CLIPPINGS FROM MR. ROLLESTON'S SPEECH.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XX, Issue 3909, 8 May 1877, Page 4

CLIPPINGS FROM MR. ROLLESTON'S SPEECH.

WHAT — IN THE SPEAKER'S OPINION — THE COUNTY SYSTEM OUGHT TO BE. I think the shape that the Act should take in the future should be such as to prevent any clashing with the road boards. They should have powers — limited however to a certain extent — to take land for public works, and also the control — also in a modified degree — of main arterial roads. There ought also to be clearly defined what are main arterial roads, and how far they come under the control of the counties. The counties should act as assistants to the districts — not taking over their work, but as a connecting link, and to see that the work of the districts is carried out. It seems to me that we should have larger and fewer counties than at present, and I think that it was a mistake not to include the boroughs in them. One of the functions of the counties is the distribution of charitable aid, and this matter the townspeople are as much interested as those in the country. EDUCATION. The Education Boards Bill of last session showed what difference of opinion exists in Canterbury and Otago as to the abolition of school fees. The imposition of school fees would, I think, be a retrograde step. [Cheers.] I hope the new Bill, which is promised by the Government, will lead up to a permanently free system of education so far as the'payment of fees is concerned. The advancement in this matter in England has been very great, and we have a fair field before us to establish a system which will supply the requirements contained under the three popular heads — free, compulsory, and unsectarian education. [Cheers.] REPRESENTATION. There is the question of representation also coming on in the House, which of course will be one of very great importance. lam not prepared at the present to indicate any particular line that I should take with regard to it. One must await, in a matter of this kind, the programme of the Government. WAYS AND MEANS. There is one tiling that seems to me to be looming ahead very strongly, and ivpon that I should like to say generally the bent of my own mind. There is no doubt from the state of our finances that we cannot go on with the present system of paying by Treasury bills for current expenditure, and the question then arises where are funds to come from? There are those who propose a scheme of progressive land tax, as in other colonies, and a great deal has been said of taxing absentees and putting on a land and property tax. For my own part, I wish to say that I think we should pause before we do such a thing. HARBORS TO BE COLONIAL WORKS. One great feature of last session was the creation of Harbor Boards throughout the country, and that question I think will very shortly force itself on the colony again. The Imperial Government raises money, and lets it out to local bodies for their wants. That would I think be a better system than the creation of a large number of New Zealand stocks. We shall have to go in for consolidation of the measures under which the colony loses thousands and tens of thousands of pounds a year. I believe and hope that the party which has now carried abolition will revert to the principles of which they, to a certain extent, were the supporters in times past — the principles which refused to local bodies the power of governing. I think that if there is one thing which ought to be dealt with by the colony at large it should the harbors. They do not belong to the port town so much as the whole province.

A small book of poems called " Idylls of the Rink," has recently appeared. The Spectator, in reviewing it, remarks: — " This elegant and unpretentious little volume contains some dozen parodies of well-known songs and copies of verses. If they do not attain to the first degree of merit — we believe it had been calculated that there are only about eight or nine perfect parodies in the language — they are certainly clever, unaffected, and some of them highly amusing. The best of them perhaps is "The Rinker's Farewell to her Skates, by the Hon. Mrs N." (a parody on a whilom drawing-room favorite), "My beautiful, my beautiful, that hang so calm and still :" — "Some other footless soft than mine Must now upon you press ; gome other huml must oil your wheels, And may be, make a mess ;" finally winding up with, — " When last together we did rink ! Away, the dream is o'er ! I could not live a day and knew That we shall meet no more. They tempted me, my heautilul ! Not without cause," I own, For all the rinking world knew well 1 broke my collar-bone. Thus, thus, I mount on you again," &c, But for all this, the amusement so apostrophised is doomed, and we shall contemplate with composure our rhymster's outlook : — " Asphalte, asphalte everywhere, And not a soul to rink."

