FLOTSAM AND JETSAM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5112, 6 July 1878, Page 6

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM.

(Ocago Witness, July 6.)

I hope that Mr Reeves, like a good fellow as he is, will not take his beating badly. I don't think that any one wants to see Mr Reeves out of public life ; very much the contrary. Jt is & legitimate subject of satisfaction that Dunedin should have two such good men contending for the honour of representing her. I beg still to hope that Mr Reeves will sit in the next session of Parliament. He will have a certain seat if he contests the suburbs, now that Mr Burns is happily out of the way. I say a certain seat, if all accounts be true. There is hardly an opponent that can beat him, bar Mr Driver. Certainly not any one as yet named, save him, is likely to make a fight of it.

The attitude of the 4 ustralasian towards New Zealand and her internal politics is of the most conceited kind. Commenting on the articles in the Canterbury Press, the writer of " local articles" has the most transparently, shallowiy conceited paragraph I ever saw emanating from that most conceited colony — Victoria. We are warned, if you please, not to attempt to play "a lone hand" and shut ourselves up from the other colonies; not to isolate ourselves from them, etc , &c. This is explained to mean, a little further on, that we in New Zealand are putting ourselves further and further from Vtctorui, as if Victoria were the hub of the universe. Why as a matter of position, and very likely as a matter of fact, in half-a-dozen years Pacific distances will be measured from New Zealand. Unless Victoria turns over a new leaf I am sure she will go to the wall. Anyhow, as a question of relative distance, I think 1 would sooner be near Nesv Zealand than Victoria.

By far the most impertinent thing I have seen in the course of the recent uproar over Mr Batbgate, wa3 contained in a paragraph in the great leading champion for the Judge, wherein Mr Bathgate junior is referred to as the "other relative." Fair play, gentlemen, and don't pitch into your own side to gratify private pique.

If the renowned author of Ginxs's Baby had only hoard an infant of a month old consigned to the Industrial School for one year " to be brought np in the Koman Catholic form of faith," he would have made use of the absurdity. It \va3 explained, however, not to be an unnecessary folly, but o mere compliance with the form of the law, which requires the committal to be made out in terms declaring ■what the religion of. the "thing" com-.

nutted is to be. The unfortunate child is not to be taught the difference between purgatory and matrimony, or the distinction that exists between Ultramontane and a Latitudinarian, nor any of the terrible truths that older people so love to lea-n.

When Mr Reeves remarked that John btuart Mill had been beaten by a butcher, he made a pretty considerable «lip of the tongue. It was not John Stuart Mill who was beaten, so to speak, it was Lord Palmerston; neither was he beaten, or even as is often stated opposed, he was merely questioned by the local man of blood and skins. When I have also said that the place was Tiverton, not "Westminster, then I think Mr Beeves will remember all about it. I remember in 1859 seeing the re-election of Lord Palmerston after he had accepted the wardship of the Cinque ports. The local butcher went through the usual formul of enquiring about the foreign and domestic policy of the Government of which Lord Palmerston was chief. I well re:nember the laugh that went round the crowd, when Lord"Palmerston, in his airy fashion, trusted that however much he and did butcher might differ about public matters their private friendship might long remain unimpaired. One other good answer he j^ave. The butcher questioned him abouo some question of policy, I forget what, which was arousing a good deal of interest, tie put a long rigmarole of a possible series of events that might happen, and aaked Lord Palmerston what hh Government would do. " Come, now," he said, "I want no equivocation, no shillyshally, no hesitation, give a straightforward answer, yes or no ] " To whom Lord Palmerston answered, cleverly leading up to his reply, " Ye 3, I will give you a straightforward answer, with no shillyshally, I won't tell you one word about it."

The Evening Star advertisements are not the worst reading in that paper. Some genius is at present signifying that he wants "a musical piano governess for three young children." Are there musical and unmusical pianos, or are there piano and forte governesses ? Give me the governess that will always play piano to the lady of the house, and forte to the children. Kingsley's black and tan ladies' lap dog has found a parallel at last in Dunedin. But the difficulty of composing a good advertisement is beginning to be better understood. " A box ninety-one " is not the only (I must say lady) who is not up to the work.

I would not mind anticipating the verdict of the Taieri electors as being in favour of Mr Cutten. Rip Van Winkle or not, he is a man who has stuck to the Provincial side through thick and thin, and the sturdy farmers of the Taieri are the la3t people t© forget the good deeds of a former friend. Crustacean.