THE SOUTHERN CROSS. Friday, May 14, 1858.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XV, Issue 1135, 14 May 1858, Page 2

THE SOUTHERN CROSS. Friday, May 14, 1858.

LUOEQ NON TJRO. "If I have been extinguished, yet there rise A thousand beacon* from the spark I bort."

THE BISHOP OF NEW ZEALAND'S TRUST BILL. This Bill has at last quietly settled down into the form which it ought to have assumed from the beginning — that of a simple trust bill. Brought into shape by the Legislative Council, it has passed the House of Representatives with a couple of amendments, jroposed by the member for the Bay of Islands, and wh'ch were merely intended to harmonize details, and to, give more complete effect to the intentions o£ the Legislative Council. For it seldom happens, after hot debate, that.- J a bill leaves the House where it originate^ withrut some trifling discrepancies of detail. The party who ha-ve gained th^r main, ob.-

jects ftife UnwilHng to run the risk of reviving debate, merely for the sake of giving a few \ finishing touches* to their handiwork ; they feel that the ground is still unsafe; — incedunt per |r igHes stippositos cineri doloso, and are inclined to let well alone ; while the losing party are Sometimes not unwilling to see the bill go forth , with a blemish-" spot, or mole, or mark prodigious," because -they no longer consider as a bantling of their own. It appears to us, that when once a deliberat uve body shall have expressed a decided opinion , iii regard to the more salient points of a measure , by the introduction of substantive amendments — when -once the main battle shall be won, it becomes the duty of all to acquiesce in the decision-, aiid willingly to proffer assistance in bringing the bill into tV c best workable form. The example, mdgnis componere parva, was setstby . Sir Robert Peel, who opposed the Reform Bill to the utmost of his power ; but, when once it \ was carried against him, signified his intention . of "doing his utmost to make the be? t of it. W But this was not the course adopted in the | Legislative Council, in regard to the Bishop's * Trust BUI. When Major Kenny had carried his amendments, certain discrepancies of detail remained to be reconciled. And these were such ' as the mover of the main amendments could not c be expected to deal with, because the manage- _ ment of them required the legal acumen of a : professional man. But the mover of the bill,*if : we may judge by the debates, appeared to drop ►it altogether, from that time ; leaving the Chief ! Justice to suggest, almost at the last moment, such minor amendments as were made in the Council. The Chief Justice had throughout 'expressed an unwillingness to interfere, further than could be avoided, with the details of the Bill, confining himself to .the enunciation of cerprinciples, which he thought :t his duty to bring prominently forward. But had he not volunteered his assistance at the last moment, the^Bill would have been presented to the House of Representatives in a form that would have been absolutely discreditable to the Legislative Council.

The following observations were crowded out of a former number, They were offered by way of introduction to a well written letter, on the, subject of amateur musical performances, extracted from the Canterbury 'Standard,' and re-published by us. "We had at. first intended to cancel our own remarks, on finding them separated from the letter which, they ■were intended to introduce ; but now request that they may be taken in connexion with what has already received insertion.

Our readers are well aware that we have always treated this subject at one of public importance ; it being, according to our riews, one of the main elements in the education of the people. This useful and well written letter is extracted from a Southern journal. "We invite attention to it, as being in consonance with what has been urged bj us upon- the attention of those who are capable, either by gift of nature, or by acquired advantages, of furthering the object proposed. We do not consider music, in itself the most delicate and persuasive of the fine arts, as a mere pastime — a relaxation for idle hours ; for it is now at last assuming its place as one of the great agents in the civilization of the world. So long as it was confined to the higher classes of society — to the dilettanti, and to those who by profession minister to the amusement of the wealthy, only the pleasure, of the art was known ; its power was yet unrecognised. For popular action is a necessary element of power ; but it is only within the last few years that music has found its way among the people. It is now steadily rising into full development, and even already, its capability of overcoming much of that brutality with which the world is still afflicted is beginning to make itself perceived. On the other hand, it is quietly effacing that repulsive fastidiousness by which a portion (though certainly not the best portion) of the upper classes is unfortunately imbued. Under the influence of music, all conventionalities of society — all distinctions of caste, are obliterated for the while. The best musician takes his place as the best man in the company. The art is common ground for all to tread : it is a link of union among all who enter the charmed circle. Even political animosities, the curse of this colony, can be forgotten there. Does it not therefore become an absolute duty (we have always considered that word as the finest in the English language) on the part of those to whom accident of birth or fortune has given leisure or means to acquire, for their own gratification, an art which might be made productive of the greatest social benefit — does it not become their duty to step forward and assist in its diffusion among all classes of society ? Opportunity of effecting a lasting good is afforded, at no personal sacrifice save that of a mere conventionalism, which, in a colony at all events, is very much misplaced. With the men, no difficulty has been found. All who are able, cheerfully volunteer their services. But the object cannot be effected through them alone. The women, naturally enough, are more shy of taking a prominent part. It must be admitted, indeed, that whenever a charitable purpose could he served, they have shewn the utmost readiness. The purpose is considered as a salvo. The contribution of a talent is then supposed to be consistent with what is called propriety. But tbis is merely one conventionalism, overriding another conven tionalism. Let it be borne in mind that these are more ways of doing good than by charity. By joint exertion to raise all in the social scale (and this is one among the many means afforded) the necessity for charity might be altogether obviated. In a young colony, where there is elbow room for all, want should be unknown, unless, perhaps through protracted sickness or infirmity. Labour and good conduct cannot fail to secure a competency. But labour requires relaxation j and it is upon the nature of the relaxation that good conduct depends. The spare iours of the labourer's time are to the full as valuable to the state as his ■working hours. These may. be spent either in the public house, or in the pursuit of intellectual gratification. * And upon the choice that is made, depends the general welfare of the community.

Provincial Gazette. — A 'Provincial Governmen* Gazette,' published yesterday contains notification of the appointment of the following gentlemen as Emigration Agents {or the Province of Auckland:— A. F. Ridgway, London ; James Myers, Southampton ; John Paradise, Stamford, England ;— Charles O'Korke, Galway, Ireland; ► George Bomerville, Castletown, County Sligo, Ireland ; hfyeorge Anderson, Inverness, Scotland ; Jvmes La-w, Perth,

Scotland, A. Luik, Greenock, Scotland j P. D. Wright Toronto, Canada s Joseph Emsley,*M,D., Cape Briton. Nova Scotia; Charles Bell, Charlotte Town, Prince Edward's Island ; Hudson Jamisch, St. Helena; Fred. John Mullins, Beyedort, Hamburg. Tenden for catting are called for in the same ' Gazette,' as also for sundry articles required for the Pilot service.