WEEKLY EPITOME..

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 10, 5 July 1873, Page 6

WEEKLY EPITOME..

The thirty-second session of the Provincial Council of Otago wns opened on the Ist inst., at noon, by Eds Honor the Superintendent. MrG-ilhoa was elected Speaker, Mr Reynolds withdrawing after he had been proposed, and Major Richardson declining tUe honor.

The chief point i:p to the prescn 1 is a want of confidence motion m Hie Kxecutivf, by Mr Shaud, on the ground that they are not ndvociiU-s of true prugwss, and havo proved themselves incapable of managing the affairs of the Province. In the^ Sterne Court, in the Wanganui education rate case, the Chief Justice lias delivered judgment in favor of the respondents (the Education Board) on every point raised. Leave wa« granted to appeal. Parliament meets at Wellington on the 15th inst. Thb first annual general meeting of the New Zealand Tablet Company took place at St. Joseph's schoolroom, Diraedin, on Tuesday evening. His Lordship the Right Roy. Dr. Moran was called to the chair. Mr R. A. Loughnan read the report of the Provisional Directors, which waa to the effect that on the 27th Auguit last a number of gentlemen met at the Shamrock Hotel, Dunedin, and agreed that the great want of the Catholic population of the Colony was a newspaper devoted to its interests. It was resolved to take immediate steps to establish the N.Z. Tablet, and the meeting determined toappeal to rhe Catholics of the Colony to join them in establishing the New Zealand Tablet Company. Mr Loughnan then detailed the steps taken with a view to bringing out the paper. The Directors resolved that, before bringing out the journal, they must raise a sum sufficient to meet the expenses of at least twelve months' unproductive work. However, with the generous measure of support accorded it they were happy to say that the paper paid its expenses from the first issue. Ihe report and balance-sheet were adopted. The election for Directors noxt came on. The.Ji'ditor was elected a Director ex ojficio, nnd Messrs Loughnan, Connor, Bunny and Scanlan were re-elected. His Lordship remarked that good had already been done by the New Zealand Tablet He congratulated the shareholders on the success of the journal, and hoped it was an augury of still greater success in time to come. Mr Fleming and Mr Colluou were elected auditors. A hearty vote of thanks was carried by acclamation to the provisional directors for their successful management of the affairs of the company. Mr Scanlan, on behalf of himself and the other provisional directors, returned thanks. A rote of thanks was passed to His Lordship for the able manner in which he had filled the chair, and the proceedings terminated. The Key J. O'Connor left here for Cromwell on Wednesday last to take charge of the new mission of which that town is the head' quarters. We understand that Bishop Moran intends to start for Napier via Wellington, by the first steamer after the 10th inst. Confluence of the Diocese of Dunedin, will be held at the Bishop's residence on the 10th inst. A new church is to be opened in Napier as soon after the arrival of Bishop Moran there as possible. The collection for the Pope, in the Waimea, West Coast, amounts to £8 2s. A Catholic school has been opened in Arrowtown, under favour able auspices. Efforts, says a local journal, are being made in Christchurch to establish a permanent orphanage in connection with the Catholic convent. The sisters have for some time past taken charge of several orphans, but, to make the work of a permanent and more comprehensive character, outside assistance has become necessary. A living room and dormitory have been set apart from the convent, capable of accommodating twelve girls — the only sex admitted. In addition to receiving all the benefits of the convent school, instruction is given to the children in washing and needlework, so that they may be fit for any household situation when they are old enough for Buch employment. The whole of the details are under the direct supervision of the sisters, and the subscriptions now being canvassed for are to enable additions to be made to the present rooms, so as to accommodate more children. The Land.— A correspondent of the « Daily Times,' writing under the head " A warning to Otago," -says :— •• The Province of Canterbury is envied at the present time for having half & million sterli&g in the Treasury— the proceeds of lai.d sold during the last twelve or fifteen months. This would show great progress if the real cultivator was in possession. The provincial press is very silent on this point. From a cursory perusal of the land sales book in Christchurch, I am convinced that it is not the bond fide settlers who are the purchasers, but squatteis, speculators, and middlemen. Squatters, who are large purchasers, only want one or two crops, and then sow permanent English grass. Speculators buy to re-sell to tbe real cultivator, who is often forced to pay twice the Government price, viz., £4 per acre for good land. Middlemen buy to rent for five or seven yearß, kindly advancing money on the growing crops, and forcing the farmer (whose debt is increased with stores supplied at high prices) to sell when the crop is ripe, and of course at the lowest value of the whole year. This keeps him in perpetual poverty. Is this prosperity or any inducement to secure immigration ? No ; the very reverse. The squatter, after hig large purchases are laid down in grass, will employ a shepherd and his dog for each ten thousand acres ; and the speculator and middleman will sit in their offices and squeeze every shilling out of tee teal settler Why legislate to make the rich richer, and cry out for immigrants to come and be hewers of wood and drawers of water for the same ? Humanity is better appreciated in the United States, Canada, Brazil and Victoria. In these countries men can get land if they reside on it and cultivate. Otago should do the same on deferred payments, and pot allow banks, squatters, and speculators to buy up large blocks of land to be laid down in grass, supporting hundreds of thousands of sheep only— humanity being represented by a shepherd and his dog If Otago will sell her lands to all comers, without a limit to quantity and residence, she will only be creating a large unemployed class when the railways are finished. The- large quantity of fine land between the Clutha and Mataura, especially, ought to be most vieils,ntlv watched by the people of Otago, who should not allow the aupposed progressive Superintendent and Executive to confiscate it to railway.

