"OUR SYDNEY LETTER."

Auckland Star, Volume XIII, Issue 3558, 4 January 1882, Page 2

"OUR SYDNEY LETTER."

(lir " THitiVAaABOND.T *

E&IT^FARKES; Sydney; December 27. i-HE CliiisUaS holidays hAVe corKc and C o"c and in & few dafs our Premier Will be gone also. But khe feelife if-indfifestlbfi w'll tic lett. Pirfeai'dßAt Parkfe *» *& #reed friffi SoiiiG Or. Us any more thap the piW-pudaing, the fetish to which we yearly, sacrifice, out liypr^ Heroes way with o. flourish U tritetart-HB* D«Jig faiielted £nd Mated. But he has not taken with him that purse of sover^^-, £3,000 werq<{£ l ue raised by pub'lic'subscriptioD. but unfortunately the money did not come in quick enough. lam told that only £600 were raised in the oity of Sydney, and there was little chance of a?largersum being obtained from the county districts. It is said that One individual offered to subscribe £500 if the committee .youjd iicceiit tlie PrerMcr/s ,d>hon?urcd. Diija to tliSt amount. , So Parkcs, wrote a feeling letter, declining to accept-' any- monetary testimonial.. Then Mr McOulloch, lawyer, and M.L..4,, one of the poodle dogs of the Ministry, brought in a motion that £5 000 should be vcted to defray the Premier's expenses on his home trip. Wheu it is remembered that the Victorian Embassy, consisting of Messrs Berry, Pearson, and Haydon, only cost £5,000. I suppose it was considered too much, for the motion was withdrawn, aod another, that £3,000 should be granted, was substituted. President Parkes at first stated that he was «oins away merely for his health, but afterwards announced that he should look after the interests of the colony by endeavouring to persuade the American Government to abolish tho import duties on wool, and by investigating tne workings of the immigration department in London? As during his trip he still enjoys his salary ot £2,000 a year, the latter is about the least he could do. But the American scheme h. absurd,' and no one knows it as well as ParkosMmaelf. Bat he wished tohumbug tho world with the idea that he had a sort of diplomatic mission, and it would give a motive for the vote of £3,000. So he wrote to all Uc other colonial Governments asking than to endow him with powers to treat with tic United States on their behalf for thercduction of the wool tariff. Parkes, as the Ambassador of the whole of Australasu, would be a big man indeed. I don't jenow what the other colonies have done, >ut Victoria, which claims to be the premiir, crushed the project as far as she was ©nccrned. Victorians do not believe in thepersuasive powers of Farkej. They knowjthat what he might say would have no eflp in Washington, where he will only be lajghed at for his misuse of the letter H, and tiey refused to countenance the humbug of anither embassy. When the motion tor tho J3,000 vote wa3 made, Parkes let the tjover make a lot of fulsome remarks, andlien suddenly jumped up and declined to rejeive any money, even if it should ba vote). Why allow the motion to be brought fonvjrd? The "Sydiicy Mail" last week R ive| its readers the tip. By-the-bye, our weejly journals are improving. The "Mul" in its Christmas number has a spladid story by my friend Ernest Favenc, altttugh it is ndt equal to the " Town and Coihtry "of that date, and neither journal caiiever be equal to the " Australasian." Bu< both the " Mail" and the " Echo " arqfull of smartly-written paragraphs, and in tmc of these the elucidation of Parkes s co&uct is written. I HISTORICAL PARALLELS. Shakespeare wrote tor all time. Turn to At I. Scene 11. ot "Julius Cassar." The Cown was offered three, times. "It was rcre foolery." "He put it by thrice." 'But to all that, to my thinking, he \buldfain have had it." "He was very 1 h.to hy his fiugers off it." "Those i at understand him smiled at one another ud shook their heads." As it was with f-osar, so it was with Parkes, except that he latter never had his hauds on the £3,000. I don't thiuk he could have taken Ms fingers off it. But he saw that there was such a strong opposition, that even if ijrriod on a divisiorj, tfce victory f considering the starring tour which he proposed to himself, would have been as bad as a defeat. Sir Patrick Jennings had moved the adjournment of the House, and asKed tor an explanation from the Premier as to what he proposed to do in his _ self-con-stituted mission, ridicnling the idea of a Wool Treaty with America. This was the keynote to the oppaution to the vote, and Parkes was furious, -jllis lpw nature broke out then. JHe continually