PASSING NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10267, 26 January 1895, Page 2

PASSING NOTES.

(Prom the Otago Witness,)

In the times and seasons of the journalistic year the month of January, particularly towards 'the end of it, is consecrated to dulnesa_ It is not the journalist himself tbat is dullj or duller than at other times, though in January he has an equitable right to be so if he pleases; the dulness is the dulness of universal mankind. Oar holiday excesses are past, but not the lassitudes begotten of them; there is no energy for serious work; only the vegetative functions of the social organism are carried on—yawning, flirting, eating, drinking, sleeping, with an irreducible minimum of buying and selling, The halla .of legislature are closed and the offence of Parliament has ceased; the activity of Ministers is limited to the punctual drawing of their salaries. What is a poor. journalist to do 2 He may fall back on his European news, but this week the wires are down, and he is deprived even of his customary lying telegrams from, the war in the Bast.' Observe, I am not complaining on my own aocouht. This reign of dulness, trader which nothing stirs but stagnation, makes no difference to me. When there is no news I can. always Invent some. It is not for myself, but for the serious journalist, that I bewail the proBent paucity of events.- In English journalism the corresponding period of distress is known as'the "silly .season," ' because editors in despair open their columns to the i«a serpent, the big gooseberry, and the harmless lunatics who discuss " Is Marriage b Failure?'! "Should Women Smoke?" find other questions like unto these.

! Here we have not yet developed a "silly 'season"; we are merely dnll. Newspaper correspondents we possess in plenty, bat their liveliest subjects are bimetallism and the cost of aged paupers—whether the proper sum to be spent . in the maintenance of old men in the Benevolent Institution is fas a week or '6s. 6d. For a day or two there ires a promising correspondence in'which an archdeacon was giving "cheek" to his fclshop, but the editor, with regrettable selfBacriflce, stopped it at an early stage, and we are now back again in the Slough of Despond with bimetallism and 'the Cost of aged paupers. I have 'tried" industriously to interest myself, in these topics, but with .only slight success. I could stand an academical article on the currency question, say, onceja month; bat when Mr Arthur M'Donald expounds it twice il week, and the intervening days ate filled by anonymous pundits who confirm or . contradict Mr Arthur M'Donald, when Mr Melland from time to time puts in his philosophic word, and Mr Lee Smith takes a hand, the subject of bimetallism, notwithstanding its thrilling interest, tends to become; monotonous. One actually gets to long for Pomabaka again, the Sergaaat-at-arms, and the Undesirable Immigrants Bill. We must be pretty bad when we are reduced to this. ' She force of dulness could no farther, go. .

So we are to have a Government inspection ot Roman Catholic schools. This is a new departure, but I don't think it will amount to nraoh practically. I£ the inspectors should report unfavourably, object Messrs Fraeer and Clark, we shall have "a howl." Well, a howl of pain, perhaps, or of natural disappointment, but not a howl of the kind imagined by these critics. Having asked for the inspection the Roman Catholic authorities will receive their award, whatever it may be, with polite and punctilious deference;: we may be sure of that. There seems more . probability of the ' kind of "howl" suggested by Sir Robert Stout. If, the State may inspect—says Sir Robert—it may also regulate, may, dismiss or appoint, teachers, may prescribe subjects and text books, and generally may override Roman Catholic parents, priests; and bishops in the management of Roman Catholic schools. I am not sure that I follow clearly Sir. Eoberfs logic, bat anyhow this is his formal' conclusion. And over Bach conclusion there may wellbe a howl 1 Imagine the situation—Koman Catholic* to provide their own schools at their own cost as heretofore,, ana the State to manage them! Roman Catholics may justly howl, but forme, an outsider "not personally or ecclesiastically concerned, the comedy <of this -result is. alto-; ■gefcher top much, and I must asser; my right: to laugh. If the bishops intended their new move as an attack on;the Education Act, and if Sir Robert Stout's forecast of the consequences be sound, it will be another case of the engineer hoist by hii. own jetardi / r •'<•■ ..?;-' ■'■>'• -'■ •''■■■-■'■■■ ■■■'■■'•■ '•■

; To perceive bow and why .'the resignation fif the. French President should bring . the Whole Government machine within an hair's breadth of wreck..one ought to. be ,of the ..politics of Mr W. Hutchison and understand the delicate poise of republican institutions. It is an advantage, may be, to have the public peace and order dependent on an individual, his courage or cowardice, his firmness or caprice. We have not been accustomed to think so, but perhaps that 1b where we make the mistake.. Now, ip Russia, which, is a monarchy,, the Czar dies at short notice, and air things go on just as before." In Great Britain, also *.-B j monarchy, the demise 'of the crown, however sudden, would . throw nothing out of gear not imperil for a Single moment the stability of society. In France, which is a republic, the President resigns, and instantly there is universal uproar; 1 the State, we are told,' is brought to the 'verge of ruin. If these are the advantages ■ of a republic I. distinctly, prefer to live under B monarchy. A good many French'people ; are probably of the same opinion With me, whence the hopefulness with which at this crisis a Bourbon and a Bonaparte from oppo- ■" site frontiers are waving signals and issuing proclamations. Both are aware that a large number of French republicans are tired of their happiness, and ready to welcome some ' a' constitutional 'monarchy, some a sirapla despotism. For the moment, both alternatives seem to havefieen. staved'off, and: under a new President the .French, Republic, goes on again its wobbling way. But for tow long? ' ' ■" jV •■' i;

