PASSING NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6705, 11 August 1883, Page 2 (Supplement)

PASSING NOTES.

(From Otago Witness.)

Tightness of the cheat is still epidemic in, monetary circles, in all sorts of circles. " Busi-,, ness h so distressingly dull," remarked a so.t- >i goods man to me ifl Princes street tbo other day, that "you can't even sell a sovereign. For 21s probably not; but has anyone tried Bt 19s Gd ? People who havo sovoreigns to sell should reduce them like other commodities to "meet the times." Though I don't move in .monetary circles myself, I am prepared to "take a line" in soys. as soon as they are quoted below 19s Od. What makes the prevailing dullness more oppressive is tho fact tbfit up to the present time nobody has boen able to explain it. I except Major Atkinson. Tha Major has not only explained it, but ex.plained it away. Tho " trading classes " have " overbought themselves"—such is the Major's explanation,—are consequently obliged to force goods upon tho market at a loss, and the general public reaps the advantage. The general public, if it only knew it, is really in a high state of prosperity. Optimist views, perhaps, come naturally to a Colonial Trea-1 surer. Times are undeniably bad, and, failing any better theory, I find the explanation of their: badness in tbat " amoosin' little cuss" the rabbit. This explanation is not mino; it ia put forward by Mr Teschemaker, who calculates ".that the rabbit costs us the pretty penny of £1,700,000 per annum. Tho rabbit began to colonise New Zealand in 1874. Reckoning up his bill for board and lodging until 18S4 we find ourselvea out of pocket by him to the extent of £10,000,000—ten millions sterling! ■ So . says Mr Teschemaker, and ■ I don't see that ho can be far wrong. Ten "millions sterling is just about half the cost of the Public Works policy. Can we wonder that the community generally ia suffering from tightness of the chest ?

Living or dead, the rabbit is a veritable cornucopia of evils. He causes the dull times, in addition he is the author of typhoid fever. A country newspaper ascribes the prevalence of fever in naturally healthy places, like Tuapeka, Tapanui, Clyde, Alexandra, Cromwell, to "thepollution of air and water by the millions of dead rabbits tbat cover the ranges on every hand." Possibly; yet one recalls in thia connection tho Saturday Review's remark about the sanitary arrangements of tbe British farmer:—" The British farmer's occupation is so salubrious that he would live forovor, were it not that a mysterious destiny impels him to establish a horse-pond immediately before his front door." Typhoid in the breezy interior of Otago may perhaps be explained as tlfe result of rabbits p, us drains, or rather the want of drains. Pursuing the subject, the newspaper referred to asks mysteriously "What brought into the district the myriads of green flies that hava takon the place of the common houae fly ?" The Whitaker Atkinson Ministry, I should say.. Tyrannous govern- j .ments have been charged with much the same offence before—e.p,,

. Who.while the Br.tish squadron lay nff Cork, .- (God bless the Regont and the Duke of Yoik I) •With a foul earthquake ravaycd th Caractai, ■' And raised the price o f dry goods and tobaicocs 1 ■ Who iuakcs the quartern loaf anil Luddites ri-e? - Who fills the butchers' shops with Urge blue flies? If it is not tho Ministry that has introduced the,green fly, it can only he tho rabbit, and that is the suggestion I understand to be conveyed, by the up-country editor's question. There is another prevalent evil which it ia expected will" be traced to its ultimate source in bunny, namely, the sin of Sabbath breaking, and what Presbyteries call the "low-state of religion within tho bounds." A population that is being impoverished by the, rabbit, poisoned by the rabbit, and harassed by a plague of green fliea which tho rabbit" is suspected of having introd ced, may not, be altogether without excuae if it looks upon Sunday rabbit-shooting as a duty to the State. Not that I so regard it myself. For my own part I go to church religiously, and feel no hankering after rabbits. Virtue is easy totheuntempted.

