welcoming of Mr. William Westgarth, not long returned from a visit to the old country. The speechifying, though not possessing the fire of previous times, was interesting, particularly the h o m e news detailed by Westgarth ; but the singing was well kept up by J. S. Johnston, Ross, Russell and others.
Saint Patrick's Society
Is the only one of the old national Institutions that has survived all the great changes through which the colony has passed, and as it is alive to-day, a cursory memoir of its existence cannot be other than historically interesting. It was inaugurated on the 28th June, 1842, in the Royal Exchange Hotel, which stood on part of the n o w site of the Bank of N e w South Wales. T h e large room was crowded, and m u c h enthusiasm prevailed. Dr. John Patterson, the Immigration Agent, was appointed Chairman, and addresses were delivered by him and Messrs. T h o m a s H . Osborne, John C. King, W m . O'Farrell, W . R. Belcher, Michael Power, T h o m a s Robinson, T h o m a s Clarke, Richard Dowling, Michael Croker, J. M . Connolly, Daniel Kelly, David Boyd and John Stephen. Several resolutions were agreed to, the principal one declaring the Society to be established " For the encouragement of national feeling, the relief of the destitute, the promotion of education, and generally whatever m a y be considered by its members, best calculated to promote the happiness, the honour and the prosperity of their native and adopted lands."
It was designated " T h e St. Patrick Society of Australia Felix," and a code of laws for its government was sanctioned, Rule 1 prescribing "That any person, of whatever political creed or religious denomination, being a native of Ireland, or descended from Irish parents, shall be eligible as a member."
T h e following Board of Management was appointed :—President : John Patterson, R.N.; Vice-President : William Locke ; H o n . Secretary and Treasurer: T. H . Osborne ; Assistant Secretary : James Foley; Treasurer: Henry Campbell; Auditors: Dr. John Dickson and T h o m a s C. Riddle; Committee: David Boyd, Sylvester J. Brown, William R. Belcher, T h o m a s Clarke, John C. King, Michael M'Namara, William O'Farrell, David W . O'Nial, Michael Power, John Patterson, junr., Charles Williams, and Jephson B. Quarry.
It will be important, in order to accentuate certain doings yet to be narrated, to remark here that the nineteen individuals composing the original Directory may be religiously classified as—Episcopalians, 9; Presbyterians, 5 ; and R o m a n Catholics, 5.
It would be difficult to obtain a more representative body, except that the R o m a n Catholic element, likely to be largely in the majority of general members, was represented here by a minority of about a fourth. T h e President was an M.D., the Vice-President a merchant in high repute, the Honorary Secretary a retired Presbyterian Minister, and a more devoted son of the Emerald Isle never existed in Victoria. O n the Committee was one of the leading schoolmasters (Boyd), a prominent auctioneer Williams), an Attorney (Quarry), and thefirstT o w n Clerk (King). T h e last-named gentleman was so enamoured of Erin-go-Bragh, and so careful that neither north nor south should have reason to complain, that he determined to be impartial in the distribution of his favours, and so having assisted infigurativelyplanting the Shamrock in 1842, by helping to initiate a St. Patrick Society, in the next year he good-naturedly lent a hand to the culture of Orange lilies, as one of the founders of an Institution for the propagation of certain principles, traditionally, though erroneously, said to have been bequeathed in perpetuo by William the Third to his followers.
T h e Society's entrance fee was fixed at 5s. per member, with 12s. annual subscriptions, and its meetings were to be held monthly. There was a capital start, and an undertaking undeniably laudable was prosecuted with m u c h zeal. A n early season of trouble, little expected, was approaching, and one, too, that would put the strongest patriotism to the test. T h efirstCorporation Elections were fixed for the coming November. They excited m u c h interest, and incessant ward canvassing was resorted to. T h e Associated Hibernians, prompted by predilections, personal and otherwise, took different sides, which by no means increased the entente cordiale anticipated for the monthly re-union. T h e Society, as a body, certainly held aloof; but the individual members, rank andfile,threw themselves
