TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 77, 3 April 1897, Page 4 (Supplement)

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

[FBOM OUB LONDON CORRESPONDENT.

London, February 20. SIR GEORGE GREY.

Is the February number of bhe ' Review of Be views' bhe greaber part of Mr Sbead's serial on bbc Queen Record Reign is taken np witb bbc history of Sir George Grey's work in South Africa. This will immensely please bhe grand old man, as the one period of hia career which be clearly remembers now is the South African, and he dearly loves talking about ib in his brighter moments. These, olas! are growing fewer, though hia vitality arid powers of recuperation are marvellouß. The bulk of Mr Stead's facts in hia article have been taken from Mr Rees' life of Sir George Grey, and are, of courae, familiar to you. I doubb, however, \yhether tho right honourable gentleman will altogether relish the parallel the writer draws bebween himaelf and Cecil Rhodes. Sir George's viewa on bho Jameaon raid are mosb emphabically nob Mr Stead's. When ib comes to abuse of Downing-sbreeb the pair are more agreed. 'lb would,' says the good man, • bake more than bho combined energies of bhree man and a boy, bhe second beginning whore bhe firafc left off, to cnrse no to tha exigencies of the iniquities of Downing-streeb in relation to South Africa.' Only after such a blowing off of the steam is it possible to diacusa quietly the long record *of political ineptibude, of Imperial blundoring, of neglected opportunities, of broken faith, and of bumptious folly. Ib is no wonder the very name of Downing-sbreeb stinks in tho nostrils of South Africans. Ib ia not tho fault ot Downing-abreeb bhab bhere ia any South African Empire surviving bo this day. If indeed bhere had not been a Windsor Caatle to ward off Bomo of the worst of bhe evils which Downing-sbreeb inflicted upon the luckless colony, ib is by ao means impossible that tho Gorman flag mighb ab bhis momeub bo flying over the Cape of Good Hope. The Quaon was unable to prevent much mischief. It did not lie within the compaaa of tho Royal prerogative to averb the Sand River Convention, the abandonment of tho Orange Free Sbate, bho diagrace of Majuba Hill, or the still more inexcusable blunder of bhe surrender of 1884. But so far as her influence and authority prevailed ib waa uniformly exerted agaiast all bhe knock-kneed blunders of successive Ministers. The Sovereign was brue bo bhe empire, and if wo have any empire in South Africa to-day we owe it more to Her Majesty than bo any of hor advisers. If the Queen had been allowed to have her way yeara ago bhere would have boen no nead for the emergence of Cecil llhodee, who like a-man born oub of due timo, had bo labour in double bides and by devious ways to overtako the arrears of work lefb undone by tho blind leaders of an unißsfcructed public. Ho is now meeting the same fate at the hands of the samo kind of people as thoae who forty years ago roused the indignation of tho" Queen by the scandaloua fashion in which they treated another greab African administrator. _ ' Olive Schreiner some time ago—in the Karoo they do not always date thoir letters —recalled tho memory of the greatest of our pro-consuls. She wrote:—" lam sending you a picture of Sir George Grey'a etatue. I wish you could find a place for it in the ' Review of Reviews,' ib would show the dear old man he waa nob forgotten in South Africa and thab bhousanda who, liko myaelf, are not able bo remember him, yeb cherish bhe memory of his life and work here. Of the three large Englishspeaking men who have during bhe laab, fifty years appeared on the South African abage, Wm. Pator, Saul Solomon and Sir George. Grey, 1 think the last was the greabesb and mosb