NEWS OF THE WEEK.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 117, 23 July 1875, Page 11

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

Tm Citj of Melbourne, with the Californian mails, reached Auckland on the 16th, but not having • received our files until the week Tras far advanced, we are unable to give more than the principal items received by telegram. The month has been more than usually prolific in disasters, and the catalogue of calamities is both extensive and diversified. As usual, the chapter of horrors receives its largest contribution from America, the State of Massachussets bidding fair to rival Auckland in the frequency of the conflagrations which have to be chronicled. A most appalling catastrophe, and one which almost rivals in magnitude and its,lamentable details the tale of woe caused by the burning of the, Cospatrick, occurredlat Holyoake, in that State involving the sacrirfice of over 130 lives. It appears that during the services in the, French Catholic Church a portion of the drapery with which thealtar was dressed became ignited, and the flames spreading with amazing rapidity, the building was soon in a blaze. There were over 700 persons in the church, and so great was the panic that those in the gallery, forgetting the separate mode of egress there-; from, madly jumped down upon the mass below, and effectually checked all means of exit. Numbers were trampled to death, ana thus escaped the more dreadful fate of being roasted alive. To add to the horrors of the calamity a number of the relatives of -the hapless inmates were congregated outside the ill-fated buildings, and. the shrieks of agonised despair at the utter helplessness to render aid contributed to add to the horrors of a scene rarely equalled. Some of the details are most heart-rending, the perusal of which is calculated to cause a thrill of horror at the bare thought of what the unhappy victims must have suffered. One lady waß observed to rush wildly from the devouring element, and totter lifeless to the ground. Those who hastened to her found that she was literally a skeleton, every particle of flesh having been ' charred from the body, leaving the bones exposed to view. As a fitting sequel to the tragedy, at the funeral service, which was read over the remains of the victims, the floor of the building gave , : way, and the coffins and a number of the spectators were precipitated into the vaults beneath the building. A panic ensued, but luckily, although many persons were severely injured, none were fatally. A few days later an extensive fire occurred in the same State, and, though fortunately unattended with loss of life, hundreds of families were left destitute, and property destroyed to the amount of 2,000,000 dollars. By way of Havanna intelligence has been received of a terrible earthquake at New Granada, by which it is asserted no less than 16,000 lives were sacrificed. New Granada is one of the three republics into which Columbia is divided. Although most of the cities and towns of South America are subject to frequent earthquakes, and there is therefore much reason for putting some faith in the information, it is to be hoped that the number may have been exaggerated. The telegram, however, chronicles the total destruction of the cities of Ceccula and Caucena, the destruction of the former being caused by a ball of fire which issued from a volcano, setting the houses on fire* From Asia Minor another tale of woe is borne, the same destructive engine having laid several villages in ruins, and destroyed over 200 persons. Indeed, fires and earthquakes seem to have caused sad havoc with life and property, the catalogue of misery being still further swelled by a destructive conflagration which took place at New Brunswick, which lett 150 families without a roof to cover them. The crusade against ih.e Church in Germany Btill continues, the latest outrages upon the religious convictions of its subjects being the seizure and confiscation of the American journal the ' Catholic Gazette/ and the interdicting by the Berlin Government of processions in honor of the Pope's Jubilee. In the Upper House of the Prussian. Diet a bill was brought in upon the 25th of June for the suppression of convents, which, it is needless to add was passed unanimously. No means is left untri«d by the wily and unscrupulous Chancellor to root out at all hazards the men and women who are such stumbling blocks in his pathway, but to his dismay he find* that his labors are in vain. Notwithstanding all the penalties and dangers attached to'the defence of the proscribed religion, the journals which boldly vindicate its rights now number a hundred for er«ry one in existence two years since. Thb vacancies caused by the retirement of Councillors Mercer and Barron for the representation of High Ward, have brought Dut two candidate! into