PASSING NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3893, 8 August 1874, Page 6 (Supplement)

PASSING NOTES.

[Otaejo Witness, Aug! 8.) There is something peculiarly uncomfortable in the idea of people disappearing from society without any apparent reason. This subject was discussed some six years ago with great interest in England, when the Rev. Mr Speke—a brother of ; the. celebrated African explorer—was missed; from his honie. He was subsequently found in' Cornwall, disguised as a drover, and duly restored to his cure of souls. It was then stated that a great many people annually disappeared in a more or less mysterious manner from their residences in England— un/re ' than a thousand, 1 think— and that about half were ultimately found again. ; Most of these cases are more or less intelligible. Men commit crimes or slight offences, or have domestic troubles, which induce them to make quiet journeys to America ; women hi\e other reasons,, insufficient, but in-, telligible for withdrawing themselves for ever from the society of their friends. In these Colonies, too, such disappear ahces may, under certain circumstances, often be accounted for. A. beneficent Government liberates a Sullivan or a Gardiner, and further explanation is scarcely needed. But of late I have read in the Australasianof many disappearances without apparent cause from Melbourne, where, large as the city is, it is not so easy to get lost in the crowd. These are the cases which give rise to what I call an uncomfortable feeling. Children,. we know, are, in London, sometimes temporarily stolen for the sake of their clothes. Human beings were formerly murdered for anatomical purposes. But there is. little or no reason to suppose that this goes on in the Colonies. The utter mystery of the late cases: is, what makes them so very unpleasant.

The state of foreign politics as shown by the latest European papers is curious and interesting. For years we have always been taught to look upon Germany as a martyr to circumstances; She was forced into a war with Denmark, to liberate the Duchies. Prussia and the Northern States had to break the military power of Austria, in order to prevent that State from dismembering Germany by means of her foreign military forces, in order to maintain her supremacy. Finally, all Germany united to repel a cruel and unprovoked "invasion by France, and was unfortunately compelled to cripple that country by clipping, her frontiersj and easing her of a few milliards of her .surplus cash. Frenchmen were represented as the disturbers of the peace of Europe, and when M. Thiers protested against the invasion of France, Chancellor Bismarck was able to retort that during the last century France had invaded Germany some twenty-three times.. France^the hot-headed—had always been eager for war ; Germany—the martyr—was how finally repelling invasion. All this is now changed. ■* We are told that amid all the insults put upon France, her statesmen prudently avoid every pretext for a quarrel ; while on the other hand, Bismarck, in common with every German in power, is bent on qaa,rrelling. An attempt was made to get Italy to fall out with France about Nice, which failed. The one aim of Germany is now said to be—Let France again feel the weight of the German armies. They say the French gave in too easily, and are disappointed that the fine of five milliards did not crush that unhappy country once for all. This policy may be all very well for a time ; but prudent men see that in reality it is only fighting Russia's battles with German and French soldiers. At this moment all Europe is uneasy, and, all things considered, this is not unnatural. i

I really begin to hope that poor Roger Tichborne will soon be allowed to rest in his grave, wherever or of whatever nature his grave may be. As long as he lived on earth, he was unknown to fame; yet no man of this century has become better known than he. Those who have studied his character see in the unfortunate young man—every moment of whose short career has been canvassed, sifted, and qnarrelled over—little beyond, the common .characteristics of a thoroughly good-hearted fellow, full of weaknesses, with some very excusable vices and many genuine virtues. In his lifetime, he was the sport of fortune and the victim of the eccentricities of his wretched parents. Long after his death his good name became again the sport of fortune and the bone of contention between those who had

his reputation and the welfare of his kin at heart on the one side, and on the other side of a crowd of sordid self-seeking men and women who had no rear interest whatever in him or his fair name. ! Now that the storm is over, arid he has returned to his grave, the man who was saved with him, the man who rode and hunted with him, the man who, in his company; committed unheard of crimes, and 'finally,- the man who ate ; him, still seek -for a short' season to ruffle the unknown depths which hide- his borie3. Among the many curious rumoura [circulating in England, the last is-to the| effect that Arthur Orton is employed in the Telegraph' Department of New Zealand, and is stationed at Oamaru. ' .' V