unique. A'God's Englishman' if you like ib. Ib is the thoughb bhab bhere have boen auch Englishmen that takes away ono's despair for England's future. His statue, of which I enclose the photograph, stands in the public gardens in the centre of Cape Town. Tho building behind him wibh bho pillars ii bho public library which he laboured for and so richly endowed. I have walked oub of bhe Cape Parliamenb, which sbands juab over bhe way, where debatea were going on in which bhe moab talented and wealthy Englishmen in the world wero voting for 'strop' Billa, and in which personal ambition and tbe gresd of wealth and power showed at every turn, and I've felb a curious consolr.bion in coming acrosß thab sbabue. Greed and ambition may conquer for a momenb, bub there are alao obher elements in our nabional character. If Ahriman exists ao also doea Ormuzd." ' Olive Schreiner, when she wrote that, was in one of ber moods of wrath againab the former god of her idolabry, who if she would look and see i 8 bub carrying on by such inabrumenba aa are within range of his hands bho good work which Sir George Groy aspired to bub waa nob allowed fco accomplish.' The dedicabion of Olive Schreiner's new story, • Trooper Halketb of Mashonaland,' is characteristic. Ib runs as follows :— To a Greab Good Man, Sir George Grey, once Governor of Cape Colony, who, during bia rule in South Africa, bound to himaelf the Dutchmen, Englishman and natives bo governed by an uncorruptible justice aud a broad bumaaity, and who ia remembered among us to-day aa repreaenting bhe nobleeb attributes of an Imperial rule. 4 Our low life waa the lovsls and the night's; He's for tho morning.' Olive Schreiner. A RECORD YEAR FOR THE R.C.I. The annual meeting of the members of the Royal Colonial Institute occurred on Tueaday under bhe Presidency of Sir Roberb Herberb. The reporb showed thab during tbo paab year 100 reaidenb and 255 __oh--e_idenb Fellows were elected, or a■■ total of 355, aa compared with 293 during bhe preceding correaponding period. The total memberahip i 8 now 3,929. The annual receipts exceeded those of any previous with bwo exceptiona, and bho balance of assets over liabilities had been substantially increased. Tbe loan of £35,020 which was raised in 1886 in order thab the freehold of the In.titute might ba acquired stood ab £20,83. ab bhe close of 1596, £14,187 having been paid off during the intervening period. The Chairman in moving the adoption of the reporb particularly montioned tbe forthcoming festivities in commemoration of the Queen's reign, espocially in connection with the visit of tho colonial premiers and contingents of tho colonial troopa,which ho thoughb would prove a vory inberesbing evenb. The/ Institute hoped bo arrange a apecial gabber-/ ing in honour of bhs commemoration, and would alao preas forward the idea of fixing some public holiday to be observed throughout the Empire to keep the event in .remembrance. The motion was agreed to, and other routine business having baen transacted bhe proceedinga terminated, LORD ROSEMEAD. I am aorry for Lord Roßemead,who*ie aun seems to be Betting in stormy weathor. In South Africa ib has been the opi-iion all along thab bhe High Commissioner was privy to the plana of Mr Rhodes, and now we have tho latter practically admitting bhe facb. How serious such a revelation would bave been a year ago I need hardly poinb oub. Whether ib will matter much now rornainß to bo seen. As Lord Rosemead ba. retired and is dangerou/iy ill, and as Sir Alfred Milner can be Jruated to temporarily please all parbiea m South Africa, it may bo feasible to slur the awkward disclosure ovor. Bub .hore'a no blinking the awfc.wardn.Bß. For if Sir Hercules Robineon knew iiha lifctla gamo S_r Rhodea.pro- "■-. /

