NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10082, 18 March 1896, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

A southern contemporary, the Otago Witness, in a commentary upon a copy of an English newspaper exactly one hundred years old which a correspondent had sent it as a journalistic curiosity, says, " We look in vain for a leading article, which, from the historical point of view at least, is disappointing, In the process of ovolution it had evidently not boen developed." As a matter of fact, however, the leading article was invented as far back as 1791. The newspapers of that time consisted merely of the day's news, a few advertisements, some market quotations, perhaps the notice of a new book, a few scraps of gossip, and, in the session, a parliamentary report. On May 12th, 1791, the Morning Chronicle published a paragraph, announcing that " the great and firm body of the Whigs of England, true to their principles, had decided on the dispute between Mr. Fox and Mr. Burke, in favour of Mr. Fox, as tho representative of the pure doctrines of \\ higgery, and that in consequence of this resolution Mr. Burke would retire Irom Parliament. It was very short, but this paragraph says Mr. Charles Pebody, in his interesting brochure on English journalism, is the nearest approximation that is to bo found in the newspapers of that time to a leading article, and appearing as it did in the part of the Morning Chronicle, where a year or two aftorwards tbo leading articles were printed, Mr. Wingrove Cooko cites it as the germ of the leaders, which, when they became general, gave a distinctive colour and aiithmity to newspapers, as independent organs of opinion and criticism. The ifloa soon became popular; and in tho Morning Post and the Courier, the leading article, developed as it was by Coleridge and Mackintosh into a work of art, often rivalling in argument, wit, and eloquence the best speeches in Parliament, became tho object of quite as much interest as the Parliamentary reports themselvet. The Times, knowing how to appropriate one by ono all the specialities of its contemporaries, and to improve upon what it appropriated, was ono of the first newspapors to adopt the idea of leading articles.

We are nob surprised to hear that Purcell's "Life of Cardinal Manning," in which lie makes statements regarding the Cardinal's political and religious intrigues, which are damaging to tho Prelate's reputation, has created such a vast amount of offence in Catholic quarters that Cardinal Manning's executors have issued a disclaimer of all connection with, or responsibility for the work. But apart from Mr. Purcell's own judgment upon the character and career of the great cardinal, the original documents, letters, etc. (to which he had free access), of Manning are, as he remarks, often gravely inaccurate in matters of fact, and quite inconsistent with common knowledge. Take for instance that amazing passage from the address which he delivered after Newman's death at the solemn requiem ab the Oratory:—"ln what way can I, once more, show my love and vetieraration for my brother and friend of more than 60 years." • Yet it is a matter of fact that the two mon had been estranged for many years. Manning showed a strong hostility and mistrust towards Newman. For half a century, from 1840 to 1890, Manning had not met or spoken to Newman more than half a dozen times. They were never intimate either early or late in life, and all correspondence between them ceased in 1866-24 years before Newman died. The truth is, Manning appears to have been a curious amalgam of sincerity, self-love, ambition, despotism, and unscrupulousness, and somewhat of a time-server.

It was in 1851 that Manning finally mado up his mind, which had been vacillating batween the Church of England and the Church of Rome, which path he must tread. The incident is dramatically told. In that esoteric little chapel near the Buckingham Palace Road, where in those days the elect of the Tractarian party took part in its dim mystic services, or hung in rapture upon the lips of Bishop Forbes of Brechin, Manning worshipped for the last time as an Anglican, Five or six years ago the

Cardinal said: "Shall I performed my last act of wr>-.u n 1 Church of England It Was in J!. lntll 9 chapel off the Buckingham palace {J?'? was kneeling by the side of Mr ('I ? 1 Just before the Communion ScrX^" 0 ' menced I said to him, 'I Can nn *| C,)m ' take the Communion in the Ch ~'" f England.' 1 10 , e np-' St. Bul i, !'»„ rof by his side',-an,l lay!,,, my hand on 7 Gladstone's shoulder, said, 'Come ' u the parting of the ways. Mr. r.l a ,v remained, and I went my way. A '| r ( ' ! .° ne Stone still renains where I left hin " h he gortc with Manning, how different mil! have beon tin political history of i land ! J '•"?

They must bo thirsty soul, on the \ Vt , f Coast. According to, oorrcsoon i OI of Danedinnews{.iper Re-fton, with ~', , & ti°n «0 soils, is ble«ml with i, |lub ?' Creymouth, with 3700, rejoices in y Kumara distrilutes the li,icch.inali"ui l", ° 1 by the aid of !4 bars amount ljjof? Hokitika's 20«0 populace ' 3ii|» K , rr l Vhouses; in Nainea, out of a dozen bu • places, six are ornamental with the l'.„! tap; Ross has one pub. to every Mi), yet a drunken nan in the street i, , . mailable incideit," but that, * iy= Ci .~ respondent, ina; bo bseau-e they" so used to the daily inil.w of <)„. „" x citing malt gfceain that they fc ec: " inured to it. Bit in spite of the>o rath« r appalling statistic New Zealand's I) ri:ik Bill bears favourable comparison with thiof the sister colonies. In ls!)4 New South Wales spent £4001,921 in into.xicaiin. liquor, Victoria 11,759,181, and New z*a. land £2,081,740. For the purposes of caparison the annua expendituroon drink >> r head of the population in the United Ki,,,,. dom and the coloiies is appended

Queensland . .£417 C per M United Kinjid'm... ,'{ ]•.' ;! New South Wiles !i ,") s " Victoria H 4 11 " " New Zealand ... 217 •> " ' 1 " ii -i New Zealand is nob only more sober now than at any other period, but in also one of the most sobei countries in the irl 1,

From statements made in the House 0 j Commons by meubers of the Government it appears that tie expedition ordered to proceed against tie Dervishes at lhn.>,-,| 4 is intended to assist Italy in her c<-.n,|,L. in Abyssinia quite as much ;>e to safeguard Egypt agaiist the incursijiu ~( Osman Digna's lawless hordes. Had General Wolseley's nd\ica been adopted the present expedition would have b-.-.n unnecessary. "If wi withdraw iron. J-.,.,, Kola," he wrote n 1883. "the whole provinco will be gi-en up to unatchy, i; inhabitants will joii the Mahdi, and th 9 Ababdehs and othe* influential tribes will become more or less actively hostile to m." His arguments however were uuavailirn; u i'ii the Government then in power. In consequent we are nov embarking once awm on the somewhat; perilous experiment da campaign in the Soudan. The Czar Ins given an ostentatious sign of his leanings towards Abyssiniabydecorating King Mtnelik and congratulating him on the stand he has made against the Italians. This ungen.rous and uncalled for proceeding will create a bitter feeling in Italy. An unfortunate incident has occurred in Cuba. Two bodies of Koyalists in mistake fired into each other, twelve lives being lost. The split in the Salvation Army in America has assumed a serious aspect. Ballington Booth has headed the mutineers and formed a new army. This is apparently the beginning of the end.