contractors or others in large blocks." This letter is a forcible com» mentary on Mr Macandrew's policy of selling large blocks of land a policy which, us we have in a previous issue remarked, would raisft up a landed aristocracy, with a dependent class to be at no distant period rack-rented. uwhmw The land sold at Patea has realised the sum of £30,000, beine part of the confiscated lands on the West Coast, which are from time to time to be put up to auction. It will be remembered that until within the last few months it had been found not practicable to place those in the market ; but the affairs of the West Coast have been taken in hand, and the first result was the sale of the Whenuakura block last April, at prices ranging from £1 12s 6d to £3 15a per acre, and that for about 7000 acres. We ('lndependent') have now another instance in point that some value can be found for our confiscated territory. The Jande disposed of this time are what are styled the railway reserve, a strip of land extending from the Waitotara and Waingongoro, consisting of übout 12,000 acres, and comprised ol the very richest soil. We are not at all astonished at the numerous attendance or at the prices obtained, and we look confidently forward to the occupation by enterprising settlers of a tract of country which has hitherto been looked upon as the white elephant of the Northern Island of New Zealand. The other day, when Mr Harrison, M.H.R., was on a visit to Greyniouth, he was able to give his constituents on the south side of the Grey this agreeable piece of information, received by him by telegram from the Premier :— « ln consideration of the special hardships to which Westland has been subjected, the Government intend to ask the Assembly to authorise a loan of £50,000 to pay off the liabilities of the County, the interest on the loan to be paid by the Oolony for ten years ; the Government to take as security 250,000 acres of land." The ' Grey River Argus' says :— " The £50,000 which we may expect will be given to the County is of course a very great assistance, out the question arises, What is to be done in the future f" A JtTBY at Charleston, holding an inquest upon the body of GeO Lucas, who was drowned in the Four-mile on the previous Tuesday' made a recommendatiou that some provision be made for the safety of travellers at all rivers which are in the way of traffic, but unbridged by extending across them a wire supplied with hand-tackle and a chair' so that the frequent deaths by crossing rivers when flooded might be averted. Thb Ibish Oamkmho University.— The Very Rev. B. Woodlock, Rector of the Catholic University, writes to the • Freeman,' publicly thanking « the Rev. William Hiokie and our numerous beaefaetors in every part of the world, who, through him, have within the last nine years contributed the munificent sum of over £6000 to the Catholic University of Ireland. This indefatigable priest has travelled, since April, 1864, through California,, Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, and India, and has collected in those distant countries the following sums :— ln California, 5552 dollars ; in New Zealand £1710 17s 6d j in the Diocese of Melbourne, £1049 11s 8d • in the Diocese of Sydney, £696 11s 6d ; in the Diocese of Goulburn Australia, £362 9s 6d ; in the Diocese of Hobart Town, Tasmania, «2(M 15s 9d ; in the Diocese of Maitland, Australia, £257 10s lid • in the Diocese of Bathurst, Australia, £202 16s 9i ; in the Diocese of BrUbane, Queensland, £126 2s> ; in South Australia, £250 16s 6d j and in India, £268. The Catholic University wishes publicly to record its acknowledgments to the numerous friends of Catholic education, who have thus munificently contributed to its limited and heavily taxed resources., and also to Father Hiokie for his untiring and lomr-oon-tinued labors in its service." Mr J. C. Ahkaek has taken charge of St. Patrick's School, Oretmouth. The intended course of instruction is varied and corapre. hensive, including a thorough English education, with Latin, Greek' and the modern languages. In addition to the ordinary Bchool education, it is proposed to form evening classes for pupils under seventeen years old, and for those above that age, in certain days of the week. Adult pupils will be taught at their residences, if required: The arrangements as to the hours and times of tuition appear to be suitable, and the fees are very moderate. A female' teacher will be provided. Mr Ahearn comes here with good recommendations. He jg a graduate of tit. Patrick's College, Melbourne, a trained teacher, and was last in charge of a numerously-attended school at Belfast, in the Western district, Victoria. A number of Mr Aaearn's former pupil« have passed the matriculation and Civil Service examinations at the Melbourne University. Evert one will rejoice to learn that the brave Sir Samuel and Lady Barker have not lost their lives, as reported in the English news in our columns. Telegrams received in Melbourne have declared that they are in safety. The charge of conspiracy brought by Mr Machattie against Mr T. Macfarlane, the Provisional Trustee in Bankruptcy, and Mi? John Lamb, before the R.M., Auckland, has been dismissed. Mb Wiltohibe has completed his 1000 miles in 1000 hours in Ohristchurch, in the presence of a large number of spectators. A presentation was subsequently made to him on the stage of the Olirisfc* church Music Hall. Some industrious contributor to a country journal, who is not apparently troubled with too much work, has been dissecting the Otago Electoral Roll, from which he gives the following statistics of surnames : — Smith 175, Brown 144, Browne 8, Wilson 127, Campbell 110, Anderson 107, Thomson 102, Thompson 36, Robertson 100, Johnson, Johnston and Johnstone 100, McDonald 99, Tayler and Taylor 81, Robs 80, Cameron 77, Henderson 70, Stewart 70, Stuart 6, Reid 64, McKay 64, Maokay 32, Jones 60, Scott 58, Fraser 64, Young 50, Williams 49, Watson 48, White 43, Gray and Grey 43, Wright 39 Green 28, Black 23, Blue 2. The prevalence of the truck system on the Otago railways hjto lately received some notice, and it appears to have also extended te Collieries. At a late meeting of the miners employed in the Saddle Hill coal pits, which took place to ascertain the feeling regarding the truck system, it was proposed and unanimously agreed to, " Xh.

