Meeting of Friends of Father Nivard.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2579, 13 April 1877, Page 2

Meeting of Friends of Father Nivard.

A meeting of the friends of Father Nivard was held at the Pacific Hotel last night in pursuance of an advertisement, which was read by Mr Dillon, convener, who; was called to the chair and explained briefly the object of the meeting. He said the advertisement and the letter of Father Nivard rendered it unnecessary for him to, say anything in furtherance of the object.

Mr Mcllhone was surprised, after the remarks of the Chairman, to see such an attendance. He believed that all the people on the Thames were friends of the Bey. Father Nivard, but the advertisement set forth that it wa3 to be a meeting of Father Nivard's friends, and if anything were required to be done for that gentleman there would have been a larger attendance. If the advertisement was to be taken in coanectioh with that letter, then the Hibernian Society should have been prepared to bring something more definite before the meeting. If it were, intended to be a means of giving relief to the people in China, which was described (in a portion of the letter) as the most fertile country in the world, then he thought they had enough to do at home, and he could not see his way to assist in the movement. Mr Dillon, chairman, did not see that there was any explanation required. It was true that he bad convened the meeting, but he had done so not as President of the Hibernian Society, to whom the letter was addressed, although it was an appeal to the Thames people, but as a private citizen. - ~~ ■ Mr Twohill proposed that a subscription list be opened to forward the object in view. Mr Gudgeon seconded the motion. He thoughf; as the object was to assist Father Nivard in his mission they should do all they could in the matter. The motion was carried. Mr Gudgeon proposed that Messrs Konald Macdonald, Twohill, J. M. Foy, Landers, Mahoney, and the mover be a committee to carry out the objects of the meeting. Mr Twohill seconded the motion, which was carried. Mr Mcllhone, who had declined to be nominated, said that if it were to assist Father Nivard no one would be more forward in the matter than himself, but he had no sympathy with the subject of the letter, which was to provide for the wants of Chinamen. On the motion of Mr Landers, seconded by Mr Twohill, Mr J. M. Foy was ap-

pointed treasurer, and Mr M. Landers was elected secretary to the Committee.

It was decided to leave it in the hands of the Committee as to when the subscription list should be closed.

Father Chastagnon said he had not properly understood the letter as yet. If it were for doing anything for Fathev Nivard, or for the Catholic Mission in China; he would do all he could,.but he did not understand the exact purport of the letter. He would put his name down for £1. The reason ho spoke was to explain that what they gave was as a token of their good ..feeling for . Father Nivard, and it argued well for the movement to see how it had been taken up by the promoters. Mr Binney attended only out of sympathy Father for Nivard; he did not care a button for the Chinamen. He was going to give his guinea because he knew Father Nivard would dispose of it in a proper manner.

Subscriptions to the amount of £13 13a 6d were received in the room.

A vote of thanks to the Chairman closed the proceedings.