PASSIM NOTES.

What is a "lapsed Presbyterian"? It would be interesting to know, if merely from the point of view of natural history. According to the ReV. Mr Borrie and other alarmists in.the' Presbytery, the number of lapsed Presbyterians amongst us— or, "in our midst," to use the correct phrase— must be very great, several thousands at the least. Yet there seems no certain means of identifying any one of them. How do you recognise a lapsed -Presbyterian when you see him ? Are there airs in walk and gait to know him by ? May he be expected to whistle on Sundays, and take his Sabbath walks abroad in garments' of unsabbatic hue and cut? Can you read heresy or prelacy in.the expression of his face ? Is there a cock of the eye, for instance, which means "good-bye to the Shorter Catechism," or a swing of the shoulders inspired by hostility to the doctrine of Sheol 1 Unfortunately the Daily Times announces that the " Lapsed Presbyterian " correspondence is closed, or we might have been enlightened on some of these points. We had just got to, the highly carious fact that lapsus presbyterianious is a disease usually associated with an income of £500 a-year, when the editor clapped the stopper on. That was very cruel. It would have been interesting to have this relation between worldly income and religious belief thoroughly elucidated. That such a relation often exists has been noted before gnow — e.g.:— What makes a knave a child of k God And one of us? A livelihood. What makes all doctrines plain and clear ? About two hundred pounds a year. < And that which was proved true before Prove false again? Two hundred more. In Hudibras it, is the Presbyterian clergy that are satirised thus— unjustly, of course; but it is strange that nowadays similar imputations should be brought by the clergy against the laity. To return, however, to the question I started with, let me put it this way: — Suppose a Presbyterian accepts the doctrines of the "Reign of Grace," is he therefore a lapsed Presbyterian 1 But suppose another case. Suppose a Presbyterian who, like the deacon in "John Ward," is " sound on hell," and has written pamphlets in praise of eternal perdition, but who frequently gets drunk and occasionally exhibits himself drunk, with disordered dress, in! a public place,— is he a lapsed Presbyterian 7 I shall be sorry if the discussion finally closes before I get an answer to this question, i

His Excellency Governor Onslow has arrived at last, and in spite of the fact that the Government, or as it is comprehensively put in ",The Mikado," ", ( sqme person in authority," had' with niggardly spirit refused the attendance of the whole of the Auckland volunteers as a guard of honour, has had a fine reception, as is becoming he should. The Aucklanders have evidently been \ a little elated • at the circumstance of the Governor having elected to land in their city, and at lease one newspaper could detect in the refusal of the said guard of honour the jealousy of Wellington that the Empire City been .overlooked. It was not so, however ; neither wa^it due to the painting and papering [going on at Government House, nor to any of the other reasons that have been advanced as accounting for the preference given to Auckland. It | seems, though one would hardly think it, ; that there was a constitutional point involved all the while. " You may perhaps be surprised" explains his Excellency, "that I should have landed at Auckland rather than at the seat pf Government, but when I was first appointed to the Office I have the honour to hold.ll desired at once to act in the spirit of, a constitutional Governor. I looked abr.at for advice from the colonial representative, and received it from one , of ■ the most popular and esteemed men in England— jour Agentgeneral, Sir Francis Dillon Bell — . who advised me to follow the precedent set by that veteran colonial governor the Marquis of Normanby, who landed at Auckland on December 3, 1874." -This is emphatically a good beginning. It would never do for' the Governor to commence his career by a breach of the constitution. Auckland is the constitutional landingplace, and consequently the farther south you go the more you break in upon the constitution. Wellington would be bad ; Lyttelton, of course, worse j Dunedin would establish a most dangerous precedent ; while the Bluff, one would almost think might leave the constitution in ruins. There are some points about the question that want clearing up, however. Why should the precedent of the 3rd December 1874 be selected? -Where did Sir Hercules Robinson, Sir Arthur Gordon, and Sir William Jervois^land,? Inquiry may ppssibly reveal the fact °that, .'they' " started their . gubernatorial, term in quite jr /unconstitutional way. : Arid ; the