the field, Mestrs. Chapman and Hardy. The former it the eon of Mr. Justice Chapman, and a young man of great promise, for although as y«t without experience in municipel or other public matters, he is possessed of good sound tense, a commodity which is not over-abundant in the Council. The nomination takes place next Wednesday, and the election on Monday the 2nd prox., but from, present appearance, it would appaarat if both candidates would enjoy a walk-orer. Wi learn from [the leading columns of our High-street contemporary, that the ' Guardian ' in future is to be raised to threepence per copy. Of course it would be ill-advised on our part topass on opinion upon a proceeding, the wisdom of which is best known to the, directors. While not agreeing with the very elevated idea of the superiority of the * Guardian' over all other journals in. the Colony, which the writer of the article seems to entertain, we fairly admit that it is well able to hold its own with the" best* and, therefore, entitled to be placed on an equal footing in a. pecuniary point of view. The contemplated change may be fraught with difficulty s but it now seeks to obtain what it should have secured at its start — to be placed upon an equal footing with otherjournals to which it is not inferior. . Wx have to acknowledge the latest accession to th« ranks of N«w Zealand journals in the ' Saturday Advertiser and Literary Miscellany/ which put in a claim for public patronage on last Saturday. The new rcnture has been started by Mr. Thomas

Bracken, under whose management is placed its commercial department. The ' Advertiser ' has struck out a new field, and, as its prospectus stated, seeks to supply an admitted want. The growing prosperity of the colony, the construction of new lines of railway, and the increased facility of communication between the provinces have rendered a* time-table and guide a necessity to the travelling public. This the new journal seeks to provide, in addition to choice literary articles of an instructive character. It is rarely indeed that the first number of a journal presents such a respectable appearance as the ' Advertiser,' which resembles a specimen copy, so neat and creditable is the whole get up. Another unusual feature in the issue in the announcement that the proprietors are compelled, through lack of space for advertisements, to enlarge the second number by four pages. Mr. Bracken's well-known business capacity is Bure to make it 9 pecuniary success, and if the excellence of the first number be sustained in the subsequent ones, it will deserve % liberal share of patronage. We see by an advertisement in another column that Mr. James McCulloch offers himself for re-election as one of the city auditors. The other candidates for the office are Mr. Sydney James and Mr. Frederick Evans, the former of whom is one of the retiring auditors. The day of polling has been fixed for Monday, the 2nd August, and, from the satisfaction the retiring officers have given during their tenure of officej there is every probability of their being again chosen for the ensuing year. Tnn contest for the civic seat has ended by the return of Councillor Walter by a majority of 372, the votes polled being Walters, 1048 ; Reeves, 682. Although the chances of both men were very evenly balanced, and the struggle had been expected to prove a keen one, the most xinusunl apathy was exhibited by the electors throughout the day, and were it not for the vehicles with the candidates' names placarded thereon, a stranger would never have supposed an event, which usually is so exciting, was t iking place. By a telegram, which has been kindly forwarded to us, we learn that the residents of St. Bathan's and the surrounding districts are determined to celebrate the centenary of O'Connell with great eclat. The telegram slates that Naseby, Hill's Creek, Ophir, Drybread, Tinkers, and Cambrian intend to co-operate ; all creeds being anxious to honor the memory of the great Tribune. Wb are rejoiced to hear from a valued correspondent that the Rev. Charles Kirk is bo far restored to health as to be able to resume his ministrations. The ' Wanganui Chronicle' of the sth inst., says : — " Many will be glad to hear that the Rev. Father Kirk will soon be able to resume his pastoral duties. For, though not quite convalescent, the rev. gentleman is very much stronger. He expresses himself as deeply grateful for the sympathy and kindness which has been extended to him from all classes during his severe illness." Our correspondent adds that the rev. gentleman had so far recovered as to be enabled to preach twice on Sunday the 4th inst. The 'Australasian' is particularly severe on the projected cricket match between united Australians versus New Zealanders. It characterises the whole affair as the manoevouring of those Victorian cricketers who are getting