The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. SATURDAY, JULY 11, 1868.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 295, 11 July 1868, Page 4

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. SATURDAY, JULY 11, 1868.

An" unpretentious announcement in au adjoining column states that the Rev Father Hickey will preach to-morrow, on behalf of the University of Ireland. The fact of a clergyman of any faith seeking aid for the maintenance or endowmentofaneducationalestablishment in connection with his denomination, is neither singular nor uncommon, but the mission of Father Hickey bears far greater significance, than'at the first blush might appear. It is now pretty generally admitted, by all reasonable people, both at home and in the colonies, that the imposition of what may fairly be termed, a foreign church, on the Irish people, has been a sore grievance that they have long laboured under. When such men as Gladstone, Bright and others, speak as they have spoken in the English House of Commons, when such minds as theirs are convinced of the injustice of the Established Church in Ireland, it is certain that their convictions will bear the test, of the closest scrutiny, and that the knell of a well founded grievance is indeed rung. As to the party cries that may be, and no doubt have been got up on the appeal to the country, they melt like snow before the sun, when exposed to the robust logic of John Bright, or the sweeping proofs of wrong, supplied by Gladstone. It is certain that the end is not far off, and that the disestablishment of the Irish Church is now onlya matterof time. The fact that any church, no matter of what denomination, whose numbers bear a proportion of only about eight per cent, of the gross population, being able to compel the other portion to support their clergy, whilst no legal provision whatever is made for the ministry of the majority, is unprecedented, as it is unjust. The staunchest Protestant, endued with the least desire of fair dealing between man and man, cannot approve of such an outrageous state of things, and the ablest minds of the present day, Protestant as well as others, have decreed its discontinuance. Under this altered condition of affairs, it is obvious that increased provision is necessary, for the higher education of Catholics,than exists at present, and it is on this peaceful errand that Father Hickey has now come. Although there are colleges in Ireland at the present day, and though one, Maynooth, is especially devoted to the training of the Catholic clergy, it has been found that they are insufficient, and an appeal is now made to the public, both' at home and in the colonies, in aid of a new university. A Catholic University, where its members can be on equal terms with the graduates of Oxford, Cambridge, and other places, is contemplated ; and in such a cause all, of whatever denomination, can, without inconsistency, join. It is another great stride in the' cause of education, and simply because we may differ in faith from the promoters, that is no reason why we should withhold our mite from a project that will be attended with so much good to a large and influential section of our fellow-countrymen. Wherever education flourishes, bigotry and prejudice fade, and whether Catholic or Protestant, all alike are interested in furthering to the utmost extent of their means, any thing that may dispel the dark mists of ignorance, and bind in one common bond, men of every faith and every country. This is Father Hickey's work here, and it is to be hoped that'his success will be as great, as the cause he advocates deserves. Men of all sects can thus show that they are superior to narrow-minded religious prejudice by aiding in the movement, and we have no doubt that the residents on the goldfields will do so liberally. On our own part we sincerely and cordially wish Father Hickey every success, and trust that he willjreturn loaded with the honourably earned spoil of willing givers. * " " i

flat, have come to grief. The police . iu Westport have been active in the same direction, but the offenders, if there are any, either have become too wary, or else have suspended operations for the present. The Resident Magistrate, Dr Giles, was occupied yesterday the whole day from 10 a. m. till nearly 6 p. m. in the Itesident Magistrate's Court and the Warden's Court. A mining case occupied the whole afternoon, and judgment is to be given to-day. The beer tipplers referred to yesterday, got three months each, one, the thief, having two current sentences of three months each, and his mate getting three mouths as a rogue and a vagabond, since the larceny could not be proved against him. Our Charleston contemporary has and we have nodoubt very properlypmost exalted idea of Charleston and its belongings, whilstits constant depreciation of Westport is as remarkable as it is ludicrous. This day week the Herald in an inflated leading article on what Charleston had done towards the maintenance of its local hospital, starts i.by "saying that there are three hospitals on the coast, maintained chiefly by public contributions, amongst which Charleston is included. After some further remarks, our contemporary says " Nothing whatever is said on the part of the Nelson Government respecting the Westport Hospital and indeed we fear that such is the depressed state of the mining industry in that district and so embarrassed are the circumstances of the people as a community, that at the present time, it would be hopeless to expect the public to defray two thirds of the cost of maintaining a Hospital." At the time these remarks were published we were fully aware that in about three weeks the provisional committee had collected fully £4OO from the " depressed mining industry," and the people iu " embarrassed circumstances " for the Westport Hospital, and that sum is now banked to the credit of the new committee, but we waited for the subscriptions to be advertised before taking notice of our friend at Charleston. The Herald winds up by paying a fulsome compliment to the Charleston committee "for the exercise of very great zeal, energy, and economy." Let us contrast the exertions of the two committees. In six months at Charleston, they collected (we quote from their recently published report) £l4l odd in subscriptions, and £SB from entertainments. In four weeks the Westport Committee banked £4OO f rom subscriptions alone ; not bad that for depressed and embarrassed people, was it ? How does the six months' £l4l subscription compare with it ? Last night the Westport Volunteers held a meeting at their drill room For the purpose of nominating a successor to Captain Pitt, lately resigned. There were only two gentlemen proposed: Mr J. P. Martin, of the Union Bank, and Mr C. Whiteford. The election will not take place till an official announcement of Captain Pitt's resignation having been accepted is to hand. This is expected to arrive in about a week from now.

Yesterday morning fragments of a ship's boat were washed up on the beach near the north spit, but to what vessel it belongs is at present a mystery. The boat has evidently been newly painted white, and the pieces consist of American wood, the sides of ash, and the timbers of oak. From the appearance it must have been a light ship's boat, and there are holes where metal rowlocks have been fitted in. This exactly answers the description of the Nightingale's gig, and it is not impossible that that vessel has encountered heavy weather and has had one of her boats smashed in it.