THE AUSTRALASIAN ON SIR GEORGE GREY.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2107, 3 February 1879, Page 3

THE AUSTRALASIAN ON SIR GEORGE GREY.

The following is from the Melbourne Auatralaaiagr and gives on© tide -of the question :—: — "If anything is to be inferred from some very dejpke signs of the times in New 2eal»naT there » a growing dissatisfaction irith tKe impotent blnster and aggressive vioMKco of speech which are the most peculiar features of Greyiain. This feeli#f is not limited to the Opposition. It •hows itself with equal force in circles agrhenc© the hair-brained Premier has nitherto received his most consistent and staunch support. The recent speech he at Graharaatown. with its. erratic wfldness of tone and virulence of'misrepresentation, has proved the last unbearable straw to many who have before followed Sir George through thick and. thin fewth strict fidelity. The Lyttelton Times, which had the distinction of belonging td th« few journals whose support of the Ministry was honest and disinterested, now writes very strongly about the Premier: It s»y* '•— *' Th ere * re four or five subjeots which haunt Si* George - Grey's mind like a nightmare. There exaggeration is manifest to most men ; he still persists in regarding tli,ein as terrible facts. It is no use telling him thai Qdrnn 'Mab is with him, and that what strikes him with horror is begot of nothing but vain fancies, and he persists in thrashing the wind.' Another Governmentorgan, the Auckland Herald, writes in reference to the change of note with which the speech was received :— ' It is the fact that the dissatisfaction to which we. referred has been expressed by several influential journals which hitherto have given the present Government strong and independent support, which is significant. » Other Ministerial journals which do not venture to boldly criticise content themselves with very apologetic references to the Premier's foolish garrulity. Among independent journals, the Dunedin Morning Herald says :— ' A careful perusal of Sir George Grey's speeches at Grahamstown and the Thames has Only confirmed our.opinion that it is time for the Premier to retire from business. We say this in all seriousness and sincerity, and without the slightest feeling of disrespect. We are quite sure that we have as sincere an admiration of the gallant lcnight, and as true aregard for his fame, as any the most servile of his adorers, and it is precisely this deep respect for the man that makes us regret the infirmities of the politician.' But we have quoted enough to illustrate the change we have spoken of, and to show that probably other consequent changes are to follow/ ->'

I commend -IKe following figures (writes -*«« Atlas" in the World) to those who think that th» Efiirorce Act is responsible for all the mischief in England. It is known that divorce does not exist in France. The iJSWffe'st thing to it is the separation de corps, to the English judicial separation. It is therefore interesting to know how our ' neighbors fare under that regime. From 1846 to 1850 the average of separations was 1080. This gradually increased until 1876, when the number was 3251 — or exactly three times the number in 30 years. Strange to | say, only 14 in every 100 are asked for by the husband, the wife thus having 86 per cent, to h*r credit. Is this to be attributed to the jealousy of the fair sex, or the indifference of the sterner ? Seventeen out of the total number do not wait for the twelve months to expire before trying to rid themselves of their bonds. One-third of the 3000 live together from five to ten, and another third from 10 to 20 years, before they asked to be separated, and upwards of 500 only do ■o when the silver marriage approaches. A death of a very singular nature is related by the Townsville Standard as follows: — " As a boy named Peter Clarke, about 13 yeara of age, the son of Mr James Clarke, an old resident in Townsville, was bathing in the sea on the 30th December, he was heard to scream out loudly. Mr John Winniett hearing the hoy'a soreams, and thinking he had perhaps got out of his depth, plunged into the water and went to his assistance. Having reached him he took him up in his arms, the boy apparently having fainted. Mr Winniett carried him up to the Retreat Hotel, when Dr Geldard was immediately sent for, and on arriving ascertained that the hoy was dead. Thp lower part of the pfldy had the appearance of being whipped across the thighs, and it is concluded thafche mast have come into collision with a poisonous nsh t known as a devil-fish or octopus, and thus met his untimely death, We are informed by an old resident In town that these kind of fish are very prevalent this season of the year, and are mostly to be met with on the Queensland coast in ■hallow water," Letters from provincial Russia speak of an alarming growth of brigandage, caused by the influence of Nihilism, and the impoverished, condition of the peasantry. In a few days time a trial is to come off at Petrakova, of Orlovski, the Dick Turpin of modern Russia. His band is stated to have consisted of as many as forty individuals, many of them deserters fram the army. These he armed with breechloader* and revolvers, and sent about in small gangs to ravage Southern Russia. A regular army of Cossacks had to be drafted into the district before the authorities could make headway against such a force, and after his gang was prok^n up Orlovski eluded his pursuers for months. Thrice he was captured, and each j time effected his escape, either breaking away from his guards or bribing the warders to let him out of prison. At last the police heard he was about to visit his mistress at Warsaw, and with her assistance succeeded in effecting his capture. So precious was the prize considered that the authorities hired a special train for its conveyance to Petrakova, and filled the car with half a company pf soldiers. Having tried afresh to escape from prison, he was loaded with chains, and the warder* threatened with perpetual banishment to Siberia if they allowed him to get away. .Thanks to these measures, tMovski has remained safely under lock and key, and will take his trial with his comrades, the " forty thieves," towards the end of this week.