NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9492, 23 April 1894, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

We understand that Major Mair has been re-appointed as a Judge of the Native Land Court. This is a pood appointment, to which no exception can be taken. While Major Mair was a Judge, he was eminently successful, and we do nob think that in respect to any of his judgments any trouble arose from those appeals for re-hearings which have been the cause of so much expense and annoyance to the country. He is one of the few thorough Maori scholars who yet remain amongst us, and his capacity of completely appreciating the natives in all their feelings and sentiments and prejudices, has enabled him to see exactly what they themselves would in their consciences consider a just settlement of any dispute as to land. Major Mair has also a claim in respect of colonial services. He was interpreter to the forces in the Waikato war, and earned the emphatic commendation of General Cameron for his coolness and intrepidity in circumstances of danger, and for his prudent advice and counsel in respect to what could be undertaken. Major Mair also commanded on the East Coast after the Waikato war. He was the leader in one of the foremost military exploits ever accomplished in New Zealand, when at Te Teko, ab the head of an Arawa contingent, he captured a large body of men who had been in insurrection for a considerable time, and amongst whom were the murderers of the Rev. Mr. Volkner, Mr. Fulloon, and others. Lastly, it may be remarked, to the credit of the Native Minister, that there is nob the least semblance of "colour" in this appointment. Major Mair is nob a politician, and has never professed to have rendered service to the Liberal party. His services have been to the colony. He is to open a Court ab Rotorua on the 2nd of May.

The jubilee of the Young Men's Christian Association movement, which has spread throughout the English-speaking world, is to bo celebrated with great eclat in London in June. An influential deputation, headed by Mr. Hugh Matheson and Mr. George Williams, waited upon the Lord Mayor recently in connection with the arrangements. It was then explained that the work was established in 1844. It hud so spread that at this moment there were 843 centres in the United Kingdom, and 87,464 members, and throughout the world 5158 centres, and 467,515 members. The work was unpolitical and undenominational. At the forthcoming jubilee over 2000 delegates would attend from the colonies and India, and there would also be a large representation from seventeen different nationalities and countries. They proposed to have thanksgiving services at Sb. Paul's and Westminster Abbey, and a reception ab the Royal Albert Hall, and they hoped the Corporation of the City of London would pay the foreign and other delegates the compliment of receiving them in the Guildhall. Alderman and Sheriff Moore and others having spoken, the Lord Mayor expressed himself in hearty sympathy with the wish of the deputation. The Court of Common Council has resolved to give a conversazione, at a cost nob exceeding £1000, to the foreign, colonial, and Indian delegates to the jubilee. . . .

Perhaps one of the most peculiarly in teresbing cases ever brought before an En*' Hah Law Court, is that mentioned in our cable messages on Friday, i„ which I gentleman purchased Camnor Hal], under the belief that he was purchasing the scene of the ghostly wanderings of the ill-fated Amy Robsart, and subsequently fount! that he had not bought the right pl ace . He then asked the Law Courts to compel the Earl of Abingdon to rescind the purchase but the judges did not think with him Amy Kobsart was the wife of the Earl of Leicester, th© famous courtier of Queen Elizabeth. She died in 1560 under circumstances which suggested foul play. { a " Kenilworth " Sir Walter Scott has immortalised this unfortunate lady. He there depicts how she was killed by two villainous servants of Leicester, who recognised that she stood in the way of their master's bold hopes of marrying the Queen, she was praotioally imprisoned in Cumnor Place. Outside of her bedroom was a movable trap." door, and the night before the tragedy Anthony Foster, the owner of the house and one of the plotters, went in to see her and was so struck with her patience that his heart relented, and lie told her nob on any account to leave her room till Leicester arrived,

Having thus eased his conscience, Foster returned, and under the eye of the more brutal Varney he withdrew the supports which sustained the falling trap, which therefore kept its level position merely by a slight adhesion. After waiting some time for the lady to come out Varuey exclaimed, "Surely never was a woman fool enough to neglect so fair an opportunity of escape." His mate answered, that perhaps she was resolved to await the return of Leicester. "True—most true," said Varney, and then rushed out. In less than two minutes Foster beard the tread of a horse in the courtyard, and then a whistle similar to that which was the Earl's usual signal; the instant after the door of the poor Countess's chamber opened, and in the same moment the trap door gave way. There was a rushing sound—a heavy fall— a faint groan—and all was over. Varney subsequently remarked, " I dreamed not I could have mimicked the Earl's call so well." Such is Sir Walter Scott's picturesque account of the lady'a end; bub the historians are undecided whether she was murdered or not. However, recently discovered archives prove that for some time before her death there had existed a design to poison her.

