NOTES OF THE WEEK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume IV, Issue 1053, 30 March 1867, Page 5

NOTES OF THE WEEK.

The English mail arrived on Monday night. Her intelligence is to the 9th of February. Parliament had been opened in person by Her Majesty. The Derby administration were in an acknowledged minority. A most curious expedient, but a very refined expedient was devised, for presenting to parliament- en masse, the petitions of the " uncrowned people." The proposal is that the individuals that make up the great mobdemocracy are. guided by their chosen demagogues, to proceed singly by different routes to the steps of St. Stephens, where the ultra liberal members will take from each man his petition. This is certainly an improvement upon the clumsy arrangement of Peargus O'Connor, which was to hire a brewer's dray to deport the names which constitute the "Weight of demagoguy, to the palace of Westminster. We wonder if the marble statues of the great Hampden, Falkland, Selden, Pox, G-rattan, will gather even the tint of a blush

as this parade of mobocratic influence passes by. Perhaps the matter is not worth thinking about, though noteworthy. But really the most interesting novelties by the present mail are some exotics of Rhetoric. ■ which, notwithstanding the ice and snow and fog, have flowei-ed out lustrously. Mr.

Bright seems to be the t: political stag at bay." Several young and good blooded V dogs have been running him hard on the flank. He has turned and gored one or two of them dreadfully. The retorts are so characteristic and so good we reproduce them. He says to a young and pushing "barrister: " You threw dirt, knowing you could eat it afterwards. There are men who go through dirt to dignities: I suspect you do not object to go in their company." At a clergyman who calls him an ignorant and unfortunate talker of trash, he snarls : " I pity the congregation which is doomed to receive its weekly supply of spiritual instruction from the ignorant and vulgar minister whose speech has been reported in your papers. He is a poor guide for this icorld, and I Tcnoio not how any one can trust him in the next." •' A palpable hit," we say with Hamlet. Merely political parsons are like children playing with knives, or monkeys with coals, sure to get injured. But let U3 turn from this to a sadder home spectacle. Starvation, lean •and horrible, supports its victims, while they gather their rags about them in cold rooms in London alleys, and with their last act die courageously if not decently. Eighty thousand workmen are out of employment in London. Multiply by the well-known twodecimal five, and you have 200,000 human beings living by the reluctant hand of state

charity. It is very dreadful to contemplate. Last week the City Board case went a new stage A new trial was granted upon the ground that the verdict was against the weight of evidence. This week the dissolution of the injunction will be asked for. It is hardly possible it can be granted, except under very stringent conditions, and for a specific purpose, such, for instance, as to enable the Commissioners to lessen the existing danger to the public life and limb. But really the matter would be a very good farce if it were not developing such extraordinary law. "Whose fault is it ? 'The Judge's? He hears argument, and he may or may not have any light as to the facts. He has said as much. The Lawyers. ? "Well, they know nobody but their clients, and with them it is pull Johnny pull Baker, Mr. Bosie has a right to look after his own right, and the City Board assume the right of taking care of others' rights, and with allthese it is doubtless all right. But what should the ratepayers say whose money, contributed for roads, is going down the capacious swallow of tweedle-dum and tweedlo dee— lawyers, surveyors, and " the oldest inhabitant." What is the present position of the Superintendent question ? Such was the theme announced for discussion at Otahuhu on Tuesday last. Perhaps the truest and sensiblest thing said upon the occasion was that by Mr. Bucldaud, who admitted that he for one, and he believed everybody else, knew nothing at all about it. However, there was <x imstake which tripped the Superintendency question up very effectually. It would appear that though the question may be one to

talk over, it was not at all mature for aetion, and though a society constituted for a specific object may exercise its British right to talk 011 anytliing it pleases, yet it ought not to act for anything except for the purpose of its own existence. By the unauthorised alteration of an advertisement in the public newspapers, the New Zealand Agricultural Society was nearly committed to a political partizanship, and as it was, all parties were committed to a very ludicrous mistake. But it would bo strange if at such a meeting as that of Tuesday something should not comc out of the talk-1 ing combat. Mr. John Williamson's candidature appeared to be in the expectation of all and only the imaginations of a few roamed o'er fresh pastures " fancy free." All others mentioned were at best but " fancy " candidates. "We cannot help thinking that the result of the meeting itself was a compliment to Mr. "Williamson, three times before Superintendent. It was unquestionably an acknowledgement of his fitness for the office by ability and personal qualities. As to liis freedom of action, let the facts speak. Mr. Williamson, by his earnestness in support of a political opinion, embarrassed a very large estate. This fact testifies honourably to his integrity of character. But, in order to give him his freedom of action those who have claims upon him say the incumbrances are removed, certain portions of the estate being delivered up ;in perpetuity. What is this but the commonest business transaction. We think that Mr. 11. Andrews also hit the right nail on the head," to use a hustings metaphor, when he said in effect " show us a better man and we may then make a better choice."