Ijiose coal proprietors who possess stores abolish them, 'and pay the miners in the current coin of the realm." It is with regret that we record the death of Mr Redwood, sonr., of Nelson. Speaking of him, the • Nelson Examiner,' says :— » The deceased gentleman was one of our early colonists, having arrived in JSelson m December, 1842, and was a genuine settler in the best sense M Hie word. A finer specimen of the British yeoman never left Eneiand to engage m the task of colonising a new country. Respected by hh rl.%nr 1 .% n ! If.sbor1 f.s bor ? l and all who knew hioj, he has terminated a long and uselul lite without, we believe, ever incurring a reoroach. The dee&ased gentleman has for several months past suffered from a painful illness, and died at eleven o'clock on Thursday evening, 19>th hist having completed his 79th year on Saturday last." He was buried ia the Koman Catholic Cemetery, and a Requiem Mass for the repose of bis sonl was celebrated. F

A JJiENHBiJi paper says that black swans are becoming so numerous on the river below that town, as to rival even the wild ducks Diphtheria has broken out at Kaikorai, and two adults there have already died of it. In connection with the flourishing Mosgiel tweed factory in Ofaeo and its enterprising proprietors, the Nelson tweed factory, and tue factories proposed to be established in New Zealand, it may be interesting to state that at a numerously attended meeting held at SingleJK»rtS> "/r *.*« "a ol *** that a company, with a capital of Aip.OOO sterling in £1 shares, should be formed for the purpose of establishing a tweed factory. Evidently New South Wales is takin^ a lesson from the yoan-jer colony, " UNDiB the head •; Money that ought to remain here," a paragraph %S?Vl T ?OUIId.B? OUI l d . B of the press points out that during the year over tons of coal have been imported into New Zeulan 1 from Newcastle, and upon which there must have been exppndeti in New South Vales nearly £100,000. This does not reflect cieditably upon- the l/olpny-s spirit of enterprise, especially considering the amount of money which awaits investment. The late movements in the matter Of starting coal companies afford, however, a hopeful sign that an endeavor will bo made, by properly working the immense deposits of coal in New Zealand, lo remedy this state of things. Dtoedin, St. Joseph's —On Sunday last, which was a'so the * ea <* of Saiuta Peter and Paul, there was Pontifical High Mass in the rro-Cathedral. The Bishop was aseisted by the Rev. J. O'Connor Jjeacon; the Rev. T. C.owley, sub-deacon y and the Rev. J. Lenihan,' Master of the Ceremonies. After the Gospel, the Rev. T. Crowley preachec an excellent sermon, well arranged, well delivered, interesting, and instructive. His subject was the wonderful dispensation of Uivine Providence in reference to the favor bestowed on some nations *nd individuals in presence to others, and thetospecial obligations that flowed from tt. He began by stating an article of Faith, that sufficient means of .salvation are granted to all. He then stated that there can De no doubt especial favors are bestowed om some nations and mdi Tiduals in preference to others. These points the reverend gentleman •nforced and illustrated alt considerable length and with considerable ability. In the eveniug, after Vespers, Bishop Moran read the Gospel and Lesson of the Festival of Saints Peter and Paul, and preached a long sormon on the Primacy of St. Peter and his successors in the see Of Rome, and made a striking application of the Lesson to the circumstances m which Pope Pius the IX. find himself at present. We were •orry to notice that the gaslight continues very imperfect. 