People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIV, Issue 3, 18 January 1906, Page 10

People We Hear About

The rumor which had been in circulation for sometime that General Sir William Butler would probably; contest an Irish seat at the general election, had evidently no foundation, as we were informed by cable last week that he had started on a Government mission t©South Africa to inquire into any subject requiring attention, and to report upon the general state of the country. General O'Connor, who until recently was Comman-der-in-Ohief of the French Forces in Algiers, died last month at Paris. He was, as his name implies, of Irishdescent, and was a most enthusiastic and painstaking soldier. He saw active service in many parts of the world, including Madagascar and the Far East. But it was in Algiers that the best part of his life was spent. He was 58 years of age. October 27 was President Roosevelt's 47th birthdayThere was not much prospect in his youth of TheodoreRoosevelt developing the fine constitution which he possesses to-day. He was puny and sickly, and there was a fear lest he would not survive childhood. But Roosevelt set himself to train his strength, running, jumping, riding, boxing — with the set ideal of becoming strong. If he were asked to sail, he would only agreeto row ; if asked to ride, he would prefer to walk — anything, indeed, to increase his strength. The London correspondent of the Dublin ' Daily Express,' in the course of a complimentary reference to Mr. Justin M'Carthy, who celebrated his 76th birthday the other day, writes : ' Mr. M'Carthy was— and I ana sure still is — a strong Nationalist, but lie has left some kindly memories behind him 'in the House, and, if he isalmost forgotten as a politician, he wlill be rememberedfor many years because of the contributions he hasmade to the literature of our times. When the last word is said he will be remembered as a kindly man who, although he clung tenaciously to his party and ha<? many (political foes, left not an enemy behind. The Right Rev. Dr. Iliggins, Bishop of Ballarat, who accompanies the Archbishop of Melbourne on his visit to this Colony, is a native of Westmeath, and is about R5 years of age. He received his early education at St. Finian's Diocesan Seminary, Navan, thence he passed to Maynooth. He was raised to the priesthood in 1863, and after four years on the mission in his native diocese he was appointed President of the Ecclesiastical Seminary, a position which he filled with much distinction for a period of 1G years. In 1889 Dr. Hoggins was appointed Auxiliary Bishop to his Eminence Cardinal Moran. On the death of Dr. Cani he was appointed Bishop of Rockhampton. Owing to the death of the Right Rev. Dr. Moore, in 1904, a vacancy was created in the See of Ballarat, to which he was transferred last year. His Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne, who is at present on a health visit to Rotorua, is in his 67|th year, having been born in County Gal way in 1839. He pursued his first studies at St. Jarlath's College, Tuam, and afterwards proceeded to Maynooth College, where ho read with great distinction the higher ecclesiastical course. He was ordained priest on May L 7, ]Bfi6, nearly forty years ago. During the first years of his missionary career he labored with singular zeal in his native diocese, and as professor in St. Jarlath's College. In 1813 he returned to Maynooth and successively discharged the duties of Dean and Professor of Theology, and Prefect of the Dunboyne Establishment. la 1880 he was appointed Vice-President of the College, and three years later he was appointed Bishop of Galway. In 1886 Dr. Carr succeeded the late Archbishop Goold in the See of Melbourne. He was invested with the pallium in Rome on St. Patrick's Day, 1887, andf arrived in Melbourne in the following Jjune. In 18&3 his Grace had the happiness of seeing St. Patrick's Cathedral consecrated, the whole of the cost — a quarter of a million sterling— having been subscribed. This happy result was due in a great measure to the zeal and energy which he put into this great undertaking — one of the finest ecclesiastical monuments in the* Southern Hemisphere.