Page:ChroniclesofEarlyMelbournevol.2.pdf/178

The first meeting for business was held in the Hall on the 7th July. The members had a farewell gathering at the Builders' Arms whence they were played by the Father Matthew Band to the Hall, of which possession was taken amidst loud cheers. T h e building was crowded, and addresses were delivered by the President (O'Shanassy), the Vice-President (Finn), Alderman John Stephen, the late V.P., his brother Mr. Sidney Stephen, a non-member and Barrister, afterwards- a Judge of the Supreme Court of N e w Zealand, Mr. W . C. Conroy, n o w an esteemed Carlton J.P, & c , &c. T h e recent ball yielded a surplus of ^ 5 9 to the funds, a very welcome addition. Special thanks were voted to the office-bearers for their exertions, and particularly to Mr. Tim. Lane, the Treasurer. After the meeting the band played a large contingent of the members back to Lane's, where they "whiskyed" and otherwise refreshed themselves without stint and without charge until long past midnight. A special meeting was held in the Hall, on the n t h September, to adopt a memorial to the Secretary of State on the subject of emigration from Ireland, and praying that a fair proportion of Irish emigrants should be sent to the province. All Irishmen were invited to be present, but the wetness of the evening operated so unfavourably that the rain prevented the Father Matthew Society's Band from playing through the streets. Nevertheless the attendance was as numerous as the Hall Mr. O'Shanassy presided, and addresses were delivered by the Chairman, Dean Coffey, could hold. Messrs. John Stephen, 1). H . Hickey, E. Finn, R. P. Mervin, W . O'Farrell and others. T h e memorial was adopted, and a deputation nominated to present it to the Superintendent. M r . Latrobe received them very courteously, a couple of days after, intimated his concurrence with the object in view, and promised to transmit the memorial to England by the earliest opportunity. In January, 1850, the St. Patrick school was opened, under the management of Mr. and Mrs. J. R. M'Laughlin, two very competent teachers, w h o conducted it for some time, and it underwent more than one change of masters during the ensuing eighteen months, when the Hall was temporarily rented to the Government under circumstances to be hereafter described. T h e annual celebration this year was an Hibernian ball on the 18th March, whereat 500 persons congregated, the music was supplied by Hore's Saxehorn Band, and the supper catered for by Mr. Ewers. T h e arrangements were faultless, and the enjoyment unqualified. A great attraction to the decorations was the loan of a tasteful white and red banner from the St. George's Club, which, varied by the green, presented an agreeable and picturesque contrast. At the anniversary meeting on the 2nd April, thefinancialcondition of the Institution was pronounced to be all that could be reasonably desired. Though the President and Vice-President wished not to be re-elected, they yielded to the generally expressed feeling, and went in for another year. M r . Michael O'Connell withdrew from the Secretaryship, to which he had been nominated during the year, to be succeeded by Mr! Richard Dalton. T h e unwarrantable action of the City Council in petitioning the Queen for a discontinuance of Irish Orphan Immigration caused the Society to take up arms on behalf of a number of girls most wantonly assailed, in the first instance, by the Argus newspaper, and subsequently by the Corporate Representatives. They were represented as so many dishonest and immoral hussies, w h o swelled the ranks of street prostitution, and were a plague instead of a benefit. Not an atom of reliable testimony was adduced to sustain such cowardly and outrageous slanders, and to rebut them a special meeting of the Society was held on the 9th May, when Mr. E. Finn, as V.P., presiding in the absence of the President, officiated as Chairman. T h e Society engaged actively in the Separation rejoicings of 1850, and a splendid new banner procured for the occasion, formed one of the attractions of the national procession. O n the 9lh November, there was a great jubilation at a Separation ball given in the Hall. St. Patrick's Day of 1S51 was kept up by a dinner at which three rattling speeches were delivered, by the Present, Vice-President, and Mr. John Stephen, and it was followed by a ball next evening. At the annual meeting in April, M r . O'Shanassy retired from the Presidency he had tor six years ablyfilled,and peremptorily declined re-election. T w o candidates were nominated for the office, viz., the V.P. (Finn) and Mr. J. W . Dunbar, a Solicitor; but the latter withdrawing, Finn was elected without opposition, held it by renewal for seven years, and also at a later period.