LOCAL GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9491, 21 April 1894, Page 1 (Supplement)

LOCAL GOSSIP.

.r*t ree hare audience for a word or two." W tK —Shakespere. . „ noKv time ago the members of the V ckland Women's Political League were 7* IV agitated by a cablegram announcing xtraordinary statements said to have Unmade in an article by Dr. Bakewel), .♦New Zealand under Female Franchise," °° the Nineteenth Century. The League 10 pd a resolution condemnatory of Dr. Kwell's utterances, but afterwards it decided to "suspend judgment," pend- • „ the arrival of the magazine in the ,D ° , 0 that the whole article might be C ° ° before passing judgment, and the fetor ha? since been living with the sword of° Damocles, so to speak, suspended over V bis bead. .

The Nineteenth Century magazine has * to hand recently, and if the " wild en" do not get some shafts into the *° nt « oi the doctor's armour, it will not be fr lack of openings. l>r. Bakewell sets 1 t bv savin" that " the politicians of New 7»al.inii'are "allowed a free hand by the h«k« am) mortgage companies, who really 1> the country, in all abstract political mixtions," provided they do not interfere with their "'monopolies," and that accord- • <riv " our rulers permit Ministers—their Muii-rers— to amuse themselves and the public by any little experiments that may L rV to till "}> the three months of the Parliamentary session. . . Amongst other little amusements was the Bill for conferfine the franchise upon women." The doctor srives tne then situation from his point ot view .— The., *us absolutely no wish for the franamongst the immense majority of women, even up to a few weeks of the passing ot the Act. There were a few " wild women "as they we-e called, fanatical prohibitionists, who formed associations in the rriiu'inal towns, but they had rio appreciable Influence over the majority of their sex. I can well remember when the Electoral Bill was actually passing through the Lower House, it was impossible for me, although I took some trouble about the iuattei, to find one woman in favour of granting the franchise, and vet thousands signed the petitions is favour oi it.

According to Dr. Bakewell, the fanatical Prohibitionists, rinding it impossible to " abolish public-houses by the votes ol the males.'' set themselves to work, " with all the frantic «nergy produced by nervous fvsteuis diseased by alcohol," on behalf of the female franchise. The Premier (Hon. R. Seddon) professed to be in favour of it; but "no one believed then, or believes now, that ht really desired it. Its most strenuous advocates were Prohibitionists, and it war not very likely that an ex publican would look very fondly on a measure they advocated." The measure having passed the Legislative Council by "a trick," and the Governor having failed to interpose his veto, " a measure which no one but « tew fanatics and a few Conservative politicians really desired, and which at the very least 95 per cent, of the copulation neither desired nor approved of, was passed into law."

"At first it seemed," says Dr. Bakewell, a? if none of the women would apply to be registered " Considering that, on the first day ui registration, some women were at the offices half-<ui-hour before the usual time of opening, this is rather good. "Notwithstanding the most vigorous can vassing, only a ve>_v small number were enrolled but afterwards, as the moderate:? "saw a policy of abstention would give the fanatics all the advantage," they set themselves to urge upOk the women to register.

Coming to the election, Dr. Bakewell predicted that "in the vast majority of houses the girls would vote one way, and the lather and mother another." The immense majority of prohibitionists are stated by l)r. Bakewell to be either "reformed titunkara.- who dread even the smell of alcohol, or those whose relatives are, or have been drunkards, and who have suffered in consequence. The female prohibitionists may be said to consist exclusively of the Utter class." Dr. Bakewell gives a delighttul picture of the young New Zealander of to-day : —

A -.vliolt generation has now grown to manhood, ru the majority of whom the simplest facts of the early history of Christianity are as unknown as the I;»,ct3 of early Chinese histjr\. The> never read the Bible at school, and there is no sucn book at hjirie; the; never go to a Sunday-school or to church except to look after some girls, and they ait? «is destitute .■)! any religious sentiment as a. horse 01- a oow They are not heathens—they have no religion at all. They rould not call themselves Agnostics, because they do not know the meaning of the word, but in the literal sense they are Agnostics.

Statistics show that nearly 90 percent, of the children in the public schools go to Sunday-school, Out so much the worse for statistics. Even the women are " vehement advocates of the education system as it exists without alteration, ' which will be news to most people. The reason given by Dr. Bakewell is a very curious one, and fetched, if not unfounded :—"ln every family there is a child who either is a teacher or hopes to become one, and they have taken up the belief that any approach to the denominational system will ruin the public school system, and so destroy their means of living." The Premier is depicted as being at the close of last session, when he brought in his Liquor Control Bill, "goaded to desperation by the Prohibitionists on the one hand, and the licensed victuallers, b: ewers, and banks on the other. ' Dr. Bakewell admits that the general election was well conducted, and that all '• went on as if the womeu had had votes as long as the colony had had responsible government," but as showing the glorious uncertainty of the ballot in Auckland, '• the one man, and the only one, whom everybody thought sure of a seat, was actually only fifth on the list." The closing paragraph of Dr. Bakewell's article is decidedly pessimistic. Scanning the political horizon he sees no rift in the cloud anywhere , and thus delivers himself:—

