National Defenco Leaguo, held in Auckland on l'Viday, a motion was ahout to ba'put in favouc of universal training, when Mrs.-Emily Nicolrbso at the back of the hall and asked permission to speak, saying that she was strongly m. favour of tlto.movoment; but thought that girls should bo included. '.:■'.-" \.;': . 7 : :, . ■ , ." ■ Mrs. Nioolisaid she desired ,to . stress 'he 'effect; training would have on tho health of young men; but why, sho asked, were girls excluded?- She considered, girls-needed physical" training :inore than young men. Nothing' went moro against womanhood and motherhood than ' tho ■ present life of largo numbers of yirls. Why should it always bo "tho men, tjie men,!' and never, the women and the girls? The,speaker went on to urge that first aid should ho made a compulsory subject in tho .secondary schools for girls. The girls of the present generation wore going back as well as tho boys, and many wero narrow-chestwl and .round-shouldered owing to their employments. She had realised 'the. physical degeneration , of . /boys . very 'keenly from the numbers who were to beseem in the street with withered legs. . She would like a resolution passed in : faiour of giru'.bbiug-': attached .to tho bearer corps. Tho motion wns carried by acclamation, p>id then, on tho motion of Mrs. Nicol, seconded by Mr. G. 'Potter, the following resolution was carried ' on ; the voices:—"That • the Government bo ; asked to introduco a system of universal defensive training for young women, and |that they be-attached, to the hearer corps and tajngh.i first aid." '

}'■ Her Excellency Lady Plunket will address a "■'meeting-. of:vmpthors':iii .the-.Tory- Street Mission-;IIall on' ; \Vednesday;,: Jiino-9, M 3 p.m. -}•[ ;/'v. -,' : , '■'.' '■ ■ :-\ ' ■■;' ■■■ -~-.■'. ". Miss ■: rlnglis,: ;of . .'St'.,-.- Helen's , Hospital, Christclvurch. -,is;a- visitor to -Wellington. ]..'Miss : Borthwick,'.lpf-Pretoria,'South Africa, is at to: Wellington. ; -, The Wolliiigto'ri-Racing; Club',has'-decided to hold ;its : annual ball dir Thursday, July 22. ' The Hon.; V.Geo. Smith and '.'Mrs.. Smith,, from ChVistchurch, are staying 1 at'the'Hotel ■•'...' : . ".■'/..■■' ;":'.' ••:.;'■;■. '-Mrs. iYyinks, of- Dunedin, is visitink her sister, Mrs. C. \V. Adams, at Bellevuo Koad, Lower-Hutt.-i,-..- .. -y',, ».■•,. i: Mrs. 'Henry Hadfield has -cpme 'to: town to be with her parents on. the/fiftieth ahni- : ~versary;bf. their • wedding day. ;'. ... : - ;■ .

Mr. a'ii,d:Mrs..G. W. Archer,.of Palmerston North, leave,oil ..a round trip :to : Melbourne and Sydney oh Thursday by -.tholMoeraki., A. coiicert.on k< large scale is! being --'or-' ganised'by-Miss Katie Lsmch,. in-aid ; -of the Catholic .-.Church', Paraparaumu,,' and" is! to take -place ,on June- 26. ..;• •"■ V .■;..- ■ ■■/. ■. . : ; Miss S.'Dunantj' ; who has been'chief typisto in tho.TouriaV.pppar.tinent since.it was instituted- inVl9ol',-- has. .been : . appointed. shorthandwriter, ! to\.thb.'Eon.'- .Thos..-Mackenzie, Minister ; for Agricultiird, 'anil :; .for- Tourist Resorts,' .'■.•'..■'!'-■' * ■■'' ■••■•■: ''■■'''.''..■'■■'•' ..' : When Madame' Melba 'reached Sydney by .the Mokoia it. yvas to find itho whole harbour; wrapped in a London fog of such excellent quality that the.'New Zealand; : boat had 1 to wait outside for'thirteeh.hours, only arriving at tho:.wharf..at ill the morning, -while Melba's friends, hod assembled thero v to, meet her,, long '.before.'midnight. ■'.'":'■' Her. chauffeur caniped in ."her motor' car'all night' at Federal Goveniment Ho«se,,and when'sho'did arrivo carricdher off to the. Hotel Australia,, " ■'.