CURRENT TOPICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 11139, 12 December 1896, Page 5

CURRENT TOPICS.

- . j an" INTOLERANT CHRTJHCHMAN.

The English Church Congress, which met at Shrewsbury in October, was rer. markable for the number

of candid utterances delivered by members on the subject of the trend of modern society and current events. Some of the views expressed were liberal and charitable enough. One of the speakers referring to the stage, said that “ the leaders of the profession set a noble example of .charity in its highest form,” and that “ here was an amusement at once intellectual. instructive and amusing.” He thought that “the'same might be said of dancing,” and the author of “ Ten Years in a Portsmouth Slum ” had shown what a valuable adjunct dancing was to the Boys and Girls’ Club which he established.” But the tone of the Congress was, on the whole, critical asd caustic to a degree. Speaking of fiction and the drama, the Dean of Rochester said that “ Tell me a Story ” was now the' cry of old and young. “ The large proportion of those who read works of fiction were made up of persons who in capacity and character were altogether opposed to each other—chiefly of indolent and silly folk, who had no ambition beyond their selfish gratification ; no hooks had their sympathy which did not appeal to their senses.” There were authors, the dean declared, who seemed to think that they could not bo witty unless they were indecent, and that irreverence was sure to succeed. Those writers made h*rooß of libertines and heroines of < those

who had lost “ tho shame which is a glory and a grace.” They presented for our admiration young ladies disguised as young gentlemen—who wore pot hats and collars and ties and pins, waistcoats and jackets, sticks and whips, who smoked cigarettes and made bets, and played at Monte Carlo and wore game for a “ b. and 5.,” described that which they most approved as “ ripping,” and denounced that which they could not understand (an unknown quantity) as “ bosh.” In the evening they wore such garments as caused the sarcastic American to say “ho never fully realised the impoverished condition of the English nobility and gentry until he saw that they were no longer able to provide sufficient clothing for their wives and daughters.” This is the impression carried away by a prominent churchman of what is commonly spoken of as “good society,” and it certainly bears out much that has been said by writers of the “ Ouida ” and Mario Corelli stamp. But it manifestly shows only one side of tho picture, and that in a rather grotesque if not in an exaggerated light* Moreover, tho criticism of readers of fiction as “chiefly indolent and silly folk,” is one which, on the face of it, is neither very charitable nor absolutely correct.

PROHIBITION IN CANADA.

The dominion of Canada# is about to be launched upon an interesting experiment in temperance legisla-

tion. Mr Laurier, the new Premier, has pledged himself to introduce a measure to authorise the taking of a Dominion plebiscite on the liquor question, and will follow it up with prohibitory legislation if tho country votes in the affirmative. It is opportune to remember that Canada has tried local option and has practically abandoned it. Between 1875 and 1890 a series of temperance waves swept over most of tho provinces, and during that period the local option law, known as the Scott Act, was put into operation in many counties. The result was most unsatisfactory. It brought about, much litigation and fraud, and utterly failed .to prohibit the sale and consumption of liquor. As a consequence there is not now in the great province of Ontario a single county in which the Scott Act prevails. A plebiscite was taken in that province three years ago, and on a list of 523,991 voters 212,978 voted against prohibition, while barely 5S per cent of the total vote was polled. Between active opposition and settled' indifference there" does not seem to be that overwhelming sentiment in the which alone can make a prohibitive measure effective. In Canada, as in other English countries, drunkenness and the consumption of intoxicants are steadily ae creasing, and coincident with this almost as a natural consequence of it,' temperance societies are becoming fewer The temperance party in Canada would, however, have a grand “ rally ” if the law authorising a general plebiscite were passed, and doubtless a great effort would he made to carry prohibition. The vote, if it should be taken, would be decided just before the triennial local option poll in this country. It has been pointed ofit that if prohibition were adopted in Canada it would mean a falling off in the revenue of about 7,000,000 dollars, and the Toronto Gflobe has invited suggestions from its readers as to the best way in which the deficiency could he made up if prohibition should he adopted. There can be no doubt that the discussion of this practical aspect of the question will prove useful as a preliminary to taking theplebiscite.

MAJOR lothaire’s BREACH OF PROMISE CASE.

It appears, from the brief reports of the proceedings supplied to the English newspapers, that Major Lothaire came out of his recent breach of tpromise