i pore or r.ctepaniureicaißOH Becomes rijOTWiinporitance.. ■TherjveteraniGovernbr^jtheiMarquis c£>Normanby, ifiH remember, embarked^ at •Port Chalmers, .Duiiedinj^onld ttherefote ■seem to ibe the constitutional .port -at) (which >to,speed thei'depareingitGovernoh^EfeM it may, be remarked' that LDrd> Onslow-dathe second oonf n hjs , family.; tot. erigraftaa'^very curious usage upon .the constitution;-; It may not be generally, knowr^but it is a fact^ithat the practice of- .punishing ,an r )member )by " naming ", ; him in. (Parliament ui6 to fan ancestor, of ;our i present* ifGovernorj ;Mr Speaker Onslow lived dn troublous': days. >" A member .was vOncebehavingiturbulently, and the Speaker^in the confusion! of ; the moment, called him byrthis name. Jt iwas^alipof the tongue, but it was ever after taken aa implying censure and disgrace. It has been a useful prec^dei^tjuand.ijt^,^^ ; possible that the landing a.fl^ir(n?ay o prpye 3 tfte ( -same. Of such things, has our glorious constitution beenbuiltup. -, , „...,;>/ , f",, <„.«'■

Why is it that teetotallers are under, the necessity of: being, .periodically. j.f! stirred ■up"?. What iis the., Reason, ;.thatvitheir societies cajinot keep Jieajthy» tor., at any rate happy, unless supplied with oratorical stimulants by . a succession of peripatetic lecturers, chiefly from -America;? now and then they must .have p.ff.pick-me-up," or they get to ; feel as low-and* we"ak,as an old toper deprived, of his, morning, dram. I must warn my temperance, friends-, (so called, though as a matter of faotthey are about the most intemperate people, in the community,)— l Eay.l ; muat warn,; tljem, that they are in reality contracting a .habit; of dram drinking. If it is. necessary to repeat incessantly the old platitudes against drunkenness, Why cannot these , platitudes be repeated by Mr Jago, Mr Brunton, , Mr Dick, Mr Broad, &c, &c— our local! band .of^platitudinarians, who haveibeen same rule and saying the, same,thing,(precisely the same thing I) f6r 20» years past ? Why bring over a lady from /America^ iat a great expense and > with a, nasalj;wang,> to say exactly what has beeniSaidtbeforej and what half-a-dozen local orators can say- just as well 1 But it is useless asking-why; ,^One might as well ask an inveterate .tippler -why he drinks whisky, and why he can't be content witji tea or, toast T and T water; f , -)■• The craving for stimulants is a vice that renders no reasons. ■ . -

Mr Jago, in introducing and welcoming Miss Ackerman, the lady from America was very full of the spirit of the occasion ;— yery full? — I might almost use t the, .Scottish abbreviation and say ," very fpu r . .Miss Acker,man, he said, was "one of, the^pjble army of young women sent puj; into} the world by that noble . and uniqueinstitoiuon the Women's National Temperance .Unipn of America, the most wonderful institution at present existing, on the face of , this "globe." Miss Ackerman also represented" the, World's Union, " the idea of which .originated, with that most wonderful and unique . woman, Miss Frances E. Willard, of Illinois, America." These terms of praise applied, ; tp a.woma/i are certainly wonderful and unique ;,j(nseed I am not sure that they are , not libellous. Mr Jago, however, inebri^jieclj.jay {the exuberance of his own .verbosity— to quote the late Lord Beaooqsfield-rhad the phrase over again. The Illinois lady's notion, of the World's Union, he said,, "shpwecj j&tVonce that she was one of the ,most. noble, and unique women of these times^",, It would be interesting to know Mr Jagb'a eiact idea— if idea he has at all— ol uniqueness in a woman.