posed bo play ita the Transvaal ib becomes deaperabely hard be believe that Downingsbreeb was as supremely and ingenuously ignoranb as ib pretends. All bhe Agents-General who bavo met "Sir Alfred Milner speak iv enthusiastic terms of the smartness of the new governor of Cape Colony. Amongst othor gifts he possesses a remarkable mecr.ory. On one occasion when ho waa Mr Go .cben's secrebary ho was called upon by a journalist for a copy of Mr Goacben's address, to the electors of Easb Edinburgh. Tbe addreaa had been sent oub by posb, and bhere waa no copy, bub Sir Alfred Milner sab dosvn ab once and wrote oub bhe addreaa from memory. When it waß compared with bhe original there were only three words wrong in bhe whole address of nearly four hundred words in length.

THE PIONEER OP COLONIAL DEFENCE.

Tbe publication of the letters and speeches of the lato Lord Carnarvon on tbe defence of the empire is particularly apropos ab bhe present momenb, and reminds us how much the colonies owe to thia by no . means over-ratod statesman. The subjecb of colonial defence is so well worn nowadays one is apb to forgeb bhab up to 20 years ago ib bad been completely overlooked. Then all of a sudden, in 1878, the ' Peace with Honour' war scare woke England bo bha painful realiby of bhings and possible dangers ahead. In the days of our greabesb naval briumphs bhe probection of our vaßb commerce had proved no easy task, and again and again Englishmen who boasted that we wore supreme oa the soa. were condemned to the bitter humiliation of seeing vessels of our merchant navy, bearing rich cargoes, capbured off bheir coasts and under bheir very eyes, bub einco bhen ateam had wrought, in ways both direcb and indirect, a greab change, and ib was certain thab no attempt had been made of a really scientific and comprehensive kind to meet bhe new conditions, or even to ascertain their oxact nature and extent. Of our progreas since bhen, Sir George Clarko, bhe editor of the volume before us, thus takes noteß : —' The labour waa nob in vain. Much for which Lord Carnarvon sbreauously pleaded haa been accompliahod. All the coaling Btations selected by the Commission are now sufficiently fortified. The strategic points of King George's Sound and Thursday Island have been protected by the patriotic efforts of the Australasian colonies. Table Bay and Simon'B Bay have subsbanbial defence, and bhe Governmenb of the colony has in consideration importanb measures for increasing ibs military force. Canada, the inadequacy of whoae milibia waa pointed oub by Lord Carnarvon in 1862, haa since made marked progress, and has recently rearmed her broops with the service rifle and the labesb field gun. Esquimalb has been ab length dealb with by the war office in co-operation, wibh the dominion. From Plymouth, through the Mediberranean, to Hong Kong, or by bho Cape roube and Mauribius to Ceylon and bha Bay of Bengal, protected coaiing stations stand ready for the service of the fleet. The greab harbours of Australasia are all provided wibh defences. Crown colonies, such aa Mauritiua, Ceylon, the Straits, and Kong Hong, have shaved in tho necesaary expenditure. Othera have ahown willingness to make sacrifices in order to guard their integrity. Meanwhile, the establishment of bhe excellent military college ab Kingsbon, Canada, accomplished under Lord Carnarvon's direcbions, has borne rich fruit. Tbis institution, to bhe znaugurabion of which he looked back wibh ' bhe greatest satisfaction,' haa not only raised the standard of military acquirements in the dominion, but has supplied valuable officers to the Briiish army.'

A COLONIAL ' SOCIETY' EDITOR.

