News, Views and Opinions.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 196, 19 August 1899, Page 1 (Supplement)

News, Views and Opinions.

Poor Mr Lewis, a member in the House for Christchurch City, has been plaintively asking the Government this week to make some arrangement whereby members can see the reports of their Parliamentary speeches aa made by the Press Association before transmission to the various parts of the colony. This, forsooth, is so that the dear members who on the spur of the moment may have said something that maturer judgment condemns may delete the passage should it happen to be in the report. Mr Lewis, of course, does not put it this way. He speaks of the correction of the inaccuracies of the reporter. The only way to carry out the suggestion would be, for the Government to print the report as it was written and submit proofs to members. When every member had had his finger in the pie the whole would require to be sub-edited, grammatical errors rectified, and even then the message would be a fearful and wonderful thing, bound tojbejnaccurately transmitted by any selfrespecting telegraphic instrument. Three days are a modest computation of the time that—even with half a dozen messengers —would elapse before the member's words of wisdom, as remodelled by himself, would be ready for despatch. When the first message came into the hands of the sub-editor he would regard it as a Chinese puzzle, and, being a busy man, without time to waste on idiotic jokes, he would consign it to the waste paper basket. Seriously, a newspaper is a publication brought out in a hurry, and any silly restriction would end in the exclusion of members' remarks in Parliament from the press, and the substitution of brief summaries of the work actually accomplished, which would never exceed more than a few lines in length. Perhaps this might be as well, for Parliamentary drivellings are not such absorbing reading, and the knowledge that there was no chance of their remarks being reported would deter members from wasting the country's time pitching cock-and-bull stories in the Chamber, meant only for the eyes of the constituents to whose votes they owe their seats.

General de Galliffet, the new French Minister of War, enjoyed his culminating glory—his military apotheosis, so to speak—at Sedan, Avhere the command of the 4th Reserve Cavalry Division devolved on him after his leader had been shot through both cheeks at the commencement of the great cavalry charge. ( And as at Waterloo the desperate charging of the Scots Greys extorted from Napoleon the repeated murmur, "Quels beaux chevaux gris!" so the forlorn hope attacks of Galliffet's grey Chasseurs d'Afrique at Sedan moved King William to the exclamation, "What splendid fellows!" The Germans ever had the highest admiration and respect for Galliffet, and ■when the cavalry hero attended the German manoeuvres one autumn in the eighties, by special invitation of the -old Emperor, he was treated with the most exquisite courtesy and consideration. His Majesty placed him on his right hand at table, and felt inclined to repeat (he remarked later), what Frederick the Great once said to the Austrian Marshal Daun on meeting him after the Seven Years' War. The marshal was for taking1 his place at table opposite the King, but Frederick exclaimed, "No, that will never do. Come f-nd sit beside me. I know only too well what it is to have you on the other side."

Letters received in England from Buenos Ayres give, details of a remarkable duel, of which the famous Italian fencing-master Chevalier Pini was hero. Pini recently opened a school of arms in the Argentine Republic, and, having been subjected to some criticism by a local journalist, told the scribe in his own frank, pleasant way what he thought of him. Reparation was demanded, and pistols were the weapons selected. The conditions of. the meeting were singular. The adversaries were to be placed back to back, and at the word of command were each to take fifteen steps forward, and then to turn round and fire simultaneously. On the ground the men were placed as arranged, and, at the given signal, began to march forward, one of the seconds counting the steps. Pini had only made five.strides when he heard a report and the whistle of a bullet past his ear. He turned and saw his adversary with the smoking pistol in his hand. Pini, in a furious rage, dropped his weapon, rushed at his man, and gave him a sound thrashing with his fists. The seconds took sides for their respective principals, and a general melee went forward _ until some gendarmes arrived. Pini's adversary then took to his heels and has not been seen since.

