Notes

New Zealand Tablet, 23 March 1911, Page 530

Notes

‘ Mr. Dooley ’ as Family Man According to the Montreal Tribune Finley Peter Dunne, author of the famous ‘ Mr. Dooley ’ articles, is now the proud father of twins. An Irish stork,’ says our contemporary, ‘ hesitated at the Dunne residence, 29 Fast Sixty-second street, New York, just long enough to add a boy and a girl to the establishment as a Christmas present, and Finley P. has been whispering the good news and buying cigars surreptitiously ever since. His old friend Hennessey says Dooley is a little too chesty over the new arrivals to indulge just yet in any such every day line of talk as is his wont.’

A Bad ‘ Break ’ Some time ago, it will be remembered, an appeal was taken from the Queensland Supreme Court to the High Court of Australia to settle the question of the interpretation of a priest’s will, in which his Grace Archbishop Dunne, of Brisbane, had been left some £37,000 to be devoted to Church and charitable purposes. The Supreme Court decided in favor of the Archbishop; but, on appeal, the High Court reversed this decision, two of the judges, however (Judges O’Connor and Higgins) dissenting. Misled by the names of these two judges, a number of the bigots jumped to the conclusion that both were Catholics; and they were contemptible enough to openly insinuate that these gentlemen had allowed their religious beliefs to influence them in their judgment. Whereupon, a well-known Sydney' weekly falls upon them in the following vigorous fashion: ‘The Yellow Pup is an habitually untruthful tyke; but when it jumps at a false conclusion and bites the Commonwealth High Court, it is time to drop the old habit of disregarding its untruthfulness, and invite it to an interview with the Law. At a ‘ Protestant Defence ’ meeting at Adelaide, a Pastor Rankine mentioned that an R.C. Archbishop was interested in a will for some £35,000 or £37,000; and, when the case was before the High Court two Catholic judges voted one way and two Protestant judges the other way, and the Hebrew judge voted with the Protestants. And Pastor Rankine wanted to know what would have happened if the Hebrew had been an R.C. As a matter of fact, there is but one R.C. judge on the High Court Bench (O'Connor). ■ Higgins, whom the tyke no doubt took to be an R.C., is a Protestant, the son, indeed of a Protestant clergyman. So the whole horrible imputation against the Court falls with a sickening thud on top of whatever fragment of reputation the “pastor” happened to possess.’ ‘ The Home and the School ’ Under this heading the Right Rev. Dr. Dwyer, Bishop of Maitland, discusses, in his Lenten Pastoral,' the question that is arousing general interest amongst the Catholic body throughout Australasia. Dealing with the political aspect of the question, his Lordship has the following pointed and weighty words, the application of which is by no means confined to the Catholics of the Maitland diocese: Now, regarding our schools, we have one or two questions to ask ourselves: —Do we all, parents or not parents, take a lively interest 11 the welfare of our schools as representing the cause of religion amongst us? At a conference convened by the Cardinal-Archbishop of Sydney, it vas decided to establish in Sydney a committee representative of both clergy and laity from all parts of New South Males, to promote the interests of Catholic education. When tne time comes for the realisation of this project I trust that our diocese shall be able to send its representatives to that committee.’ * or the present, let me urge on all who are capable of taking an intelligent interest in matters of public policy that it is a duty incumbent on them as Catholics to enter mto and actively promote a cause which is admitted to be a vital cause of religion. _ The fact that in the educational policy of this State our rights as Catholics are ignored is clue to the fact that we are a minority. But as our being a minority does not deprive us of freedom to profess our religion, neither does it invalidate our rights in the matter of public education. It is the part of intelligent citizens to know their rights, and of courageous citizens to maintain them in the face of opposition. This is the daily nork of political action in general. The part of Catholics as such in our political life is almost confined to maintain our educational rights. Hence the necessity of knowiim them, and of being prepared to stand up for them.’