PASSING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1994, 12 May 1892, Page 25

PASSING NOTES.

It i£ a pious custom of the faithful t\ improve, as the" phrase is* the death of^jny notable saint or notable sinner by making^ the text of a sermon. Now I don't propose"- to improve the temporary political dr ~>t Mr Lee Smith— first, because I -»eh ; and secondly, because a sermo. 'nous. But one would fain find an e^ of the dramatic utterness of his. Shall we ascribe it, as the nx some is*, to the benighted ignora. he Bruce elector, who could not ' sudden blaze of progressive Libera. burst upon him in the persons of Mv *on, M'Kenzie, Pinkerton, Barnshaw, b- \. Fraser? Dazzled with excess of c crept back into the cold cavern o. _jnservatism, and— polled for James Allen. v Or shall we impute it, as others do, to the sturdy independence and sound judgment of the intelligent settler, who resented the Ministerial meddliog, and exploded the Ministerial muddling, by tweaking the Ministerial nose, and — polling for James Allen 7 Then there's the block vote which started a No-Popery crusade, and stirred every Protestant in Bruce to— poll for James Allen. Last, but not least, there's the Bag question— to which personally Ido most incline. All the other influences may possibly have been at work, but there's a mysterious something about the Bag question which fascinates the imagination and controls the will. I haven't the remotest idea of what it is all about — indeed it is probable that if you got to the bottom of it you would find that Mr Smith was in the right, for he is an honourable business man ; but it's precisely because nobody that I know ever did get to the bottom of it that it possesses its baleful fascination for the average elector. For myself, I feel that if I had a vote for Bruce, the Bag question alone would irresistibly impel me to — poll for James Allen.

I have just finished reading Mrs Humphrey Ward's new novel, the " History of David Grieve," for which that lady is said to have been paid bj her publishers the comfortable sum of LI 0,000. "David Grieve" is a strong piece of work, but I do not easily discover in it, considered as a contribution to English literature, LIO.OOO worth. That, however, is strictly the affair of the people who paid the money, whose motives, I r presume, were not exactly philanthropic. Doubtless they knew what they were about. The artistic merit of the story lies in a hard French realism and photographic truth to life. Plot it has none, nor mystery, nor humour, nor conspiring march of events to a grand consummation. 3o far from this, the interest of the book dies with part 3, although there follows a part 4 — a draggle-tailed postscript of 150 pages. There are scenes of passion, but these left me dry-eyed, whereas ; even in Dickens, whose pathos and passion are often of the stage, Btagey, there are pages which, old as I am and tough, I can only read through a mist of tears ; whilst as for Anthony Trollope, fifth-rate novelist though he is. he can make me cry like a school girl, Mrs Humphrey Ward, though everybody must read her, doesn't seem to possess that gift. The strangest fact about "David Grieve " is that it might have been designed as an antidote to the theological heresies of "Robert Blsmere." The progress of the hero is from unbelief to faith, and the two noblest characters in the book are Mr Ancrum, a "stickit" Unitarian minister, who announces bis determination to " throw himself at last upon the breast of the* Catholic Ohurcb," and Dora, a devotee of Ritualism. Has the authoress herself experienced a conversion ? Perhaps she has ; though it may be remembered that even in " Robert Elsmere " all the orthodox people are happy and all the heretics miserable — which seems rather a left-handed way of recommending heresy. Possibly we have misunderstood Mrs Humphrey Ward's theological intentions all along.

It may not be generally known that in New Zealand "almost every shanty-keeper along the bush roads is in the commission of the peace." I certainly was not aware of the fact myself until I read it in the Pall Mall Gazette, where it is given on the authority of the Colonies and India — a London publication which prides itself on the accuracy of its colonial information. " One man in about every 50 in Maoriland is a justice," and that one man as likely as not is a shanty-keeper, " in virtue of his political influence 1 " Equally novel and interesting is an item of information which I clip from the San Francisco News Letter : —

On the railways in New Zealand travelling banks are in general use. Trains in the country districts have banking cars attached, with a staff of clerks who cash cheques, receive deposits, and make loans at the various stations along the line.

This is thought credible in San Francisco, a place with which we maintain communication by a monthly mail service. Now if we were to tell the San Franciscans that in New Zealand, when a bye-election is on, Ministers of the Crown appear on tbe scene to tout for votes, shout for drinks, and make mendacious speeches for the harassing of the Opposition candidate, they would probably refuse to believe us. Such are the inconsistencies of human credulity.

Robert 'Junior on a Recent Political Event.

