take a long time to otherwise attain; it was therefore resolved that go he should, and with him Dr. Fitzpatrick as a clerical fidus Achates. O f course, upon such an eventful occasion an address and a testimonial were indispensable, and it did not take m u c h time to get them up. It was also arranged that the Bishop should take a public farewell of his people, and as Dr. Geoghegan had not yet, since his return, m a d e any public appearance outside the strict routine of his sacerdotal duties, it was happily contrived that the EasterSunday Meeting of the Catholic Association should perform a dual function, " T o welcome the coming, speed the parting guest,"
by receiving the one Doctor and wishing the other good-bye. It is no exaggeration to say that St. Francis' was never more crowded that on this noteful evening of the 20th April, and the addresses of the two "guests " were all that could be desired, making some allowance for a difference in the quality and texture of the articles. Dr. Geoghegan gave a graphic and lucid narrative of his wanderings by sea and land, whilst Dr. Goold was very profuse in his compliments as to the manner in which his Agent-General had acquitted himself of his by no means easy task. T h e funds of the Society benefited to the extent of ,£50 by the evening's gathering. T h e Bishop started on his homeward-bound trip per " S h a m r o c k " steamer to Sydney on the 23rd April 1851, and Dr. Geoghegan settled d o w n to the business of the Mission. A n event of an amusingly interesting character, took place at a meeting of the Catholic Association on the 18th M a y . T h e several priests w h o had recently arrived had not been yet collectively introduced to the R o m a n Catholic community; and Dr. Geoghegan, w h o was a master of the art of producing effects, and a believer in them to a certain extent, availed himself of this opportunity of holding a species of public reception, at which a mutual presentation of priests and people might be made. T h e " new c h u m s " were accordingly mustered in full force, and trotted out in style, something after the fashion of the Horse-Parades, and their various good points dilated upon by their conductor with all the good humour and unction of a popular auctioneer. T h e experiment was a vast success, the spectators enjoyed the performance immensely, and the collection plates, the inevitable sequel, were heaped with money, from the ragged bank-note to the shabby little three-penny bit. T h efirstof the novelties submitted to inspection was the gentleman afterwards so universally k n o w n as Dr. Bleasedale, blushing like a peony, and looking as bashful as one of those affianced damsels depicted in Moore's Oriental romance as taking " a last look in her mirror" on the eve of her nuptials. H e was introduced by Dr. Geoghegan "as a Catholic clergyman w h o had lately c o m e amongst t h e m — a Saxon, but who, in the words of that eminent bishop (Dr. Ullathorne), at whose instance he (Dr. Geoghegan) had been induced to visit the colonies, as applied to himself—was an Irishman born in England"—whereat the individual so eulogised m a d e a profound obeisance, and declared "that though not an Irishman, he might adopt a phrase he heard used in his o w n country, and say he was an Irishman's first cousin." T h e Rev. P. D u n n was next led forth, a good-looking, simple-faced young m a n , and he was ticketed by Dr. Geoghegan as the " Benjamin of his choice." T h e Rev. M . Stack followed, fresh from that remote corner of Old Ireland, the ancient kingdom of Kerry, famed alike for hardy men, winsome w o m e n , little cows, and the most delicious mutton in the world. In the course of a couple of months, Melbourne was visited by the Rev. Dr. Hall, the Vicar-General of Hobartown, long remembered through a couple of magnificent sermons which he preached. For some time there had been a vague notion of establishing a Religious Order of Monks, and in November, 1851, Dr. Geoghegan notified that the Bishop had given his special sanction and encouragement to the establishment of a monastery to be called " Hippo," on a section of land at the Deep Creek, some five-andtwenty miles from town, purchased for the purpose "and partly paid for by pious alms;" but one-half the money was still owing, and to aid in securing this M r . P. J. Cregin volunteered his services as a collector. This " H i p p o " affair turned out afiasco;it was forgotten during the gold-fielding complications, and soon sank into complete oblivion. THE
INTRODUCTION OF T H E P R A Y E R QUESTION
In the first Legislative Council, produced a controversy bitter and bad-tempered, and it was naturally to be expected that it would extend to the Catholic Association. This it did, and an uncompromisingly trenchant address delivered there by Dr. Geoghegan led to an acrimonious warfare between him and the Daily News and Herald Newspapers. T h e former journal never affected m u c h interest for the R o m a n Catholics,
