DIOCESE OF AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 15, 9 April 1903, Page 5

DIOCESE OF AUCKLAND.

(From our own correspondent.) April 2. The Marist Brother's new college is nearing completion, and on all sides it is voted a valuable architectural addition to the district of western Ponsonby. Auckland's custom duties for the year ending March 31st is a record for the Colony, the total being £612,666, an increase of £57,784 on last year's total, and £50,962 more than this year's total for Wellington.

The Young Men's Club at St. Benedict's is progressing very favorably. Every Tuesday evening useful and instructive meetings, presided over by Rev, Father Furlong, aie held. Mr. F. G. Ewington has promised to deliver a lecture on Russia at the end of May in which he will show that country's progress through Asia, etc., using maps to illustrate his theme. Key. Father Croke left here last Friday by the Sierra for San Francisco en route to Ireland. He was accompanied to the steamer by a host of friends, who stayed with him until the big Oceanic liner moved out. It is Father Croke's intention to cross the United States by easy stages, visiting friends on the way, and so arrive in Ireland in the summer season. His Lordship Bishop Lenihan returned to town last Monday evening. lie had been absent a fortnight, dur^ ing which time he had travelled over 260 miles by road. He had been all o\er the Ohineniuri and the greater part of r the Bay of Plenty districts, in which places he confirmed large numbers, and also inspected, and made hiinbelf acquainted with the progress of the wide area o\er which he travelled. The Very Rev. Father Benedict, 0.P., was in advance of the Bishop, gi\ing missions and instructing the faithful. His Lordship spoke highly of the progress he noticed. The names of the pupils of the Marist Brothers' school, who won the primary schools' championship in the swimming contests for their school, are Masters Bernard and A. O'llare, P. Amodeo, A Tobin, and 11. Ryan. Ihe quintette is a strong one, and the win carried with it a champion banner, which adoins the wall of the school Yesterday afternoon, Mr Hamilton, the noted swimmer, and several others now here for the swimming contests to take place next Saturday, visited the Manst Bi others' school Mr Hamilton addressed the bo^s on the art of swimming, and said he was pleased to notice their champion banner on the wall, and hoped they would continue to practise and become later on champions in a higher grade In yesterday morning's ' New Zealand Herald ' there appeared a splendid and sympathetic leader upon the new lush Land Bill. The writer took his leaders back to the da\ s of the Brehon law, when the lands weie in the keeping of the tribes. This was followed by the rule of the stranger, who, to use the words of the writer, ' by acts of unexampled barbarity and cruelty under Elizabeth, substituted the English feudal system for the Brehon law.' The names of the land-grabbers are given, and the numbers of nc res allotted to them. Hitherto in the ' Herald's ' columns the Irish qtiestion, from a National standpoint, received but scant courtesy, and the change is a welcome one. ___^_____^_^__