NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9497, 28 April 1894, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The colony will learn with satisfaction that in the opinion of the Colonial Treasurer there is "no necessity to borrow at present or for some time to come." The phrase is a little vague perhaps, but we take it that in Mr. Ward's opinion New Zealand ought not to attempt to increase her indebtedness. Bub although Mr. Ward is the most trusted man in the Ministry, the Minister in whom the public have the greatest confidence, it by no means follows that tho views he expresses will be found to bo the views that tho Government as a whole are prepared to act upon. There are one or two signs in the air which are not without significance. The Ministerial organ in Wellington published the other day a letter

in which the writeropeialy advocated raising a loan in order to get rid of the - unemployed difficulty,, while a telegram to-day informs us thaba number of Mr.'Reeves's constituents in Christchuroh who are known as progressive Liberals are urging the Government to issue a million pounds of £>l;abe debentures for the \ purchase of hinds for settlement, these debentures to have a ten years currency. It is Certain that Mi. Seddon will have bo do something to placate the Labour Party, which is showing symptoms of resentment at his method of treating ib; and should uhab aotnebhing • require him to false a loan bo find work and Wages for the unemployed we may be sure that, he will nob scruple to do ib. Whether he would be successful in dragging all- his colleagues or a majority of Parliament ab his heels is another question. We do nob blank he would.

On April 28, 1795, a very extraordinary court marf.ial was concluded in England, after lasting no less than sixteen days. Ib took bhe form of an enqury into a charge against Captain Anthony James Pye Molloy, of the Ctesar, for nob bringing his ship into action, and for showing cowardice in battle. As he had hitherto enjoyed an untarnished reputation for bravery, ho was only deprived of hi 3 command. This ' was one of those peculiar instances that now and again occur of " the cowardice of the brave," and the explanation given is a rather romantic one. It appears that he had previously jilted an estimable young lady, who always assured her friends that his punishmenb would come. The two accidentally met just before Molloy joined his ship, the lady's last words to him being " You are a bad man. I wiuh you the greatest curse that can befall a British officer. When the day of battle comes may your heart fail you." Her desire was gratified, for when the engagement commenced his will was paralysed and his courage failed.

Perhaps the most talked-of man in the United States at the present time is Jacob Selcher Coxey, the genoral of the Army of the Commonweal of Christ. But " who is Coxey ?" is a question which has been in everybody's mouth of late. There can be very little doubt that the man is a crank, and that he intends his army to be one of peace, though constituted as it is of all sorts and conditions of men, and having mingled with the miners out on strike, it appears now to have become unmanageable. The original idea was to charter trains to carry the army to Washington, and to rely on the voluntary contributions of food by the towns through which they passed, but now they appear to bo resorting to intimidation and the violent seizure of the means of transit. This is what the authorities have been waiting for in order to warrant them in summarily suppressing this extraordinary movement. The Government have been hitherto acting upon the waiting principle of "Let's see what they will do," and if Coxey behaved and his people were orderly no stringent measures would be resorted to; but they have determined that if Coxey's army invaded private rights, disturbed the people, or endeavoured to intimidate the Government, the abundance of force lying about Washington, at Fort Meyer, the Navy Yard, and other places, will be brought into immediate operation. Late cablegrams state that the army of peace. assumed a warlike attitude, and that the forces of law and order have done likewise.

Mrs. Coxey, the divorced wife of the General, says that Coxey is persistent, obstinate, and stubborn, and that when once he gets an idea Heaven and earth cannot turn him from it. She thinks his present strange idea comes from a recent reading of Joan of Arc. In answer to an interviewer, Coxey said in his unostentatious, calm, unexciteable manner, apparently revealing his inmost thoughts, and with no endeavour at concealment, that he was firmly and absolutely convinced of success, and that by May 15 Congress will have passed his 500,000,000 dols. road-making bonds scheme, and all other requirements the commonweal may need. "Wewill have numberless letters and telegrams offering assistance," he continued, " and we anticipate no interference from the town, city, State, or national authorities. We intend starting peaceably, marching peaceably, and accomplishing our undertaking peaceably. At the head of the army, if it can be possibly arranged, I wish my daughter Mamie to ride. She is to represent nob the goddess of liberty, but the goddess of peace. Unlike Joan of Arc, who led the terrified hosts of France through panoramas of bloodshed, my sweet daughter Mamie, the apple of my eye, shall lead an army of the unemployed into vistas of peace, where the sweab of the brow will be a leaven to the bread of the hungry, and where each precious body at eventide, wearied in honoured ton", will seek and find repose." The divorced wife, however, has the custody of the child, and she subsequently said that she put a damper on that plan, and told Coxey that if the child was induced to go she would have him arrested for kidnapping.

