FLAPDOODLE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 787, 1 April 1887, Page 30

FLAPDOODLE.

Op all the numerous silly and childish suggestions that have been made as to the celebration of the Queen’s J übilee, the most utterly imbecile proposal comes from Melbourne, and was mentioned in last week’s telegrams. It is that all the Australasian colonies should “join in presenting to her Majesty a crown made of colonial gold, and studded with fifty diamonds to represent the years of her reign.” We sincerely trust and believe that the colonies will not for one moment entertain the idea of doing anything so absolutely senseless and useless. The Queen has already quite a museum of crowns, far more than she knows what to do with, or than she can ever wear. Indeed, seeing that her Majesty never will wear a crown at all nowadays, notwithstanding the frequent hints that something more is to be desired in the way of regal robes at a public ceremonial than “ a rusty black dress and bonnet,” we really do not see what she could do with the foolish bauble proposed to be sent to her from the Antipodes, save to add it to the glittering collection of similar toys shut up iu that cage at the Tower and shown to London sightseers. It is amazing that people can be found empty-headed and weak-minded enough to make such a suggestion. there are brains enough in Australasia to devise some better memorial of the Royal Jubilee than so gross a piece of tomfoolery as this. And the statues, talked of elsewhere, are only one degree less nonsensical. Is it not possible to commemorate the Jubilee iu some sensible and useful way, which would be consonant with the benevolent character of the Monarch ? Some beneficent public institution, for instance, founded in honor of the occasion, and suitably named, would be a reasonable, valuable and consistent memento. With all the poverty and distress now prevailing at the Antipodes, as well as in the Mother Country, it does seem absolutely wicked as well as idiotic to talk of throwing away thousands of pounds on trumpery gewgaws and rubbishing statues —which will notbe valuedin the slightest degree by her to whose compliment they are contemplated—instead of paying real honour to our Queen by adopting some course which should cause her J übilee to be ever remembered with pleasure and gratitude by some portion of the community. We do most earnestly hope that we shall hear no more of the crown and statue folly in New Zealand, but that some practicable scheme will be devised for celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee by founding some useful and appropriately-named public institution iu honour of the auspicious occasion.