One of the pathetic romances of life came to light in New York the other day. A Miss Morse was engaged to a Mr W. E. Corbin, and their wedding was looked forward to in New Haven as a great social event. Some little time before the date fixed for the celebration of the ceremony it was found that Miss Morse had sustained serious internal injuries which rendered a dangerous operation necessary. Fearing that she might not survive the operation, Miss Morse desired a marriage, and in a little chapel round the corner from the big hospital she became Mrs Corbin. She passed direct from the altar to the operating room, and for hours the newly-made bridegroom outside the door underwent an ordeal which it falls to the lot of few to have to face. When the surgeons at last appeared with the information that all was well the relief to the feelings of that strangely married man can b.e better imagined than described in words.

M. Paderewski, the news of wtiose marriage was recently received, has invested a considerable portfon o± his savings in building property. His other speculations have so far been very fortunate, and he is now an extremely wealthy man. He is one of the leading shareholders ma larg-e pianoforte manufactory m Paris, part proprietor of the leading hotel at Varsovie, and a member of a syndicate which owns a popular panorama by yon Kossak which attracts crowds in the principal Continental cities. M. Paderewski is a man of buaine?* fl« well as a musical genius. '

The deadly effect of the new Mannlicher rifle was proved by an extraordinary occurrence at the slimmer resort of Podhorz, near Prague. While dancing was going on in the big room of a country inn two gendarmes entered the inn on their round and sat down in a little room apart with the door closed. They leaned their Mannlicher rifles in a corner. One of the rifles slipped and fell. The ball wont through the wooden door, struck a musician sitting beyond, passed through his body and then through the bodies of five of his companions sitting in a line with him. The first man was killed and the others were seriotisly wounded.

There was a very amusing interlude during Friday's sitting of the Peace Conference. It is difficult to give an idea (says the correspondent of the "Daily News") of the merriment provoked by the Persian delegate's speech. General den Beer was equally fulsome towards the Czar, but there was an ineft'ableness about Mirza Khan that was unique. The Khan spoke not one word about disarmament, but talked about the Czar's good heart. lie said that when he was Ambassador at St. Petersburg he witnessed a review of 30,000 men at Krasnoe Selo. He (Mirza) fell off his horse—(laughter)—and lay five minutes on the. ground. Not one of the 30,000 stopped to help him. That proved the discipline of the Russian troops. (Roars of laughter and cries of "Question.") He was laid inside a carriage and conveyed to St. Petersburg. "And, will you believe it, gentlemen, the Czar sent twice to enquire after me?" (Roars of laughter.) I am perfectly satisfied as to the Czar's splendid heart, and implicit trust can be placed in his promises regarding the disarmament of the Russian army." Mirza moved that his speech be printed, and this was carried unanimously.

A terrible scene was witnessed one day last month during the performance at the Ivleyberg Menagerie, St. Petersburg. A tamer named Charles Pati was suddenly attacked by one of the bears, which, after felling him, attempted to tear the flesh from his face with its teeth. The tamer for a time kept the animal away by thrusting his forearm down its throat, but the bear again knocked him down, and then began to tear at his stomach. All this time one of the attendants was vainly trying to make the bear release his hold of the tamer by stabbing him with a pitchfork. At length, however, the bear was driven to the bars at the front of the cage, and thus enabled the tamer to be removed at the back. He was then in a terrible condition. Immediately afterwards another tamer entered the cage, threw a lasso over the bear's neck, pulled it tig-ht, and then shot the animal through the head with a revolver, killing it instantly. In the same cage were a second bear, two wolves, and a wild dog-, but fortunately they did mot attempt to interfere, contenting themselves with impassively watching the scene.