The ducking of the editor of the Oxford ' Isia' by undergraduates, on account of a racy article on the Dean of Chrietcntarch, reminds me of my experiences whilst editing a society paper in .New Zealand 15 years ago. I can't boasb that I over absolutely gob ducked, bub for the greater parb of 18 months an angry man with a horsewhip seemed perennially on my track. Perhaps you imagine I insulted ererybody recklessly. Nob ab all. The things I wrote myself seldom caused dissatisfaction. Ib was the amateur contributor who brouehb me to grief. His 'para' were whited sepulchres, outwardly; inocaous, bub inwardly full of gross and insulting suggestion. For Example, a few simple lines cacao to me one day from up country announcing a handsome presentation made by a public man to the landlady of the Blank Hotel at Hadeaville. Ib sounded liks quite a small function. How waa Ito guess the naughty man had been carrying-on disgracefully with pretty Mrs Hotelkeaper, and scandalised the neighbourhood by giving her one of Ma wife's diamond rings. He wanted nay blood when the paper appeared, and I felb on learning the story it was a reasonable longing. Another time my lady's letter writer paid a local employer a pretty couoplimenb on his new departure ia engaging a female olerk. • How much pleasanter,' said sho, ' is ib to be waited on by bliiu charming girl instead of by that too corwivial and often muzzy person her predeceesor.' Tho latter being, as we both supposed, a notorious orunkard, who had gone to 'Frisco, there saemed lihtle risk in the remark. Alas! between tho engagements of 'the tippler and the tart' a mosb respectable young Good Templar had for a week been employed, and he, of course, was tha lady's predecessor. We offered amplest explanations and apologies, but ib was no go. Tfiab little error coat £50. The worst experience of all, however, which befell me had to do with a very serious charge of sedoiction brought against a local minister by a young girl and her mother. His reverenco denied the faux pas and repudiated thejresulbant child. Wo inquired into the case f "mos(i carefully, and ib seemed flawless. Tljie young man had notoriously shown the girl marked attentions, many people hfid joen them go off alone for walks together. She was supposed to bo his Bwoethearb by everybody, and she stuck to ib from the firsb discovery fcb;it he was the child's father. Furthermore, when pressed by the doctor during tho pangs of labour to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, she swore-solemnly this man and this man only had seduced her. Well, we told the painful story, and called on the chapel aut/horitieis to investigate ib. This they die!, in eolemn conclave, one of my colleagues b Bing present. All went extremely well from, my point of view bill the girl camo undur cross-examination. Then sometody asked her when the alleged seduction book placa To our horror she named a date within three months of the birth of the child. Nor could anyone shake her statement. Sho remembered ib, she declared, by this, by that, and the other. The Chairman, a friend of the minister's, seized the poinb instantily. * Thab ends the matter, J gentlemen,' said he, 'by the girl's own showing Mr——— can'tbe the father of the child. Who is doesn't concern ua. I move M r be acquitted.' And he waß. Why his reverence didn't go for me and get £1,000 damages I don't know. Bub he didn't, WOMEIW WHO STEAL. A number of [European scientists have been discussing what is known as klepbor mania in women. The commonest form of this disease ia •■shop-lifting,',which according to the authorities is carried on to an alarming extent ua the greab retail emporiums ot cities all the world orer. Professor Lascagne, a Parisian criminologisb of some repute, regards kleptomania as a morbid manifeubation which exhibits itself in a certain number of those mentally diseased, bate in sJI its form it is a manifestation of a vicious nature. Rich women wich criminal tendencies. Dr. Lascagne

says, after yielding to the first few impulses become utterly Incapable of resisting temptation. Tbey will steal the mosb trivial articles. Tha professor mentions one woman, who aftor purchasing goods to the amount of £5 in a Parisian shop stole a slate sponge worth perhaps twopence as she was leaving the establishment. On another occasion the same woman bought and paid for moro than £20 worth of goods, and then stole a small article valued at less than sixpence.

Dr. Lascagne avors thab there is a large class of women thieves whose mental condition is such that the moral Sonne, so far aa property is comcarned, has entirely disappeared, and its place is such turpitude as makes one shudder to think of. Often these creatures are of bright mind and of fine personal appearance. To such the sighb of goods spread broadcasb on Bhop counters is an irresistible temptation, and Professor Lascagne suggests to shopkeepers thab bhe besb mobhod of preventing these women indulging in bheft would be to Btation at each counter an officer in a conspicuous uniform. The presence of * policemen ' would, the doctor thinks, bring an end to the pilfering of kleptomaniacs, who steal only when they think there ia no chance of detection. How very like the common or garden thief !, 'Tia a pity if bhis i 3 the besb proposal mad doctors and criminologists have to make to pub a stop to Imagine our own selves shopping aba place where every counter had its own uniformed thief - detector following with 'beagle heye' every movemenb of our hands amongst the ' bargains.' Shop proprietors mighb just as woll pub up a placard ' Every customer is deemed a bhief bill she has proved herself honesb.' I rather fancy that any tradesman would prefer to pub up with the losses accruing from kleptomaniac cusbomers than inform every clienb by ocular demonstration thab he thoughb ib necessary to have a policeman to guard his goods lesb sho should turn oub to be a thief.