MISCELLANEOUS READING.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1630, 25 October 1873, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS READING.

1 AN AUSTRALIAN BROGUE. t A contributor to the, Australian Sketcher 3 writes as follows :—Will the. Australian f branch of the English-speaking race ever 3 develop a dialect of its own, or are otir f descendants all over the island continent l to be the only people in the world who , will speak the mother tongue without a i brogue, idiom, or provincialism of any kind? Unlikely,things, of course, take place, but the growth of fan AustraSln 3 brogue in these days of free and compulsory education seems almost impossible. t On our hospitable shores we welcome the 3 Cockney colonist without his h, tbe Somer- . setshire ploughboy with his abounding z, 3 and the Yorkshire jockey with his burr - and his broad a ; and with these we mix - rollicking Paddy from Cork, sanctified 3 Sawney frae Glaisco, and our hard-swear-s ing, -nasal-rvoiced Cousin Jonathan, in t such proportions that the peculiarities of s none prevail, and in the second or,-third fc generation at furthest, all will-totally disf appear. Tasmania, certainly, has a chance . of raising a brogue of her own; and will ) very likely succeed if she continues her v present policy of frightening away visitors i by putting a heavy import tax ou their i luggage. Through being severely let t alone by the educated world for five or , six generations, the Yankees managed to , create the ugliest dialect of the English i language that the human tongue,'ol nose, s is of lt wrfuld .be to the : j [ r [ k . ! 1 ]

capable uttering. interest of experimental philosophy"(however much against their own) that the Tasmaiucns should continue to isolate themselves for, say, another 100 years, so that it might be seen what direction their corruption of the language would take. Of one thing we may be certain — they will not beat the Yankees in ugli- ' neSS. • ■ '■ : ... ". :Mi :! •' ■' SENSATIONAL TELEGRAMS. " Sensational" telegraphing appears to suit the tastes of the Auckland people, if the pages of the local Star can be accepted as a criterion. While Parliament sat, that paper was almost flooded with the messages of its "own," from whose effusions we make the following extracts as indicating their general.tenor:—With reference to the late caucus, it is said, under the head of "Telegraphic Intelligence " — " Behold the little mouse hath been] born, and the labors of the political moimtain have ceased." Then as to a Bill called : " The Auckland Improvement Bill," it i 3 said — fl Most disreputable lobbying is used against the Bill, apparently: from pure vindictiveness." In the Legislative Council the L.ords are said "to be in a murderous mood, and glare savagely on the innocents." Referring to.the fate of v the Loans Bill, we are told that some of the more mercurial supporters of the Ministry "mouth revolution and spit wildfire." Then, later in the day, that "there is a great ferment,among-mem-bers, and they are buzzing about like bees." Again—'' Yesterday, three or, four i new benches were brought to the Council, j and laid in the passage, probably silly bravado." Then that "there is great hectoring towards the Legislative Council by the Government myrmidons." Also, that " the Independent is playing the Government bully valorously, and the erstwhile plucky little Post has fallen -from its high estate, and,is playinganiiserable echo." In the latest number to hand (that of the 23rd), we are told that "Mr Yogel had the indecency,",. &c, " MrFitzherbert gave Mr .^ogel a scathing for the indecency of the attempt;" "MrVogel brazened it out;" " Mr Fox (on the-third reading of the Licensing Bill) .cltfpped his hands and laughed immoderately;" '/Then, in allusion io a warm.colloquy between Messrs Yogel, Rolleston, and Sheehan (said to have been overheard in the reporters' gallery), this remarkable i telegraphic correspondent, says —" I could not help reflecting that though people say Christian friendship and Maspnic friendship; are enduring, these canno^ surpass the friendship formed in; gambling hells." \ Again, in allusion to the Timber Floatage Bill,••"God help the millions^ when so much .is done to float a few miserable logs." Mr Sheehan's name, t in; .these wonderful telegrams, crops up in every direction, as if he were really the Daniel O'Connell he likes to compare himself to.