TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9321, 23 January 1896, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

A rem auk ablb story has The been going the rounds of Succession the papers as to the succeato Uie Finn to the throne of Great Tluoue. B'itaiu ou ihe death of her Ahijasty the Queen. A German lias, it seems. ma<ie the discovery lli.it her hiiu , _'j-i3H , \voa!J 1)'. , , not, us nnivarsftHy beiioveJ, Uio Prince of Wales, bub his elder sister, the PihiC3S3 Royal of England, now the Empress Frederick of Germany, the mother of the Kaiser. "It has hitherto been accepted," says the writer, " that the sons in succession precede the daughters. It ie not so, however, in England. The law of inheritance makes no difference betweeu sons and daughters, but speaks only of children generally." The article goes ou to say that we are indebted for this sensational discovery to tlio late Professor of English at Oxfoid (Mr Froudc), aud that among the most zealous defenders of tiie idea in England is Mc W. T. Stead, who has pointed out that England has always been greater under the Queens than Kings, and that Victoria 11. would enjoy immense popularity among the feminine part of the population. It is pointed out as a remarkable circumstance that the Empress Frederick has taken up a reserved attitude with regard to this question, the reason beiDg, it is suggested, that ou her death the English Crown would devolve upon her eldest son, the German Emperor, aud she believes a union of England and Germany to be impossible. It is alleged, however, that she has declared that if she is ever called to the throne her younger sou Henry shall succeed her. As to this the Kaiser, it is declared, will maintain his rights. "Ho is ihe eldest son of the eldest child of the Queen, and as tuch by the English law of inheritance, after his mother, the legitimate heir to the crown aud no one else. He is convinced that the union of Britain and Germany will be of immense benefit for both countries and the world in general. He has, however, tact enough to hold back during the lifetime of his grandmother." A recent remark of the Emperor's to the effect that one day the German army aud navy would traverse the ocean is now understood to refer to this matter.

Whatever the Emperor meant

A by the dark saying referred Pricked to above—and one his occasionBubble, ally a strong impression that he

does not always know what he means himself—no one will do him the injustice of thinking that be believes tbe crown of England will ever be his by right of anccession. If tho anti-Euglish section of the Continental Press was nob in the habit of making such extraordinary and ludicrous remarks about England and English people, we should hesitate to think that the author of the ridiculous canard mentioned above believed in its correctness. The succession to the throne, on the death of her Majesty, is assured to the English Royal Family by three distinct generations, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, and the baby Prince Edward. With regard to tho descent ot tbe Crown, it is laid down by Blackstone that "like estates, the Crown descends lineally to the issue of the reigning monarch," and particularising the manner of descent the same great authority says, "As iv common descents, the preference of males to females, and the right of primogeniture among the males are strictly adhered to." Primogeniture is defined as the term used to signify the preference in inheritance which is given by law, custom or usage to the eldest eon and his issue, or in exceptional cases (i.e., when there is no male issue) to the line of the eldest daughter. Tbe advocates for tho succession of the Empreaa Frederick or the German Emperor seem to have overlooked these items of English constitutional law. The writer referred to prophesies that "in case of the death of the Queen, England will awake to a great surprise." It may, but the cause will not be the coronation of the Empress Frederick or her eldest son.

It ia gratifying to note that Carios at the already large collection of the carios at the Museum has Museum, been recently iucreased by several new specimens exhibiting the ingenuity and art of other countries. In the Ethnological room, in the space set apart for curioa from Greenland and

Alaska, there are several Esquimaux weapons. Among these is a fish spear, which is a very quaint but at the same time useful contrivance. lb is made of very tough wood, and has a prong at the end made of bone. There are also two harpoons, one of which is about sft in length. Like the spear, it also has a bone point, which fits into the handle by means of a socket. The whole is joined firmly by cords of raw hide. The other harpoon is of a different description, and ie evidently used for thrusting instead of throwing. The head, which is of bone, has a loop, through which a rope is paPßed. When the whale is struck, tho handle conies away, leaving the head embedded. The aninnl can then he played with the rope. Besides the articles mentioned there are a bow made of bone, arrows, and a quiver of raw hide. Another curio is a quaint Mexican snuffbox, made from a nut, beautifully carvedIn the African cabinet there are an old Kabyl Arab flintlock, from Algeria, and a pair of slave rings. The Malayan Archipelago case contains some murderous-looking swords. One of them has some cunning barbs, which would make the weapon most difficult to extract. All the swords are made of a different kind of eteel from that of which the Malay krie is composed. The latter has a peculiar kind of ornamentation, made by pouring acid on the blade. This produces a kind of rusty appearance, besides bringing out the grain of the steel. The swords, on the other hand, are ploin throughout. In another case devoted to African exhibits, are some Touareg Arab earrings. These are made of brightly coloured beads end sheila, and are of gigantic size, being as large as a lady's small hand bag. In addition to all these curios, the Maori room now contains two sides of a canoe beautifully carved, and a primitive anchor made of a stone' with a groove chipped round the middle for holding a rope. As a whole, these recently added curios are a decided acquisition to the Museum.

Puofessok H.\r.For.D, of The Effect* Melbourne University, is au of enthusiast in snakes, and is "Music" very fond, we understand, ou Snakea. of trying all sorts ot experi-

meuts on them. His latest performance in this way was to teeb the fabled power of musio ou these oreatures, and he accordingly held a short series of " musical evenings," in which an unfortunate reptile figured as the solitary auditor. The Professor has a friend, Mr Divies, who possesses a large experience of tho habits of AmtiMliau suiiUe- , , and he took this gentleman into his coniilouco. Mr Davies hauled a large tiger snake out of ihe case in which tin-- Piofussor keeps hia pets, aud holding it tightly behind the head played tunes to it ou a small mouth orgiu for half an hour, ab tho cud ot which time the snake was fts vicious as ever. This seems to hare surprised tho Professor, but we really do not see what else ho could expect. A similar performance with another tiger snake was as great a failure, and Dr. Half or d then commissioned his friend to procure him a black snake oc a copper head. The reliable Daviea was siiccessrul in finding a fine specimen of the venomous copper head, 3ft 9in long. Tho experiment then began. Mr D.wio4 having seizad the creature by the i:eck, near the head, aud arranged it 3 c-'.ni3 round his aim, began playing the mouLii org-oi closo to its head. lv about aevon minutes, we &ro told, " a great change came ever the snake ; the forked tongue was no longer incessantly protruded and retraoted, and ib was finally withdrawn from view. The serpent was now freed from the grasp of linger and thumb, and the music continuing for another livo minutes, tho reptile was placed a* an immovable coil upon the table. The clapping of hand a close to its head, jumping ou tho boarded floor, &c, produced no recognition or sign of movement. Ih was then placed in the open hcnds and raised from tho table and replaced. It remained in this state about, twenty-Gvo miuutes, wheu it gradually crawled off the table, and was noon as furious as ever." It would be difficult to say exactly what waa the value of this experiment. As a method of killing snakes it might perhaps be effective enough if contiuued for v, leugtb of lime but, as a critic remarks, a stick would do the business much quicker, and would not be open to the charge of torture. Tho Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, do not, it is suggested, take snakes uader their protection. If it did a case would undoubtedly lie against the Professor aud hia friend, for if compelling a snuke to listen to the strains of a mouth organ does nob amount to cruelty we do nob know what cruelty is.