rather blase and worn out, and are anxious to do a little in the Btarring line before they are laid upon the shelf for good. Our Melbourne contemporary appears to entertain a low estimate of the powers of a picked team from New Zealand, and asserts that the best eleven of either Victoria or New South Wales could play the strongest fifteen or eighteen to be found in this Colony, and consequently the idea of a team picked from the Australian colonies would be simply preposterous. We are unable to^say whether the motives imputed to the originators are correct or not, but we certainly have not such an exalted opinion of the prowess of the Australians as to imagine that their victory would be so easy, and that they* are so immeasurably superior to New Zealand cricketers as to make competition ridiculous. To those who are aware of the praiseworthy manner in which the members of the Fire Brigade have always discharged thenonerous and self-imposed labors, it will be a matter of deep regret to hear that the city is likely to be deprived of their services. Notwithstanding the fact that tho brigade has been the saving of thousands of pounds to the various insurance companies, the paltry sum of .£3OO per annum, necessary for working expenses, cannot be raised, and Captain Wain has been obliged to notify that, at the expiration of three months, the brigade will have to be disbanded. The duty which devolves upon a fireman is one which calls for great self-denial, and there are few who could cavil at the manner in which the Dunedin Brigade have at all times acqiiitted themselves. It is to be hoped, then, that the City Council, to whom the expenditure of w£40,000 was a small matter, will see their way to providing the sum required for retaining the services of Captain Wain and his staff. It is rather too much to expect those who ungrudgingly give their time and labour for the citizens without recompense, to put their hands in their pockets for the defraying of the expenses attendant on the maintenance of the brigade. The numerous friends of the Rev. J. B. L. Rolland, S.M., the parish priest of the Grey Valley will be pleased to hear that he has partially recovered from his painful and dangerous illness. Although Father Rolland has not quite regained his usual strength and spirits, he is progressing steadily towards a complete restoration of his health. The rev. gentleman (says the ' Grey River Argus ') resumed his clerical duties at Ahaura on Sunday, and we understand he will take an early opportunity of again visiting all parts of the extensive district under his pastoral charge. Th* ' Nelson Evening Mail' or the 10th instant, has the following :—": — " We hear that the Rev. Father Pacilico, from Sydney, on his *»y to Home, was, last week, entrusted by the Rev. Father Garin with an address to be presented to hia Holiness the Pope,

eigned by six boys and six girls, in the name of the pupils of St.Mary's School, Nelson, representing respectively, six different nations, namely — One boy and one girl Italian, two others French, two English, two Germans, two Irish, and two Scotch. The address was most beautifully written and illustrated by one of the Sisters. Above and around the heading *To His Holiness Pope. Pius IX.,' were to be seen emblems, allegories, &c. Accompanying the address was a little case containing three nuggets of g01d,., as also gold dust in two little vials, with this inscription — ' Though this token of our devotedness i* nothing of itself, yet by its purity, we consider it to be an emblem of the love and esteem we bear you, the representative of Jesus Christ, soliciting at the same time, - with earnestnesa, your special blessing.' " "We have been requested to notify to those desirous of taking, part iv the celebration to be held in honor of O'Connell, on the sth prox., that tickets can be had from Mr. Macedo, Princes-street ; the Hibernian, European, and G-eorge Hotels, George-street, and at tho - principal merchants' offices throughout the town. We have received the prospectus of a new Monthly Magazine which is to be started in the interests of the Hibernian Society in Melbourne. It is to be called "The Monitor; and Hibernian News," and if a tithe of the promises set forth in the prospectus be adhered to, it will prove a most desirable addition to colonial literature. The first number makes its appearance on the stli prox., and subsequent issues on the same date of each succeeding month. The new claimant for support has our heartiest wishes for its success and prosperity. The formal opening of the Lawrence Branch of the Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society took place on last Monday evening. From a private telegram received in town, we learn that the dinner passed off with great eclat ; the leading citizens of Lawrenc being present. A full report will appear in our next issue.