People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, 21 August 1913, Page 41

People We Hear About

The French President, on his recent visit to 'London, bestowed on Superintendent Quinn, of Scotland Yard, the decoration of Grand Officer in the French Order of the Legion of Honor. The first Chinese woman to become a nun has just died at Hong Hong at the age of 83. Sister Magdalen Tam entered the Italian convent at Hong Kong in 1860. After a novitiate she took charge of the orphan girls, and continued the duty- until recently, when the weight of years bore her down. Serjeant Charles L. Matheson, K.C., has been promoted to be his Majesty’s First Serejant-at-Law; Serjeant Alexander M. Sullivan, K.C., to be his Majesty’s Second Serjeant-at-Law j and Mr. George McSweeny, K.C., has been appointed his Majesty's Third Serjeant-at-Law, in Ireland. Mr. Vincent O'Brien, choirmaster of the Christian Brothers' School in Dublin, and one of the leading instrumental musicians in Ireland, has accepted an appointment from Mr. John McCormack, the famous Irish tenor, to join in his concert tours. The late Lord Avebury used to boast that he was the first person in England to be photographed. It happened when he was a child. Daguerre came to England from France to patent his invention, and when calling on Lord Avebury’s father he saw the little boy in the garden and photographed him, A wedding of Catholic interest took place recently at Our Lady of Good Aid Church, Motherwell, Scotland, the contracting parties being Mr. Francis Graham, M.A., and Miss Janette W. Marshall, M.A. It will be remembered that Miss Marshall is a convert to the Catholic Church, and her conversion some two years ago caused a wave of excitement in the Protestant society circles in which she moved, and has since provided more food for public discussion than any event of the kind in recent years. Miss Marshall was one of the principal teachers in the Knowetop School, Mbtherwell, and immediately on her conversion the Dalziel School Board summarily dismissed her from her position. Miss Sinclair, who acted as bridesmaid, is also a convert to the Catholic Church. In communicating an offer by the Duke of Norfolk to grant to the Littlehampton Urban Council a lease of between three and four acres of land for nine hundred and ninety-nine years at the nominal rental of a shilling a year for the purposes of a recreation ground, Colonel Mostyn wrote that his Grace had noticed that no Sunday games were proposed to be allowed. He had no wish to force his own opinion in any way on this subject, nor would he wish the Council to take a course which might meet with legitimate conscientious objection, but he felt that innocent games of croquet, tennis, or bowls on Sunday might obviate worse evils. At the same time he would not consent to the ground being open during the hours of Divine service,, or to the groundman being / employed or anyone paid to take his place on Sundays. The new Attorney-General for Ireland,-, the Right Hon. John Francis Moriarty, is 47, and was educated at Stony hurst and Trinity College, Dublin. For many years he has been one of the leaders of the Irish Bar, but his official promotion began only five years ago with his appointment as Third Serjeant-at-Law. Mr. Moriarty’s appointment as Solicitor-General in Ireland was but lately announced, the rapid promotion being accounted for by Attorney-General Moloney’s elevation to the High Court Bench. His forensic addresses are remarkable for the wealth of literary allusion, and for the way in which he manages to enliven his pleadings in the most technical Nisi Prius proceedings with quotations from the poets. 1