>, The following correction pf a blunder, of mine respecting the ex-Empress Eugenic and her relations,- with. Prince, Jerome ; Bonaparte otherwise Prince N^apoleon, ( J;! insert,, with pleasure, believing the writer to be thoroughly well informed. Prince Napoleph, as a nephew of Napoleon I,, and only surviving .representative of the second generation of, BonapaVtes, naturally looks upon himself as, th# head of the family. Bus it is to his son, Prince Victor, born, in 1862, that most of the Bpnapar^ists look as the hope of their party :-r , Dear " Civis," — It happens that I Jh^ye,,paly just come across your Passing Notes of the 13th inst., where ,1 read your strictures ,qn Jerome Bonaparte's recent travelling escapades. Please' allow me to set 'you right' upon some of the minor details in your pithy description. In the' first place, the Empress ' Eugenic is no longer at Chislehurst. She left Camden 1 place about eight years ago for Farnborougb, where she has built herself a chateau, also, a beautiful mausoleum to which she has recently transported the remains, of her husband .and son. Next, whatever may have been, Jerome's business in England, it was certainly not to visit the Empress Eugenic. I am , personal) j, acquainted with her sentiments regarding that individual. She has the greatest contempt for his character, distrusts his integrity, hates his policy, and except on State occasions, when obliged to tolerate' his presence (pour sauvtr lea appamnces) declines all communication , jrith him. She entertains an affectionate regard for his two sons, for ihe Princess Clothilde's sake, whom she lovea for her virtues and piliiea, for her unfortunate alliance with .such, an unworthy husband!

Relying on your entire foregiyeneas for my temerity in presuming to correct, such an, august authority as " Civis,"— l remain, dear sir^on^e of your many admirers, G.F.

The Belgian authorities have a very awkward guest in the brave General Boulanger. The existence of Belgium as an independent state hangs by the slenderest of threads.' Its safety is guaranteed by several of theL.Great Powers, and it was preserved from violation during the Franco-German duel, but i, it may be gravely doubted whether.that,happy;immunity can be again enjoyed. .. Unless the finger of fate is wrenched out of joint somehow, the absorption of Belgium by, France, and of the Netherlands by Germany, would seem. to be only a question of time.,, Under these circumstances, the positionof the Belgian Government, who wish atoye all things to stand well with their powerful neighbour, must be grievously embarrassing. Boulanger is the enemy of the present French ■Government, therefore Boulanger should be kicked out of Brussels. But, on the other: hand, Boulanger, in the near future, may be tthe head of the French Government, therefore he should be, feted and made much of. ;; It is a tickjish choice for the Belglans;.to be obliged to make, and to make, it quickly. TVt V Under whioh'king, Bezonian? .Speak or d|e.'' Thus put <to it,. ,s£

'■ Boulanger that his' little' games will not be tolerated, and the General's friends are pre- . paring a sanctuary for> him in England. ' whence the Boulangist propaganda will issue if he is driven from his Continental refuge. If that does happen the Belgians may yet see reason to repent their decision, for the powers that be in France are so very, shaky as to be . scarcely worth propitiating. A special com- j ' mittee, we are > told, is going through ten ' thousand documents in order to arrive at the grounds for prosecuting Boulanger ; so that by the 1 time the indictment is framed the Tirard Ministry should be about ready to fall. It may lie with the next ' Ministry to finish the prosecution, and that Ministry may— who knows?— be headed by Boulanger himself. . ■'•■<

All thing 3 considered, it is not surprising ' to read 1 that the condition of Servia is one bordering upon anarchy. It has a divorced Queen and a dethroned King, who', although absent at present, are very much in evidence, and threaten to drop in upon their loving subjects from time to time - when least desired.' Further, the Servians haye' : . a juvenile, monarch who knows nothing of his own mind as yet, save that he desires both pa and ma to keep their distance, and three regents — the name of the first • being Risties, of the second Protitch, and )V of the third Belimarkssico. What ■ frame of mind can be expected in ;a 1 people afflicted with a regent by the name of Belimarkssico 1 To make matters worse, a suspicion is now abroad that ex-King Milan, whose conduct of late has argued him half fool, half rogue, has in reality for this long time past been not himself at all. He has, it appears,' been placed under hypnotic influence by somebody else's wife, and , the lady, being obviously no better than she should be, has incited Milan to do very naughty things indeed. In obedience to her suggestion, it is now said, he divorced his queen and abdicated his crown, and what the mesmeric monarch may do next can be only dimly conjectured. I alluded not long ago to the immense possibilities of hypnotism, but never dreamed that its convenience would receive royal recognition so promptly.