Business people who complain of some more recent New Zealand legislation as interfering with the liberty of the subject are advised to try a short residence in Switzerland. State paternalism in Switzerland finds some queer outlets. A woman in St. Gall went to Zurich recently and bought 5000 pairs of cheap Swiss shoes, had them shipped to St. Gall, and then placed in the local papers an advertisement to this effect:—"Telegram! Five thousand pairs of shoes of Swiss make will be sold by me cheaper than the same articles can be sold by anyone else." The police immediately pounced upon her, and demanded for the commune a tax of 100 dols. Then the cantonal authorities appeared, and required another tax of 100 dols. for the State, this combined tax giving the woman permission to sell 5000 pairs of shoes in one month's time. The woman's objections were overruled, and she appealed through the various channels until the matter was laid before the Bundesrath, the highest authority in the Bepublic. This body, after long deliberation, decided against her, and upheld the action of the local authorities. The police, in their communication to the Bundesrath regarding1 the case, Avrote: —"If this woman buys cheaply and adverises to sell cheaper than any one else, she must make money. There is no reason why she should not pay this tax, because she can afford it, to say the least." The whole matter hinges upon the fact that it is not considered for the general welfare that one firm should advertise to sell at a lower price than any other firm. If a "closing-out sale" is advertised, the advertiser has actually to close out or run the risk of being closed out.

The Americans have hit on a new plan for dispelling the ennui that often appears to seize upon them, and have improvised a fresh kind of sport, in comparison with which the hardest and most exciting run after the fastest and wiliest fox that ever doubled across the shires must pale its ineffectual fires. The "leisured classes" in Tennessee are responsible for the new departure, which consists simply of a negro chase by bloodhounds. "Visiting chiefs of the police and their ladies were taken ten miles up the Tennessee Eiver on the steamer Joe Wheeler, from the decks of which they watched the chase. Seven fullblooded dogs were set after a negro in the woods along the banks of the river, the officers closely in pursuit on horseback. The negro was given an hour's start and improved his advantage. The baying of the dogs made his position easily distinguishable to those on board. When the negro appeared near the water's edge, several miles from where he started, dusty, dirty and panting for breath, a great cheer went up." The cheer was not, of course, because of the negro's escape, but because the- dogs were at his heels, so close indeed that had he not climbed a tree he would quickly have been bits of raw negro. "Afterwards luncheon was served and a dance given on board the steamer." Tt is suggested (by "Russ," in the "Town and Country Journal" that when Governor Beauchamp, of N.S.W., once more goes into the country to *cc things "with his own eyes," it may not be out of place to suggest to hi> entertainers that there are still a few nborigines left; also that a pack of riintfoes could soon be trained to fill +he^bill equally as well as those "fullKlooded" American dogs appear to hnve done. For excitement and fun iricl novelty a diversion of the kinr) 'vould decidedly "take the cake," be■:<Vs being, if anything, more "racy of +he soil" than even emu hunting or -hppp shearing. Certainly, oyr cousin* across the "big drink" can give tip when it comes to devising any kind of rational amusement.

The following, said to be a true story of President Kruger, serves to .show the sharpness and shrewdness for which Oom Paul has always been remarkable. Under Dutch law when a man dies his property is divided into equal parts. A certain proportion is given to the. widow, and the rest is divided equally amongst the children. Two sons, dissatisfied with their relative portions, were always besieging1 Kruger with complaints and begging his interference in the matter. At last, wearied by their continued "•rumbling-, he. consented, on condition that they either accepted his decision or said no more on the subject. They agreed to abide by his ruling. "Then," said Kruger, to the elder brother, "Make a fair division of the property into two parts, and when you are quite satisfied that it is equal let your brother choose which he will talce." Could even Solomon give a better illustration of judicial wisdom?

A piquant little joke is told about Baron Oppenheim, the wealthy and influential banker of Cologne, on the Rhine, who, though a Christian of the second generation, never denies his .Jewish origin, no matter where he happens to be. Lately a French financier, also of Hebrew extraction, and a native of a German town, though naturalised in France, paid him a visit at his Cologne bank, bent on a stroke of business in which he needed the aid of Baron Oppenheim, whose financial influence along the Rhine is almost paramount. ' The "Frenchman" sent in his card. The bit of pasteboard almost suppressed the real name of the caller, which was Cohn, but added to the mere C of the Cohn a long and flowing title, thus: "Le Baron C. de Point Figuier." Baron Oppenheim looked at the card, smiled a quiet smile, and then bade his caller welcome, and proceeded to discuss business with him. The next day he returned the French financier's visit, and sent in his card, on which was printed—"Le Baron O. de Cologne"—a fragrant reprisal, as will be conceded.

