HOW MR. SEDDON WAS MADE DOCTOR.

Evening Post, Volume LIII, Issue 150, 28 June 1897, Page 2

HOW MR. SEDDON WAS MADE DOCTOR.

No intelligence has been received in New Zealand about the, no doubt, most interesting ceremony that took place in Cambridge this month, when the 'colonial Premiers received the title of LL.D. Our special reporter, who is ever apt at obtaining information in out-of-the-way places, visited the Newtown medium, and furnishes us with a result of this visit, which we publish below : — I found the medium rather dispirited. She had been reading the various newspapers which had an account of the sixty years' events of Her Majesty's reign. She said, " Oh, the unbelief of the world. Not a single newspaper has referred to Spiritualism, nor to the fact that communication with the spheres has been established. There is enough about telegraphy and about telephones, but the Spiritual is ignored in this secular age— when all men have faith ' like a grain of mustard seed.' " I said I wished to put the power of spiritual communication to the test. " Yes," she said, " tests, tests, no faith. Everything in this age must be seen, felt, handled. The dwellers on this earth follow only one of the apostles — unbelieving Thomas. What test is it you now require ? Many months ago I thought I gave you enough tests to satisfy the most unbelieving." " I wish," said I, " to know what has taken place in England. Mr. Seddon has received a literary title, and, though hitherto he has condemned others taking them, he has taken j one himself, and I wish to know the words used by the. Orator of Cambridge when •bestowing the title, and Mr. Seddon's reply. If you cau give me ftiis I shall feel awfully obliged, for 'I'll get in advance of all the journalists of New Zealand." .<;" I •'hate/"Bhe' replied, "to bring the spiritual philosophy to deal with the inane things of this earthly life. What do you think the unseen care for the tawdry distinctions of Tory institutions like the Cambridge University, whish will not even confer on women, who have stood the strictest test of examinations the degrees they have earned ?" (I thought I was in for a lecture on women's rights, &c.) " I quite agree with you," I said, "in every word ; but if you could demonstrate that intelligence could reach us from England without cables or wires, and in an instant, would this not produce conviction in tiie minds of the most unbelieving P" 'T have told you," she said, "more than once that spirits abhor tests and everything carnal and SGientific* Faith— that is what the world needs. I will, however, see if the Maori spirit Te Kumara Waipiro is present] he may tell me what was said." Here she suddenly 'passed into the trance state. In a little while she began laughing. The following colloquy then took place : — Medium— Yes; I am present, great Koiero, men dressed in red, black, with coverings for the head on their backs. Reporter — He means hoods. Medium — Coverings of all colours, blue, rod ; great crowd— one man stands up and points to Mr. Seddon' and says :—" Video, amici, in cum cuj us corpus est tarn grave guam auctoritas sua omnium vestrum oculos esse con versos. Hie est vir fama ingens ingentior virtutibus gui consulta patriae gui leges j unique servat. 0 praeclarum pregrinatorem! Quam nobilis est tua peregrinatio ! Quid coenas sumptuosas quid orationes graves eruditas.liberales, admirabiles, politas tuas, proferam. Novimus quanto lepore ac venustat'e d,escnpserit boves atque oves non solum vivas sed etiam congelatas. Novimus cum, principem, si .non imperatorem, esse Novae Zealandiae itaque 'Rex Ricardus' inter suos cives nominatum esse. Hie doctissiraus honestissimusque artes liberales et maxinie linguam Latinum et Graecam colit. Juvat nuper audivisse cum, ritu Jovis tonantis, illud carmen civium fidelium cantantem apud Hibernios 'AY earing of the Green' nominatum. 0 magnitudinem vocis et ventris, praeterea nihil! Hie in quern jam praeclarum gradum legum dootoris contulerunt summo honore dignus est. Scimus quantum famae ilia cloaca lutosa Kumara ci attulerit. Apud Westlandios gui hoc facinus magnum et memorabile putant lutum ' sludge ' dictum est. Quid est quod addipotest? Spectatores clare plaudite !" Reporter — Does Mr. Seddon reply ? Medium — Ac, kapai, kapai. He stands up. He produces a t paper from his pocket. Near him sits a thin, pale-faced man. [The Agent-General, I expect.] He begins reading — " Ego sum Ricardus Joannes Seddonius, lingua Latina non scio. Korero Maori Nui. Ego, auxilho glossiarii et Agent-General, dico in Latina, meus gratus animus. Ego ago gratia ad vos claros homines pro LL.D. Amen. X donate to the library of your great University my two books, of whioh I am proud to be the author — ' A Trip to the Urewera Country,' showing my moral and bloodless conquest of savage tribes,' and ' The Banking Enquiry Committee Report.' " Reporter— What took place after the function ? Medium — I see a carriage going to a railway station, men in it — then a train going to a big city — then a room in a hotel. Reporter — Yes ; who are present ? Medium— The big man and the thin, palefaced man. The big man says he must have some harmony. The pale-faced man says, "For God's sake no 'Wearing of the Green.' " The big man says "No fear, for (sings)— I'm a Privy Councillor, 3'ou know, And I've dropped whatever's commonplace and low, The Right Honourable Richard is my name, And an equal rank with Barons now I claim. • I'm no longer vulgar Dick To every olod who wields a pick, And I'm going to show them, too, I'm not the same. My lofty mien will check familiar air, And I'll gorgonise with cold superior stare Any commoners I see Who forget my high degree, And name me by my surname bare. The democratic levelling of ranks Is after ail but stuff believed by cranks ; • I've used it as a cry While I winked the other eye, For 'twas the best of my election planks. Equality, fraternity, sound well I've used them too for years to work a spall, But now I'm LL.D. . And Her Majesty's P. 0., This brotherhood of man may go to H—ll.H — 11.