Notes by Colonus.

Bruce Herald, Volume IX, Issue 892, 27 March 1877, Page 7

Notes by Colonus.

* • — '■ — HTMHS. I lately read in the Hekaxo as an item of Qgfes, that the air of Sankey's popular hymn, •nSold the Fort," had ingeniously— shall we ■ay irreverently ?— been converted into waltz music, to which dancers could twirl around on the light fantastic toe. I suppose some people will consider this a horrid desecration of the air of what at least we may call this lively and; spirited hymn. Well, I suppose this is only a sort of tit for tat, for, if I am not mistaken, many tbat are technically called profane airs have been utilised by Mr Sankey. VPerbapi Mr'Sankey is of the same opinion as ''''•':tfc'.'^vi^'wlio.'said "he did not see why tbe should haVe all the best tunes." I Ith^ok it was "Samuel -Lover who t once heard deliver a musical lecture in Liverpool, when he observed that several of what are called negro melodies were old psalm tunes played * "in quick timei For instance, the air of **R<Me, rose, the coal black rose," if played ahj^sounds very like a psalm tune. No doubt, there afe some very sweet airs iD Sankey's collection, though some of them appear to me to be more appropriate for 1 sacred singing than others. As to whether some of these lively airs are as suitable for hymn singing as some of the beautiful sacred airs to-be found in "Hymns Ancient and Modern," opinions may differ, though to sing, or hear; sung, Sankey's hymns may be an agreeable change to people who have long been accustomed to sing only the old psalm faneoy • some of ' which are hum-drum COOUgh, though others of them are very fine airs. Taken as a whole, however, Ido not think the. music of Sankey's hymns compares very well with that ot "Hymns Ancient and Modern," in which collection. is to be found Mendelsshon's glorious Christmas hymn, "Hark, the herald angels sing J" and other fine and very devotional airs. However, comparisons aie said to be odious, and perhaps I should not have made this one. GREAT ACCTDBHTS. The great nation of the United States of North Amercia is notorious for the pride it takes in doing things on a grand scale, and endeavoring in that respect to " lick creation," with monster concerts, great centennials, and the rest. I should think the two terrible accidents which have lately taken place in the States were on a sufficiently great and awful jscale. The. circumstances attendant on these two accidents are indeed frightful and horrible in the extreme. One, the case of a great railway train, with a mass of human beings, being suddenly precipitated from a considerable height upon a shallow frozen river, in winter time and then Ure breaking out and consuming a number of the wretched passengers while they were caught among tbe delapidated cargo and unable to extricate themselves or be extricated, having to wait the approach of tbe flames. The other, of a multitude of human beings caught in a burning theatre, and, unable to get out, subjected to the horrible death of being burnt alive. Such a concentration of human agony may well fill our minds with horror as our imaginations attempt to realise the details of these frightful events. The question naturally arises, how far such awful accidents are due to negligence, rashness, and want of precaution, and whether they might not have been guarded against by a reasonable amount of care ? Is there absolutely no means of determining whether or not a railway bridge is in sound condition, and fit to bear the weight of a passing train ? Ought there not to be a periodical and most careful inspection of all railway bridges? As to theatres, we have been aware of tbe fact that in case of ■%$ multitudes of human beings might be ' caught as it were in a trap, and that, by not affording means for a speedy exit, there is constant danger Af a most apalling catastrophe. It is incomprehensible why the legislature has not long since insisted that in the building of theatres there should be contrivances adopted by which the danger might be averted or much lessened; In most cases where . people congregate in buildings, they are more or jess subject to the danger of fire, but in theatres especially so. In England a mere admonition from the Lord Chamberlain to managers of theatres, tbat they should provide more speedy means of exit, is a trifling of dealing with the evil. What we want is a Jtncfc law on the subject. SUICIDE. I observe a* verdict ex fehde se has been returned in the case of the suicide of a poor Chinaman in Dunlin; :v Why felo dff se? felo de fiddlesticks. What is there of appreciable difference in the case of this suicide and that of" several others which during the last few years have taken place in the Colony, and* in most of which, if not all, a verdict of temporary insanity has been returned? I suppose it was the letter the Chinaman left Which produced the verdict of felo de se. A person^ however, may write a sensible enough letter, and yet his mind be in a very 'disordered state. In several cases where a verdict of temporary' insanity has been re- ' turned, there has, I believe, bee* Jfctle or no * proof of such insanity, i.e., that the diseased was suffering from delirium, or was the victim* of hallucination or monomania. Tt «eems generally to be assumed by a jury that tthe mere act of suicide is sufficient to autho- ., jise the return of a verdict of .temporary - insanity, tbe act itself being proof at least of - that phased insanity which is called nielnebolia. The v«rdict of felo de *<?,' tbat a mas has committed a felony pp himself, seems to me a palpable absurdity. Why not return j, simple verdict of siiidde, tp which the jury,

if they saw fiVmight append or not, according to evidence, an opinion as to the state of mind of the deceased at the time of the act. I observe somewhere in the Colony a man was lately committed for trial for attempted suicide. Such harsb ; measure puts me in mind of the action of a famous Police Magistrate of London, whom 4 JPunch ' used to be fond of having a cut at in days of yore. Some forlorn destitute people having got into a way of .throwing themselves off London Bridge into the Thames, or otherwise makiug away with themselves, this sapient gentleman inaugurated some severe measures, saying, "he was determined to put down suicide." Human law is tbe offspring of the social state— to compel men to respect the rights of others, or observe the duties they owe towards the Stateyiand not to compel men to perform duties they owe. towards themselves or God. A christian society or government may well, however, extend a humane protection to people against their own acts in such an awful case as attempted suicide ; and it is very right that such cases, when they come under the notice of the police, sbould be brought before the Magistrate in Court, for instructions as to how they shi.ll he dealt with. All that ought to be done, however, in the cas# would be to hand over tbe unfortuuate to his friends or relatives, or, if he have none, such willing to take care of him ; then if there be proof of insanity, or there be danger of his repeating the attempt, to place him in an asylum. For human law to make a crime or delinquency of suicide, or attempted suicide, is an utter and manifest absurdity, whatever may be the opinion of moralists or theologians as to the degree of individual guilt involved in the act.