MISCELLANEOUS.

Waikato Times, Volume VI, Issue 325, 13 June 1874, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

3 Tne guage of 300 miles of the grand trunk railway of 5 Canada was lately nlterocl in a day and a half from 3ft &n to Ift B£m. Mt'E. P. Jlannaford the engineer of the line, __ marked out the work, and had under his charge 1,510 men. The copper tips for boys' boots proving very serviceable, we are informed by a Boston (ITS > paper, tbnt a new style of trou»ers has been invented in that city, for the special , use of lads who rather excel in- wearing out ordinary cloth* . ing. The articles made are described ns having u copper eeat, sheet-iron knees, rivetted jeamo, and waterproof pockets warranted to- hold broken eggs in. safety. Doubtless the - materials are strong nnd lasting, but we fear the lads will t hardly take pleasure in wearing such. The following is a list of the ships and number of cmi- , grants sent) out to New Zealand by the Agent-General for , that colony during the month ending March 31,1874 — The Buckinghamshire, for Otago, with 496 souls; James J Wishart, Auckland, 283; Queen of Nittions, Auckland, 1 %$X '' TV', il£ato 2 Wellington, 368 ; Northampton, Canterbury. ,> 393 ; Hak-ione\ liawiHTs bsj , sor , x>^,,,aL <«■.;_ aWow) Canterbury, 495 ; Hindostan, Otago. 844. ; Casoline (from Queensfcown), Otago, 350 ; Peeress (for Timaru), Canterc bury, 260 ; btonehouse, Canterbury, 430 ; Carlsburn, (from Glasgow), Otago, 310 Total, 4,113 soul*. Mr Fttrjanies Stephen writes to the Editor of the Pall j Mall Gazette. — ' Sir,— Some notice has laid) been taken in the papers of the conversion, to Mahommedanism of an I Indian civilian who is said to ha\e renounced Christianity, left his wife, and married a ilahommedan girl according to^ t the Maliommedan law. For this he has been put out of ' employment by his superiors in India. A good deal of attenr tion has been directed to the subject, and there have even J been complaints that this is an act of intolerance towards i the Mahommedans. If n Maliommedan may turn Ohriatmn, 1 it is said, why may not a Christian turnMahommedan ? The • answer is that the objection made by the Government to the J conduct of its officer is not that, he has become n Mahomme- ' dnn, but that he has been guilty of a gross mid public outrage on his wife and on the laws and lnornh of his country • hv marrying another woman during his wife's lifetime. • Whcl her this is a crime in India under sec 494- of the Indian . Peml Code may be doubted. That section enacts, as follows : ' — ' Whoever, having n husband or a \ufe h>injr, marries m ' nn\ ense in which stu-h marriage 18 \oid by reason of its i takinc plice during the life of such husband or wife shall be i punished,' <$x\ Now the question whether the second mar- • rin.ee of this person is void btcouso it took place during the 1 lrte of his first wife depeads oa the quection whether an '• -Englishman in India i* bound le monogamy because he is 1 an KngHshmani in which case the marriage would be void, ' or only because and m long as he continues to-be a Christian, 1 in «hii-li cusp it will be pood. This point has never, I believe, been express!} di tided in India, though attention was ! df looted to it dining my term of office thenc by a casesunilar ■ to the one in qwjtinn. It appeared tome monstrous that the ri»lils of Englishwomen solemnly entering into a monognmoiH mnri'i.igo \>itli their husbands sliould be dependent upon ohnngo- winch might occur in their husbands' religiousopi»ions. 1 believe, indeed, thnt this is not the case, and that by tho law us it now stands the sceond marriage in thi* ense would be held lo be on oooount of the existence of the first mnrriage, nnd that bhe ptr-on entering into the second marriasp would thus conic under the provision in question The poinr, however, if it has to be settled merely ns a legal one, unquestionably admits of much argument, nnd there is at least one decision of in Indian Uiijli Court which looks |in the other direction In order to make the law perfectly distinct nnd eonfbrmtble to justice, 1 introduced into an Act consolidating the Tawi relating to the marriage of Christians a seeMon distinctly forbidding such marriages ns the one in j question. The Act was not passed till after I left India, but when it was passed the section