NEWS OF THE WEEK.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 69, 22 August 1874, Page 6

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

Wk imagine the announcement made by the Premier from his place in the House that the Californian service had broken down, will be a matter of but small regret or surprise to the public, prepared as they have been during the entire service of the company by a scries of breakdowns. A hope is still held out that the contract may be continued by the firms which are at present building steamers for the hue, but we trust that if co, the arrangements entered into will be based on such a footing as to guarantee some degree of punctuality in the arrival and despatch of mails.

Oar Thursday evening, the 13th instant, a number of influential gentlemen waited upon the Rev. Father Ecuyer, at the Mission House, Chnstchurch, for the purpose of presenting him with a purse of sovereigns as a slight token of their esteem, and to express their regret at his departure from amongst them. Mr A. J. White said he had been deputed by Ins fellow Catholics to make tlie presentation, and on their part to wish the rev. gentleman God-speed and prosperity in his new •phere of work. Father Ecuyer replied in a feeling manner, asserting that, he ha«l been agreeably surprised at such a mark of respect and esteem. He expressed his rpgret at leaving Christchurch, where he had made so many sincere friends, and hoped the present church would be as large again on his next visit amongst them, which he trusted would not be far distant. The rev. gentleman will in future be stationed at Greyniouth, whilst his place will be eupplied by the Bey. Father Belliard, lately from that town. . We observe by a notice in our advertising columns, that Mr A. li. Loughnan, so long and favorably known in connection 'with the t*reen Island Meat Preserving Works, has entered business on his own account, as commission and general agent. We have little doubt,, from Jus known business capacity, nnd the large circle by whom he is esteemed and respected, but he will secure a most liberal amount of patronage, and be thoroughly successful in his new sphere. We beg to inform the public that we have now bound copies of the Tablet on sale at the oflice, and that those of our subscribers who may have unbound copies by them, can see specimens in various styles nnd prices by calling at this office. We are glad to learn that the laudable and necessary efforts being made by the Catholics at Naseby, for the purpose of freeing the church from debt, appear to be most heartily supported. The committee organised to that end announce by circular that it is their intention to hold n bazaar in aid of the clurch on the 30th and 31st of October and 2nd of November.

It appears that the New Zealand Ministry is not the only one in which a want of unanimity prevails, and Mr Vogel not the only Minister who has rebellious colleagues. Mr Langton, who has ably held the office oi Treasurer in successive Victorian Administrations, hus, according to the Melbourne papers, resigned his portfolio through disagreement with the Minister of Lands, Mr Casey. The casus Ulli appears to have been a refusal on the part of the Treasurer to pass the item of expenses of the Lands Minister, occasioned by an extended tour through the colony, the amount and necessity of which Mr Langton deemed unwarranted. Mr Service has accepted the vacant office. With reference to the Bishopric of Sandhurst, we extract the following from the • Advocate ' :— " For this bishopric, which was declined, on the ground of ill-health, by Dr. Fortune, Canon Austin Maguire, P.P., Ballincolly,- outside Cork, has been nominated. The rev. gentleman it brother of the kte John Francis Maguire, who was M.P. for that city. Canon Maguire had not accepted the preferment but it was not thought likely that ho would decline. He was a chapliin to the forces in the Crimea, and from his varied experience, his high gifts, and the suavity of his manner, the Catholics of Sandhurst may be fully persunded thufc they would havo iv Dr. Maguire a bishop who would earnestly i.nd successfully promote their interests and whom they could both love and esteem."

Fbom the 'Grey River Argus ' we clip the following sonsible remarks, nnd would express a hearty wish that the liberal ideas hold by that journal should bocomo more general : — " Once or twice of lnte fro have had telegrams of Orange celebrations in the Colony. We think it is a pity ilmt such things should be started in this new country, where it is so desirable that old feuds should bo cntirelv forgo! tin. These celebrations do not spring from love to the memory of William, bul, from hatred to the memory of somebody else, and we hiiTo generally found that Orangemen liad no more distinct conception of William the Thiid— the real man, the historical hero — as painted by Micaulay or Mackintosh, than they have of the elder Cyrus. For the sake of our common country, jet us have done with old forms of party strife." l *

With regard to the failure of the Californian line, the following special Sydney telegram has been received at Wellington : — "Serious complications have arisen respecting the Californian Mail Service, Mr Hall having left for America per the Mikado. The Tartar is ordered hence to China on her arrival, and the owners of ,, l the Cyphrenes have sent instructions here for her commander. The A.S.N. Company will not charter the steamer for a single trip unless they have the balanpe of the temporary contract. Under these circumstances the Government will be compelled to take the matter into its own hands, and it intends to carry on the line despite present prospects."