interrupted Sir Patrick, jj in tho most abusive manner, taunted a the loyal Irish gentleman with a being a Feniau, and wa^ called to order by f the Speaker as being " most disorderly." j Sir Patrick is a distinguished colonist, a J man of culture and refinement, of whom I we arc all proud. He is renowned for his ' pronounced loyalty, so tho taunt lell liarm•lcss. That is tho reason Purkes missed the £3,000, and I beg to point out to the influential country journal which last week devoted a libellous article to what it called my '• libels ou the Premier," that in this case if I do not tskc my cue I follow the toxt of Messrs John Fairfax and Sons. I give hard knocks myßolf and can stand a buffet, but as we have no guide as to what course we should pursue after being smote on the other check, another sucharticleand a writ wilt be issued, MR FOUSTER. I have beard a great deal of tbis gentleman, but I have never seen nor heard him. He is renowned as a master of cutting; satire, and but that the Premier is a true pachyderm, he woald squirm on the'lTrca.sury bench at the stinging irony of the leader of the .Opposition. And Mr Forster cannot only speak, but he can write well. At tho Parliamentary banquet given to Parkes last week,the Premier made a speech full of bombastic insolence, and with the worst possible taste referred to the fact of Mr Forster's absence. In the " Sydney Morning Herald " of December 23rd, the leader of the Opposition publishes a long lottcr, in which, after chaffing Sir 'Encry on the "good taste, delicacy, and generosity" exhibited in this speech, he explains—"Any social intercourse I was ever 1 honoured with by Sir Henry Parkes dates 1 years back, to a poriod when it was severed ! in consequence of tho discovery that our views npon questions of pecuniary obligation were unhappily irreconcileable." This is the most charming letter I have read for a long time. JUDGE.GURRIE. Tho Lord hath delivered the Chief Judicial Commissioner of the Western Pacific into my hands.* I have been, honoured by , the notice of\ Sir Arthur Gordon and Admiral Wilson, with reference to my writIngs on the subject of "South Sea MassaI cres," my pamphlet respecting which was ■ prohibited admission into Fiji. lam sure ■ Admiral Wilaon regrets having used tlie language he did respecting me, after my publicly stating that L never charged the naval authorities with any lack of energy, or with indifference to the fate :of tho white men murdered in. the Pacific. • I merely re-echoed the complaints I have heard made by many naval officers of their powcrlessness to act, and quoted ilia reply given by* . the Admiral to Mr Cowlishaw, of Sydney, when that gentleman lodged ; a complaint of tho butniug of a : trading station, and massacre of a white ■ trader at Marua, "I caudo nothing; everyi thing is in the hands of the High Commissioner, Sir Arthur Gordon." Now Judge Gorrie comes into the field in the form of a letter a column long sent to the High Commissioner, by him to the Home , Secretary, thence back to the Governor, and then presented to Parliament. I sball deal with this in extenso in another place, but I wish to point out to you how , foolish it is for public men to make as- , sertions with regard to facts. Judge Gorric's abuse of myself I ca» forgive, it , pa«scs over lighjly. flavo I not struck him and his master, Sir Arthur, "on the front of their purple pride" ? Can I not " counter ?'' But when tho Judge Btates , thufc when I.lectured iv JLcvuka, " the respectable portion of the' audience rose and left the hall, even the Jocal journal, most hostile to the Government, Bhrnnk from producing a report of the proceedirißs, and ho was shunuod by most of : those ' who had taken v him; by the hand when ho first came," he writes .a series ot "lies without a circujustaune."' He gives himself away completely. Fiji is near enough to obtain pi oof from thrucc; My reply is that not a >.oul left the hall, that I was cheered most enthusiastically, that I received the most flattering notices in the press, that I was paid £5 for ray' ruaiuiseripfc, notice of which took up live columns of the Fiji " Timos/' and that 1 boapt tho friendship of eVery; " wbifn man" in Fiji. I think it will bo seen that Judge ..Gorjie has made a ny«take. Perhaps ho doc;) not allow that th%Kcv. W/S'ioyd unit the Rev, Larimer !jFlsoii; we:c ■," respectable." twill prefe- to lefivc my charactsr in the hands of those I gentlemen rather than in those of Judge • Qorriei :■ ": :>v- :■' ■-;■;.■ ■ i. .*, ■ !

