NEWS OF THE WEEK.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 74, 26 September 1874, Page 6

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

The expression of opinion so freely and unmistakeably evinced by the Corporation with regard to the application made by His Honor for cottsigo sites, has been Anther endorsed by the recommendation of the Reserves Committee, for whose consideration it was submitted ; and acting on the advice of that, committee, the Council have respectfully declined to accede to the proposal. In the face of this refusal, it is gratifying to find t lie (Government determined and prepared to meet the difficuliy, and by taking the matter at once in hand, allow no time to elapse m cnrmnj{ out their designs. The object of the application was with (he view of erecting the cottages in a somewhat central posi. tion of the city, the Council having much ground at its disposal in eke vicinity of the wharves and railway station. The proposal, however having met with such Disfavour at the hands of the representatives ot •the citizens, the railway workshop, at Hillside, is to be appropriated to the purpose, on which 30 cottages are to be forthwith erected, one half containing three, and the remainder four rooms. We are pleased to learn that the evils which we pointed out in connection with the cottiiges erected on the Anderson's Bay road will be carefully avoided. Each house will have a separate yard, and the larger ones furnished with a garden in front ; while the provision of wide and properlymetalled streets will allow of sufficient access to each dwelling. Altogether the buildings are to bo of a superior kin! to any yet erected by the Government ; and uot only will the accommodation be more,suit. able to the class of persons likely to occupy them, but they will be obtainable at much lower rates than have been hitherto demanded for the inferior buildings. There cannot be the least doubt, that, even afc a greatly reduced rental, the Government will receive a~very liberal interest on their outlay, while their proximity to the railway work shops is bound to ensure permanent tenants, when the present demau for accommodation shall have passed away.

Owikg- to the extreme inclemency of the weather, the Concert; and Moonlight Excursion which was to have taken place last Wednesday evening, had necessarily to be postponed. By an advertisement which appears elsewhere it will be observed that the Committee haves made arrangements for the carrying out of the programme on Monday evening, when it is to be hoped the weather will be more propitious. It will be noticed also, that a slight change in the time of starting has been made, the steamer leaving the Jebty-street Pier at 6.45 p.m., instead of 6.30 p.m., as previously advertised.

Br the last mail, bis Lordship the Most Rev. Dr. Moran received a letter from tho Vicar-General, dated London, advising him of the doparture of four priests fot Duueclin. The rev. gentleman was unable to secure four berths in the same vessel, but the JRev. Michael Walsh and Bey. Patrick O'Leary, sailed in the Calypso, which left London on the 2nd August ; and the two other clergymen were to follow either by ' the E. P. Bouverie or the May Queen. The introduction of tie Christian Brothers will not take place for some time yet, but, before returning, Father Coleuaan will make arrangements for the placing of a number of youths in College, to be trained as priests for the diocese. It is also likely the Vicar-Greneral will be accompanied by two or inoreclergymen. His arrival may be looked for in November. The usual fortnightly meeting of tho H.A.C.B. Society, was held in St. Joseph's Schoolroom on Monday ovening, at which a deputation, from the Juvenile Contingent in connection Avith the Association was introduced. The president of the juveniles stated that the members of the f Contingent hearing that Bro. Bunny, the President of St. Joseph's Branch, was about leaving the district, were anxious to give expression to then- gratitude for his efforts in the organisation of the Contingent, and his unceasing care since its establishment in its giii_