Dear Cms, — Ekscuging this liberty, being a stranger and a sujjerner in a strange land — which I came out partly for elth and partly kewriosity and the practice of my ereddifcery perfession in fresh woods and pastors new, as the poet says — I wenter to send you my impresshuns of 3 seedy pollytickle swells as I waited on at hintervals in a private sitting room last Wednesday hevening was a week. Sitch a paneful seen I don't remember in all my xperience. Aperiently these 3 seedy pollytickle swells must have receeved unfortinit hintelligence about the Brewce eleckshun, for they were cut up orful. There wasn't no dignerty in their demeener, not a partickle. During sum considerable time they went on like a seen as I remember in the hopera, long, long ago : Here's a pretty go ! (says one). Here's a cheerful state of things ! (says the next). Here's a pretty owd ye do ! (says the third).

— jimng m like mad, the hole 3 of era, It was more than I coud do to control! their pheelinx with wisky neets and a cup of tea in addishim, hextra strong for the korpilent gent, who was deetinkly the worst of the lot, having come express from Wellington, as' he subsekwently let out, to gorge hisself at a Ministerial blatikwet, and being disappinted samhow threw the Brewce elepshun, ho consekwently felt more depressed. " Why, its redickerlus," he xclaimed, "puffickly redickerlus ! We shall be the larfing-stock of the hole country!" "To think," he proseeded, "that 2 Ministers of the Crown has been trying to manm'pperlate this Brewce elecshun, at Government xpense, kedging for votes, shouting for drinks, making mendayshus promises to the free and hinclependent electors, and yet has failed — heggrejusly failed! Why its bribery and corrupshun," he shouted, "it's bullying and hintimidashun !— and the wusfc is it didu'fc suckseed ! Whenever shall we hear the larst of it!" "Cheer hup, old man!" says one of the others, a ruff looking customer with a haccent destinkly Skotch, "we did the best we could, didn't we Dick ? and probubbly the case ain't so bad as it looks. Lets send , for Stout and arsk him to adwise ! " " Stout be jiggered," says the other coye — "Do learn to hey a mind of yer own, Mac ! We don't want no Stout ; what we want to restore our self-respeck is about half a dozen of phiz ! " And then he gey me the horder. Over the resfc I draw a whale. What I would like to know for my pussonal satisfacshun, being ony a new chum without pollytickle xperience, is whether these 3 seedy swells is a fare sample of Colonial pollytistums.— l am, &c,

Robert Jewnier.

The International Tug-of-war seems to supply what the patent pill-maker calls a long-felt want. Night after night the Garrison Hall is packed (at per head) with an excited multitude of perspiring patriots of all nationalities from Maoris to Mongolians, who stamp and strain and shuffle and shout from 8 o'clock till 1 1. And all to watch two Bets of men primly tugging against one another on a Manila rope. A3 a show it i 3 most admirable in its simplicity and its results. The capital . required is the hire of a hall and the price of a rope. The ingenuous public" supplies performers and prizes, while the ingenious promoter pockets the profits. Voila tout. There's a reason for everything under the sun. Even a Government of vigorously progressive liberal proclivities serves some useful purpose in the mysterious economy of Nature, if philosophy could only find it out. And so likewise does the tug-of-war. We owe much to civilisation — totalisators to wit-, taxe3, telephones, and other blessings too numerous to name. But it has draw backs of its own. It is monotonous — and . this chiefly because it represses the fighting instinct and drives it into artificial channels. When the Romans were not campaigning abroad, they were setting up amphitheatres at home where they converted Christians into candles and otherwise misconducted themselves — all because they were deprived of the natural gratification of the natural appetite for blood. So also with the English in India — but permit me to pursue the sabject into another note, and in due time I'll get back to my text.

When the English in India became strong enough to put down native feuds, the natives having no amphitheatres and few Christiana transferred their combativeness to the law courts, and to-day the Hindoo is the most litigious mortal extant, teste Sir H. S. Mayne. And that like causes produce like effects with the Maori is it not written in the records of our Native Land Courts and the fortunes of our Native Land Cuurt lawyers ? Our English forefathers, when fighting was forbidden them, found relief in bull baiting, rat killing, and esthetic amusements of that sort. And — melancholy declension — we in New Zealand are practically shut in to synod meetings, contested elections, and casual dog fights. Hence that vague hungering and thirsting after anything tbat looks like a scrimmage; and hence, O long-suffering reader mine, the success of the international tug -of - war. Set 12 men, brawny and bare-armed, to pull and tug for dear life against 12 brawny and bare-armed men ; call one gang English and the other Irish; let the band play "Rul9 Britannia" to English cheers- and "The wearing of the green "to Irish shouts— given all this and you have as near an approach to a pitched battle as existing police regulations will permit.