"Jv., .In durance vile. , .. . >", This time last week. 1 was in a prieonJf I cell; intending ttt spefld lily Christmas iff DhfUhKhttißt-. J tad been before MrJPen. ,* fbW, mulcted £2 6SlOia'ißr ffltt. "atss&ult" on a cabibdu. the Said assault consisting in - |H just piißliing him outside the gatb Of my r'esiMnce, tecairee ho % Waking a ntnttt | ftiriscting"' the .faro o£ a genUctpOa , liad caned to fecb hifc, Ibb jokeik 1 Sat, ■ W stoj? tiff ttistutb^be, it be% . ■ Piihtay.and.niy Wlord rplisious, I paid M the fare myself, , At th<f,Watffl.PWe» Court I contended 1. had a right to ezpol the man when lie was Msy, Wit thatt at ft ~ | sbniVi .tiite.-Mt^istratb, a Mr tenfold, a ."*f i tobacconist (how I regret the money I.have gpopt in iia shop), would not prant an ... ;| ttujuutnment to witnesses. ' X M Police Court lawyer, Coonan, prosecuted, * |H and the result was tha^buming with indig* • i | nation, I refused to pay the flno and waß 1 locked up lor four hours, when I was tnttied t . m out, the fine having bebn paid by aJFijiati $ fl-ieii'd, a'thlo. man; As,. %as Sydney society is coacei-acd;,! e^PQct J mjght.jipfi;,.^ j in Paol.before iinyone wbula bail^tae cW. v^ , FiUe 'brings otran'ge cbange». The. last q time I v/asat. this police cell waaia tlio endeavour' (which' proved successful) to obtain the release of the brother-in-law of a JP, and M.L.A. He would have had 1 three months but for me, and I got little thanks from bia friends and relatives for what I did. JUSTICES' JUSTICE. I admit I was very much annoyed. " Any "teat excitement will be fatal, and ,^, . I I don'c know i£ the prophecy of my late ■ doctor in Japan was not nearly being realised. £2 Gs lOd "for pushy ; | ing a cabman. I'll take care and . E do nrore for the money next time. The . ;;„.!; following day, at the same Police Court, a..V: "rough" wa- charged with striking one of the f . competitors in a foot-race so violently that he was rendered insensible, and had to bo ;.; carried into the pavilion of the cricket a ground. This assault was committed to .■•» stop the race, in the interests of certain members of the betting ring, The fine [. imposed was exactly the same'as that on .. me, £2 Gs lOd. But then.this "rough" had |I never criticised the proceedings of tho Licensing Magistrates as 1 have. I _mlß?.t m take my revanche in describing the Bench, and the Police Court Attorney, Coonan; but, Lord, he is too small and mean to notice. I only strike big people—foemen j worthy of my steel, . AMUSEMENTS. A flavour of i'Us in nrbe is perceptible everywhere. We are all enjoying our« selves; there is a liberal supply of I Cftkeiaiid ale, the latter Burrows and , 1 Glecson's or Prendergast's, and ginger (irriported by John Chinaman) is hot in the mouth. The theatres are all. doing well, the manager's heart rejoices, and the ghost walks once more. • "The Black Flag" at - Ji tho Gaiety has run for three weeks, and la as popular as ever. Miss Lily Dainplcr | j lias made a great success as Ned, a waif and stray of London streets; " The . Green Lanes of England," which is said to be a much better piece than the other, will fbU low. But the circus is the big ahowj; Si thousands throng there to watch Heir Schumann witcli them with noble hotaemanship; to sec the tumbling; the young German Adolplje, tlie finest model | •; of a youth I liave seen for many ii long day | on the trapeze ;! A dele, most daring and graceful of child riders; Victoria Cookc, the pride of Paris and London; and the lions, crowning wonder ot 1 the arena. I < shall "miss these ; 1 lions, wondeifully. I get quite a sensation from watching them. Unnatural people say Igo c>ery night so that . I may be on hand to write the obituary 1 notice of the daring young German, Edward ; '.i ! Djerling. But that is not so, and I hope will never be necessary. But a circus is a ? ' sood moral Bhow, which I love, and WiU . ■; 1 son's is the best I have ever seen. The ' beauty of the horses cannot be surpassed, and in this, country ot good riders but bad jy ' horsemen, everyone may take a lesson from /* • the grace and elegance exhibited in the i saddle by Mrs Wilson and Herr SchU" , ■ 1 niann. *