PASSING NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3634, 27 September 1873, Page 6 (Supplement)

PASSING NOTES.

{Olayo Witness, Sept. 27.)

1b is to be hoped that the City Council will not proceed any further in their crusade against verandahs. Of course there are some objections.to them, more especially to some of those at present erected, but the many advantages far. more than counterbalance their few discomforts. Where they interfere with the passenger traffic they might be indicted as nuisances, but this is very seldom. Very particular people might object, no doubt, .to the temptation they afford for groups of men to congregate. Still, human beings must meet somewhere, a;idif not "Under the Verandah," where? What is Avanted is a rule declaring that in height and width they must all be uniform, and then,, by dint of varying the colours, a very pleasing and artistic appearance would be presented. Verandahs are indeed the only thing that give a picturesque air to our modern streets, and relieve the .tedious monotony of the present styles of architecture. Abolish them and we shall, I think, seriously impair the appearance of the'town. " Possibly the pure and high minded city legislators are possessed with the determination that there shall be nothing shady in this city of ours. If so I go for them, and admire their courage.

There is something very alarming about the telegrams of the Hon. Mr Eeynolds : —"On receipt of citizens' petition re railway workshops, I will present it. Hoiccver, I caution you that present agitation may possibly do" muck harm." Dear me, how very frightful; wouldn't it be better for the citizens to ask for their petition back again, promising not to do it again? On the omnc ignotwn pro terrihili principle, I should conceive of the citizens' hair curling up on end with terror at their presumption'in asking for what they wanted. Since the day when poor Oliver flabbergasted the workhouse superintendent's heart by asking for more, nothing so alarming has I "think happened. " However, I warn you "; the words imply so much. One can fane/ the Honourable Mr Eeynolds kinder counting one, two, three, and as the last fatal word passed from his stern lips, doing it. Only what is it 1 What is going to happen ? Everyone seems quite unable to go on with their business. Is the Executive going to transplant Dunedm bodily to Mussel Bay, as the only way of carrying on successiful reclamation there? Would it avert the wrath of the powers that be, if a day of general humiliation were proclaimed 1 You see we might all humiliate ourselves by going to look at Mussel Bay. A good many people would, I think, improve their knowledge of geography if they were to do this. I should propose to forward the Mayor and Councillors to Wellington at once, with halters round their nocks, to, ] if possible, sooth the savage heart of the outraged Eeynolds. In my prophetic vision, I think I see grass growing in the centre of Princes street, and a luxuriant growth of nettles just in front of the Government Buildings. Seated on the broken rum of the Oargill Monument I can discern the honourable gentleman in the costume of the "last man smokinc one last cigarette."

Among the ancient historical records of the Province of Otago, it would be well to stow away a prkis of th* legislation concerning her waste lands. Certainly no one will believe the truth, unless it be put in some very p i am way>; i n 1856> the OtagQ Waste Lands Act was passed to finally settle any and every difficulty. In 1857 an Amendment Act was necessary. 1858 an Amendment of Amendment Act was passed. 1859, an Amendment of Amendment of Amendment Act was required. 1860, a consolidation of all previous Acts was carried. 1861, an Undoing Act was needed. 1862, an Act explanatory of the Undoing Act. 1863, an Amendment of the Explanatory Act. 1864, an Amendment of the Act explanatory of the Undoing Act. The land then had rest two years. 1867, an Act was passed, raising .the price to £2 per acre, lobe, an Act reducing the price to 10s per acre. 1869, an Act was carried, refusing to sell more than 50 acres to any one holder. 1870, an Act repealing the Act of 1869. 1871, an Act declaring that the Otago waste lands should all bd reserved as an endowment for the Lunatic Asylum. 1872, an Act declaring all land not hypothecated for some loan to be forfeited to the Korth Island. In 1873' an Act, two Acts, three or four Acts, being amendments of the amended Acts of all previous Acts as yet unrepealed, was refused the Governor's assent. 1874, an Act declaring that all previous Acts were repealed* and all the lands of the Scn^h.-

em Island were to be reserved as an en* dowment for the Maoris of the Waikato, was alniost. unanimously agreed to—Mr J. L. Gillies and the Minister of Injustice recording a protest.

Another accident on Cobb's line of Southern coaches, and still nobody killed. This time a wheel came off near Otakia, perhaps the most inexcusable of all mishaps, and implying a serious neglect of proper care and supervision. It is a good thing it didn't happen just the day before, when I understand there-were sixteen or.i seventeen passengers ou the coach. What will, be the end of it all, and how long will the coaches be allowed to.upset, almost without any notice thereof being taken? Accounts come from all the up-country districts of the enormous difficulties in the way of travelling this winter, but, strange to say, these accidents all seem to happen on about the best piece of road (comparatively speaking) in the country. This is suggestive.' Do the Company put their invalid coaches on the line between Balclutha and Dunedin, so as to work them off easily } I should recommend them to buy that hearse with plate glass sides that Mr Geddes has been so industriously advertising, and,use it on the Southern line ;it would be the right hearse in the right place there, and be sure to come in useful sooner or later. There does not seem to be any very lively demand for this vehicle, and I daresay it could be bought cheap as an article of commerce, which ■ would be described in a trade circular as " hearses dull." There must be a use for everything, and I think I may say I have I discovered the right place for Mr Geddes's property.