To-day is St. George's Day J According to information from London published a few days ago, it is the desire of the Lord Mayor of London that all colonial mayors should celebrate this festival by a banquet, and assist to make the commemoration universal throughout the Empire. No information is to hand as to whether any action in this direction is to be taken in other parts of the colony, or in Australia; but at any rate the Mayor of Auckland has made no move in the way of a public ceremonial. Perhaps sufficient time has nob been allowed for preparations, or it may be that Mr. J. J. Holland does nob see what good effect a public banquet would have in strengthening the bands that bind the British Empire together. The object of the Lord Mayor is, on the whole, a laudable one, and perhaps next year, when April 23 comes round once more some public and combined commemoration may be arranged; but time for communication between the civic authorities in the various centres is needed, and ib is better to wait than to attempt a spasmodic aud hurried compliance with the suggestion from London.

The history of St. George is very obscure, and his existence has even been doubted though apparently without good reasonbut it is certain that he was adopted as the patron saint of England by the Synod of Oxford in the year 1220. In 1330 the feast was made memorable in England by the creation of the Order of St. George, or the Blue Garter, and was kept with great splendour until the Reformation. Shakespere, in his " Henry V 1.," makes Bedford, referring to the French war, say Bonfires in France I am forthwith to make, To keep our great St. George's feast withal. As a matter of fact "gentle Shakespere," as the illustrious dramatist has been called, has lent to this day a greater interest than the warrior Saint himself; for on April 23, 1616, William Shakspere died at Stratford-on-Avon. It has been indeed contended, though perhaps with arguments more sentimental than convincing, that he was also born on this day. In the baptismal register at Stratford is the entry, " 1564, April 26, Gulielmus Filius Joannes Shakspere." Allowing three days, which is said to be about right according to the customs of the time, between bis birth and his baptism, brings the former on to April 23. Taking all things together if there is to be a commemoration day for the recognition of the unity of the British Empire, a more suitable day than the feast of St. George could not well be chosen.

The present year is the 500 th anniversary of the birth of Prince Henry, " The Navigator," of Portugal, who was born at Oporto, in March, 1494. The occasion has just been celebrated with great enthusiasm, both in Oporto and London. Prince Henry was the son of King John 1., by his English wife, Philippa of Lancaster. Although not a seaman himself, he contributed largely by his studies and patronage to the sending out of the first expeditions of the Portuguese navigators, which led to the doubling for the first time of the Cape of Good Hope and eventually to the discovery of India. Oporto took the lead in the festivities, as ib was there that the Prince was borrif although his name is more closely connected with the promontory of Sagres, in the extreme south of Portu gal, where he founded an observatory, and pursued those studies which were the first steps towards the sailing of the Portuguese fleets on the voyages of discovery, which were followed at the time by such successful results. The festivities consisted of a civic procession, a river pageant, for which a ship was built on the lines of an old caravel, the inauguration of a statue, and some other public ceremonies, The King of Portugal attended, and telegraphed his thanks to the Queen for the despatch of the warship Bellona to take part in the celebration. The fetes at Oporto proved a great financial success, nob only for the city, bub for the railways and the Postal Department. The post offices all over the country were besieged by persons anxious to purchase the special postage stamps commemorative of the celebrations. Ab the commemoration meeting of the Royal Geographical Society in London the Duke of York was present, and Mr. Clements Markham, the president, delivered an interesting address, in which he sketched the career, and depicted the character of Prince Henry. The Portuguese Minister and others took part in the subsequent, proceedings.

Intelligence has been received of a most extraordinary and alarming of the unemployed in the United States. Bands of what is known as " Coxey ■ Army have on several occasions seized trains, * they now threaten to injure the railway unless their claims are woH * * Government. From various States a K bodies of these men, some of them carrying

Washington. The "'Tthe line of route, apparently tenor. to,,Dfl »t the proportions of the movement, siting food supplies and funds to » w<g * e the departure of the malcontents -**£L boundaries. One of the bands froCl ,ldv arrived at Washington, and is b lt a daring policy of intimidation, itlv the right to occupy the galleries *Ss!ir"coxev, the leader of the 10 ,Lnt declared that fifty thousand of ?° V oTowers will shortly make their .p. SiSito the capital, and that they will iio there until their demands are ted The crisis is an exceedingly gr * one, and it remains to be seen what C the Government of the United States Tjke to cope with it. The result will itched with world-wide interest.

■severe earthquakes are reported from rreece resulting in the loss of many lives d great destruction of property. Whale *i(l a r»es have been wrecked, and in some VI .'.thevillagers are camping out in the nV« Steps are beinc token to carry relief the sufferers. The Pall Mall Gazette proves of the suggestion that New Zeelud should annex Samoa. A proposal to bnUsh the annuity to the Duke oi Coburg (Prince Alfred), which was strongly sup. rted by the Radicals, has been rejected kj the House of Commons by a majority of no vote.-. The latest development in the South Carolina liquor question is the closing 0 f all the State dispensaries. They have be en declared illegal. The Swazis are by pa means satisfied at being placed under t,he dominion of the Transvaal, and have esolved to endeavour to have a British protectorate established.