The fact recntly recorded of a dumb woman recovering her speech after twenty-three years' silence has been termed an Essex miracle, but this is not the first occasion when such a thing has happened. Mrs Patten lost her voice as the result of an illness in 1876, and it was the shock consequent upon learning that her daughter had died from having set light to herself which was the means of enabling her to speak. In ISS2 it was discovered that a boy of 12 years, named Oldham, a scholar in Christ's Hospital, was totally dumb, although When he went to bed the previous night his speech Avas quite right. All kinds of remedies were resorted to to restore the lost faculty, but in vain,, and he Avas obliged to explain by signs or write on a slate what he wanted. His general health continued good. Eventually gaJvanism Avas tried and applied in five different ways. On the evening of the fifth application, exactly eight months after he had lost the power of speech, he Avent to bed as usual, but woke about eleven o'clock making such a strange noise that he aroused his schoolfelloAvs. The nurse, opening the door to learn the cause of the commotion. Avas told. "Oh, nurse. Oldham can speak again." This proved to be true, and by the morning he had quite recovered his speech. iV Avas reported from Vienna lately that a doctor of that city had subjected a deaf mute to a system of massage directed to the nerves of the throat and behind the ears Avith some decree of success, for the patient Avas ultimately able to articulate some sounds. The further result of such an interesting experiment will be Avatched by many, and should a. thorough cure for the deaf and dumb be obtained it will not be the least of the many Avonderful discoveries of the nineteenth century.

There are certain dreams which it is perfectly safe to believe. For instance, if you dream that you have a horse sitting on your chest the reasonable conclusion is that you have got the nightmare. Nevertheless, it is inadvisable to place too much confidence in visions of the night. A lady who resides in Isew Bedford, U.S.A., fell into a peculiar error in this connection. She had several d reams which have come true. Recently she dreamed that she would die at 7.45 p.m., June 20. The woman invited several physicians, a clergyman, and her neighbours to be present at her death, and when they came they found her arrayed in an ascension robe of white and lying on a couch. Slowly the hours and minutes ticked themselves oft' on the big family clock. Mrs Gilford did not seem particuarly ill, but was very nervous. As the minute hand left the half hour point after seven she was seized with a fit of trembling, but managed to control herself. The hands reached the hour and minute of 7.45. Everybody watched the woman with a terrible intensity and apprehension. The hoiirs passed; Mrs Gift'ord did not die. She has been writing a uook on psychology. When she realised that she Avas alive she turned in and finished the book. Then she said she felt much better.

A successful operation on a lion

takes a clever and a plucky surgeon to perform. The "British Medical Journal" gives an exciting account of a thrilling- experience by Professor Gustavo Pisenti, of the University of Perugia, who has recently operated

on a lioness for cataract. The animal was placed in a suitable cage in the middle of the menagerie, and the first difficulty was the administration of an anaesthetic. The intervals between the bars of the cage were filled

with cotton wool, and' a large packet

of gauze impregnated with chloroform was placed in the cage. In a quarter of an hour the patient was lying stretched out, apparently in a condition of coma. She was then dragged out of the cage, and bound and gagged, but when placed on a table she suddenly awoke and strug-

gled violently, rolling on to the floor, where the medical men "with admirable coolness, but not without in-

tense emotion, which might easily be

seen in their countenances," held her down while the animal's head was vrapped in a towel steeped in sulphuric ether. The lioness, however,

managed to free herself from the gag, md partly from her bonds, and gave i roar which made the majority of the spectators beat a hasty retreat, 'hit the ether overcame her, and Proessor Pisenti with great pluck dragred her into the cage again, where the inaesthetic coup de grace was given by means of another piece of gauze -teeped in chloroform. The beast's head was pulled out through the door if the cage, and securely held in position. Professor Pisenti then, operated with brilliant success.