CIVIL BAPTISM IN FRANCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXXI, Issue 10308, 29 March 1894, Page 4

CIVIL BAPTISM IN FRANCE.

There has lately been in this island an outcry from a section of the community for the establishment of *a Civic Church. The cry has

not, if we recollect aright, come from pro* fesaed secularists, agnostics or enemies of dogmatic religion, but the name chosen is distinctly suggestive of secularism. That civic ceremonies may be made as attractive as those of a religious kind has been demonstrated in Franco; but still wo scarcely think that any large number of Now Zealanders would deliberately choose, for instance, the baptismal ceremony which is favoured by the Socialists of Paris. Last month, a number of civil baptisms were celebrated in Paris at the Maison du Peuple, in presence of a crowd of 1300 parsons. The leaders comprised, socialist town councillors and deputies, and M. Clovis Hugues (whose socialistic outbursts in the Chamber have made him notorious) delivered an address of which the following is the peroration:— ** In the name of the Socialist Republic, of the socialist and revolutionary idea, ia the name of nature, in the name of the bright sun, of the sap that now rises in the trees, in the name of the nesting song birds, in the name of all that is just and true, let me consecrate these beloved children to the discharge of oivio virtues, let me baptise them in calling on them the benediction of universal life. May they grow up to be true citizens, and as such worthily fulfil all their duties I Let them fight the good fight for lately fettered liberties, for the equality which ia to be established, and the fraternity which, so far as institutions go, is still only a word!” Then turning to the babes he said: “ Strive to realise this sublime task with all your heart, mind, strength and soul, and you will deserve well of humanity. I end in dedicating to you verses that were not written for you, but for the like baptism of a friend’s son. Enfant, s’ il reveuait but terre, Le Christ ne serait plua Chriitieii. Au nom de la Nature austere, Je te baptise citoyen.” All this seems to be rather tautological, as it amounts to little more than —" In the name of everything I baptise you nothing.” An for the address to the infants, it is to be hoped the sucklings duly appreciated the solemnity of the charge laid upon them, and were grateful for the informa-

would not be a Christian. The ceremony concluded with singing, dancing, band music and distribution of sweetmeats and republican cockades. If the Oivio Ohuroh should be established in New Zealand, we trust its rites will be more rational than those of the French Committee of Civil Baptism.

The mysteries of sausage manufacture have formed the theme of a large quantity of cheap pleasantry;

SOME " SAUSAGE” REVELATIONS.

and generally the multiplication of sausages has been associated with the disappearance of feline and canine pets. Recent disclosures in the North London Police Court show that the toothsome delicacy known as " sausage roll” is innocent even of dog-flesh, though it is no freer from vile adulteration than is the sausage itself. A lad of fifteen years, apprenticed to Charles Well, baker and confectioner, was charged with stealing sweets from his employer, The defence suggested that the prosecutors object was to got rid of the boy, and forfeit his premium of <£2o. The boy, it was said, had been less than a year in the prosecutor’s service, and was already suffering from “diphtheric paralysis and cardiao disease, as a consequence of overwork.” Prosecutor would not admit that accused had worked over fifteen hours a day j he really never was at work longer than from five in the morning till half-past eight at night, with intervals for meals. Certainly a moat humane employer! Then came questions and answers about the nature of the boy’s work, thus Mr Young (counsel for defence, to the prosecutor); Did you, amongst other things, teach this boy to make sausage rolls P—Yes.—Mr Young; Did you teach him to make sausage rolls of fed ochre, popper and salt, and brown bread soaked P (Laughter.)—The prosecutor; Yes.—Mr Young; Where is the sausage?—The prosecutor; Don’t require it. (Laughter.) That is how the beef sausage is made. (Laughter,)—Mr Lane: What has this to do with the case P—Mr Young: It goes to show how a man can be believed who' makes sausage rolls in this way. I hope it will go far and wide how this man makes his sausage rolls,—Counsel said he would not aafc how certain other goods, technically known as "strawberries,” were made,' but prosecutor volunteered the information that they were made in Germany and had no red ochre in their composition. The upshot was that the boy was acquitted; and there was such a vigorous public demonstration against the manufacturer of red ochre sausage rolls that he had to get sis constables to guard his Mr Weil had also, at latest accounts, to face a prosecution at the instance of tho Inspector of Factories, for overworking the boy.

Newspapers by the latest English mail give aome ( account of the first Labour Registry established in London by the recently-con-stituted Department of Labour. The office of the Department is in a little roflm at Charing Gross, and the Superintendent is Mr G. F. Lind. The institution is but in its infancy, but many workers, and employers too, are already taking advantage of it. In one week lately, when thirteen engagements were made through the office, the list of applicants for employment included a professor of French, a tailor, a charwoman, a. chambermaid, a van traveller, an hotel manager, a cigantte-cutter, a lithographic printer, two cooks, three keepers, and clerks, three enginel

A LABOUE BUBBAU IN LONDON.

fitters and two gentlemen’s servants. That is about as varied an assortment as could be gathered anywhere, and it proves that in London, as in New Zealand, want of employment is nob always most keenly felt by the manual labouring class. The savage determination of one of the latter class to get work is thus illustrated by Mr Lind “ One fellow came in to hear if I had found him a crib, and when I told him 1 hadn’t, he put his fist in at the window and shook it in my face. ‘ Look ’ere, mister,* he said, *if you ain’t found me a job by Saturday, I’ll smash your pictur’—my face he meant.” We, in New Zealand, sometimes complain of our “ chronically unemployed,” but London can show worse cases than are forced into notice here. One man declared to Mr Lind that he had been out of work for sixteen years; and another—evidently one of our old colonial hands—is thus referred to t*“* *• Here’s a paper now. I ask the man how 1 long he has been out of work, and here Id his answer in his own handwriting—* ten years and eight months.’ I want to know who are his referees, and he gives me a railway company in New Zealand.” Among the applicants is the usual proportion of swindlers. Mr Lind, sitting in darkness in the office one day with the door locked, overheard two men outside discussing the institution, and referring to himself as a “soft-hearted bloke" who would give anyone a trifle who could “spin a bloomin’ good tale about a poor wife and starvin’ little ones.” After watching the couple till they were out of sight, Mr Lind turned up the gas. Soon after one of the men returned and began a doleful narrative of sick and starving wife andchilf dren. The superintendent got from hid stool and opened the door. “ Look here,* 1 ho said, “ I’m a soft-hearted bloke, but t have got a very strong leg and a good pair of boots. You’d better clear out.” Of course he “ cleared.” The Labour Registry in London, though but of small proportions as yet, contains the germ of B great and useful institution, which may do much to relieve the sufferings oi London’s “ unemployed.”