; ilr Logan seems to have an idea that the ■ gaol is a comfortable sort of place, and that priaoners are a great deal better off there than they-woiild be elsewhere. .Hence his, in conjunction with his brother Justices, had no hesitation in increasing the length of sentences foreomparatively trivial offences. He may be right in the main as to the general proposition, hut then something of the same kind used to he said regarding the negro slaves in America. But the slaves didn't see it. Liberty ia sweet, aod I question, if the prisoners [had the chance of refusal, whether many of them woiiid avail jtheinselves of the privilege of ex-tended-board and lodging under the shadow of H. M.'s broad arrow. Mr Logan is, I believe, a-kindly Bort of gentleman, but he doesn't quite putliunself in the prisoners place when hp "sita ",-lippn .them, and apparently, in the Commiaaioners' opinion haa not read the Act rightly. Henceforward; if the new Act passes, Justices won't have such tremendous power as to,extend a man's sentence. This power has been exercised within a term of years 163 times in Dunedin Gaol, and in very few casea in any other gaol in,'the Colony. "The practice having once been started, was kept np with a rigour and frequency that is positively startling considering that.we live in a free country. The inquiry has been very tedious, and evidently enough lies have been told to shock the late Ananias and Sapphira, but thia point of extra imprisonment alone, amply justifies the appointment of a Commission, and suggests the idea that visiting Justices and gaolers should be changed more frequently to prevent things, getting into a wrong groove. The contention .that the inspector was inspector of prisons and . riot of- prisoners, is ingenious but somewhat flimsy. It doe 3 not appear that Captain Hume's duties were very clearly laid down, but few will consider that he should have fixed his eyes steadily on the walls of the prisons ahd refused to see anything' that went on iqside. Whatever may be the report of the Commissioners,, it will be generally agreed that a good many things were going on tbat seeded the light of day let in upon them, It is astonishing what abuses may spring up when, the light is excluded. Though the Commission has. given ardent students of the newspapers many columns of somewhat dreary reading, the Commissioners were clearly iquite right in adadmitting the Press. One of the queerest things in all the evidence is the fact that the ruffian Butler .was allowed to Btar .it with other prisoners, in an opera, enacted for their amusement. What a delightful apd improving' spectacle for the motley audience ! He seems to. have been quite a pet of the gaoler's—a sort of tame tiger, his gambols all the moro interesting because of hia natural ferocity. Nevertheless, if we are to acoept the gaoler's portrait, painted by j himself, as a faithful likeness, he must be:quite an estimable sort of: gentleman, full to overflowing of the milk of. human kindness,' and with no natural affinity for tigers. .; I don't envy the Commissioners their task of sifting all. the evidence of the many shady witnesses, and deciding how many grains of trutkthere are in a few tons of lies; especially as some of tbe witnesses seem to have quite a natural faculty for lying. Captain Hume admitted that he goes for quantity rathe* than quality. On that principle, I suppose he would accept the Irishman's plea, when" two witnesses-swore that '.they saw him steal a cew. " Sure thin," says Pat, '.' I'll bring forty to swear that they didn't see me do it."

The inquiry,presents a good many points of interest to: the philosophic mind. I was, for instance, especially edified by the testimony of Mr Mallard (ex-Inspector of Police) whose utterances, although only semi-official, possess a good deal of significance. This gentleman, in his official capacity, had some experience with a prominent witness —one Cummock, a prisoner —aridas the result of that experience had come to the conclusion that he told lies unnecessarily. Such a statement of course inevitably suggests the idea that some lies are (to the official mind at least) necessary ! The' query whether a lie, can be' necessary, and it so what kind of lie, opensup a social problem far too abstruse to discuss at present, and I will merely say in passing that the affirmative inference may be correct. I say. only may be,— and I say it. cautiously, trusting that no undue advantage will be taken of the admission by my enemies, whose name, unfortunately, is Legion. Lord Wolseley has -no doubt what ever about it, when, it comes to a question of deceiving an enemy; but then Lord Wolseley is more a soldier than a moralist. However— to return to our Cummock,-it needs no very superior intelligence to discover in what particular way* his mendacity shocked official notions. As a liar, he was practised and prolific* but he told far too many lies that of n&essity failed to command credence. Herein lay ; his weakness. I gather from ths rwen proceedings that an ingenious and

likely-looking lie may, perhaps, be necessary, but that an utterly unbelievable one cannot possibly be. As to Cummock, even his own side have thrown his presumptive veracity overboard, and appear to rely upon the sup position tbat he may occasionally have told the truth by accident. Such as thia man, who ignorantly violate all the canons of what Mark Twain calls an "art," are, of course, beneath consideration, but a wide-spread feel ing evidently exista that tho lie (especially tho white one) has its uses. The dictum of modern society appears to be, bowover, that it should bo told artistically, judiciously, and beneficently, aud above all that it should not bo found out. I will not go so far as to personally advocate the administration of lies in small doses iv cases of emergency—perhaps I am afraid to—but I will frankly admit that I know such a method is occasionally practised by tho moat reputable amongat us, and it can be said—all credit to • them—that they do it better than Cummock.