The refutation of the Christian religion by Mr J. Gammell, 8.A., in the Oddfellows' Hall, '■" fiattray street, has been duly- and suitably attended to by Mr J. Neil, dispenser of herbal medicine?, George street, and there perhaps we may leave the: matter. Mr Gammell, . B.A.,refutes Christianity; Mr Neil, the herbalist, refutes Mr Gammell; the thing is equal; what more need be said ? Nothing, except ' this, perhaps—that the .Christian religion 1 was refuted arid refuted* years' ago' in this .town-by Mr Charles Bright, the Echo newspaper, and the Lyceamites. And yet, somehow, it seems-little the worse. Most illogically, it has gone on much as' before, whilst Mr Charles Bright, the Echo, and the Lyceum have gone off and disappeared from human lißion. Xes,—Hans Breitmann had a party; where is dot party new ? Since those ~ days Bishop Moran has developed a 'Cathedral with handsome 'dohyent schools along- ' side. Also a good many other churches and conventicles have been built, and there seem to be more parsons about the streets now than there used to be. . Moreover, our latest , wandering revivalist was able to boast that ' be drew a bigger crowd than the O6mio : Opera" Company. Having regard to 'these ■' facts—and facts they undoubtedly are^-it seems hardly likely, that" Mr, Gammell's - refutation of Christianity, will pay expenses. ■However, that is Mr GammeU's affair. Mean.while,ltis satisfactory-that..Mr.Neil, the herbalist, has bis eye upon him, and will keep •: him under observation. ■ • v, >

It takes all sorts of people to make a world. At the opposite pole to Mi Gammell, B.A, fe. the Bay, End-of-all-things Baxter, who has just sent me, by English mail delivered this week, Mb programme of prophecies for 1895 and following j«ara. To relieve apprehension,! may as well announce Sit once than the end of the world is postponed. Barter had time-tabled It in his programme of last year-^-the reeeipt'of which was duly ackndwledgsd in this column—for October 1894. As the event did not then come oflc he has resolved, after mature consideration and farther revision of the prophecies, to postpone it again. Aa I makeput, nothing particular .Is to happen nntillaOl, when, on Thursday- afternoon, .April 4, Napoleon will make hisjeven years' covenant with the Jews, as in Mr Baxter's pages for 30 years past; to my certain knowledge, ha has been threatening to do at various inter r mediate dates. The usual incidents follow— Battle of Armageddon, ko., but into'these details it were tedious to go. The main, point is that the Baxterian prophecies now converge on the year 190 i; a few tremendous wars in the interim count for little. This postponement will give an extended sale to "Tha Wonders of Prophecy," price 2s, and the Rev; Mr Baxter's Dgblicattons generally, As only thedatea

require to be altered f and the letterpress, diagrams, and hobgoblin woodcuts do over again, year after year, this kind of literature is cheaply produced, and the profits of it— well, of course, the profits are to the prophets.

Referring to Mr G. M. Thomson's proposal to introduce the capercailzie, a correspondent; presumably a Cockney, informs me that nntil enlightened by proceedings at the acclimatisation society and a subsequent letter to the newspaper from Mr A. 0. Begg, he had supposed the capercailzie to be a four-legged beast and a "kind of goat." Wishing to be right myself I have consulted a cyclopaedia, and now have no hesitation in condemning my correspondent's ignorance as deplorable. The capercailzie is not a kind of goat, but—as Mr Begg correctly affirms—a kind of grouse. Query: What ia the plural of grouse? We have mouse mice, and louse lice ; should it bo grouse, grlce ? Bat this is a detail. The main point is that the capercailzie, though a grouse, is an undesirable grouse; it destroys young fir trees, is difficult' to: shoot and not worth shooting, its flesh having a flavour of turpentine. Thus Mr Begg, and after bearing this testimony my interest in the besst is reduced to the single fact that somebody supposed the capercailzie to be a quadruped. Reminds one of the club yarn about Cotopaxi. "Now there's a story I don't believe," said one of the members in the smoking room, as be laid aside a newspaper,—" What story is that J" — " Why, that paper says Cotopazican sometimes be heard GOO miles." —" Don'tyoubelieve it 1 "—■" Of course I don't believe it. I'll bet there Isn't a singer in the world that can be heard half that far."— "But Cotopazi is a volcano."—"ls it? I thought it was one of those Italian fellows that go abput with Patti." Civis.