Of all the disgraceful propositions that were ever aired in the House of Representatives, the one which proposes the remitting of Mr Webb's penalties is about the most monstrous. What claim, I should like to know, has the man got for being let off? If it be only the impossibility of recovering the money, it would at any rate be worth trying the matter. The real truth is that there is a secret underlying the whole business. Why was that contract ever given to Mr Webb 1 Is the Premier afraid of a trial about it ? Awkward truths are apt to come to light in an open Court, and it often happens that your great schemer will do or pay anything rather than let hi 3 devices be told aloud. Now is the time for plain speaking. If _ Mr Webb's penalties are remitted, it will be in the opinion of the country because the affair of the contract with him will not bear the light—because there are matters connected with it which would damn any honest man. It'a no use talking about a tedious lawsuit. Better undertake it all than have the stigma resting where it now rests.

Mr Thomas Allan's account of his stance is highly diverting. He is what I call a whole souled man, and, it is quite plain, is a firm believer in his ghostism. I cannot congratulate him on the good taste of his spirit friends. Of all detestable mawkish airs, surely " Sweet Spirit, hear my Prayer " is the most detestable. Mr Thomson might well have wanted something comic to take the taste out of his mouth. And then tv refuse to admit Dr Copland with so emphatic a "No !" Hard lines. Is that Doctor's thirst for knowledge never to be slaked 1 because I don't see how he is to prove his point if spirits won't admit.him to the charmed circle. Is Mr Thomson afraid of him llt looks very like it. Mr Allan may call his phenomena just whatever he likes, but until he gets a tamer and more submissive ghost to interview, he will not prevent the world from laughing at his "intelligent spirit." The best thing Mr Thomson wrote was /'goodnight."

The long -"ay round is the shortest way across. Isn't there a proverb something to this effect? Those heroic! souls who cut a corner by going through the Caversham tunnel deserve the Victoria wooden spoon for foolhardiness. Suppose they did meet an engine, there "would be a fool or two less in the world. Judging from Murray's discoveries about tlio rela° tive sizes of the tunnels and the engines on the Southern Trunk line, they need not flatter themselves with any hopes of being ableto get out of the "way by a squeeze. Not a mouse, let alone. a donkey, could escape, and passengers are hereby given full warning that if they get run over their epitaph is already written, and that that epitaph is not a complimentary one.

I don't suppose any one will envy the unfortunate directors of the new Insurance Company. Fancy having to allot 100,000 shares to applicants for nearly 200,000, and satisfy everybody. Whatever they do, about one half the expectant shareholders must be discontented- and will be tearing their hair, gnashing their teeth, and calling all sorts of ugly names. An OMtodafe might satisfy the hungriest, but I doubt it. After all, what a wonderful thing the public is, and how wonderfully they do go in; for a supposed good thing. Poor impoverished Auckland, you would think, to read her members' speeches, not an inhabitant had a shilling to spare, but they were not behind hand as it turned out. Even Wanganui turned out trump*.

. A return presented to Parliament shows that about thirty nuns are engaged as nurses in Irish workhouses,' and that sums of money amounting in all to £605 are paid to them for their services.

The Keighly Eepublican Club passed the following resolution :—" That the Keighly .Republican Club, believing the fehah of Persia to be the most despotic ruler m existence, and the representative or: all that .degrades humanity, considers «ie reception tendered to him by the ■knglish Government to be devoid of all sensibility, and hereby expresses its disapproval of the same, and also its condemnation of such heathenish exhibitions in a pretended civilised country."

The Pall Mall Gazette says :—" The good people of Glasgow have just drawn down upon themselves a severe rebuke from the pulpit on account of their unfortunate propensity to make pigs of themselves. On Sunday last, according to the North British Mail, the Rev, Dr Wallace intimated, to the apparent astonishment of the congregation in the East Campbell Street United Presbyterian Ohurch, that on his way to the sacred building that morning he counted no fewer than twenty-three persona • all under the debasing influence of strong drmk ; surpassing, in fact, he added, all the scenes of drunkenness he witnessed during his recent two months' stay in Papal Italy. He further stated that an elder of the church, accompanied by his daughter, had been compelled to chWe his usual route to the church to escape the horrible language with which his ears were assailed. The language of the Glasgow people is, in other words, aa r.tron<r as their drink ; and among the many Christian graces they undoubtedly possess, sobriety and good manners are unfortunately, only ccmspioiioua by their ah» sence, .• ' , .... -- - - -''