in question waa considered as savoring of over legislation, and was struck out. If it h id become law it would have prevented a great scandal and saved the Government of India from a considerable perplptity TIII9 i<> one of tli© crises in w?iich what is called over-le«islation is iv reality ' the stitch in time which saves nine.'" One of the most imposing of the ceremonies of the Roman Cutholic Church wns performed in tho east-end of London yesterday, before a considerable number of ecclesiastics and n large concourse of laity, including not a few Protestants. The Pope hnving appointed Dr Redwood, of the Order of Marists, to the See of Wellington, New Zealand, Dr Manning Cxed tho feast of St Patrick as the day on which the Bishop-elect should bo invested with all the privileges and insignia of the Episcopacy. It was arranged at first that the Ri»ht Rev Dr Ullathorne, Bishop of Birmingham should be ono of the assistant Prolatee, of which the Roman ritual requires two ; but almost at the last moment word was received that he had been seized with illness. His place was taken by the Right Rev Dr Wethers, Bishop of A •nycla, the other assistant prelate being the Right Rev Dr Danell, Bishop of Southwark. St Anne's, Spicer-street, Spitalfie'ds, the principal church of tho- Marists in England , was the building selected for the ceremony, and soon after 9 o'clock in tho morning a procession of priests, regular and secuiar, many of the former being m their monastic costume, came forth from the saoristv, and, preceded by acolytes, walked up the nnve of the church, nnd, entering the choir took up positions 111 front and on either side of the altar. Immediately nfterwardsan episcopal procession advanced, tbe Archbishop, tho assistant Bishops, and the Bishop-elect wearing their violet rochets, surplices deeply edged with lace, pectoral crosses, nnd birettus. Arrived within tho choir, Dr Manning was conducted t» an orchiepiscopal throne on the left side of the altar, and there he assumed the vestments in which he- was to celebrate mass and perform the rite of consecration. Close to a small altar at the right side of the choir Dr Rod wood also vested. Ho nssumed as yet no mitre, but on the head of the Archbishop was placed a magnificent one, richly it udded with precious stones. The two assistant Bithops wore, not their jewelled, but their plain white mitres. When all was ready for the commencement of the consecration, the Archbishop boaring his pastoral staff in bis right hand, took his seat on n fald-stool, and with his bnck to the altar. Tho Bishop elect wa» then conducted to tbo presence of his Grace by the Assistant Prelates, and Dr Redwocd, uncovering, made a low bow to the Archbishop. Then the senior assistant Bishop addressing Dr Manning, said, "Most reverend father, our holy mother, the Catholic Chmvh, pra^s that you will rai«e this priest here present to the episcopal charge." This, nnd everything else said or sung during the nip, with the exception of the Kyr'te elctson was uttered in Lntin. The Archbishop having demnnded the- apostolic commission, and it ha\ing been read, the Bishop-olect knelt dowa nnd took the onth. The ceremony, as a whole, was a very long one, extending o\er two hours aud a half. By way of description it mnv be sufficient to sny that the consecrating Prelate and the Bishop elect each recited the entire mass, and that tho consecration of the Bishop was effected iv parts, nnd at different stnires of the Divine Service, nnd did not become complete till towards the close of tho nines itself. The Birhop-eh ot wm put through an examination, after which he was nnnointed on tho head and the hands. Subsequently the episcopal ring was pub upon his finger, and, finally, a nut root < loili of gold was plnoed on his head, nnd a pnstora! stall' in his hand. Then, amid tho jubilant strums of a Te Dciim m lnch, like the music of the niasj, was beautifully sung ty 11 choir in the organ loft, Dr Redwood, with the assistant Bisbops on his right nnd left, walked ihrounh the nave and the aisles, giving his benediction lo the congregation. Hi* remarkably fine piesenco was a subject of general remark. He is one of the youngcit, if not tho youngest, Bishop in Christendom, being scarcely 35. He wear* an nbundonce of light brown hair, heard, and moustache, and his expiession i« indicative of the intellect, activity, nnd kindliness of heart which are' said to be the cause of his elevntion to the episcopacy at I such an unuaually early age. After the consecration 'the I M. »i>t Fathers enlcitameil UlO Bishujis and a number of