The Maxim gun, which will automatically load and fire at the rate of 600 shots a minute, and which can be manipulated more easily than a garden hose, is, we are informed, " from its broadest point of view a boon to civilisation in general, and to the peace-loving, practical Anglo-Saxon race in particular.',' Major-general Strange, whose privelige it was to introduce this engine to a select company of ladies and gentlemen at St. Clair the other day, vouched for this, and then proceeded to give a practical illustration of the blessings which the Maxim can scatter broadcast. From this it appeared that a lady without even troubling to draw off' her glove might pour a hail of lead into the ranks of an enemy thousands of yards away, and sweep into eternity as many regiments as cared to show themselves. Looking back at what this boon to the peaceloving might have accomplished if only it had been invented in time, we see that one Maxim gun in the hands of even a novice would have confounded Alexander, and annihilated the legions of Hannibal or Caesar, Nay, one small boy posted upon a hillock with a Maxim gun could have smashed the Iron Duke and cleared the whole board at Waterloo of English, French, and Prussians. There is no risk of accident. The Maxim does not jamb, it does not sensibly recoil— the recoil force being utilised for the purpose of automatic re-loading so that it may continue vomiting destruction without pausing to draw breath. It does not get overheated in the strife, because it has a nice cold water jacket to keep its temperature low and its pulse even. It can be moved about as easily as a perambulator, and as to aim, the direction of the stream of lead can be adjusted, as said before, as readily as though it were a stream of water from the nozzle of a garden hose. A boon to civilisation says General Strange. Perhaps J But it depends at which end of the N weapon civilisation 'is posted.

A paragraph in the Daily Times this week states that at Riverton nobody has yet been found to accept the office of mayor, though the vacancy dates from November last. This reminds me of a letter which has been lying in my drawer for the last two months : — To •• Civis." My Cosmopolitan Counsellor, — You can scarcely have failed to see that the Riverton mayoralty is vacant, and simply because not even an undertaker will undertake the onerous duties of the office. Why do you not give the Riverton citizens some of your stock of sympathy and wisdom, and help them with a few words of sage advice ? Though a cense of duty does not cause any candidates to let themselves be nominated for the vacant office, perbaps the prospect of some fun would. It might be an amusing if not edifying variation of the elective proceedings if the business were to be conducted in the way described in the following quotation which I have taken from " Kind Words" for 1875:— "The poet Southey mentions that, in days gone by, the mayors of Leicester used to be chosen by a sow. The candidates sat in a semi-circle, each with'his hat full of beans in his lap; and he was chosen mayor from whose hat the sow ate first." What do you think of the plan ? — Yours respectfully, Apaeima. What do I think of the plan ,? I think it a very good plan indeed — quite a credit, in fact, to the " wisdom of our ancestors." In most civic elections a sow, or an acs, or any other beast of ordinary intelligence would make quite as good a choice as the citizens, and at considerably less expense. Obviously, however, the plan is not applicable to Riverton, there being no candidates for the sow or ass or other intelligent beast to select from. There can be only one explanation of this — the salary offered is not big enough. Patriotism, self-sacrifice, and the nobler civic virtues can always be had if you like to pay for them. Those public-spirited Rivertonians who "have declined the office of mayor would accept the mayoralty of the Solanders— and reside within the'jurisdiction — if you offered them money enough. It is all a question of money — or, ?et'<is say, adopting the Leicester suggestion, if is' all question of beans. Where beaiis are 'plenty, the candidates offepng'are^d numerous 'and 50;g604 that 'even'ja sow may betrasted to etioose amongst them. Where beans are none— and tcia is

evidently the case at Riverton— there are no candidates at all. Let us from this illustration recognise^ 'dear friends, once more the eternal ' truth that if we want the patriotic virtues we must be prepared to pay •for them. •' ' CIVIS.

The Rangitikei Advocate says-that it is esti

mated by reliable authorities that there will be

sent Home frozn the Wellington provincial district alone during the current year at Jeast 12,000 tons of flax, which at £20 per ton would represent nearly a quarter of a million, sterling. The' New Zealand Trade Review has collected from official sources a return of the exports of flax from the whole colony for the' three years ending with 1888. For the year 1886 the value of this export was only £15,000. Next year it took a leap of £10,000, and in 1888 the record of 1887 was trebled, the amount being £75,000. Now we find, as indicated above, that from one provincial district alone the export 1 in 1889. wi be £240,000.

