INTERCOLONIAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 14, 3 April 1902, Page 7

INTERCOLONIAL.

iT Mr. Donald Mackintosh, who has jußt been re-elected M.L.A.. for Jambooya (Q.). has received many congratulations on his victory. As we have had occasion to remark before, the hon. member is of the Highland clan of Mackintoshes which clung to the old Faith during all the persecutions of the ' Reformation ' and post-Reform-ation times, and he is one of the sturdiest adherents of the Church in Australia. Mr. Mackintosh had hardly returned thanks for his election when he left the Darling Downa for Sydney, to attend the entrance of his seventh son, Francis Aloysius, into the Lewisham novitiate of the Christian Brothers. In reply to a speech made by the Archbishop of Melbourne at the national concert in the Melbourne Town Hall on St Patrick's night, his Excellency the Governor-General made a felicitous speech reminding his Grace that on his first arrival here the Archbishop had been one of the earliest to welcome himself and Lady Hopetoun. As to the union between Ireland and Scotland his Excellency remarked that his own idea of that was shown by the fact that he had married an Irishwoman. When he first went to Ireland as a young man, an Irishman he met there — he thought his name was Murphy — suggested that among the daughters of the Isle he might see one who would take his fancy. He did. In conclusion, he would cay in etrict confidence to any present who might still be free to choose that they could not do better than follow his example and marry an Irish girl. He could not wish them to thank Providence for any greater happiness than he and Lady Hopetoun had had during their 16 years of married life. Referring to the discussion on the Catholic vote at the Methodist Conference, the Melbourne Lea&er of March 15, says :—: — If a little more consideration had been given to the matter it might have*dawned upon the conference that the real obstacle to the adoption of the league's proposals is to be found in the hostility of public opinion, and that neither Catholic nor Orange feeling in the matter is the determining factor. The country has had experience in the past of denominational education, and does not wish to return to the system. It realises that if the State departs from the principle that its duty lies only with secular education, and that parents and the churches must accept the responsibility of religious teaching, the floodgates of sectarian animosity will be opened again. The acceptance of the league's scheme would embitter the existing grievance of the Roman Catholics, and if in alleviation of the injustice a separate grant were given to the Catholics as demanded, the foundations of the national system would soon be swept ftW&V In Melbourne, as in Sydney, the St. Patrick's Day celebration was uniquely successful. In the Southern City they had the customary procession — one of the oldest Melbourne's pageants, for to quote the Argun — ' In the early days of " The Settlement," when every second resident in the little community hailed from the Emerald lele, once a year, on ' the seventeenth,' they carried their hearts back to Tipperary and Connemara as they followed the few primitive banners along the half-formed streets.' This year thousands turned out to see it parade the streets, and it was universally admitted one of the best that the Catholics of Victoria have organised to date. The luncheon, of course, was the great feature, more especially a3 a true Irish national note was Bounded, as wad the case in Sydney. Mr. M. Sheahan presided, and amongst others present were Senator O'Connor, Sir Malcolm M'Eacharn, M.H.R , the Premier (Mr. Peacock), the Premier of New South Wales (Mr. See) the Mayor of Melbourne (Sir Samuel Gillott), Mr. Fitzgerald, M.LC., Mr. Murray, M.L.A., Mr. Beazley, M.L.A., Mr. P. J. O'Connor, M.L.A., Dean Phelan, the Rev. Dr. Rentoul, and Sir Bryan O'Loghlen. Apologies were received from ar number of prominent gentlemen, including the Prime Minister (Mr. Barton), the Speaker of the House of Representatives (Mr. Holder), the Speaker of the Victorian Assembly (Mr. Mason), and the Victorian Minister for Lands (iMr. Duggan). At the concert given in the Town Hall in the evening Lord and Lady Hopetoun were present. The celebration of St. Patrick's Day in Sydney was marked by greater enthusiasm, if possible, than on any former occasion. It was thought for a time that in consequence of the day not having been proclaimed a public holiday it would militate against the success of the celebration, but the fact that upwards of 10,000 persons were present at the eports in the Agricultural Show Grounds was evidence sufficient to show that under any circumstances the Irish men and Irish women of Sydney had determined to celebrate the national festival in becoming manner. The banquet which was held during the afternoon in the building on the grounds was remarkable for the number of public men present. His Grace the Coadjutor-Archbishop presided, having on his immediate right and left respectively the Federal Prime Minister (the Right Hon. E. Barton, P. 0., K.C.) and the Federal Home Secretary (Sir Wm. Lyne). The State Ministry was represented by the Hon. E. W. O'Sullivan, Minister of Works ; the Hon. W. P. Crick, Minister for Lands ; and the Hon. T. Waddell, Treasurer. The Legislature and Municipal Government were also well in evidence in the persons of the Hon. Captain Charles, M.L.C. ; the Hon. John Toohey, M.L.C. ; the Hon. John Meagher, M.L.C. ; the Hen. T. M. Slattery, M.L.C. ; Mr Austin Chapman, M.L.A. ; Mr Thomas Fitzpatrick, M.L.A. ; Mr J. G. Carroll M.L.A. ; Mr P. E. Quinn, M.L.A. ; Alderman R. D, Meagher, M.LA. ; Alderman A. J. Kelly, M.L,A. ; Mr Eden George, MX A. ; Mr Brinsley Hall, M.L.A. ; the Mayor of Sydney (Alderman Thomas Hughes), the Town Clerk (Mr T. H. Nesbitt). Nearly all the Catholic clergy in and around the city attended. Stirring speeches were delivered by Archbishop Kelly, Alderman Meagher, Hon. E, Barton, Major Freehill, Hon. T. Waddell, Hon. E. W. O'Sullivan, I Hon. W. P. Crick, Sir William Manning, and Brigadier-General Finn. In the evening there was a national concert given in the Town Hall, which was packed , hundreds beiDg unable to gain admittance.