The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15. 1873

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 41, 15 February 1873, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15. 1873

Bis Honor the Superintendent purposes proceeding to the West Coast by the Charles Edward to-morrow.

Murray's Circus — The circus troupe, after performing in the country districts, return to town to-day, and will appear in tbe usual place this evening. "

Stoke Publtc Library. — A meeting of members and subscribers is called for Monday evening next, for the purpose ol electing officers for the eneuing year.

Nelson and Foxhill Railway —The Superintendent has received a leiter from the Premier stating that the Government do Dot intend to divide the portions of this line for -which tenders are invited into two contracls, as they have consulted the Engineer-ia-chief and do not see any reason to depait from his original recommendation.

Magnet Variety Teoupe. — This Company, which has recently been performing to crowded houses at Auckland, will make their first appearance in Nelson, at the Masonic Hall, on Monday evening The principal attraction is Lottie, the celebrated gymnast, but the Company comprises other " stars," anil the entertainment on the whole is one such as is seldom seen in the colonies.

Brunner Mine Rail-way. — Tn a supplement issued with the Evening Mail today will be fout.d copies of the correspondence that has taken place between his Honor the Superintendent and the Colonial Government with reference to this line of railway. It will be sen that on every point connected with the railway the Government has been compelled to admit tbe force of Mr Curtis' arguments and to give way to them.

All Saints' Bazaar. — Thpre was a sood attendance at the Masonic Hall last night, when the vaiious articles expos d for sale were disposed of in a manner that must have proved highly gratifying to those who had devoted so much of tbeir time to preparing them. The Christmas tree waa lighted up in tl.o evening and had a very pretty effect, and was a source of great delight to the chil iren who were present. The bazaar will be open again this evening until y o'clock.

Waimea Steeplechase. — We have received a letter from Mr. Hope, stating that the delay in bringing Rustic to the post for the Waimea South Handicap waa occasioned by a misunderstanding of tbe regulations, it having been arranged in previous years that an hour shoul J intervene between each of the principal events. This year, however, a different arrangement was made, namely, that the start for the Hurdle Bace should take place at noon, and that for the steeplechase at half-past twelve, notice of which appeared fnr the first time in Wednesday morning's Examiner, a copy of which Mr Hope had not seen.

The Bishop op Nelson in Melbourne. —The Australasian says : — lt is painful to be told by the Bishop of Neleon that when he arrived in Melbourne the other day, "he did not come in the best of tempers." The concern, however, that is naturally felt at this ruffling of the episcopal temper is somewhat mitigated by finding thai lhe bishop's anger is excited against us on account of our Education Act. The bishop will not expect his announcement to cause us the shock it might, when we tell him that we are all quite well aware that the progress of this measure has had the effect of considerably disturbing tbe clerical mood in other cases before his own, and no one paid much heed to the fact. Addressing a meeting of tbe Fitzroy Bible Society the other evening, the bishop made the ridiculous rematk that he expected to meet the people there in black that night, as a sign of mourning for the passing of the Act, an observation that was felt to be absurd, even by the audience at a Bible Society meeting. The bishop soon found that he bad miscalculated the feeling of bis hearers, and tbat the portentous fact of his being " not in the best of tempers" because we have successfully brought into operation a measure from which all intelligent wellwishers of the community hope the effect of broadening and deepening the beneficent influence of education, was not at all likely to excite their sympathies. Dr Suter then went on to say tbat " there should be no restriction on their actions concerning religious teaching, he maintained that it was intolerant to disallow relfgious teaching." It is evident that Dr -Suter does not know what he was talking about, and the application of the proverb, " JVc Sutor ultra crepidam" to his case becomes inevitable. He knows nothing of the provisions of the educational measure which he believes

ought to have plunged the country into ♦theatrical mourning. He can know nothing ..of the great current in other advanced countries in the snme direction ns" that in which we have advanced :;|H> must be ignorant, livingr down there iti'hfc little episcopal town in New Zealand, that in the nations where the interest io educational progress is etrougest, the determination to rescue public instruction from the influence of the clerical class has b^een most manifest. The "only redeeming cir. cumstance about Dr Suter's speech is the consciousness it evinced that bis remarks would be regarded as intrusive, rot to any impertinent, and it is satisfactory td see that his denunciations of the new measure, nnd lamentations over the backsliding spirit of the church, were received wilh evident, although silent, disapproval. Bishop Moran and Freemasonry. — Tn an address recently delivered at Hokitika, Bishop Moran mude a violent attack on Freemasonry. Tlir following is from the report in the West Coast Times: — Referring to the nd.iress from the Hibernian Society, bis Lordship expressed the great pleasure with which he received it. He 'said tbat he was asked in the address to give the Society his patronage, and he gave it most williDgly because he approved of it, and he would be very glad to see -that all in the community who could join it did so. It was; not every society of which he could say the save. There were societies and soeietbs. Some were banned by the Church and others were blessed. The Hibernian Society was one of tbe latter. There was no secrecy in it, and the Church abhorred, secrecy. Wherever there was secrecy there was always suspicion. Men who meant what was right had nothing to fear from an open disclosure of their proceedings, but where those proceedings were kept secret there were just grounds to suspect ihat they were evil. Another principle which was abhorrent to the Church was the taking of an oath to keep a secret. Men were induced by persuasions to join a secret society without knowing its nature, and they took an oath to keep a secret of which tbey had no knowledge. They were initiated without knowing what they were joining, and the secrets of the higher grades weie not known to those in the lower. But the great secret of all was known only by a very few. He referred to the Freemasons. A bock recently published by them slated that they numbered some millions, hut the active members numbered 500,000. Very few, indeed, of these knew all tbe secrets, for there were inner lodges to which those secrets were confined. The general body of Freemasons was governed by those inner lodges, without knowing the secrets. But, fortunately the Church had got possession of those secrets, and he (Dr. Moran) would dow communicate them, 'lhi Bishop theD related how a man in tbe reigu of Leo the 1 2th, who was the leader and direct ing member of the Freemasons, had revealed the secrets. These (said bis Lordship) were the destruction of the Christian name, the destruction of Christian Society ; to destroy the Church of God from men's hearts, and to allow of no authority except their own. They (Freemasons) blaspheme the name of Christ, and even go so far as to trample on the cross, coocealiog their diabolical designs by oaths of secrecy. There were various other secret societies in the world ioto which men were beguile*! and brought to ruin, and which the Church would always condemn. When, therefore, a society such as the one whose address be held in his hand came before him, be felt great pleasure in becoming its patron, aDd he hoped it would receive the general support of the community, so far as circumstances permitted. His Lordship brought his rematks to a conclusion with an elaborate exposition of tbe motto of the Society, " Faith, Hope, and Charity."