INTERCOLONIAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIV, Issue 2, 10 January 1901, Page 20

INTERCOLONIAL.

Dame rumour hath it that the Rev. Father Duff, Perth, W.A. the author of ' The Two Worlds,' has decided to Btage this splendid work again at an early date. The drama had a successful run in the West Australian capital recently. Large numbers are looking forward to a definite announcement that this beautiful drama is to be reproduced. A new church was recently blessed and opened at Adamstown 1 the ceremony being performed by the Right Rev. Dr. Dwyer, Coadjutor Bishop of Maitland. After the ceremony it was announced by the secretary of the Building Committee, Mr W. M'Gill, that the sum of £377 had been received, and aa the cost of the building ia £450, the church is nearly out of debt. It is with regret (writes a Brisbane correspondent) I have to r«oord the death of Mr Randall C. W. Macdonnell, barrister-at-law, whioh took place suddenly at his residence, Milton, on December 15. The deceased was gradually winning his way to the front rank of his profession, and had acted as Crown Prosecutor on several occasions. He had also filled the position with credit of Acting-Judge. Much sympathy is felt for his young wife and child at their sad and untimely bereavement. What is supposed to be an extinct volcano has been found 13 miles from Herberton, Queensland, by a survey party. The volcano was only known to the blacks, and this is accounted for by the almost impassible Bcrub with whioh it is surrounded. The crater ia five ohains in diameter, with vertical walls over tiOO feet to the water level. An attempt to asoertain the depth of it was unsuccessful, though a line 800 feet long was ussd. The surface round the mouth is covered with lava. The death is reported of the Rev. Father McGuinness, of Moree, Diocese of Armidale. The deceased, who was a brilliant French soholar, spent some of the earlier years of his priesthood in a French monastery. He had been ordained nearly 40 years ago, and had spent 36 years on the Australian mission. The earlier stages of his Church work in the colonies were spent in Queensland. He was a native of Culhaney, County Armagh, Ireland. He had been located about seven years as parish prieit in Moree, and travelled all over the district, where he was greatly respected, loved, and esteemed. The Right Rev. Dr. Doyle, who had been on a trip to Europe, reached Sydney on the Saturday before Christmas. A representative of the Freeman met the Revs. E. Carroll and Bean, who have come oat with Dr. Doyle to assist on the Lismore mission, and they said that the popular Bishop of Lismore had a delightful trip ouc, and had expressed himself as having had a very enjoyable tim? all through. The Rev. E. Carroll as well as Father Bean are natives of Dublin. The former had been on the English mission for some time, and was engaged in controversial work with splendid results.

Father Carroll speaks glowingly of the progress of the Churoh in England. Father Bean comes straight out from Ireland. The Sistera of Mercy are about to establish a convent at St. Arnand. Bishop Moore and Rev. Dr. Doyle have contributed £r>o each. The venerable Bishop of Maitland is able to get about again after a loru and serious illness, and his many friends will be pleased to hear of his recovery. Amony^t Catholic progressive works which are to come into operation this year in Victoria may be mentioned the establishment ot the Sisters of St. Joseph in the Wilhamstown parish. They will take possesaioa of their convent in January. The Rev. Robert Soanlon, who has been transferred from St. Mary's, Hamilton, to St. Patriok's Cathedral, Ballarat, was recently presented with an illuminated address and a purse of 100 sovereigns by the congregation of St. Mary's. The Mayor (Councillor Lough* nane) presided. The mmy friends, clerical and lay^ of the Rev. J. J. Malone and the Ray. T. Brazil will be pleased to learn that his Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne has appointed them to the important office of irremovable r-ctors of the parishes of Daylesford and Williams* town respectively. A few weeks ago a number of people assembled at the Gatton cemetery to witness the handing over of the splendid monument erected by the residents of the district in memory of Norah, Ellen, and Michael Murphy, the victims of that terrible tragedy of two years ago. Mr. W. B. Armstrong, M.L.A., in a short but wellchosen speech, said it gave him great pleasure on behalf of the committee and subscribers to hand over to Mr. and Mrs. Murphy and family the beautiful monument before them, and to their care he delivered it, and hoped they would receive it as a mark of sympathy and esteem from the committee and subscribers. Mr. Murphy, in a feeling speech, thanked Mr. Armstrong and the committee He never expected that such a splendid monument would be erected, and he much appreciated the kindness and sympathy which had prompted such a generous action on their part. Regarding the Irish troops now in Sydney the Freeman's Journal has the following : — The new Irish Guards, a fine body of men, attracted a good deal of attention. The most notable distinction — and one, too, conferred on them by the Queen in recognition of the gallantry of the Irish soldiers in South Africa — in the uniform of the New Guards is the appearance of the shamrock in silver embroidery at each end of the collar and a plume of St. Patrick's blue at the side of the bearskin. The shoulder-strap bears the star of the Order of St. Patrick. The Irish regiments, comprising the Guards, Rifles, aud Royal Fusiliers, number 72 men. Colonol Wyndham is the commanding officer of the Imperial troops, whioh include some 90 Catholics. There are three Catholic officers holding hiirh positions, viz., Captain A. H. Wood, Adjutant of the Foroe, and son of General Sir Evelyn Wood (Second Battalion Scottish Rifles) ; Major O. H. Fisher, Fourth Battalion Norfolk Regiment ; and Lieutenant C. E. Chichester, Somerset Light Infantry. The Rev. Father Foran, first-class chaplain, with the rank of full Colonel, is looking after the spiritual interests of the Catholic soldiprs. Father Foran, who has filled the post for 27 years, has a distinguished record. The tallest man in the Imperial contingent is McCulloch, Foot Guardsman, who comes from the North of Ireland, and stands 6ft loin. It is satisfactory to Catholics (*ays the Melbourne Advocate) that the Bible Lessons Referendum Bill has been thrown out by the Legislative Council, but it is not creditable to that Chamber that the majority against the measure was not much larger than is seen in the result of the division. It must have been if several honourable members had not paltered with principle, aa the representatives of the Government in the House had previously done, by 'swallowing' the referendum. There ia no innovation more perilous to the rights, aud even the existence, of the second Chamber than the plebiscite in any form, or under any circumstances. Legislative authority is defined and circumscribed in our written Constitution, and it U extended and infringed by the referendum. If it be necessary or even expedient that an appeal should be made to the people for the settlement of questions on which the two Houses cannot agree, then let that be done rightly and honestly by an attempt to amend the Constitution and to Becure for the proposal, not a mere majority, but that majority for which provision is made by st-itute. In a serious matter of this kind in the working of our Constitution, a novelty should not be introduced without necessary legal sanction, and a large majority of the Council were known to be of that opinion. That they would oppose a referendum on any question was therefore to be expeoted, but on the frivolous pretext that a political question was not involved in this instance, far too many of them trifled with their convictions, and by doing so gave strength to the enemy. The question was not wholly political, but it was partly so, and in so far as it was political, how they voted was of serious importance to the members. Neither in its political nor religious aspect was any compromise admiasable. Compromise meant a wrong to the Catholic body and a sacrifice of principle on a political question, and the members who voted ' Yes ' have been consenting parties to a rclinquishment of duty on both points.

The Grand Prix was the highest award obtainable at the Paris Exhibition, and the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company, of Chicago, secured this coveted honor, and not only this but they obtained more special prizes than all other competitors. Such a tribute to the worth of the McCormick machines is proof positive of their excellence. Messrs. Morrow, Bassett and Co., Christohnroh, Ashburton, and Dunedin, are the agents for the Company's manufactures in New Zealand.— ,*«,