CURRENT TOPICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXXI, Issue 10269, 10 February 1894, Page 5

CURRENT TOPICS.

Tho royal*‘ barqn, of beef*** which, ia' conformity with the good bid English custom, is always provided aa the pidce derisistancg for, the Queen’s Christmas dinnerparty, was on Dec. 20 exhibited on the Castle HUI at Windsor, The joint waa out from a prime Devon heifer, bred and fed by her Majesty at the Prince ConaortVFarm, and weighed about 1601 b.

The Ardlamont murder !trial!.!in the matter of expense, must, for a criminal case, be almost a "record.” The defence cost not very much less than £4OOO, while the prosecution' cost rather more than .£IO,OOO. What this, means may be seen from the fact that in a normal year, when there is,no very sensational! murder trial or similar affair, the Lord Advocate’s expenses in connection with criminal prosecutions.is only about £I6OO. Newspapers all over the United Kingdom published extended reports of the trial. The cost of obtaining and telegraphing these reports has been estimated at from £3.0,000 ter £35,000, The statement that tbe • Monson verdict of “ Not Proven” applies to Scott is not altogether correct. The Monson verdict will be made to apply to Scott if he turns up and demands to be put on trial. Otherwise, however, his position will differ from Mr Monson’s in; this, that be could be prosecuted at a future date, if the authorities obtained fresh evidence. But without fresh evidence the authorities will leave him alone; they will never take the initiative in " inlawing” -him*- and in securing him from future consequences of his flight, of his not having " tholed his assize.’’ ■ These things, if ha thinks it worth while, he must do for himself.

Polygamy having become unlawful !n the United States, it is natural to inquire what becomes of tho superfluous wives in the Utah Territory. Mr Haims, in hia article on the Mormons iu The-Fortnightly s throws some light on this Iquestion by citing the case of Mr Canon, a benevolent- • looking, elderly man, between sixty and seventy, who represented Utah Territory at' Washington for many yeaW. Mr Canon, Ijke his friend Biebop Clawson, bad several > wives and a large • number of children; In reply to tha question,’ “ How did you! act ?” Mr Canon stated that be called his wives together and explained to them tho Jaw, telling them that they were now free to depart and to marry whom they chose; though their husband was morally bound to support them if they did not do so. They all replied that they accepted the sacrifice, but would not - leave'unless compelled to' do so*. "It was! hard,” continues Mr Canon, "very bard—a terrible breaking of family ties all round ; but I had to decide what I.would do. My first wife was dead. I resolved there should be no heart-burnings. I would henceforth have no wife—there should be no jealousy —and I, now, live apart with, tho .children of my first wife. But we could not break up the family social circle, and l try for the sake of all to keep it together.. I built a large room. Every morning the ladies, with their children, meet me there aa usual for reading of the Bible and prayer. We dine in the came ball. Each mother sits at a table with her own children, and that it may not be said I sit down with my ‘ wives ‘ to dine, I have a table set apart for me with the children of my first wife.”

Christmas was not in former days observed in Scotland, but, the Scotsman remarks, there has been of recent years a growing disposition in Scotland to observe the Christmas festival in its religious aspect, and the Presbyterian Churches have now, to some extent at least, joined with the Episcopalians and Soman Catholics in holding special services at this time. As a holiday pure and simple, also, Christmas is now. looked upon in Scotland much more generally than used to b 3 the case, and in Edinburgh there were indications of this last Christmas Day in the number of places of business that were closed early in the afternoon—work in tho public offices being, according to custom, suspended entirely. Commenting on this change of custom the Eev Dr Cameron Lees, preaching at a Christmas service in St Giles’s Cathedral, said that church had seen many changes in its ritual and its worship, and in their own time one change it had seen was the observance o£ Christmas Day. In 1618, the King sent a command to the ministers of Edinburgh that they should observe Christmas Day. The command was paid very little attention to; only two churches were open, and in that • church they read that notwithstanding the labours of the Provost, Magistrates, and Council, “the dogs wore, playing on the floor, because of the rarity of the people and those of the meaner sort.” Bat what a free people would not do at the command of a King, they now did cordially under their own free will, I and in Scotland that , day was becoming freely observed, as it was in other countries.