Last Thursday Dr T. B. King, on his retirement' from the medical superintendency of Seacliff Asylum, was presented with a handsome marble timepiece and an illuminated address, in token of the esteem in which he is held. Mr Macdonald, chief warder, made the presentation m a few choice words, to which Dr King feelingly replied^

"A Ratepayer," writing in the Daily Times on the subject; of the Tomahawk road, says :—: — The road was undertaken for connecting the forts, and will cost no end of money to repair now and keep in repair. It is only, fair that in some measure the strong should bear the burdens of the weak, and for that reason many have refused to support a separate Road Board or muncipality for Anderson's Bay. It would appear, however, that the Tomahawk members are now anxious to

support their own roads; surely their consti

1 tuents are not aware that the Tomahawk district now gets a good deal more than 20s in the pound of rates contributed and spent on it. The Road Board has earnestly tried to get expenditure reduced to fit in with reduced income, and it is to be hoped ratepayers will resent the attempt now being made to thwart the efforts for economy by compelling it to take over a road which the Tomahawk rates cannot maintain so far as sand clearing goes, much less in metal. >

A rather small but good meeting in connection with the New : Zealand and South Seas Exhibition was heldat Queenstown on the 21st. the Mayor (Mr. St. Omer) was in the chair. Mr O'Meara (county chairman), Dr Donaldson

(Mayor of Arrowtown), and other representa-

tives were present. Mr J). Harris Hastings (the secretary) addressed the meeting, and explained the objects of the- exhibition and benefits likely to result to Lake County. A number of questions were answered, after which committees were elected for Queenstown and Arrowtown, and subcommittees for the Head of the Lake, Pembroke, Skipper's, Cardrona, Macetown, and other places. Mr Hotop was appointed secretary.

It will be remembered that last year the American Hop Bitters Company offered three prizes, of a total value of lOOOdol, for a word contest, limited to residents in the Australasian colonies, and to be decided at the close of the Melbourne Centennial Exhibition. The result has just been made public. In vying with each other for the first prize (650dol) competitors bad to produce the greatest number of legitimate words from the title " American Hop Bitters " while for prizes number two and three respectively the words " Incomp&tability " and " Consanguinity " were chosen. The total number of competing lists sent in for the three prizes was upwards of 5000. In the first prize competition the lists numbered over 3000, with totals of words per list varying from as low as 10 to over 33,000. The majority of the lists contained between 5000 and 10,000. The competition was narrowed down to a comparatively small number of lists, containing at least 20,000 words each, and from these lists the prize of 650d0l was ultimately adjudged to John Wingfield, 127 Victoria parade, Melbourne— list containing 33,050 words. For the second and third prizes the competition was by no means so keen, and the lists did not contain nearly so many words — 3000 being the extreme total of the majority. The second prize (250dol) was awarded to Albert Long, Flinders street East, Adelaide, S.A- — list containing 4557 words! The third prize (lOOdol) was awarded to Miss Rose Vallins, teacher State school No. 33, Ballarat — list containing 3268 words. .

The will case, Wmmillv. Gallic, was resumed on Wednesady, and the evidence of three more witnesses was taken, In reply to a question by his Honor, Mr J. ¥. M. Fraser, the counsel for the plaintiff, stated ■ that he had upwards of 40 witnesses yet to call, but that the evidence of most of them would be brief, though material. It seems probable that the takiag of evidence will be completed by Saturday next, and that the case will finish by the following Wednesday,

A young man named Peter Donnelly, residing in Moray place, met with a severe accident about 4 o'clock on Wednesday afternoon while working on the Jetty sfreet wharf. Donnelly was engaged in working a crane, when the chain broke and a piece of timber which was being lifted at the time fell on him, causing a compound fracture of the right knee cap. He was conveyed to the hospital, where he was attended in the ftrst 'instance by Dr Copland, and subsequently by Pr Q. Macdonald. •

In addition to forvyapding their usual contribution to the hospital funds, the Chinese residents of the city have sent to Mr Houghcon a special donation of £50 in aid of the proposed Nurses' Home; , The contributors are:~Sew Hoy, £6 13 d; Hip'Fong Tie, Kwong Sing Wing, Wah Sing, Wah Kee, £5 5s each ; Tone Duck, Duck Lee, Mcc Wah, £2 2s each ; Ma Hoon, £3 ; Lo Keong, £1 Is ; Low Joe, £1 ; Ewau Lee, 11s : Wing Lee, Vie Yeck Cheung, On Wab, Ah Quie, Joe Duck, and Chuie Sing, 10s 6d each; collected from friends, £7 6s.