I observe that Berry, the Engliuh hangman, in a letter to the Bight Hon. the Home Secretary, whom he addressed as " dear sir," resigns his enviable appointment, and has announced his intention of lecturing throughout England and the United States on the Abolition of Capital Punishment. Mr Berry states that he has always been opposed to capital punishment "in theory," but this theoretical opposition has been overruled in practice by an honorarium of LlO a head paid to him by her Majesty's Government for all criminals satisfactorily " turned off." A serious difference of opinion, however, having arisen between himself and the Home Office on two points intimately connected with a comfortable hanging — namely, " the length of the drop and the fixing of the rope," Mr Barry felt that he must consider his position. As tbe result-,' principle has triumphed. Mr Berry resigns his portfolio, and will henceforth give free expression to the native humanity of his disposition. His lectures on Capital Paoishment will "deal with both sides of the question" — that is, I suppose, the side of the patient, and the side of the opeiator; as he has operated in 183 cascf, few men can be better qualified. From Amend, he- has already received guarantees amounting to r 145,000d0l for 20 lectures. He will be a sure draw, and his audiences may premise themselves an emphatically " good time." In due course we may hope for him in the Garrison Hall, possibly under the conductorship of Mr K. S. Smythe, — reserved seats for ladies, and matinees for Sunday Schools and children of tender years. , Oivis.

Replying to the toast of the " Agricultural and Pastoral " interests at the banquet to the Postmaster General ; Mr Ralph Swale, one of Southland's earliest and most successful settlers, made (says the Southland News) some rather interesting remarks. He said that in Southland we had not one of the finest, but the very finest part of New Zealand if farmers only

behaved fairly to the land and did not kill the goose that laid the golden egg. He began farming in 1857 on one anda-hall acres of land. In olden times they had to drive their corn to local markets in Dunedin or Invercargill, and not only that, but they had to take it out in goods— there was no ready money. What was their prospect to-day ? They could go into Invercargill to-morrow, sell 10,000 bags of grain, and, if it was true to sample, five minutes after delivery they could get there cheque. There was hope before them and their children after them if they only treated the land fairly. Some people thought that grain would not ripen in Southland, but they did not know what they were talking about. For the last 25 years he had grown the most grain in Southland in proportion to the area of his farm, and he had never had a single grain of it rejected by the local millers or the export merchants. When he said that, he asked them if it was not a grand country they had. In concluding he expressed a hope that the splendid gathering they had there that night would be the forerunner of many others, for he believed that it would be an excellent thing for the country if members of Parliament and the farmers met of tener.

The New Zealand Times endeavours to make light of the Ministerial defeat for Bruce, and says that it is merely a case of a strongly Conservative borough remaining true to its instincts. The Post and Press treat the result as a very nasty knock for the Government, especially as the result of the eager personal interference by individual Ministers in the election was a crushing defeat by more than two to one.

It is stated that there is some probability of Government closing up the Kohimarama Industrial School for boys or transferring the operations of the institution, owing to the very small number of boys at present in the school. There are now only 22 boys in the institution at Kohimarama under Mr Hoggin's care, there being in addition four boys boarded out in the country. The Government at present draft boys from Kohimarama to the south, and the home is also drawn upon by the trustees of the Costley Institute for Boys in Richmond road, Ponsonby, .in order to get inmates for that institution under terms of the Costley bequest. The Government consider that at present, seeing the very few committals of boys to the schools made by the R.M. in Auckland, the place does not warrant the expense of keeping it up.

The Tapanui Courier reports the death at Heriot' last Sunday of Mr Charles Todd. Born at Alva, Perthshire, he was attracted to Victoria, where he tcok to mining. He returned to Scotland and engaged again in the trade he had learned — woollen manufacture. He came to Otago in 1870, and after managing Messrs Murray, Roberts and Cos. fellmongery at Milton he became manager of the Canada Reef Company, afterwards of the North of Ireland claim at Blue Spur, and then of the Cromwell Company, "Cromwell. His health giving way he returned to Heriot. He leaves a widow and a grown up family of three daughters and four sons.

A meeting of the Diocesan Synod Standing Committee was held on Tuesday evening, May 10, at which the Yen. Archdeacon Fenton presided in the absence of the bishop. A letter was read from the Yen. Archdeacon Edwards, declining to receive any share from the general church fund, on the ground that the clergy in receipt of stipends of L3OO per annum and upwards should not, in his opinion, participate in this fund. A letter was also read from the Primate, intimating that a sum of LSO had been granted by the general synod towards the bishopric endowment fund of the Diocese of Dunedin, conditional upon a sum of Ll5O being raised for this purpose in the diocese. Mr C. H. Statham was elected a member of the Standing Committee in place of Mr Hill Jack (who has left the colony), and the diocesan secretary was directed -to convey to Mr Statham the appreciation of the Standing Committee for the admirable manner in which he performed the duties of acting diocesan secretary.

The Scottish Universities Commission has issued draft regulations for the graduation and instruction of women. The court of every university i 3 to have the power to admit women to graduate in any faculty, subject to the same examinations as those for men. The court, after consultation with the senatus, may make provision for the instruction of women, either in common classes with men or in separate classes ; while a power to exclude women altogether is reserved to the existing professors.