GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 179, 1 September 1876, Page 9

GENERAL NEWS.

A grand reception was given to the Archbishop of Tuam, at Balhnasloe, on "Wednesday, May 31st. Long before the hour when the train was expected large crowds assembled, and took up the most available places on the platform, and the large bridge which spans the road at the station, from which a green flag floated, bearing on the top the motto, " The slave makes the tyrant," and on the bottom, " God save Ireland." When the signal for the arrival of the train^was given the cheering was deafening. There was not less than 6000 persons on the platform and its vicinity, and every one carrying some national emblem, as laurel, green ribbons, green neckties, green hatbands, &c. The town itself was decorated with green flags, bearing mottoes such as " Cead inille faiWie," &c; and with laurels, evergreers, and green branches hanging from nearly every window. There were two triumphal arches in Society-street, one from Piggott's Commercial Hotel, extending across the street to Mrs. Behau's wine stores, and the other from Mrs. Rigney's establishment to Green's wine vaults, on which were the inscriptions, " Cread mille failthe " and " God save Ireland"" The shops were all Closed from 12 to 3 o'clock, and there was a general holiday taken in the town, in order to give the young men an opportunity of joining in the demonstration. The enthusiasm of the people was unbounded, but notwithstanding the immense crowds who thronged into the town to witness and take part in the demonstration, everything passed off quietly. There was not a single case of drunkenness, or anything bordering on in toxicatibn uring the day to debract from the ovation given to his Grace. V Besides the process for the beatification of the Pere Libermann which we mentioned lately, another case was brought before the congregation of rites on the same day. It declare the beatification or declaration of martyrdom of the venerable servant of God, Father Louis Maria Chanel, of the Congregation of Mavists, pro-vicar apostolic of "Western Oceanica, where he gave ' his blood for the faith after having predicted that the island would be entirely converted to Catholicism. This prediction, which is the echo of the celebrated device of the first martyrs sanguis inartyrius semen Christianoram, has been literally verified. Cardinal Patrizi, the postulator in the cause laid before the Sacred Congregation of Kites the canonical doubt of the validity of the proceedings preparatory to the introduction of the cause, in order to know, whether, in conformity of the decree of Urban VIII., the venerable Louis Miria Chanel has not been the object of public worship. The Sacred Congregation had solved the doubt affirmatively, so that the cause of the venerable servant of God will' be continued in order to obtain his beatification. — • Catholic Review.' The^ following paragraph we find in an English paper: — A passage in the New Testament says, " And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee." Leon Gambetta, the Republican agitator, is said to have deliberately destroyed his left eye when he was a boy at school, if not exactly in obedience to the divine command, yet because he disliked to study the language in which this mandate was originally written. Gambetta hated Greek, and did his utmost to get excused from studying it But when he found that his entreaties were of no avail with his father, he threatened to destroy his vision. Gambetta pere, a stem and resolute man, who deemed it a wise father's duty to thwart the whims of an obstinate boy, was immovable, and told Leon he could pluck out his eyes if he chose, not, of course, for one moment supposing the possibility of such a thing. Enraged at this wholly unexpected answer, young Gxmbetfca tore his left eye from its socket, and informed his father that the right eye should go to keep company with the left if there was no other waj of escape from study of the hated language. Happily for France, his father, recognizing the indomitable will of his son, at once yielded the point. Dublin Theatre Royal witnessed an extraordinary scene on the night of Thursday, April 20. Mr. Richard M. Levey completed his fiftieth year of an unbroken connection with the orchestra of the theatre, during nearly forty years of which time he has been its first violin. There was an appropriate performance and a presentation on the stage to the veteran, who seems wonderfully juvenile for such a career, many of the chief citizens being members of the committee. One of the most amusing incidents of the evening was Mr. Levey's telling how he had to chinge his original paternal surname of O'Shaughnessy into the maternal one Levey. He went to London to form part of the orchestra of the Haymarket Theatre while yot very young, and the manager insisted on the change, declaring that no London audience would stand an Irish fiddler with such an outlandish name as O'Shaughnessy. " And now," said the veteran, "they have to tolerate an O'Shaughnessy in the House of Commons." Mr. Mitchell Henry, the able and eloquent Home Ruler in the English House of Commons, on the 29th ult., proved the gross injustice done to Ireland on the matter of taxation. Quoting figures that could not be disputed, he showed that England, with a taxable valuation of ,£800,000,000, was taxed at the rate of Is. Bd. in the pound, while Ireland, with a valuation of .£67,000,000, was taxed at 'the rate of 3s. 4d. in the pound, or double the English rate. His speech was able and effective, his figures correct, his conclusions well drawn, — and what followed? When he began his speech the front benches of both sides of the House were filled : before he wound up, the Opposition members of the front benches retired, and the close of Mr. Henry's appeal fell in hollow echoes on the empty benches. This fact is significant of the amount of attention Irish affairs receive on the other side of the Channel. The upshot was that Mr. Henry withdrew his resolution, and his speech might as well have never been uttered — ♦ Pilot.' The police of Berlin have advertised in the papers of that city for Count Arnim, who is described as a fugitive from justice. A warrant has be?n issued requesting foreign powers within who3e jurisdiction he may be found to seize and deliver him up.