Passing Notes.

Otago Witness, Issue 1332, 9 June 1877, Page 14

Passing Notes.

Mr Walker is now among us, and though he seems to have had a pretty hot reception in tho North I have no doubt he will go down pretty well here, for we are a most credulous people in Dunedin— especially in matters spiritualistic. I suppose nothing will be said on such matters here, but at Home it seems they have been making it very warm for Spiritualists, as by last papers I see a report of a case where a man was convicted of pretending to hold communion with the invisible world, and " using subtle means, craft, or device, by palmistry, or otherwise, to deceive ;" it being held that this constituted him a "rogue and vagabond." It appears to me that Mr Walker cornea very close to the line in this respect, and there's no doubt that Dunn and Peebles, who pretended to effect cures by spirit aid, came completely within it. Truly there's a great change in these matters. In olden days they said the Devil did it, and burnt the unhappy impostor ; now-a-days, when his Satanic Majesty's existence is a matter of considerable doubt, they believe Jit's done by their deceased friends, who appear to wander about in space with nothing particular to do.

It seems there are a few mean men in this town. The other day one of the richest men in this city went into a Presbyterian church, and, putting a shilling into the plate, remarked, before he passed in, "I want a sixpence back," and he got" it.

We have some smart business men also. A gentleman took a bill which a certain firm promised to back. A member of the firm backed the bill, and handed it over, but juat as he did so, tore

off the block, saying it was" necessary to keep it, so that "they might know when the bill came due. The gentleman to whom it was given was just folding it up to put it in his pocket-book, when, hap- 1 pening to look at the back, he noticed, there was no signature. Only the block had been endorsed.

St. Kilda has afforded us a good deal of amusement owing to the squabbles in tha Council, but I think that things are getting quite disgraceful. That a lot of men should so far forget themselves as to set to work and abuse one another, from the time they meet till they break up, and in consequence get not a particle of ■ work done, is certainly a pitiful spectacle. I hope the ratepayers will show their dis-, approbation by not returning a single one 1 of the present Councillors again.

There is one church here, I am glad to say, which means to try the attraction, of good sermons versus music- . , The organist is intensely disgusted, as he has worked hard to get a good choir together,; and the latter are somewhat offended at the rather , curt way they have been, treated in some matters. For instance, 1 they have been in the habit; of turning to', the east when the Creed was 7 repeatedj but a Sunday or two ago they were per-* emptorily ordered not to- do so/ as no| warrant for this practice was to be foundin the Bible. Now, as the choir ;was grown up persons, of mature; age -and understanding, they are of opinion .that they, can- turn to east or west .as they choose, regardless of the paraon's opinions on the subject. I shall watch this expert- 1 nient of sermons versus music with considerable interest, as I am decidedly of opinion that the musical churches will come off best. By the way, regarding turning to the east, it seems to me that the object being to turn towards Jerusalem, we should turn west- north-west, as nearly as I can ascertain, as that is where it lies from here.

Naseby seems likely to have plenty of railways, as it's by no means improbable she will have three routes, one via Palmerston, one via Strath Taieri, and the now celebrated < amaru line. Well, one can hardly have too much of a good thing, and Naaeby must feel grateful to Oamaru for stirring the matter up ; but it appears to me that Oamaru didn't show her! usual acuteneas in the matter ; she should have kept quiet, got aIU the > plans and surveys done privately, and then, got the scheme brought up in the Assembly, with 1 a lot of data to back it up. Now they have ' started" the Taieri Council, who seem equally determined to get the line,' and have "the advantage" of the "Oamaru* route, both in the matter of ' 'Government land likely to be opened up, and in ease of construction, besides their; being much more powerful in the Assembly. 1 '/I fancy if it 'came to' a question of" borrowing,' Iheir credit would be infinitely better'tliari the Waitaki Council ; and as for'Oamaru,if she floats her Water Works 'Loah'-of £50,000, that, together with her present liability- of some £25,000, will, I/fancy, ! be sufficient debt, for a town) of under 3000 The Naseby paper amuses ,me most. ,lt has "a wonderful Dunedin-phbbia, yet it can't help, virtui ally' admitting that the Outram route is the best, so far as opening up land is concerned, and that, I take it, is the principal object of railways in this country.

