TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7870, 22 May 1891, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

When a Sydney paper calls a political ' meeting a disgraceful exhibition we may take it for granted that the proceedings were of a kind of which happily only a faint reflection is seen in New Zealand. They are so case-hardened to disorder in connection with politics in New South Wales, for which their Parliament I is principally responsible, that the amount of rowdiness which would break up a meeting here - passes almost unnoticed on the other side. Occa- j sionally, however, a scene occurs in the House, or at a meeting, whioh is probably to be witnessed in few parts of theworld, and some attention is then devoted to it. About a week ago a cable message informed ns that Mr McMillan, the New South Wales Colonial Treasurer, had had a very rough reception at tiie bauds of a meeting in his constituency, East Sydney, and that, iv default of being able to make the audience hear anything he had been compelled to withdraw, and had handed his speech to the Press representatives. From reports of the affair in the Sydney papers, however, it seems that Mr McMillan etuokto his guns, and delivered his speech, though in the face of such opposition as would have made most men give up the task. From a most amusing account in the Daily Telegraph, it is easy to gather that the meeting was "packed," not bo much by Mr McMillan's opponents, as by a noisy mob of larrikins, The proceedings were lively from tbe jump, a free fight occurring within five minutes after the doors .were opened, and the forebodings of those who anticipated a disturbance were fully and promptly realised. The Chairman's speech was inaudible, except to a reporter who was as close to him aa he could get, but the noise with which he was greeted "paled I its ineffectual fires" before the parade; monium which broke loose when the Colonial Treasurer, "who appeared remarkably cool and collected, "stood up. Shrieks, yells, whistling, satirical cheering, oatcalls, barking and a combination of noises impossible to be conceived by any one who did not hear them, quite drowned his voice. The reporters clustered round him and only those who were at his elbows could hear him. A " tough " acted as conductor to a chorus who rendered "We'll hang John Brown on a sour apple tree," with verbal alterations to suit the circumstances and much energy, while free fights, daring which the reporters' tables were used as grandstands by those who wished to get a good view, added considerably to the interest. %

Things went on like this for about an hour, until it looked aa if the platform was going to be rushed, when a gentleman on the platform who had apparently organised a law and order force gave some instructions. The Telegraph thus describes what followed:—

*' He said, ' Now boys, put some of these fellows out. I've stood it long enoughpus them out/ Before oue oould give utterance to even a fragment of the text wordß for expedition/ 'Jack Robinson/ there was a most determined scuffle right against the platform and a confused mass of. legs and arms were seen careering along a speedily improvised atey way towards the nearest exit. This was the signal for cheering and counter cheering and terrific yells, groans and boohooing. But the circus continued. A Statue gentleman—who owing to lack of work probably needed exercise of the roughest massage order —was • yanked* from his seat on the edge of the platform under the ledge of a press table, and before he knew where he was or had time to remonstrate, he experienced the stag*, gering sensation of being ' fired out on his ear/ 'Put them out/ said tbe gentleman before alluded tot 'we have 806 men in the building/ he added aa a warning to the riotous,' and we can clear it ia two urinates/ Out went some more. Then a heavy-weight individual who had been sitting with the Statue man, with his legs dangling over the front of the platfonn,ross to ejspoatolate that 'Sandy' Boas, •

pugilist of some renown, was inoluded in the ejecting body. In rising to this point of otdtr tie haavy-weight lacked fiW saeat. Hs had baraly protested when he was seized by the legs, smashed on to thi floor, and ignsminiously dragged out although pluughig and scuffling most valorously. Shortly afterwards, however he made his reappearance on tho platform' with a gashed aud blood-stained forehead! He was persuaded by Detective Gonlde. and others to kvep quiet, aud did so after intimating his intention of 'moving an amendment."' 6 w

These energetio measures were followed as may be supposed by a alight lull, but the uproar soon began again, though not as badly as before, and the Treasurer con. tinned his speech to the end, concludino by drinking a glass of water to the yelling mob. The meeting closed with cheers for the Queen, after which Mr McMillan left though not before a man, who said he wa» a labor representative, told him that he considered he had acted like a hero that evening. Heroism perhaps is rather " a large order." but Mr McMillan certainly displayed an amount of pluck and good temper in facing such a scene of m, f paralleled disorder that does him credit

Th* Eev. Mark Guy Pearse has explained As we mentioned the other day,*h awa| reported as saying :—» The young lady of to day is practically a waste product. Saa is a delicate piece of human mechanism, carefully trained aud educated, yet the beginning and end of her mission as a young lady appears to bo' afternoon tea "» Interviewed by a Sydney Presa man, who explained that a large quantity of correspondence had appeared in the papers i v reference to his remarks, Mr Pearse said the statement, as reported, was iuoompleto* The young lady was a waste product " only so tar as the Church was concerned. 1 * He was simply horrified and amazed that such a discussion should have grown out of any remark of his. What he said amounted to his oft repeated opinion :—

"That the Church which wiU make the beat use of its women has the future ia its own handß; thac at the present moraenfc the Bouiau Catholic Church aud the Sal. vation Army alone are turning to ths fullest account the wealth of womaa'g „>-, and power for service. In the round yttstli there is nothing more gifted, more win, spine, or so dowered with gifts for nobis work amongst the people as the averaga young En-lish lady, but that the Cuurca. treates her as ' a waste product,' Riving hat no opportunity for noble Bervico, failing altogether to turn to account her taot, her eynxpa-tJiy. lie- ooarago, and her devotioru Hf our t&miUea - -we—c — tl._ Movaaa Carbolic ptturtta many of (beta Mlt >«•<«* •(•)(*!««# t<*t«««l« Mtlll* it (g(jg( would Drive ope of their daughters {or lifa service m the cause of ihe Church, the parents giving with her her dowry money to -hr-eljp her An. -£-_____,*_; wort."

jjoiuoiikoillioif liowuiildiiaFOttic^

prouaed, lie urged tfcie formation of sisterhoods for work among the poor, wearing a distinctive dress as a protection, and oi course tatting, no vovrs of celibacy* eueli training: as they -would get in the eisterhood being the beat preparation a girl could undergo to fit her for the position of wife. Such sisters would visit the sick, act an nurses, look after homeless children, and he gave as an illuitration the following case:—

" My daughter, Sister Maud, of the Weas London Mission, has a cane now in hand. A man —a working man—loses his wife, who leaves a baby three days old and other children. He has to go to work early in the morning. Who is to care for the children ? Wall;'he gets in a woman, who gets drunk and pawns hh» things and neglects the children. The Sister finds •the case, and arranges to send the baby to some trustworthy woman in the country, where it has plenty of good milk and fresh air and motherly care. The man arranges for payment of the weekly-cost- The Sister attends to the other children; teaches the elder one how to get breakfast in the morning— j attending at an early hour for the pur-poses-sees to their clothes, gets them for school, and attends to the house* ' hold arrangements generally. She calls at the dinner hour and directs the chii« dren in preparing that ui>.-al, and geta round to the house again before the return of the mm in the evening, teaches the eldest girl to prepare thu supper, and makes arrangements for the next day. TAat is a case in point, and I could give you many others. How far is auy minister or any man qualified to render service like that ? Would it not eventually strengthen the power of the Church if she gave her daughters to Buoh service ?"

To this question there can be but oo& answer. As Mr Fearse said, there are often many more girla at homo than the needs of home require, and only one ia t a family need do this work/ He assured tbe reporter again that his remarks had reference only to young ladies so far at Church work was concerned, though as ft matter of faot it was the case with man| of tbem that their only mission in life w_f '* afternoon tea."