Passing Notes.

Otago Witness, Issue 1297, 7 October 1876, Page 13

Passing Notes.

Two men were brought up at the Port Chalmers Police Court the other day charged with broaching cargo, and, singular to relate, one of them I believe was one of the survivors of the Cospatriok — & vessel burnt in all probability through the crew's broaching the cargo and setting her on fire accidentally. Of course most people will exclaim about the recklessness of sailors ; but there are two sides to the question. Sailors, as a rule, are very badly fed, and are consequently' always ready to pilfer to satisfy their hunger, and to such a ;nonth or two in gaol, where they get plenty of good food, is much more pleasant than being on board ship. Until, therefore, sailors receive a sufficiency of good food they will ahyays attempt to plunder the stores. Sailors are of course entitled to a certain amount of food by scale ; but the scale in much too low. The calculation is based more upon what will support life than what a man in good health can' eat. A friend of mine went to sea whon a lad, and he has often told me that during his voyage from New Zealand to Great Britain and back he felt in a continual state of hunger, and that old sailors informed him that in nine vessels out of every ten the crew had tha same complaint to make.

I don't know, but I hardly think it fit that a number of entires should be paraded about the streets as was the case on Tuesday last. If people want these animals inspected, they should hold a show somewhere out of to^n. I hope that next year this will be put an end to.

The Caledonian Society is spending its money in furthering education in this town in a way that does it great credit. When Societies of this sort become wealthy they usually waste their funds in providing dinners for their members, but this one is au honourable exception. The ciassea the Society carry on are free, and are largely taken advantage of. A considerable number of prizes are given, and one or two University scholarships are also to be given, I understand ; so that, no matter how poor a lad may be, he has an opportunity of obtaining, if he is industrious, a first-class education.

If there's one thing more annoying than another it's to hear an idiot chattoring his head off at a concert. I was at De Murska's concert on Monday evening and among the best of her songs a pair of individuals — 1 won't call them gentlemen — though they were in the dress circle — kept up a conversation to the intense disgust of all within hearing of them. The subject was their own prowess in jumping horses over ditches, and I sincerely wished they had come to grief in the operation. , If people don't want to hear the music, I should like to know why on earth they go to musical entertainments, unless it can be that, like; canaries, whenever they hear y sounds, whether musical or otherwife, they feel inclined to chirp. I once saw a fellow put down beautifully, at one of the Operas. He was stamping time to the annoyance of all in his immediate vicinity, when a comrade who was with me turned round and said to me, " D you, Jack, do stop that infernal row, you're preventing people from enjoying the music." The stamping ceased, and was not renewed that evening.

Mr Wakefield has made a most pitiful exhibition of himself, and has behaved with an abject cowardice that is really astonishing. But that such a man should further indulge in cant is not at all to be wondered at. That the Press should be afforded the fullest liberty of expression is allowed by everyone, for without it a healthy public opinion is impossible ; but there are limits to everything ; and I think that when a member of the Press uses his professional position as a vehicle for his spleen, as in this case, it is time to interfere. It is monstrous that members of Parliament who aie doing their duty to the best of their ability should be libelled «o grossly ; and I think that the House was justified in taking the course they did^ though there is no doubt that in ,the majority of cases where they come into conflict with the Press they don't present a very dignified appearance. > It was stated in one of the morning papers during 1 the week, that gold had been found in a small creek 'near the Ocean Beach, and that there was a probability of a goldfield being opened nearer Dunedin than most people fancied. Well, it would be difficult to find a spot ! in Otago where gold in small quantities did not exist. An old resident told me that in digging a well in front of the old " Witness " printing office in 1850, he got a piece of gold as large as the head of a pin and solid, and remained in his possession for many years. The spot where the well in question was situated, is as near as I can make out, that part of Bond street immediately in front of the Evening Star office. 1 myself got several grains of gold in Anderson's Bay, out of the bottom of a well, which was being sunk. The gold was in a fine gravel about twenty-five feet from the surface ; but I wouldn't advise any one to go prospecting on the strength of this, as I don't think it would pay.

Who bought the bull, and what is the difference between Polled Angus Cattle and Shorthorns 1 are the momentous questions that are at present exercising the minds of the stock-breeding portion of the community. It will end in Judge Ward being called in to decide upon the merits of Polled Angus and Short-horns, only he being a good judge of mutton and probably knowing something about beef.

Some astonishment was caused the other day by the presentment of an indictment against a dead man, and nobody seemed to know how such an absurdity could be perpetrated. I fancy I know. Are there not certain fees received by some one or another upon the presentment of any indictment ? I am under the impression there are. If so, the circumstance ia easily to be accounted for. We all know the story of the Yankee Coroner who sat upon a mummy and charged the fees, together with compound interest from the time of JYfoses, but we never expected to find such a case in real life.

What a shame it was of McLaren to couple Mr Proudfout's name with certain Governments in an "invidious" manner. Of course, we know that Governments in this Colony have reached that pitch when it is " invidious " to couple any one's name with them. But to couple Mr Proudfoot's, of all men in Otago : Oh, dear ! Oh, dear ! How could anyone do Buch a thing? I really think Mr Proudfoot has a good action for slander.

I wonder why clergymen are so childish in their squabbles ? There has been a little clerical scandal in the North. One clergyman says another is heretical, and there's no end of a, shine in consequence, the result being no end of heart-burnings and squabbles among the parishioners of course, and that the reverend accuser was to eat humble pie. Fancy a clergyman being called a heretic for wearing a red stole or band, or whatever the, thing is,

whereas he's only entitled to wear a black one.

That übiquitous sea serpent has turned up again, but this time he is a sure monßter. A square head ; dear me, how extraordinary. A body 150 ft. long and 50ft. broad (I wonder how deep it was), and oh, merciful Heaven, with yellow stripes ! Surely that steamer's crew and passengers must hare been suffering from bilious fever. By the way, the above dimensions bear a little resemblance to those of the Ark — might it not be that antiquated craft got adrift 1 Quien sabe.

So the Corporation have been defeatsd in their attempt to take possession of a reserve, the property of the whole of the inhabitants of the Province, and apply the revenues for their own benefit. Now that they have been made to disgorge the Wharves and Quays Reserves, what about the other reserves they have seized upon 1 The reserve for public baths, for instance T A most valuable reserve, I am told, which the founders of this Province wisely set aside, in order that the inhabilants should enjoy public baths. The fact is, the Corporation is not composed of a class of men to whom very great interest can safely be trusted. The other day a certain bank erected a small wooden lean-to behind their premises, which interfered with the windows of a well-known Councillor, whose property adjoined theirs. They were made to pull the building down. What was their astonishment to find shortly afterwards that the Councillor had received permission to erect a considerable wooden addition to his premises, though situated in the very heart of the town. These facts speak for themselves.