WEEKLY EPITOME.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 14, 2 August 1873, Page 6

WEEKLY EPITOME.

On Sunday week the Rev Father Royer delivered an excellent discourse on Education at Naseby. He took his text from the gospel of the day, namely, "By their fruit 9 you shall know them. Do men gutHier grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles ?" He said that it was not only enough for parents to send their children to good schools, but they must also watch their actions at home, and should ever make it their duty to set them a good example. How, he asked by way of illustration, enn a parent reprove his child for a vice to which he himself is addicted, and in the practice of which he sets an evil example. He ulso deprecated the habit of treating children with unnecessary severity. In the evening tho rev. gentleman preached an able sermon on the Sanctificati^n of the Sabbath. We noticed in our issue of the 19th, that Mr J. P. Armstrong delivered a lecture at Naseby in aid of the funds of the district hospital. The subject was the Travels of an Irishman. Mr Armstrong on Friday week delivered the same lecture at Sfc Bathans, in aid of the smiio good object. Mr George Purton occupied the chair, and there v*ns a good attendance. Mr Armstrong, during the course of his lecture, remarked that the fact of the Tichborno claimant having, as he had alleged, wade a voyage and forgot tho name of the vessel, was no bur to that individual being the real Sir Roger. He (Mr Amietrong) loft Ireland in 1848 for America, and ho could never call to mind the name of the ship in which he had made the voyage, thr-ugh Jio had often endeavored to do so. The anecdotes, it may bo said, wuie characteristic of the lecturer, were excellently told, and racy of t -c soil. .Branches of the H. A. C. B. Society are being opened, or pro}'<>£i'cl to be opened, ull over the colony. To-day, we chronicle the oiiuiii'g of a branch at Nascby, and tho taking of steps to open one ul st. Btithans. At Wanganui a movement is being set on foot for ihe opciiing of a branch. At Chris tchurch tho Rev. Father Bcuyer ha.- gh en the promoters of a proposed branch there tho schoolroom to nu-it in. He has also supported the movement heartily, and called ii meeting from tho altar. At the meeting 27 intending members were eiirolk'd. ibiiico then the number had increased to 47, and thcro ia e\ iry ] vobability of the branch proposed to be formed being a nic^t flourishing one. We would again call attention to the General Government notiih.iijon in ar.o'.her column re nominated immigration. A meeting- of Catholics interested in the establishment of a bin' eh of the H.A.C.8.5., at St Bathans, was held in Mr Goorge JJ # i i ion's olllce, on Friday evening, 25th instant. Mr Geo. Hurton, \Oio \\ as voted to the chair, introduced Mr Fred. J. Bunny to the l. . i iiug. Mr Bunny explained fully the objects of the Society, and uvelt at length on the great good that would result from it. Mr Jinn os. li alley proposed "That the necessary stops be at once taken it>r the purpose of opening a Branch of the Hibernian Auttra-Jasian I utl'oiiu .Benefit Society, at Sfc Bathans, about December, L 873,"