throat and on the sleeves are jlikewiso embroidered. In other Bulgarian dresses, Indian cashmere is substituted for the satin, and the embroidery is worked in gold and silver. The costumes that are a combination of striped and plain silks are very charming for demi-saison wear ; the plain skirt is bordered with a striped kilting, very wide at the back and very narrow in front and above this kilting there is a scolloped velvet band ; the rest of the skirt is plain silk ; the waistcoat is of striped, and the bodice of plain silk. The form is still very clinging, and several of the costumes were made with a large waistcoat, which reached almost to the knee, and was made of a different material from the dress. The bines are indigo tints, and the green range from tillenl, or green cream to bottle and myrtle green. There are also Holbein greens, reddish browns, prune and blue-damson silks, and a decided preference is shown for positive colours. . Fichus of coloured crepe de Chine and crepe lisse, edged with lace, are much worn. They are very quickly made, as you have simply to split a yard of crepe, ioin it, plait it into a point to hide the join, and edge with lace Sin. deep : the ends are also trimmed. The fichu is pinned to the centre of the body at the back, passed over the shoulders, and tightly pinned in front, with the ends turned over to form a loop or bow. 1 hese particular fichus are intended tor low dresses, but they can be worn with high ones if made shorter, as they need to be fastened higher up under the tucker round the top of the body, instead of m the centre of the back. Large muslin aprons are now fashionable for morning wear, 20in. by 28in., edged with lace ; made with a bib, also edged Avith lace. Muslin strings about Gin. wide, with lace ; sometimes the strings are placed half-way down the apron, and tie at the back under the pouf, occasioned by looping up the skirt. The aprons are also worn m yery pretty print ; they have two large pockets in front. , The fashion of demi-high dresses and lace sleeves is spreading rapidly ; they are by no means as dressy-looking as low bodices. Hoods will be worn on black silk loose pelisses, and they are to be lined with silk of the same shade as the beads, threaded on the fringe with which the pelisse is trimmed. The new bodices have all cuirass basques and five seams instead of three at the back. Among the new shades at the Maison Rodrigues there is one called filed? or, much used for costumes, aiid trimmed with galloon, embroidered m the Louis XIII. style ; the tunic is knotted over the train with bows of a magnificent dark blue, called " aile de corbeau." Polonaises, which are entire costumes, and have no silk skirt beneath them, are extremely fashionable. The polonaise clings as closely as a glove to the figure ; it forms waves in front, is plain at the back, and is bordered with a plaiting of silk, which has the effect of a skirt, on which the polonaise falls. A casaque is also now often simulated with the trimming of the polonaise ; in fact, all devices are resorted to in order to decrease the number of garments. The casaque polonaise is make of black vicugna, and trimmed with a cording and border of Indian cashmere— the sort of band that was formerly seen on Eastern shawls. This band descends the front of the polonaise, and is carried round the edge, and below it there is a silk plaiting. Two other bands commence at the throat and simulate a casaque ; the pockets also are marked with this Indian trimming. Vicugna cloth is much trimmed with three silk kiitings, the folds being quite close to each other. Another trimming consists of plaitings of lace, ornamented at regular intervals with a lily of the valley in floss silk or a fuchsia in silk and jet. Many-buttoned gloves for evening wear have the backs embroidered with bouquets of flowers, just as they were worn perhaps fifty years ago ; but a novelty of the present season is grey and stone gloves, for day wear, with leaflets of two shades of the same colour quite covering the back of the hand, and these are to be had with three and four buttons. Another novelty under the head of gloves is Fowne's patent, which open with a metal spring, and close when on, so that no button or other fastening is required. These are best suited to gloves with a trimming at the wrist. As a last novelty, we may mention some gloves which open on the outside of the hand instead of the middle of the palm. Balbriggan stockings are particularly well adapted to display sprigs of handwrought embroidery very fashionable now, and easily, worked. We recommend tins hint to the attention of the industrious among our readers, for stockings and shoes embroidered to match the rest of the toilette are to be the fashion. FASHIONABLE TRIFLES. We find that among the first Continental families, where tea is now invariably introduced for visitors, a small serviette is handed to each lady with her cup, the use of such article being to protect the dress from crumbs or drip. They are usually embroidered in the corners with some flower or device en suite with the cloth covering the tea table, and the material is fine linen fringed out to the depth of three-fourths of an inch. They are about fifteen inches square, and are folded with the corners turned towards the centre, and then the new corners turned again en revers, so as to throw the embroidery on to the surface presented to the lady. A new sort of basket for soiled linen is a wicker barrel, and lias the advantage of being very closely woven and very light. The Derby fire screen is a circle of wickerwork on a standing frame ; it can be placed behind any chair at any angle, and has many advantages over the ordinary chair-back screens. Among novelties is the new revived Venetian glass, either pink, blue, or pink and white, the colour shot in irregular lines, no two pieces alike. It is made in Etruscan jugs and vases about a foot high, and also in tiny tripods and jars, forming admirable receptacles for flowers. This season's riding habits are still made quite short in the skirt, which is cut about two yards and three-quarters Avide, and from 51 inches to 55 inches long ; there are three seams, one breadth being very narroAV, and, to prevent any fear of their bloAving up, there arc a couple of elastic straps some nine inches from the edtre, for the foot to slip through. The bodices have scarcely any perceptible basque in front, and at the back describe a rounded jacket, with two rovers secured by buttons. They are not much trimmed, one row of course plaited mohair braid, half an inch Avide, bordered Avith a narrow braidbeingcamodroundthebasque,butnot on the back seams, and the cuffs on the close-fitting sleeves are simulated in the same manner. Riding hats are hoav someAvhat lowcrowned — the shape, in fact, we associate with a French hat. There is oven less trimming about them than heretofore, though "veils and spotted tulle, bordered Avithlace, are still en regie. There has from time to time been an attempt to introduce the Avearing of felt and beaver hats in London for riding, but unsuccessfully, and nothing is really fashionable but high silk hats.