otlior friends at an early dinner. Archbishop Manning pr< sided. ' The Pope' was the first toast. la giving the nex that of ' The Queen,' the Archbishop spoke in the warraei terra* of the benefits which the Catholics of this country ha derived from legislation during Her Majesty's 'just and b< neficent reign.' The toast was drunk with all the honor and the National Antliem was sung by a number of th priests. In proposing the health of D-r Redwood, the ne Bishop of Wellington, Sir Charles Clifford mentioned thi when he hnmelf first went to New Zealand m 1842 ther was not a prie&l in the colony. He mis»ht in a manner clau to be the first Catholic pa-tor there, for the Catholics use to a-semblo in his house to say prayers on the Sundai Catholicity had made great strides in New Zealand, and h had no doubt that Dr Redwood had a great roissionar career before him. It was mentioned in the course of th speaking that though the founder of the Marist Order still m existence, it has spread itself to the most diatan climes, and Dr Redwood ia the fourth member of it that ha been raised to the Episcopate of the Roman Church. I wish we could manage it as they do in America, at lea* as the tenants of wooden houses there do. There I hay met a residence with twenty-six windows in it quietly stroll ing along the street from one part of the city to anothei Talk of movin g house ! That is exactly what one does no do here, when the necessity arises for the movement of th householders. The phrase is a provoking misnomer, mas much as nothing resents movement like a house and its b( longings. The way in which, things fit themselves mt rooms, and almost grow into part of the building, is incon ceivable till you have to shift them. And the air of discoi solute shnbbmoss which furniture, supposed to be respect able, assumes the moment it is shifted for removal, rnus also be witnessed to be believed. The height, or rather th depth of its apparent dilapidation, however, appears whe it is fairly turned out of doors, and stands- by the area raifr waiting for the men in white aprons to hoist it into th ran, A sofa or a pet arm-chair thus appear! like a frien in the shabbiest distress. You know it intimately, but 70 are almost ashamed to own it. Then the way ia whic! I things, long severed in fact and in association, get throw together, is most bewildering. A bottle-jack is never mean to be set under a piano, or, though they we- both made 0 the same metal^ a frying-pan to be rested on an iron bed bedstead This last collection in my own case made on think of St Ljiwrenc. Those cross bars on which the mai tress is laid would do excellently to grill a malefactor, never thought of that before. The frying-pan suggested it Altogether, the jumble of kitchen and dining-room belong iugs is not so very incongruous, for there is so< frequent traffic between these two departments that the residen families of furniture in each must come to know a good-dea about one another ; but when the inside of the drawing room descends to consort with the scullery, and bed furnitur gets mixed up with the plate-rack, when dish- covrra repos on pillows, and the whole little mob of 'portable property as Mr Wemmick calls it, stands about the outside of th< street door, shamelessly exhibiting the inside of your house hold to the heedless pa9ser-by, and to the inevitable boj who insists on presiding on such occasions, and con»«yB hi opinion to his juniors, the sense of possession. and discrimi nate arrangement gets to be sorely entangled. One sees th operations of communistic principle in this domestio jumble Everything is in its wrong place ; pots and pans ride in thj same carriage w itk their betters, and the barriers- of soria furniture are levelled. The house itself, too, is invaded bj ™°n who make the merest pretence of taking offi their bat or wiping mo ,u nn Invaded, did I aay ! Sacked ; takei by assault. Strangers, jostle you in your tnuat gucrcd rotreati Men on whom you have never set you eyes before walk mtt your sanctum, and shoulder your treasures without apology — Leisure Jlour.