The Government are going, ■it is -said] to reduce the number of paid magistrates; and to rely more 'upon the services ofcthe nine hundred and ninety-eight Justices of the Peace, who, it seems likely, will have jurisdiction in civil cases of small amounts! When- we consider, how this .band have gained their commissions we may well say, Heaven help the suitors. t , Some of them, have been chosen owing, to jth'eir having taken a prominent part,in elections, some for reasons little more creditable, while in one "case a gentleman whoke appointment excited some little astonishment at the time was actually (appointed by accident ! His name, 1 believe, got by some mfstake into a list of , name 3 gazetted, and when the Government were asked why he, had been selected, they were astonished to find that he was a J.P. We had some little taste of unpaid Justices formerly, and ■it certainly was not a success. ■- , . .

Bother this Turkish war. v It's quite disgusting. We haven't heard of a single battle yet. Why don't they goi smash into .one another, ,and let us hava,a little blood and horrors? . I feel,perfectly;disgusted with them, both, as I did' think better of them. If the Turks would only go in for a few more Bulgarian horrors, just till the fighting begins, it would not be so bad.

The Fire Brigade had an amusing but instructive meeting the other day. Of course the members were very indignant with the papers for abusing them, and all joined in this part of the discussion with great unanimity. Some of the su'ggeV tions were very amusing, one of the best being to bribe the reporters by making them honorary members, but I am a little •afraid this wouldn't wash — reporters have a disagreeable habit of objecting to be silenced. The Brigade let the cat out of the bag later on though,' when they began to abuse one another. The fact of the matter is, that in spite of their dress boots at 32s 6d a pair the Brigade are in a state of utter disorganisation, neither officers nor men knowing their work,' and the latter consequently being compara- \

tively 'useless at aifire.LT "lt is W bethoped that they will practise hard, for there's no reason why they should not become as proficient as;the old Brigade), was.

It is amusing tot fead ! 'candidates* addresses occasionally../, One .candidate; for a mayoralty just . created; says Preform and progress 'are ne'edea; f aiiia !i ;it.;wiir i -be my business, if elected," Jo '• carry tt'hem forward to the best "of- my'abilityi" so that actually lie is' going 'to reform what is not in existence! Truiy-'thia.iai reform with a vengeance. : 1 was always under ,the impression! that it was necessary to reform that only which! was bad, but it seems from this that constant reform of everything, good, bad, or indifferent, ia the correct thing.' .' ,' •[ ; *

A letter appeared' in the Times on Friday giving a deplorable jjaccounifc of bjoya smoking in billiard-rooms. $Tow, I'vr* knocked about town- a T good* ; deal, ! "Snd seen lots of^billiard,ro,omfi, i an'd' i I 1 may safely say I don't ever remember to have seen boys about billiard rooniSj at^jgll, much less smoking there., Such mayTbe the caae, but I am unaware of it. put in the. streets lots 6t boya are .to be s,een smoking, therefore j>ut down the streets as ( yicious places. ,'/ As ,'a rule' billiard rooms are very harmless 'places of amusement, and' little- yice^of .any sort is to be seen in them.' ' ' """ t

<• IS .1 M./< '. )

There" afeT goihg""to be "an immense number of capitals, in ' Otago soon; - lwlnvercargilll wlnvercargill and' Oamaru eachviexpfectjio take that f position, while several? *Ip country towns think ,an f inland capiial r riot at all improbable. .^bqr^Duhijd'in"! '\ Site will evidently sink into the position i'of a mere fishing .village. "Invercargill is ambut I think Oamar u,'* beats Sher. This town' expects to) be the capital of |New Zealand — some "day. 'It was a commonly received opinion among < her citizens before the passing of the abolition of the Provinces that if abolition became | law the seat of Government would almost certainly be removed to Oan>aru. Hitherto she has been disappointed in this respect. ' • * '• '