case, which was mentioned in our cable messages the other day, with as little credit as ho emerged from the official inquiry into the cold-blooded murder of the trader Stokes. The plaintiff was a young Belgian lady named Anna Hecke, whom the Major met shortly after his return from the Congo, and overwhelmed with professions of devotion and attachment. It is suspected that his real object was to excite public sympathy during his trial for the murder of Stokes, by having his name and fortunes associated with, a young and interesting girl. At any rate as soon as that farce ivas concluded he proposed to postpone the marriage for an indefinite period on account of hie own “nervousness and ill-health.” The letter in which he made this suggestion is worth quoting as a specimen of Belgian gallantry. It is addressed to Mdlle. Anna’s mother “ Madame, —Now I have had two or three days in which to consider and see my way clear, I wish to speak to you' openly and explain my situation to you. I am still too much fatigued and enervated to marry immediately. I must wait certainly for a year. Although I am only thirty-one years old, the years I have spent in Africa count double, making me feel at least forty years. Mdlle. Anna is not nineteen years old, and has had very little experience; while I, from the wilds of the Congo, have had still less. A serious thing about marriage is that it binds you for life—it cannot be terminated so quickly as it is entered upon. The happiness of your charming daughter, and yourself also, may depend upon this. I believe it to be wise not to hasten matters, but to permit the parties time to sera whether this hasty desire to unite themselves is not the result of an infatuation that may last only like a sudden blaze. I do not wish to cause unhappiness to yourself or to Mdlle. Anna by consummating immediately an affair so thoughtlessly decided upon. I prefer to wait six months or a year. As to the expenses that you have incurred, I pray you to authorise me to have them pi it to my account, —Yours, Hubert Lothaire.” This brought a challenge to a duel from an uncle of the young lady, but wiser counsels prevailed, and the Major was carried before the Civil Court. There ho declared that he had been entrapped by Madame Hecke, who had taken advantage of his “innocence” and “inexperience,” and. assisted, no doubt, by his military popularity, he was fortunate enough to get off with the payment of the plaintiff’s costs.

“ Zadklel,” the impersonal prophecies and immortal entity who for 1807. purveys prophecy for the English-speaking world, has once more'published his predictions for the year whoso birth is approaching. * This mysterious personage not only bases his prognostications upon the science of astrology, he also refers back to’previous successes in proof of the genuineness of his gift. He claims to have a year ago foretold the rinderpest in South Africa and an earthquake somewhere else. Two successful hits per annum would appear to be about his average, and considering the scores of prophesies he utters the achievement is probably not beyond the powers of any respectable guesser. A sample of his style is the “ prophecy ” now gravely put forth that gold-mining in New Zealand will attract English capital during 1897! Another perfectly safe “tip” is that there

will be “ Eastern complications ” in January. It would be a bettor tost of foresight to name a month in which such complications may not he expected. In February there will be a robbery in the Post Office, and Prince Adolphus of Teck is warned to “ look sharply to his eye,” as tho poet puts it. The King of Italy is to have trouble with Mars in March. In April Irish stock-breeders may have good times; wo hope they may. “The flag oi old England is borne to victory ” on May 24—a prediction that may bo twisted into a reference to tho “record reign.” The French Ministry will probably resign in July. Tho French Ministry not infrequently does resign. In August the Turks will do some reforming; missionaries may he murdered in China in September; iu December some young ladies wall have sorrows of the heart; and Congress will be “over-excited,” a malady most incident to representative bodies. It seems incredible that thousands of English people should pay a sixpence each for a string of empty generalities such as these; but remembering the crowds who go to the wise women to get news about “dark men” and fortunes and illnesses and sea voyages, we rebuke our scepticism and fall back on Carlyle with his “ mostly fools.”

AN AUSTRALIAN BISHOP AT HOME.

Dr Thornton, the Bishop of Ballarat, who is just now on a visit to England, created quite a sensation a few weeks ago among a

number of seiious people who had assembled to witness tho presentation of prizes in connection with the Church of England Sunday School Institute, hy his extremely frank criticism of the unrevised version of the Bible. He was not at all sure whether Sunday Schools in England received so much attention from ecclesiastical authorities as they did in Australia, but he was certain that they deserved all the recognition which it was possible to give them. He had been looking through the English curriculum, and they would pardon him if he said it was a. veryunfortunate thing that no mention was made in it of the Revised Version of the Scriptures. It was impossible for the teachers to carry out their work in its entirety unless they made themselves acquainted with tho Revised Version. The old version was full of inaccuracies, and in his diocesan work he never gave it away or assisted in its circulation. He knew all about- its rhythm and sonorousness, but what they wauted was the best possible translation of the Word of God. He looked upon Dean Burgon’s criticism of the Eevised Version as a mere hysterical outburst. It was not to be expected that the. new translation would be perfect, hut he had not the slightest doubt it was the best which, had been made. The British and Foreign Bible Society still tabooed it, hut ho trusted that that policy would soon cpme to an end. He knew that of late the executive of the Society had consulted a large number of learned men, and had been rather astonished at the vast preponderance of opinion in favour of this step being taken. The opposition to the Revised Version was almost entirely a matter of sentiment; but it was obviously unwise to leach from a translation of thp Scriptures which was misleading in various serious points when a correct version was available. The London Chronicle, in the course of some approving remarks on these j vigorous views, remarks that Dr Thornton* has been bishop of the golden city of the : Antipodes since 1875, a phenomenal period of exile. The average Anglican colonial prelate is usually back in England in much less than a decade, filling an episcopal curacy or a fat rectory. The Catholic prelate who goes out to the colonies does with the,full conviction and determination to live, work and die in his distant see, but the' Anglican prelate apparently regards a colonial diocese as merely a temporary stopping-place and stepping-stone to something higher and better in England.