lhe colony is now committed for three years to a course of extreme Radical legislation. 'I he Opposition is powerless. . . . >\ e must trust to b*er and the banks to save os from absolute ruin ! The men elected are nearly nil, with only one or two exceptions, either of the most uneducated class in the community, the lowest bouryeoit, or mere carpet-bakers. They have displaced men 01 education and experience. .'Such are the results of the female franchise ! It is to he poped that it will lie a warning to English We shall probably for some years to come he a dreadful object lesson to * rest of the British Empire. I'he Dr. is now sitting in sackcloth and ashes awaiting the decrees of Fate. The otl 'y thing that seems likely to revive his spirits would be that " ten-guinea, guaran\jC'i an a little flutter with the Rev. L. M - Wtt in the City Ball.

The visit of His Excellency the Governor 0 the Uarotongan Group should have an exce.lent eflect in cementing cordial relations between the natives of these Summer Isles of Eden" and New Zealand, With whom they are now politically and comercially connected. The Rarotongans will ' iow know that in the Queen's represents'v 0 thfe y have a friend and protector, • ar K'-d with the duty of seeing to their * and promotion- of their t 6 i/* 1 6 ' k°''d Onslow, when Governor, oo an especial interest in these children nature, and Lord Glasgow has.shown " ; V anxiety to fulfil the duty now devolving upon him.

•jume colonial Governors seem to be in a P r Wa y just now. Sir John O'Brien, t .J^ of Newfoundland, has just been mil ctt Sir W. White way and his late of H^ . es 16 Ministry to a new version tho , ie " Barrin ' o' the Door," by having anrl t ? ors °* Parliament closed against him New ■/ ™ embers °f the new Ministry. In / ; eali »nd we have never got farther a „ ai c ' ,os ' n .£ the doors of the Assembly tbpr. - ■^ xce "ency's messenger, and Hi« T? a,B i 1 ," a resolution " regretting that coun«^ Ce MCV * laf * taken a felon to his a raeh 3 a " 10 bosom." The scene was f r stormy one, a member being con-

fined to bed for two or three days afterwards, aad the sergeant-ab-arms retiring into private life.

Sir Roborb Duff, the Governor of New South Wales does not appear to have a rosy time of it either. The New South A ales Cyclists Union, haii, it is said, declined to elect him patron for the ensuing ye* l *, ground of objection being that he was neither use nor ornament*" —in mining parlance, a Duff-er. When one notes what are the qualifications expected of a Colonial Governor,' we see how Sir Robert Duff has sinned, and the enormity of his sins of commission, and more especially of omission. In contrast to Sir Robert Duff Lord Hopetoun is said to be popular. His excellences are thus summed up :—" He is a thorough sport—a good hunting man, an enthusiastic four-in-hand driver, and an ardent shot. , The other day he left Hope toun and rode to Tyrell Downs and back, covering 110 miles under 12 hours." What more could the people expecb in a Governor than that ?

Sir Robert Stoub at his meeting in the City Hall was somewhat rough on racing gambling, and the sporting fraternity. He said if racing promoted the breed of horses it was a pity that ib did not also improve the breed of men attending races. On this head a sporting man said to me the other day on a racecourse where business called me:—" There are only two classes now-a-days frequent a racocourse— and pigeons. I am not one of the pigeons !" Casting a hasty glance round at the surging crowd*in front of tho totalisabor I came to the conclusion that he was not far wrong in his cynical remark.

A Southern paper says: —"At Our Father's Church yesterday the subject was ■ Usury.'" Surely the typographic fiend must have been at work, and the church referred to must have been that of " Our Uncle." Moses is a very good sanitary authority and lawgiver, but it is scarcely safe to depend upon him as an authority upon interest.

Recently the Auckland Photographic Club gave the word "Caught" as the subject for illustration for the month. A member of the Club, in despair as to get ting a suitable illustration, was seized with a happy thought and went down the Queenstreet Wharf with a vague hope of finding some small boy catching pipers. When he reached the wharf, as luck would have it-, a small boy had just got a " bite," and Paterfamilias was yelling out, " Stick to him, Johnny; haulaway, he's a whopper." The joyous shout attracted a crowd. On the line being hauled in, and the "catch" seen above the surface of the water, there were shrieks of laughter, and on being landed on the wharf, it proved to be a rase dr. nuit, bearing upon it the brat>d of the Union Company, and deftly executed, as if it had been the handiwork of that official brander, Colonel (Norton. The photographic man took in the situation at a glance, saw his opportunity, and " caught on." He gave in to the club his photographic presentment of the scene, as his best illustration of the word "Caught." It was scarcely the one the committee would have selected, but like sensible men, they simply said—Trammt !

