Flotsam and Lestem.

Otago Witness, Issue 1320, 17 March 1877, Page 15

Flotsam and Lestem.

Si quid novisli rcctiut istit Candidas imperii; ti nm t hit utere mecum. "If you know anything better than these remarks of mine, kindly tell me; if not, uae these with, me." I notice that Mr Charles Bright asked the question, or at least saw it asked, that waa quite natural among spiritualists, " Do you know anything more about God than when you were on earth ?" The answer being, I believe in Him more. Well, judging by all appearances, this was a fair question. If the spirits know no more than the mediums, they know precious little. I should say, judging by his lectures, that there is plenty of room for improvement in Mr Bright's accumulated stores of wisdom, and that they don't know everything down in the Princess Theatre on Sunday. As to the Bishop and the claim he was supposed to have jumped, ' it strikes me forcibly that the local world has got fairly puzzled. What I like about public opinion, is the way it always turns round when any fellow gets abused too much. It doesn't matter what it is about or who he is. The world think* that " gently "

is a good motto, and so itia. BadDr Stuart contented himself with his letters, or with his speech, he would have had all the world on his side, as it is he has committed the fault of aaying too much, and has successfully weaned a lot of people Irom his side. Suppose the Bishop to have made a mistake, as a matter of good taste, he was hammered with a broom handle, instead of being pierced with a rapier, with the result of changing the mind of the public in toto. Nobody believes that he meant to insult Dr Stuart's dignity, though it may have seemed like it to the irate doctor himself. I hope he will not get too touchy. The Brooklyn Theatre disaster has aroused public attention to the difficulty of access to some of our own places of amusement. It is only necessary to look at the crowds leave a theatre in Dunedin to wonder what would be the consequence of an alarm of fire in the midst of a, popular entertainment. For my part, I should not like to be there with ladies. There would be a general smash up in the ranks of our small society if the same stampede were to happen here that took' place at Brooklyn. "Very hard lines on Pooley that he should be held to bail— he is Al with other people's bales — and have his cricket stopped through a row. Still, no doubt that it was hard on Donkin to have his trousers torn up. On the merits of the case I express no opinion, but I can't but be sorry at the welcome afforded to our English cricketing friends during their stay here.

Curious what a love most investors have for the nimble ninepence. They don't care so much about the capital ac-, count ; comparatively, they don't care a* hang for it. What they like is dividends. The Standard people were a little annoyed at the action of their directors, but like, good boys they accepted it at last with, tolerable equanimity. Certainly that company has been intolerably unlucky in making losses. They always get hitwhenever there is a chance of it. The tide will turn one day no doubt, and they are now buying their experience, and will" get the profits hereafter if they stick to their property, as I hope they will like leeches.

Aha ! I used sometimes to wonder, what made the lawyers so anxious to get formal kinds of appointments as I used to fancy them in my innocency. When Mr E. C. Strode was named solicitor to the Taieri County the other day some one hoped that he would not get fat out of his pickings. When I saw that Messrs Smith and Anderson had sent in a bill of nearly a thousand pounds' for their year's work for the Corporation/ then I ceased to call these appointments formal or nominal, or by auy derogatory term whatever. On the contrary, when, Ih€.irof a solicitor being appointed to a:County or Municipality, I shall write and. him on having .obtained a' jinodest competence, not to' say anything"more. If he be a friend, I shall ask him for five hundred pounds on the spot. I now understand that the litigious tendencies of the late Mayor and Council have landed jthe City in this enormous legal expenditure. I don't think the* charge waa enough though, really. I ! looked over the Bill— Municipal. Bill — Smith and Anderson had prepared, and it was a model of ingenuity. Still it is hard lines that the ambition of the" Council to lead the Colony should- be' paid for out of the pockets of the ratepayers.

The St. Kilda Town Council has made a thoroughly good joke at last. One of those sayings that are equally pregnant with meaning and hilarity, has come out of their mouth. " The law of England is 'common sense.'" Could it be possible to put the thing better ? WeU done, Mayor of St. Kilda ; if you had been writing a constitutional history you could not have done much better than that — • every Councillor is expected to have common sense. Blessed is he that expects nothing — on the Flat. Crustacean.