A ca3e occurred recently at Port Chalmers, in which; a man was charged with a brutal assault upon another, and fined £3, with the alternative of 14 days'imprisonment. The assault took place on board the now celebrated Caroline. The accused had been drinking, of course, driving dull care away I suppose, and drowning the sorrows occasioned by the recent' bereavement in the "flowing bowl."- "The defendant struck him (the complainant) and kicked him, and threw the coal-tub at him, and told him he would pay him ->ut for what had occurred at Alexandria." . The Bench exhibited somewhat more than the usual amount of acuriien or '" sayev," saying '" that cases which had lately appeared before the Court would lead 'to the inference that the dr'mk men took made them ■■ mad. Did the constables know where this; drink was. obtained ? It was hoped, for the credit of Port Chalmers, that it was not procured ashore." The deduction I have italicised indicate a mind second only tb Mill. ; The hope, expressed was probably vain ; there can be little doubt where the [liquor was obtained. ;' -...■.;.>.•

My own correspondent at Wellington informs me privately— (" Keep' it dark, old'fellow," he says)—that Bomeßody who knew somebody else, whose cousin's" young man's brother's wife's sister, by first wife's only child, was in the Telegraph. Department; at a salary of; a year, informed him that he informed him —though/which he informed which him is not quite clear—that she knew the pers6ir who . '. .'perpetrated this awful mystery^ He: told her he-^-who of which ' does not appear—would never reveal it, but would carry the dread secret to the grave. She informed him for the sake of them that were

for the sake of those .: . . : .whoever placed' confidence in the Department .. .""'." 1. He trembled and complied. Thus it has come to my knowledge, pnd on purely public grounds I ireyeal it, rescuing ifc, as ib;werej' from. tlie silent grave. . . . It was Mr! Pox who

PUT THE P. B. INTO THE WELLINGTON; Keseiivoik. '; ; ;': :yv ■'■; ' ;"- ;i:-: ; ~;,;.,:

Weare now 'doomed to hear of schemes and rumours; of schemes for amending our Constitutibri, which' is supposed to be suffering from sciatica, or gout,, or chronic rheumatism. In reality, 1 have no doubt our complaint is gallopping consumption, the result of living too fast. Change ot climate has been suggested for the patient; but owing to pressure of circumstances the Norwegian scheme has 'been indefinitely postponed, after packing up and making ■ plans. Now some American notions are hinted at. Wellington is to be the Washington of the South Seas, and Wellington Province is to be a 1 Federal Province^ The analogy to;: the United States is about as sans as that to Norway. Everyone who has read the Constitution knows that the 37 States are Sovereign, rtrid the central authority only exercises delegated power's;; while in New Zealand exactly the-reverse is; the case.: It might be very well" to make the Seat of Government extra Provincial, but to make a federal Province to be pampered by the Central Government is a palpable absur-. dity/ Why should we not have our Government at Akaroa, or at Kawau, or,, still better,.at the Chatham; Islands 1: Nature has cut off the first from Provin-. cial influence by moimtains, arid the other two by sea • and so far as the inhabitants of those Provinces which substantially contribute the' whole revenue of the Coloriy are concerned, it isa matter of indifference whether they are governed from Wellington:or one of those other out-of-the-way places.:'•- The shortest cut out of the 'difficulty would }>c to abolish Provinces altogether. ; -.'.:.••=.' . ~,-;: .;

I am very glad to see that the new chums are insisting oh their-right to demand employment off the Government, and-fix their, own price for it. By the way, I am told there has ; lately been a yery leaimed discussion as to the meaning of the word wages. I had a definition some time ago, when engaged in teaching ■at a Sunday school (respect nic for; this). Proceeding to expound the text A The wages of sin is deatlij" I asked an intelligent boy, "What is the meaning: of wages ]"" Don't know," was the answer. \'You don't know! Why; what did your father'get last night (Saturday) ?" "Drunk." 1 don't teach in that Sunday School now. ;:V