Ox Monday the Deputy-Superintendent invoked the aid of the law in ejecting from the Old Immigration Barracks some few families, who insisted in retaining free quarters at the depdfc. It appeared from the evidence adduced during the hearing of the case, that the parties summoned had not made the slightest effort towards obtaining house accommodation, although permitted to romain far beyond the usual time, and when spoken to on the subject positively refused to do so. Pis Worship granted the order for ejectment, and sensured the authorities in submitting so long to the imposition.

Amongst the regulations contained in the new Licensing Act is one specifying the hours during which barmaids can serve at hotels as between eleven in the morning and the same hour at night. We certainly fail to see the propriety of the provision, believing it to be one that will not be conducive to early rising, while it undoubtedly encourages late hours.

We leave our readers to discover whether the following grandiloquent effusion taken from the ' Napier Telegraph,' regarding the arrival of the immigrant ship Winchester at that port, is to be attributed to a dearth of local items, or a genuine burst of welcome to so unusual a visitor :—": — " At an early hour on Sunday morning, a white speck on the clear but far-distant horizon was seen, which betokened to authorities ou nautical matters the approach of a large vessel. As the day wore on, any doubts that might have existed on the subject were dispelled, and crowds of people assembled on the beach and on the hills overlooking the bay, to witness that noble sight — a ship in full sail." Perhaps the breeze which wafted the interesting stranger, like that which affected the Prince of Denmark came from the "north-north-west."

Bx the arrival of the Otago, we are in possession of later English and Australian dates, but the items furnished are of no especial interest. The most important, however, are to the effect, that the Internationalists have created disturbances in Roumania, and arrests have been made in Rome, Florence, and Naples. From a London telegram, under date 10th inst., we learn that Count Hohenlohe, German ambassador at Versailles, has notified to J;he Due de Ganges, Minister of Foreign Affairs, that Germany intends recognising the Spanish Government. The Due de Ganges has issued a circular refuting the complaints of Spain. With regard to the rupture between the members of the Victorian Ministry which we noticed in another column, it appears that during a discussion in the Assembly on the dispute between Messrs Langton and Casey, with reference to expenses incurred by the latter in hiß tour through the country, Mr Casey read a letter from Mr Francis to Mr Langton, which is considered most damaging to the present Ministry, as showing their great weakness. When the House met, Mr Jones, member for Ballarat, tabled a direct want-of-confidence motion, declaring the reconstruction of the Ministry ' unsatisfactory. All business was thereupon suspended, when a motion was brought forward, and several objections were urged against the Ministry, especially as regards their position with reference to the Reform Bill, and practically abolishing the office of Chief-Secretary. After several members had spoken, the debate was adjourned, but there is no idea that the motion will be carried, it being regarded as importune. Mr Service, the Treasurer, and Mr Townßend McDermott, SolicitorGeneral, had been returned unopposed. It is also stated that Sir Jamea McCulloch is to oppose Mr Ramsay, the Post-Master-General, but this must evidently be a mistake, Sir James at present representing Warnambool ; unless, as is improbable, he should resign his present seat for the purpose. On Tuesday forenoon a rumour was current about town, which unfortunately proved too true, that Mr Hayzen, a well-known citizen, had committed suicide, by cutting his throat. An inquest wa» held in the afternoon of the same day, but the evidence adduced did not tend to throw any light upon the sad affair. The coroner addressed the jury at some length, explaining the law under such circumstances, and after a short deliberation they returned a verdict that deceased had committed suicide while laboring under temporary insanity.

The announcement that his Royal Highness Prince Arthur Patrick has been created Duke of Connaught has been received in Ireland, sayg the correspondent of a London paper, with great satisfaction; The ' Observer' fell into a deep mistake in stating that this is the fint instance which occurred of any member of the Royal Family having token a title from Ireland. Why, from King John to Henry VIII., all the English Kings bore the title of Lord of Ireland. And every on<» of the seven sons of George 111. had an Irish title. The Prince of Wales inherits the Earldom ol Dublin from his grandfather, the Duke of Kent ; the Queen's second son, the Duke of Edinburgh, is Earl of Ulster ; the Duke of Cambridge is Earl of Tipperary ; the exKing of Hanover is Earl of Armagh ; tho Duke of Clarence, afterwards William IV., was Earl of Munster. The Irish title now about to be conferred on Prince Arthur Patrick is, however, the first ever connected with Connaught j and being a Dukedom it will be the title by which ho will be called. The Queen visited Ireland, for the first time, early in August, 1849 ; aud on the birth of tho Prince, on the first of May following she called him in honor of fchat visit,' Arthur, in compliment to his godfather the Duke of Wellington, and Patrick, as a tribute to the country. It is now rumoured that tho new title has political significance, and only a step towards appointing tho Duke of Connnught Viceroy of Ireland, thus reviving the habit of five or six centuries ago, when the son of the King of England was frequently Lord Deputy.