Miss J. E. Ackerman, the delegate from the National Women's Christian Temperance Union of America, addressed a crowded audience in the Kaikorai Presbyterian Church on Wednesday evening, Mr A. C. Begg being in the chair. After the Rev. Mr Sutherland had read a passage from the Scripture and the Rev Mr Watson had engaged in prayer, the chairman introduced the speaker, who dwell; on the three grea,t systems of, iniquity— duelling, slavery, and drunkenness. She then went on to epeak of the reforms duriug the last century. Duelling and slavery had been Bwept away,' 1 but the ojiber evil still remained, though rapidly disappearing. All were agreed about the aim, but not about the means, One of which was moral suasion. Miss Ackerman then went on to give some interesting illustrations of moral suasion, and also spoke of tbe'financial prospect of America. In referring to her own sex, she said they did not want to be men, to take men's places or do men's work, but men had failed lamentably in coping with the horrors of the drink, traffic. Woman must cpme % to the rescue.of her own rights, her homeland, her dear' ones. Miss' Ackerman 1 was loudly applauded at the conclusion of the address, and at the invitation of the Rev. Mr Sutherland a

number came forward and .donned the blue ribbon,' - . '. /■ . . , • , , , '„ - ( ; i

An' enthusiastic meeting was held in ' the Tomahawk district on Tuesday night in the

Bchoolhonse, wh^n the following motion,* proposed by Mr Thomas Robertson and seconded by Mr Alexander SmaUl, was passed . unanimously :— " That we, the settlers of the Tomahawk district, petition the Goyernor-in-Oouncil for separation from, the Peninsula Road Board, and to proclaim the Tomahawk district a separate road district, in consequence of the refusal of the Peninsula Road ' Board to take over and maintain the Tomahawk road. Mr William Snaaill was iv the chair.

The majority of the school committees in Auckland .have passed resolutions in favour of introducing Dr Richardson's Temperance Lesson Book. ' , The Grey River Argus publishes the following incident showing the vicissitudes of a gold digger's life: — "Strange as" it may seem, the miners who recently found the 60oz nugget at Moonlight are the same part} who found the 7Ooz nugget nearly 20 years ago. After following the pursuit of mining for many years on different goldfields elsewhere, they returned to the old ground in the hope of making a rise. The result shows that they were not disappointed; for they not only found the6ooz piece mentioned, but have- altogether accumulated about 401b of the precious metal, mainly in nuggets of various sizes."

The agricultural returns for the counties of Southland, Wallace, and Stewart Island show a total of 18,446 acres more in grass and crop than last year. Of last year's grain on hand there are 11,410 bushels of wheat and 12,483 bushels of oats, the former beLg considerably more and the latter much less than last year. The average yield of wheat, oats, barley, and potatoes is less than last year.

We learn from Mr Larnacb, who returned to Dunedin on Wedesday, that the paragraph which has appeared in a number of papers to the effect that his business partnership with Mr Pym had ceased, and that Mr Pym was about to return bo New Zealand to establish a business in Wellington, is not correct. Mr Larnaoh is simply on a visit for a time to New Zealand and will remain for the session. The business in Melbourne will be carried on by Mr Pym, who has no intention of returning to the colony. '

The medical preliminary and the examination for the Education Board scholarships in connection with. the Otago University commence on the 27th inst.

Nominations for the vacancies on the Anderson's Bay, Tomahawk, Sandymount, and Highcliff subdivisions of the Peninsula Road Board will be received up to noon of the 27th insfc.

Jack Tiff en, the well-known wrestler, haß become andlord - of the Ayrshire Hotel, .Kenßiugton, where he will be happy to receive all friends.