However uneasy the head may lie that wears a crown, it is vory seldom, after all, that a monarch voluntarily retires from businesa Still-such an event doea occaaionally happen. Charles V., tho greatest monarch of his time, and one of the greatest of any time, resigned his crown and spent tho last two years of his life in a monastery, gardening, winding up watchea, and praying-unluckily without fasting. He could givo up all' his dignities and greatness, but he could not conquer bis liking for tlil contents of marrow bonea and other toothsome but indigeatible viands. In fact, he found it more difficult to rule-his stomach than an empire; and one ia almost tempted to believe that ho handed over his subjects to his son in order that be might devote himself more unreservedly to the service of his belly-god. As this however, would, be highly uncharitable, I am bound to believe that he retired from the business of ruling men to repent of his sins and meditate bis end. But what can have moved King George of Tongatabu to run away from his subjects? lam sorry to say I am not acquainted with tbis monarch's history. He is, however, said to be a year older than this glorious ni eteenth century, and as monarchs amongst savages seldom come to the throne at an advanced ago, I fancy he must have reigned a considerable number of years. King Georgo must at any rate be a man of some energy and determination to havo kept is head on his shoulders bo long in a part of the world whero the right of rebellion is presumably not unknown; and as he has gone off to the Vauvau group, where he says ho will spend the rest of bis days in peaco and quietness, we may reasonably conjecture that he has grown tired of the cares and duties of sovereignty. I fancy I can discern a likeness to tbe great Emperor of .Germany in this South Sea monarch—a certain kinglineas of nature reating on a contemplative baßis; for George has doubtless also abdicated in order to betake himself to meditation, and I.hope— not to over indulgence in the good things which his copper-coloured gods may have provided. But as the fare is probably simpler and more natural in the Vauvau group than it was in the Spanish monastery, King George^ will not be so strongly tempted in this respect aa the Emperor. He baa besides already lived twentysix years longer than Charles V., a fact which speaks well both for his constitution and his manner of life. I can scarcoly.wish long life to tho ex-King of Tongatabu, for long life he has attained, but I most heartily wish him a god stomach to the last, and a eijtbauGjy when the end comes.

. Why should not women make good doctors ? That is tho question raised by the appearance of "Dr" Anna Potts among us.. Some may reply, "Because they have not the nerve.'' We have, however, many examples of heroic women, who can show on occasions that they have plenty of nerve, as witness for example the heroic lady who was so cool and collected on board the Rotomahana tho other day, in a position of extreme peril, while one of the male sex got into such a state tbat he put on his unmentionables with a boot inside, and did not find it out for some time. The lady in question refused to take special precautions to save her own life because she could not save her boy, and would prefer to die with him. All honour to her and to her sex ! For myself I should rather like to be attended by a feminine medico; I should expect more sympathetic and gentle treatment, if she was not one of tho extreme strong-minded sort. The Yaukees are leading the way in this now reform, whicb I expect will spread. Surely as medical advisers to their own pcx, at least, there should be a field for them, and iv many, questions of household economy closely connected with "hygeine"—or in plain English health—they could advise tbeir erring Bisters with excellent effect. Doubtless they must find it somewhat embarrassing to pursue their anatomica studies side by side with students of the coarser sex, and with a view to lessening their disabilities a Woman's Medical College has been started in Philadelphia, where Anna Potts tells us she got her training. I daresay there are a good many more such colleges'ih the Statea, and I don't ace why some of our fair University graduatea should not have a chance in New Zealand, too, of putting " Dr" before their names, though the word, like' " Bachelor," is usually regarded as masculine. I don't know in the least, what Anna Potts' qualifications maybe, and there is a prejudice against even male doctors who lecture, mucfi more against strong-minded females.' I don't expect the profession .will be sympathetic, nevertheless the public will be very curious to know how a woman can handle medical subjects before a popular audience, and I for one shall go. There ia a strange fascination about those hideous skeletons which appear on the advertising boards, to announce the fair lecturer, which is not pleasant. But such sensations' devicesa,re characteristic of the lady's.nation ality, ancf'l don't want to quarrel with her because she reminds me unpleasantly that I am a bag of boneß, and some day shall be bones without the bag. If Anna can_only frighten our city fathers on the subject of stinks, and get them to do something about sewage, she will deserve our thanks, but I am afraid nothing short of getting up a good strong attack of fever, and the Mayor and one or two councillors falling victim 3to it, will do that.