A rather interesting special report has just been issued on surnames in Ireland with notes as to the numerical strength, derivation, ethnology, and distribution, as a Parliamentary Blue Book. The volume is full of curious information, gathered together evidently at very considerable pains. It shows, among other things, that ' ' Murphy" is the most to be met with surname in Ireland, there being no fewer than 62,600 persons (or 133 per 1000 of the population) so called, and the net in order of numerical strength are " Kelly" (55,900), Sullivan" (43,600), "VVa.Uh" (41,700), "Smith" (33,700), " O'Brien" (33,400), and " Byrne" (33,300). 'In a chapter on the derivation of surnames there are examples like the following:—McFadden, derived from MacPaidin (Irish), son of. little. Patrick ; O'Toole, from O'T lathaill, the descendant of Tuathal; Kilbride, from Giolla Brigbid, the servant of St. Bridget : Gilchrist, from Giolla Chriosd, the servant of Christ; Mc In tyre, from Mac-an-t-Saoir, the son oflihe workman ; while the usual peculiarities occur in surnames derivod from locality, personal peculiarities, etc. In many cases the descendants of the ancient families are still domiciled in the same tracts as their fore - fathers, and on this point we learn that the MacCabes were a warlike clan originally from county Monaghan; the MacCarthys were anciently kings and princes of: county Cork and elsewhere; the MacDermotts were ancient princes, their chief fortress being on an island in Lough Key, near Boyle; the O'Doghertys were a powerful sept in county Donegal, and so on with many others.

Information such as the above is certainly curious and interesting, bab it seems to be hardly the province of Parliament to make these compilations ab the expense of the taxpayer. Upon the extent) and cosb of these Blue Books the Parliamentary lobbyist of a London journal gives some amusing though none the less instructive particulars. He commeuces by asking : When the Caesars could nob find bread for the starving and clamorous people, well, _ what did the Csesars? They gave the people games. When Louis Napoleon found the Boulevards sulky, he ordered 50,000 cavalry to do a grand review ab LongcliampH., So with M.P.'s who are nob debaters, they keep

their memory T^ 1 - 553 / lahdS or !n that fog*?J I Hn tbe W perineal gifts of Jil ue 80l ! Nofth '/ " move for a retun" upon ' AD y bn * ,/r H&fc. Parliament hL limited powers of qUiry n SJT a Blue Book, if XL y 2t* man : „ the moon ; 8 to J jM* bary papers are i-ued | n «T of a session, that ahon. tZnfj T' Carvell Williams, „ athat h fo u /al*'' room of cohslderabkdimensLTl" 6 so full r?d fche o m t^r nob able to get m an er Bill/ A member is entitled to a carta, amo / nfc of ,™ book, "and 1 Will use « 8 term ae a gene " descnp. On. The del-ery is the public expense. .tany of the return are never opened, -ieylie until rut'? lessly swept out by -4 improving hou !e " wife to prevanb a pesilence in the ho u& |, But what does all thisifasb? When it w ' decided hob to issue d4y' the full number of amendments to the tome Rule Bill but only those for the sting, there was a saving of £20 a day, ot£ioo a week Be yond this it is needlesefco push the calcul, v tion.

The singular hidden which occurred at Wellington some week ago, when a bride refused a young maftat the altar, and married him next moring> has terminated in a very tragic manne. The bridegroom, who was a schoolmaster and who was said to have been a man of bright and cheerful disposition, has shot hhself. The incident of the refusal ab the'jtar has been commented on all over She colony and in Australia, and a greatJeal of fun has been made of ib as a sign of tie advanced position claimed by women in New Zealand. But all persons hoped tub everything had ended happily, and • hat the somewhat eccentric young lady would settle down into a dutiful, affecblnate, and domesticated wife. We are waid that all parties concerned are very mch to blame. The girl had no right to We her refusal till the question was pub in te marriage service. No one ought to hav» attempted to pregß her to marry a man to vhom evidently she felb repugnance. And io man should forcn himself upon a woman 'ho is nob willing to take him.

Sir George Grey will be formally sworn in as a member of the 3rivy Council before Her Majesty the faeen at Windsor Castle on Monday. B will probably dine with Her Majesty and also be granted a private audience. Tie Queen has followed with keen interefc the official career of Sir George, and has the highest regard for his character an', great ability, a regard that was "oared by Prince Albert. When Sir Gorge so greatly contributed to saving be Indiau Empire by fearlessly assuming he onerous responsibility of diverting the troops that were on their way to t»ke part in the war with China—he was thin at the Cape, and the transports happened to call in there— the royal couple accorded him their special thanks although his fcjnduct was severely criticised by his offcial superior, the Secretary of State for the Colonies. " General" Coxey's amy is still marching on Washington, but has nob yet reached the capital. It is doubtful if it ever will. It is said to number seven thousand men, but its exact strength does not appear to b« any better known than its precise whereabouts. There does not, however, seem to be any doubt that a small force of Coxeyites hare fallen into the hands of the Philistines. Seven hundred ot them were " surprised" while asleep, and w<re captured without resistance. They, at all events, are not likely to march into Washington. .' The Samoan question has not undergone Bny new phase. The United States Government have not received any com munication on the .subject from either of the other signatory Powers to the Berlin Treaty. The Premier of New South Wales is strongly opposed to the New Zealand proposal. The examination of Mr. Moore, the London auditor of the NewZealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, is proceeding. The Sultan of Turkey is said to be contemplating a visit to England. Mr. John Morley and Mr. Burt (the miners' representative in Parliament) voted against the Eight Hours Bill.