ON THINGS IN GENERAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13006, 25 October 1905, Page 1 (Supplement)

ON THINGS IN GENERAL.

SPLIT riNG THE DIFFERENCE. - £Phe recent stonewall iu Parliament- protides an illustration of the peculiar process jjy which our laws are made. . The Government brings in an. extravagant proposal, and the Opposition makes a great fight against it. After a day or so has been ,wasted tins Premier offers to split the difference; the offer is accepted, and the Bill is passed. However, it must be confessed that, as regards the law of libel, the result is an improvement on the present position, and we must be thankful for even pmall mercies. The New Zealand libel law Still wants a good deal of amending to bring it up to the standard of English legislation on this question. Law is altogether a peculiar thing, and is not without comic aspects. A humorous view of the subtleties of the law was contributed by Bishop Stretch at- the Anglican General Synod held recently at Sydney. He told the synod in a confiding manner that he once p.vid a good deal of attention to the ntudy of law, but after learning enough to become a laarrister, he came to the conclusion he knew nothing about it, and passed it on to those who thought they did. But ithoso who thought they did understand the law differed among themselves, to the substantial encouragement of clients. On the other hand, though lawyers were able to-find difficulties iu the law all round, he paid a high tribute of praise to their ability in finding a way out of them if they wanted to.

COURAGE. We have Wen hearing a great deal dur ing the piist few days of the bravery of Nelson and those who fought under him Bad against him at Trafalgar. In what, one is inclined to ask at such times, does bravery consist? At. first sight the question seems an easy one to answer, but the more one thinks about it the less sure lie is of his ground. The following story illustrates the difficulty of! the problem: — * There's no telling at what moment a man's fortune may turn, or what may decide the turning," remarked the ;irmy officer who had served in India. "I was on the frontier, when a young fellow I knew to be a coward was promoted in his regiment, and paragraphed in all the English papers for courage and coolness. He d been sent out to meet an attacking party of hill tritesmen. He didn't want to go a bit. He Equally trembled when lie confessed to me it was his first bit of dangerous duty, and he'd give anything on earth to bo out of the affair. In less than 24 hours the station was ringing with the wav he'd held his ground, even when his men had teat a retreat. It was a miracle he wasn't captured or killed, staying there single-handed to face and fire on the advancing foe." " Just one of those instances of a man landing his native courage in the presence of real danger?'' remarked a listener. "Not a bit it," was the officer's reply- "He was riding a mule, and at the critical moment the animal planted bis feet and refused to budge.

■V. '» THE MAKERS OF BRITAIN. The burial of Sir Henry Irving in Westminster Abbey is one more reminder that, the room in this famous building for further memorials of those who have helped to moke Engl and great is getting very limited. This is fully recognised, by the present Dean, who had no difficulty » raring; to the objections recently raised by Sir Elliott Lees to t'lie proposed modification of the monument in,the Abbey, to that gal "< forgotten sailor, Captain Cornell, .who was killed iE the battle off Toulon » 1744. Sir Elliott Lees, however, did good sen ice in-affording the Dean an opportunity of explaining the principles which have guided 'urn, and must continue to guide those who come after him. in finding space for new memorials in the Abbey. Some of the monument!! erected in the 18th century occupy space out of al! proportion to the importance ol: those whom they commemorate, and it has long been difficult to provide foi more distinguished men of; a ,J^ ei ' u ge f®™' tion. Room was found with difficulty for a email medallion of John Raskin, and considerations of space caused Dean * forego the idea of such a recumbent etngy that which is now to be erected of the late Lord Salisbury. Moreover, the Dean wo* able to show that this is not the lint time that the Cornewall monument has been tampered with, and that three other monuments—those to Fox, Howe, and Craggs— have been rearranged, and no longer■stand in their original positions. The new pr ipoaal will enable the Dean and Chapter to renew the low screen of Abbot Islip s time, which was pulled down to make room for the Cornewall monument.

HE DECLINED THE HONOUR. Most people, from the small boy upwards, delight in band music, and New Zealand is no better' or worse than other places in this respect. Such being the case, it, is not surprising that the promoters of: the Christchurch hlbltl °" have come to the conclusion that the show would not be complete without a band contest. These competitions, however, are riot an undiluted joy to everybody. Tastes differ in this as in other things, and too much band music seems to make some people quite nasty and sarcastic. Here is an illustration: A volunteer major on the way back to New South Wales was recently invited to accept the vice-presidency of the local brass bai.d committee, but reclined in the following terms:—"l consider that the first qualification to the office of vice-president would' be stone deafness. Fortunately I see and hear pretty well. Though not a. professor of music, 1 do know that musical sounds are defined under three headings—sharps, flats, and naturals. The component parts of your band are of a similar character, viz., the* sharps are the playing members, the flats the subscribing public, and the naturals those who voluntarily listen to your music a second time. On this sound basis I predict a successful career for your brass band. Should capital punishment ever be abolished a new sphere of usefulness .vill be open to you. T stead of the present barbarous method oi: hanging criminals a more refined and excruciating punishment of listening to your band should be inflicted." He asked as a special favour that if in future they wished to connect him with the band it ■would be 48 hours after his death. If any gound then reached him he reckons it will Serve him right for his laziness in getting into his grave. CHRISTIAN CHIVALRY,

Bishop Ellicott, the well-known theologian, whose death was announced 'by cable last; week, wa.s able in spite of his many literary and religious labours to snatch a certain amount of time for recreation. H«> was, in his day, a clever skater, mountaineer, and traveller, and quite late in life is reported to have joined the legion of cyclists. All this is the more remarkable when it is remembered possibly some have never heard the story— appalling experience just 43 years ago. Here is the narrative:— the year 1860, when lie was appointed Hulsean Professor of Divinity at Cambridge, there occurred _ a catastrophe which very nearly brought Dr. 3-:ilicott 'tc a premature end. A terrible railway accident occurred 'at the XotteHbam station of the Great Eastern railway. Owing to the tyre of one of the engine wheels being shattered, the train left the ••ails and became a complete wreck. Six persons were killed and many injured. Professor Ellicott. was among v the , latter, % having both legs fractured, besides being severely raided on the head and Aim* Yet, oven in this pitiable condition, with ■ a Christian chivalry worthy of a second kidney he administered spiritual consolations . to how more fearfully mutilated than himself: I and so rapid was bis subsequent recovery that by the next year he was / able :to enter upon hie professional work, which h* commenced with a series of lec'f times on St. Luke."- : ; Xh£ Gkneral.