Whon kings write books to justify tbeir own existence, it may be shrewdly conjectured that the institution of kingship ia not exactly in a flourishing way. Loyalty to kings is rooted not in reason, but in the sentiments and affections. A king who appeals to the reason has carried his cause to, the wrong tribunal. His safety really lies in securing his subjects'hearts. Falling that, his one argument is the sword, and doubters must be convinced. by: knocking them on the head. These principles have been understood and acted upon by > reigning persons ever since the world bepran. Yet in this year of grace we have the portent of a book written by a king to prove that kinga have still a vocation, and that, in. fact, the world cannot do without them. The title of the book is "The Actual Mission of Sovereigns, by One of Themselves," and its author is said to be the King of Bavaria, a monarch who, I believe, -has always been thought to be more or less queer in the head. Perhaps thiß book is evidence of the fact. Some of the author's remarks on.the political vices of his class are commendably frank, e.g. on their " ambitious rivalries " and " legalised conflicts," which "give, to the peoples the spectacle of a gladiatorial fight" :—

" Christians in our private lives, civilised in our domestic habits, must we eternally interchange, in our official relations, as sovereigns, the inpulaive and ferocious acts of an antiChristian "and barbarous policy, consisting of diplomatic strategy and military.. violence, the immorality of which our national laws prosecute and punish whon practised by our subjects amongst themselves? No intelligent nor conscientious person can reply in the affirmative."

Tbe business of kings in the future, according to this exponent of their destinies, will ba to preside in turn over a European Parliament, the decrees of which are to be enforced by a Federal Army. .There are to be three great European Councils, the third of which, charged with the regulation of religion and education, is to be composed of representatives of all churches, of the Freemasons, and of the Jews, and is to be presided over by the Pope, assisted by colleagues who will be taken from the Ministers of War in each nation, —a most harmonious menagerie, truly 1 Such ia crowned-head wisdom in the nineteenth century 1 Our marionette Parliament may want dignity, aud nobody accuses it of any alarming waste of political wisdom, but not even Mr M. W. Green could have elaborated such a sapient scheme as this.

"Do women look prettier in proportion to their expenditure on dress ?" Husbands and fathers, whose painful privilege it is to sign cheques, are not competent to vote on this momentous question. They are prejudiced, and in any cesa the pinions on the subject

are known, having often been expressed with unnecessary emphasis. The question Bhould be submitted to a jury of young men—of lovers if possiblo — whoso judgment haa not yot beeu warped by unpleasant experiences of drapers' bills. A London editor, after a patient investigation of tho subject, cornea to the conclusion that "a pretty woman charms in any dress," and that mon universally—young as well aa old—aro of that opinion. Nothing is ' more certain, I should say; and I will add that when a woman dresses ox travagantly she unconsciously betrays'distrust of hor natural charms. Thart is merit no doubt, in good dressmaking, in a perfect fit, in correctness extending tq, every detail. That is ono thing,—extravagant cost and incessant novolty are anothor. If women would dross merely to please men they might straightway cut down their drapers' bills by one half. Men are pleased with wlmtovor women choose to wear—provided always it does not raise tho suspicion of unreasonable costlinoss. That daunta them. There aro thousands of middleaged spinstors who wither on the virgin thorn simply because thoy have dressed not wisely but too well. The fleeting fashions aro all alike to mon. They like them all in. turn, —if they liko the women that wear them. A recent Graphic gives a sketch of " Brighton in 1806." The girls are shown with waist-bauda just under thoir armpits, and wearing bonnets of a shape now affected only by the Salvation Army. *Yet the young bloods of tlio day spoon upon fliem tenderly, unconscious of anything ridiculous in their costume. Sixty years earlier, when " Mr Handel's Now Grand Sacred Oratorio, (jailed the Messiah," was to be produced in Dublin, the advertisement in Faulkner's Journal contained the following :—

" The Stewards of tho Charitable Musical Society request the favour of the Ladies not to come with hoops this day to the Music Hall in Fishamble street. Tho Gentlemen are desired to come without their swords."—(April IS, 1742.)

The Stewards were anticipating a crush. It ia all one, you see—hoops, poke-bonnets, crinoline, tied- back's, tight sleeves, loqso sleeves, no sleeves at all—men reconcile themselves to overy fashion iv turn. Why, oh, why, then will women be continually changing ? Why don't they practise economy, stick U one thing, antf make it possible for men "of moderate means to marry them ? _-_-____ ■ -Civis,