seconded by Mr Peter Mallan, and carried unanimously. Mr ,Thos Hunrahan proposed, and Mr J. McNamara seconded, " That o Committee, consisting of Messrs Geo. Furton, McNamara, Jos. Halley, Jno. Murphy, A. Gallagher, P. Barron, P. McCoffey, Peter Mallan, Thoß. Hanrahan, and Mat hew Gannon, with power to add to their number, be formed, in order to carry out the resolution just passed." Carried. It was resolved that the first meeting of Committee should be held on Sunday evening, immediately after vespers. After a hearty voto of thanks to Mr JBunny for the deep interest he had taken in the matter, and also to Mr Furton for his kindness in presiding, the mooting closed. In an article advocating the construction by the Government of works for the supply of water to the goldfields, the Wellington • Independent' says :—": — " It may be said that half the Middle Island would pay to work for gold if the water supply, which in all direction* is running to waste, were made available ; and that the washing away of alluvial deposits will expose quartz reefs which will afford permanent employment to a large population." The same journal believes that the Parliamentary grant of L 300,000 for this purpose is all appro* priated. The • Daily Times,' commenting on the fact that the Government are by nc means satisfied with the results of Dr Featherston' a agency, pointedly obsorves — " We should be surprised if they were. Two years have elapsed since it was established, and the business done does not give promise of the suceees of the irrangements made. For tbfJ first time we have been made fully acquainted with the means employed^ to obtain emigrants. It appears that Dr Featheraton employs 177 local j and general agents, and that advertisements are inserted in 15 L newspapers, besides special advertisements in 47 of them. This gives an average of about thirty-seven emigrants to each agent, or two and a quarter- a month. Very industrious, indeed, those gentlemen seem to be ! Even this, however, is an over-estimate of the result of their labors, for of the number taken credit for B>l were assisted emigrants, and 1,860 sent out by Messrs Brogden ; leaving only 3,202 forwarded by the Agency. But Dr Featherston seems to have a will of his own. He evidently is not content to be a mere agent, receiving instructions from his employers, and, to the best of his ability, carrying them into effect. He cannot forget the politician, and apparently assumes the right to judge whether the Cabinet ia acting widely or foolishly in the decisions nt which thoy arrive. We cannot imagine that affairs can long continue as they are. It is evident from the whole correspondence that there is a laxity in the arrangements calculated to prevent the scheme being carried out successfully ; especially as there are other Colonies making every effort to induce emigration." The ' Times' also remarks — " With regard to emigration, Dr Featherston says that • While it is equally easy to give an order for 10,000 emigrants as to give an order for 10,000 tons of railway plant, it is not quite so easy to execute the first as the latter.' The doctor se&tns to forget he hue 177 agents beside his own staff employed in forwarding emigration." Writing on the subject of Dr Featherston's shortcomings, the ' Daily Times' also observes :— " While perusing the published correspondence, it suggests the inquii y how it 13 that no public intimation has been given by the Government of the sudden fluctuations in the immigration regulations, which, according to Mr Auld, have occurred in England ? It was announced some time ago that the Agen*General had received authority to grant free passages, and he appears to have notified his intention of doing so, and as suddenly to have recalled his regulations on this point. The Government must know that nothing is more likely to impede emigration from the United Kingdom than any uncertainty as to the terms upon which intending emigrants can come out." The plant for the Clutha Railway, which lias boen landed at Port Chalmers, has nearly all been fitted together on the reserve adjoining the railway station. There is to be a workshop at the Dunedin station, and a largo amount of heavy machinery, to be worked by steam, ia now being fitted up. Messrs R" b'xrnsox & Co. hare purchased the Dunedin Hasonic Hall, and intend to convert the building to the purposes of a stoam biscuit and confectionery factory, the premises mow occupied by them being too small for their rapidly-extendiug business. Tub fins brick and stone building erected laatyear in the Cutting, Princes street, und known as Reichelt's Fancy Bazaar, hns recently been extendod to the wholo depth of tho section. The upper portion of the premises has been built by Mr Beichelt expressly for a photographic gallery for tho proprietors of tho London Portrait Rooms. Mr Geoeg-e Duncan left Dunedin on Saturday last for America. Mr Duncan during the many years he has been in this Province has always had the respect of all who knew him, aad his friends assembled numerously to bid him farewell. Tub 'Taranaki Herald' says — "During the four years, the Province hus progressed am tzingly. The settlements of Patea, Hawera, and Waitara aro becoming populated, whilst tho out-districts are likewise iucreaaing in the number of settlors. Fresh land is every yi-ar being taken up for cultivation, and the natives are for the first time for many years offering large blocks of land for sale." There were twenty candidates for the Colonial Scholarships this year, but only three of tho value of £45 each, wore awarded, to Henry Cotterill and W. H. Atacks, of Christ's College, Christchurch, and to F. A.. Severne, of Nelson College. None of the candidates obtained the minimum number of marks required for the £70 scholarship. Where is " our almost perfect system ? " Weiting- on the Maerawhenua land sale, the ' North Otago Titnea ' says — " The mischief has been perpetrated by a former Provincial Government, and the sale has been legalised. Probably it is now impossible to withdraw irom a bad bargain, deficient of sense, but which is one more illustration of the oft repeated truth that law and justice are not twins. How the present Government can make bad worse by flying in tho face of tho Surveyors' Reports, we aro at loss to conceive. These reports state that the sacrificed block of land at Maerewhonua is auriferous in a high degree ; but Dr Webster, although apparently not at all approving of the action of his predecescor, asserts that the Government believe that th.c latd is not aurife-

,W « te , m P° rai -y P°ij«» Party difficulties are obviated by selling enormous blocks of goHea land, assuredly the conviction is forced' hauries*" goVernment h * P art y ia one <* the dearest of legislative a. m1??m 1 ?? ' Gaz . ette ' appoints sittings of the District Court of the Otago Gold Fields, in addition to those already appointed, to be held as fSTTn* aßeb7 ' ° n September 10th; at Clyde, on September JvS* oS UCe^ 3t °rmAr n A °£ SJS J e P temb ? r 22n <* ; and at Lawrence, on ESS* W;ste™ r Ot a go Hendei ' 88 ° n " "***« Ctei te th « Dlßtricfc The total amount of Customs revenue raised in the Colony durine 2io^An rter ending .n. n June 30tb ' was *281.262, being an increase oT £5l5 l f *« T^/" 11 the corresponding period of last year. The total for the financial year ending on June 30th, was £855,813 inn total amonnt of gold exported from the Colony during the 1379563? g° n 3 ° th ' WaS 95)639 OUDCe8 ' of lvalue of The name of the Rev. Father Royer was inadvertently omitted irom among the list in the paragraph in our issue of the 19th ult. of those present at the Conference. The following is an extract from a letter to Mr Grant, the 'Manager of the Shotover Terrace Gold Mining Company, from one of the original partners in the claim now being worked by this Company : zLiTX^ u /rv°?i tha< ; r he z art * when startin g the fac <£ <&• covered that they had heretofore been driving over the richest of the gold under their feet, which clearly proves that the deep ground in the terrace is yet untouched, and if it continues as it looks at present, I can safely say it will be the best-payipg claim that has over gone into a company. Mr Grant considers that, in the interests, of all the shareholders, lie is bound to let this be known. Of 3 ourse each shareholder will attach what amount of weight he thinks proper to the information now given, but as symptoms are not wanting of an unhealthy excitement in the market, the sure prelude to a subsequent unnecessary depression, it is important, both to the shareholders »nd to the public, that the exact state of matters should be known.