Rank heresy has sprung up in the ranks of the Theosophists in America. Mr. W. O. Judge, one of the leading lights of the cult, has declared his conviction that a belief in the Mahatmas is nob an essential part or 'Theosophical faith. Colonel Olcott expresses his entire disagreement with Judge, in fact considers him as no Judge ab all, and is of opinion that he should go and not the Mahatma, for life is not worth living without the Mahatma and Karma. It appears that- Mr. Judge was one of the first men to install the Mahatma, and it is held to be rather shabby on his part to give him away in so summary a way. Tho point has been referred to Mrs. Annie Besant, who has now to decide Judge v. Mahatma.

The journalist, Mr. Warner, who is now going round the world for a wager, and wenb on to Sydney from Auckland as a steward on the Alameda's last trip, is under stipulation to perform his tour in a given time, working his way, without money, and is neither to beg nor borrow. The first condition of the wager was that he was to start on his travels " in his birthday suit." Even this he appears to have managed, for he was soon afterwards found, says an American paper, attired in a paper suit, which he swapped for something more substantial. So far the chances are in favour o Warner winning the wager.

I notice a young lady has been punished for a breach of the Electoral Act by making out that she was older than she really was. Nothing but the desire to secure the franchise would ever induce any woman to increase her age. This is one of the new temptations thrown in their way to swerve them from the path of rectitude.

The Auckland Amateur Opera Company have now temporarily retired from business, after giving the Aucklanders a good week's entertainment, with " Madame Favart." I hear if they clear their expenses, which are tolerably heavy, they will be well satisfied ; but they should do better than that, for everybody was schmitten with Madame Favart," even tho Mayor of Onehunga (Mrs. Yates), who had a delightful chat with Sir Robert Stout at the shrine of the popular divinity. The old Adam brought about the meeting between these two political personages who bulk in the world's eye—l mean Mr. Adam Porter, the respected chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, who introduced the knight to Her Worship. Sir Robert has always had a chivalrous feeling towards the fair sex, and it is said that his only reason for turning his back upon his democratic utterances concerning titles and accepting the honour of knighthood was a laudable desire to give pleasure to one woman, who was his own ideal of Womanhood.

Lady Glasgow, as Lady Onslow had done before her, has performed a gracious act in presenting medals for competition to the musical students attending the lectures of the Chair of Music in connection with the Auckland University College. It is nob the pecuniary value of the gifts presented, in either case, with which the fortunate competitors concern themselves, ib is the kindly feeling of which they are the symbols, manifested by tho first lady in the land, to those who are endeavouring to qualify themselves in one of the noblest arts to which the human intellect can devote itself. The thoughtful and kindly presentation will cause the fair giver to be remembered when far away in other lands, and in other scenes—as the one "touch of nature which makes the whole world akin."

The Cassel's Gold Extraction Company, at Waihi, does not seem the most promising subject from which to extract a joke. Still on the reduclio ad ab»urdam principle it appears it can be done. A Caledonian was passing one of the entrances of the works, when he remarked to his friend, " The company seems to hae nae connection wi' the Kingdom o' Heev'n." " What pat that idea in your head," said his friend. " Look at the inscription owre the gate, maun," "No children permitted to enter here."

An incident in the life of the Ven. Arch deacon Maunsell, one of our oldest missionaries, who passed away to his rest during the present week, is of interest now that he is no more. He was wending his way along the road to his home one night, in 1889, when he heard a wayfarer singing, " Did You Ever Go to Our Donnybrook Fair." The song arrested his attention, and his thoughts being ever cast in a devout mould, on reaching home ho composed a hymn to that measure. He sent it, to a lady friend of his, who was a neighbour, at Parnell, on December 6 of that year, with the remark, "You know the history of this hymn. The song that ' persecuted' me was ' Did You Ever Go to Our Donnybrook Fair.'" The hymn is as follows : —'

Oh, what are those voices so joyous and glad? And what are those beings so brilliantly cladl. A triumphing host with their banner so bnxatl I A triumphing host in their chariots of light I

Awake up, ye sleepers, the Bridegroom is near, Belore Him in glory ye soon will appear ; His voice ye will hear ; ye will see face to faceBehold Him in all His unspeakable ((race. The hills and the dales, and the wide-spreading To yield up His lov'd ones the summons obey. From the north, from the south, from the west, from the east. They stream forth with songs and sit down at His feast. Oh, where will the sinner in that day appear ? What sights will he see, and what words will he hear? Grant, Lord, of thy goodness a change to his heart, So true that from Thee he will no more depart. MERCutio.