The public, as tlie slang goes, must always be very much indebted to the gentlemen of the press, whose brains everlastingly play the filter to the thousand muddy streams that flow out of the body politic. Apropos of this meeting there must really have been considerable confusion of ideas prevalent among the orators, which communicated itself even to the reporters. In the Southern Cross report of the proceedings we read the following extraordinary sentence :—" Mr. Bassett seconded the amendment, which was put to the meeting, and after a little spar ring, unanimously adopted." From the days of the G eorgics of Maro to the Pastorals of Sylvan Spenser, it seems to be the opinion of the gentlemen of the Gross that agriculture is anything but a peaceful pursuit, even in case of the pursuit of rabbits. What a pity the idea was not followed up in sporting parlance. " The' Papatoitoi' Chicken made a feint upon the left of the Superintendency, and after some sharp ' countering' in Mr. A lfred Buckland's sale yards, and Mr. Hall's shop, which are hard by, the bird ' brought home' a 1 stunner' upon the provincial corpus, which produced blank looks, and objurgative expletives from Mr. William Buekland. who himself had narrowly escaped being named the ' plucky one' that was to go in and win. It was feared at one time that the Superintendency would, like the City Board, get its ' head in chancery,' and but that Osmund Lewis, the water sprite, was present with the refreshing JBcveridge, there would have been some serious ' Cross sections,' but Creighton, the Chancery Lane Pet, said he would show them all 'how to do it.' Timeo Danaos, as the late Star dish O'Grady learned in the statutes of the P.~R. and a distinguished Irish scholar once said when Caunt offered terms to Bendigo, to save his ' constitution.' When everybody expected a rare ' slogging' setto, and just as the ' Chicken' got up blood, a member of the medical order of Merit said the country bird was game but the Auckland aptoryx was a humbug, and would, but could not, fly an inch. This produced an unlooked-for diversion, and all the knowing ones began to rub their ' bills ' together and wouldn't bet any more on the result. The melee now reached the house of ' Tom Criterion,' the ' game cochin,' who no sooner put his hand in amongst them than he drew claret at the ' first turn.' This set all the bloods, who were accustomed to nothing better than stout upon their legs. One gentleman said he had not the slightest objection to go on till morning, and he would put the ; St. Andrew's Cross,' his mark, upon the Superintendency, if he could catch it. However, the affair ended without any great harm being done. It was at this moment that the Bin-ton Bass-it came in with a glass of pale ale, and put the cui bono on the sham battle, so after a little more sparring, the matter was brought to a close. The Superintendency question rubbed his sides and stomach, and went rolling home, accompanied by ' his backers.' The betting was opened for the renewal, and the PitzWilliams weregivingfive tofour confidently."

A discharged soldier, named Malone, late of tlie 57th, was charged yesterday with stealing a number of military medals from a soldier of that regiment, named Shiels, and pawning them for 7s. lid. Shiels pawned his own medals at the same time. A young woman, from whom a gold trinket was stolen, value £1, obtained a search-warrant, and found the missing property in a pawnbroker's, where it had been pledged for 2s. Gd., at interest of threepence per week— 500 per cent, per annum! The defence made by the pawnbroker was that it was sold to him—that is to say, £1 worth was given to him for 2s. Gd. The defence was worse, as inculpating the pawnbroking gentleman, than the allegation. It was an imputation, self-suggested, of receiving stolen goods, while the price given was so small as to suggest the additional imputation of a guilty knowledge. ■

The Acclimatisation Society is now fairly established. The Protection of Certain Animals Act, IS6G, has been proclaimed in this province, and no game can henceforth, while this Act is in force, be killed in the months of May, June, July, and August, without an authorised certificate. A deputation of the new society waited upon the T ew Zealand Agricultural Society, at Otahulni, on Tuesday last. Mr. Gillies, the President of the Acclimatisation Society, made a speech on the occasion, which will be read with interest. It is published in another column.

The native news ia uncertain as to its precise indications, beyond this, that the native mind is unsettled, the prey of the Hauhau superstition. _ But notwithstanding this circumstance, it is satisfactory to know that those who have exercised the largest influence. over the native mind, not only stand aloof, hut actively oppose the propagation of these barbarous rites. Hauhauism is a superstition of so violent a kind that it

must either, in due time woi*k its o%~n cure, or destroy its victims. The troops are busily embarking for England. There will soon be only the one regiment left here.

The news lias been received by the southern mail of the acceptance by His Excellency of Mr. Whitaker's resignation of the office of superintendeney, .and the writliasbeen issued for the Superintendential election. Meetings are auuounced to be held to nominate candidates for the office.