dance and direction. He then, on the part of the Contingent, presented Bro. Bunny with two richly -bound volumes of Mitchell's " History of Ireland," with a written inscription setting forth the object for which it was presented. As the matter had emanated amongst the boys, the matter was as much a surprise to the H.A.C.B.S. ns to the recipient, and is a pleasing proof of the earnestness which prompted the testimonial. The ' Gmrdian,' in its issue of Monday, thus meets our contradiction of its statement with regard to His Holiness and Freemasonry :—": — " Our irate contemporary asseverates that the first name of His Holiness is not Paul, but John. It is scarcely worth while to cavil about so small a matter. It is just possible that the telegraphic intelligence may have erred to that extent. "We await the arrival of the Home papers, which will definitely settle the main point at issue." Just so ! To cavil at a journal, whose facts are based on such frail material, for a slight inaccuracy with regard to names or persons, is certainly being needlessly exacting. Biit would it not have been wiser on its part to have "waited the ax'rival of the Home papers," before publishing the " further particulars," about which it was so jubilant. From the local paper we learn that the anniversary of the Christchurch Branch of the H.A.C.B. Society was celebrated in the Catholic Schoolroom, Barbadoes street, on the evening of the 16th inst. Isaac B. Sheath, Esq., presided, and an interesting programme was provided. During the course of the evening, the president of the branch, Mr Jamos Taafe, in thanking those ladies and gentlemen who , had taken part in the concert, embraced the opportunity to explain tho objects of the society, which were similar to those of other mutual benefit societies. The society started on September 8, 1873, with 36 members, and the number was now upwards of 100. The amount received since then in the shape of entrance fees, contributions, &c, was £381 18s, and the expenditure, dEI4I 16s Bd. There had been only one sick member on the books, and the amount in the bank to the credit of the society was £240 Is 4d, so that the society was in a very fkrarishing condition. Mr F. Weber presided at the piano. As adjottrned meeting of persons interested in the establishment of a Marine Store and Piggery, in Dunedin, was held at the Universal Hotel, on Monday evening ; Mr Hildreth in tho chair. The principal speaker, and, iv fact, the promoter of the Company, was Mr Paveletich, who dwelt at some length on the advantages to bo derived from such an xxndertaking. After a somewhat noisy and demonstrative discussion, not exactly relevant to the question before the meeting, the following resolution was carried :—": — " That a piggery may be started in Dunedin with profit to the proprietors, and also to the public, knowing that there was any auioxmt of refuse which might be turned into profitable channel." The promoter thereupon called upon all. those who had voted for the resolution to prove their sincerity by immediately taking and paying for shares in the company, but the meeting evidently not holding the sanguine expectations of tho speaker, it was ultimately arranged that all those persons desirous of partaking in its profits should give their names to Mr Paveletich during the week. In the meantime a report would be prepared to be submitted to the next meeting, which it was hoped would meet with the approval of all commercial men. Silt Cracbot?t Wilsojj, in his post-sessional speech to the electors of Heathcote, let in a little light upon the hitherto somewhat inexplicable rupture between the Premier and the ex-Minister of Justice. The statement is rather a strange one, and we imagine should be taken cum grano sails. According to the worthy knight, the celebrated indignation speech of Mr O'Horke was the result of a letter he received while the Premier was addressing the House. Tho authority for this supposition is the statement of a member of the Legislative Council, who happened to be in the gallery immediately above the Ministerial Benches, and who distinctly asserts that, during Mr Vogel's speech, a document was handed to Mr O'Rorke, which contained the Philippic against his Chief , which caused such consternation among hon. members, and ending in the irate orator crossing the floor of the House, and taking his seat on the Opposition benches. It is to be regretted that Sir Craevof t was obliged to confess that both he and his informant had failed to discover either the author or sender of the mysterious document. The story bears improbability on the face of it, and, with J the sceptical Ilibernian, we confess — " It's wonderful — if it bo true." The following fact, the truth of which we have learned from a source which places it beyond a doubt, may be interesting to ornithologists. A resident of this city is the possessor of a magnificent specimen of a Spanish fowl, which had been generally admired for its sable phimage. One day lac noticed that the tail had entirely disappeared, and naturally attributed its loss to some rough treatment it had reccrreci. A few days afterwards, however, a caudal appendage became visible — if such a term be applicable to the feathered tribe — with almost the same celerity with which it had disappeared ; but the strangest part of the story is that the feathers were of snowy whiteness. This naturally created some curiosity with respect to the bird, the glossy black of the body forming such a contrast to the whiteness of the tail. It remained in this state for somo weeks, when the same transformation occurred with regard to the body, and the fowl from being at one time of a black without one white feather, is at the present time exactly vice versa. The conversation said to have takon place between the Premier and Mr Stafford in which Mr Vogel offered to resign the reins of State, has been a matter for various contradictory statements by the Press. The ' Lyttelton Times' asserted a few days since, that the conversation as published was substantially correct, and that view was borne out by the absence of all official denial. The 'Hawkes Bay Herald,' ho-vever, which assumes to bo behind the scenes, gives the following " true account" " on authority " :-^Tt says " That Mr Stafford was asked to preside at the Executive during Mr Vogel's temporary absence in London, we beliere is correct, but that Mr Stafford made any sxich reply to thj offer as the 'Post' pxits into his;*mouth, is, we believe, utterly without foundation. Mr

Stafford declined the offer for very good reasons, no doubt — the principal one of -which, will very likely be found to bo that he is himself about to visit the old country ; of which intention, indeed, he haa made no secret for some time past. In all probibility, therefore, -when the offer was made Mr Stafford simply said ho could not accept it, ns he was going home. This would put a very different complexion on tho matter to that which tho 'Post ' attempts to give it, and is, we believe, far nearer the truth." It may be so, but it must be remembered that when the report gained currency, the intention of the Premier to visit the home country was distinctly denied. Time has since, however, proved that to have been correct. A teiegbam from Queenstown received in town on Tuesday states that Mr Eobert Clark has resigned his scat for the Lakes in the Provincial Council. The same authority also mentions the probability of the vacant seat being contested by Messrs Innes, Manders and Millar. Sunday, the 6th instant, being the anniversary of the establishment of the Shortland Branch of the Hibernian Society, its members formed into procession and marched to St. Francis's Church. A request had been sent to the Rev. Father Londergan to preach a special sermon on the occasion, with which he complied ; but he took occasion to strongly condemn sensational displays, and read the body a useful lesson on the necessity of attending to then* religious duties. On the following evening an entertainment was given by its member in the local Academy of Music, at which the Society's brass baud contributed the requisite musicj and which proved a thorough success.