FORMATION OF DISTRICTS. (To the Editor of the New Zealand Tablet.)

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 178, 25 August 1876, Page 12

FORMATION OF DISTRICTS. (To the Editor of the New Zealand Tablet.)

Sib, — I am very much pleased to see that the correspondence started by me a few weeks since touching the interests and future of the above Society within the Colony, has commended itself to the attention of what may be termed the mouth-pieces of a goodly number of branches. Among these appears our young and talented friend. Brother John Cantwell, whose attention to matters Hibernian gives him a deservedly high place in the estimation of his fellow members. Then we have a communication from the able pen of a Lawrence member, whose letter is evidently the result of considerable and careful thought. Also a letter signed " Treaty Stone," which is deserving of respect, notwithstanding the strong and somewhat bitter tone that pervades parts of it. We have another letter which cannot but be of interest, coming as it does from a past E.D. officer, now resident at Napier, and last, though not least, is a well digested letter from Brother Maher, of Invercargill. This Brother is evidently a thorough Hibernian and good Catholic, for his letter is full of courage and hope, and breathes a spirit of true Catholic toleration. I hope the question of the future of our great Catholic Society will continue to command the attention of its members, and that they will not dismiss it from tbeir consideration till its governrnent in this Colony has been stamped with such a finality of character as will give the Catholics of this Colony every encouragement to join its ranks. The Society is rapidly spreading and gaining strength, and now is the time for every member to be up and doing. Correspondents to newspapers, however, should be careful not to use strong language, lest they, unwittingly prejudice the Society in the mind of the public, and thus do it an injury, for as Brother Maher infers in his letter, our Superiors at Melbourne have not been guilty of anything which would cause us to suspect them of any mismanagement in the affairs of the Society. I for one have no such fears, although I thoroughly disagree with the manner in which the last A. M. was conducted, and consider that in taking the serious steps of deposing the Chief President for, to my mind, no lawful reason whatever, they committed a great act of injustice to that officer, and in doing so, inflicted an injury on th« Society generally. However, I do not doubt their ability, neither do I for a moment question, their honesty of purpose. At present the Society ia-bntr in its infancy, but a great change is about to take place in the formation of the district form of government, or local management and representation. This is the question that has to be combated and settled, and in dealing with the subject, I heartily agree with Brother Maher that we should cease to lean on our Brothers at Melbourne, but take the material within our reach, and form ourselves at once into districts. Once established, we would soon rectify any of the district laws that required alteration (and there would not be a few). I may here remark, that the Dunedin Branch appointed a committee to deal with this question, and I fully believe that, in the event of a strong district being formed for Otago and Canterbury, the result of their labors would afford abundant, and carefully matured matter for consideration. In conclusion, I may state that a circular embodying propositions and principal features of the proposed district is now in preparation, and will be sent to all branches interested almost immedia r ely. — i ani) &C-i& C-i J. J. Connor.