8o soon as the lamps m tire body of the half were lighted, those around the altar became extinguished ; in fact, the church was very nearly in darkness On inquiry, we fiud that it is no defect in th c gas fittings j the dark ness, therefore, that was so painful on Sunday night is to be attributed Buna"^ ° ther CaHSe " We hh ° Pc ° remedy wiU be a PPB«d before next The death in Chrietchurch of a Mr S. B. Stiffe, under very peculiar circumstances, and the connection therewith of several persons, including Mrs Elliott, an actress, who is best 'known by her •tage name of Mabel Herberte, has caused considerable excicement in tnat city. The deceased who, it appealed at the inquest, was siifferine very much from the effects of drink, was bound with ropes -for the alleged purpose of restraining him, and died from an"! effusion of serum en the brain, the result of that treatment. After the jury had deliberated for about half-ati-hour with closed doors, they returned a verdict "That John Pcker, Mary Ann Elliott, Charles Hill, and Mary Hill, did, on the 22nd of June, feloniously and- unlawfully kill and slay Sydney Burrowes Stiffo." Mrs Elliott, John Parier and Charles Hill were then brought before the Coroner,-who explained to them that the jury had returned a verdict of manslaughter against them, and they wonld have to be detained in custody. Mrs Hill was aot in attendance, but was subsequently arrested. T£EE 'Timaru Herald' was, for the Srst time, lately printed by steam. r J

IK the review m our last issue of the work on Freemasonry a mistake occurred, by a curious Beries of printers' errors, which needs correction. In the manuscript the number of Freemasocs was stated to be eight millions. The printer set ths eight "eighty." The word eighty was deleted in the revise, and eight substituted, but as he v>ut ra the latter while he forgot to lift out the former, the article read "eighty-eight millions " instead of eight. As the number was correctly stated lower down in the article, the discrepancy would no doubt be noticed and corrected by any careful reader. Robeet Mooeb for having at Anderson's Bay, near Dunedin during the last Provincial Council elections, attempted to personate one liichard B. Henot, has been committed for trial. A similar case reported from Southland in which the person concerned ia prominently aonnected with the Provincial Government, deserves to be enquired into in order that the facts published may be proved or refuted.

A rarcPEBANCB movement has been inaugurated at the Cardrona ttsder the title of thouo v Upper Clutha Temperance Society." The whole object the initiators seek is to prevent as many as possible of the xaoderate drinkers, through the exercise of some measure of self-denial rom slipping over into the inebriate ranks." The first rule of the new •«i«ftj allows its- member* to take two wineglassfuls of alcoholic liquors

£fa2£»"Stt£s t ii Trpoieß a fine of twen * Bhilli^ *»«<* parishioners with a purse of sovereigns. * " fornwr •11 \ re^ wnc » fco * he Provincial Governmi ;C CfaMft, o f thi« w «»v will show that the qnarterly sales of township sectionfwiil b > heidtJ various place, in about ten days or a fortnight. Hdd m Geob&b Calmb haa been committed for trial on the <**«,« «P personating a voter at the Kaikorai election gC <* At an mquest on Jane Edmonds, whose body was found in a ditch cuttato^' Wlththe additi ° Q ** y werenol a pSot oo^0 o^