CURRENT TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2209, 2 July 1896, Page 3

CURRENT TOPICS.

The character of Chinese settlement in foreign lands is well exemplified by the scrupulous care with which the bones of those who die in exile are returned to their native soil. The impassive Chinese is still an impenetrable puzzle to Western observers. Mr Don/ the local mifsionary of .the Presbyterian Church, proves in his annual itinerary that they are prac* | tically impervious to Christianity, and the fragments of conversations which he givesstrongly illustrate the mingled ignorance and canning that characterise them. It is difficult to imagine that such a people would bd so far. actuated by sentiment as to insist that their bones jhould be taken homo, as we, are accutomed to, regard such a desire-as proceeding from only the Jpftiest emotions, of piety, patriotism, or affection. It has been discovered that the Chinese, are, smuggling away the remains of their deceased compatriots , in the- guise of passengers' luggage. Such a mixture of the practical and sentimental is eminently Oriental. A Europsan, for instance, who desired to convey the remains of his friend to their native land would never 'think of treating them as either luggage or cargo. He would have them treated with the greatest possible respect. It will be reI membered' that something le3S than a dozen : years ago a ship was chartered to convey a cargo of Chinese remains from the Australasian ' colonies to the Flowery Land, and on that occasion all the cemeterisß in this colony were depleted 'of,: their.' Mongolian* oosupants. "John" thinks he has discovered a cheaper way, but, a^, it happens, the curiosity of the shipping officers has -baffled 'him^ and he will have to pay ' full' cargo ratea^ which no doubt, .as is. .. the... -case romH .railways, \ include;, a special Tvfcariff '"Joj£J "corpses."' And no, doubt, «c Jong" Asiaticcunning will; cause t a '* resurrection " of defunct Chinese. /It will'probably be seen thfcfc • some Ah Chip^pr 'AU'"'ChowJwill.,rg»ily trip! across the gangway'Tpf 'an /incoming steamer, masqaeraiding unp[« tfw mime, arid con.fid9atljr

' CHINESE SEXTIMENT.

prodnoing' the certificate of indemnity against the poll. tax whioh really belong to a fellowopuntrjman whose bones are peacefully reposing in their native village. ■ v ':\: \ \

MICaUABIE ISLAND.

AMr Burton, a taxidermlit, is. about' to confeign himself ( accompanied only ' by a dog, to, the loneliness of - Macquane Island; in order, to/ make • collections '- of /specimens/ * and to make such observation! as are possible daring a stay of six months., The .official history .of HUcqaarie Island is unique.' By an errdr'of tome cleric'' in- tbe OolpDial Office, irho supposed that Mscquarie must be in Macquarfe Harbour,' the name of , the island wag included in the proclamation of Tasmania, and it remained nominally,attaohed to that'xolony.. until quite recently. Under ordinary 6iroum« . stances this nominal attachment -would not have mattered, bat in the event of t settlement taking place f there it would have been very awkward ..to have to consider Taimania the headquarters of Government, And the question of jurisdiction alio cropped up some few yeara since, • when i it became necessary to •. interfere with illioit sealing— a matter in which, it we remember aright, this very ketch Gratibudo that is about to convoy Mr Burton to the island was intimately concerned. Although Blf Carion'a . mission, is of a quasi loientifie nature, it has its commercial side as well..

.The. authorities' have ptobably-doHe^the wiseafs thing under the circamifcances "' thosS '" "in gendingto the Mount Magdala girls. Asylum, at Christohurch, the five ' unfortunate girls whose names have figured so prominently in the recent ones. . It may be presumed that due provision has been , made for their legal ;oustody there by, hiring them or otherwise providing foe 'their safe detention. The community owes thanks to the good sisters of Mount Magdala for relieving it oF an embarrassing burden; It was manifestly impoßsible to allow these girls, hardened in Vice, to asßooiatewith the other children in the Industrial School, whose only crime, in a , large proportion of onaes, consists in being poor, and it would . probably have toen extremely diffioulb to find any 'suitable "private i employers willing to, 't^e them. 'The incident, shows that , the * community must face' the unpleasant ,, necessity, for a reformatory for juvenile Sending them to, gaol has long since, become an anachronism, and sending them among children who are assumed to* be innocent of any offence, is not, to b« thought of. What makes the action of the good sitters of Mount Magdala so conspicuously kindis that the court has directed that only two of the five are to be brought up in the Roman Catholic faith. Two of them. are to be taught to be Preabyfcerians'and one is to learn 1 the faith of the Church of England. There is, perhaps a suspioion of irony,,though unintentional, on the . part of the court directing the religious teaching -„ of the girls, since that direotion must have been . made oh information 1 supplied by the parents.; but whether the religious teaching of any dogma is likely to benefit the girls or not, the great advantage has been scoured that they are :, not only isolated, but placed in hands that will reform them if human agency can do ifeafc aU. •-,'•-

KISS THE BOOK.

A (treat many people, who wquld i( r.esent being > termed over-fastidious,-, have a , well-grounded objection to Wising the ;Bible usually presented' in courts of justice for the purr pose ot administering the oath. As a rule the' book .tendered to the witness has so. uninviting, an appearance, and is so suggestive of association with very objectionable people, that most shrink from the oscillatory process, and ' if they do undergo the«ordeal do so with the worst possible grace. The objection is strengthened ■ by^ the dictum of medical men, who speak in so uncertain tone of the dangers to health from a bacteriological point of view arising' from thfl custom. It may comfort* those who have qualms aboutMb to be reminded that there is really no necessity to kiss the book at alii Mr 0. B. Rawgoh, late magistrate' at Inveroargill, has drawn general attention, in a letter to the Southland News, to the faot that "The O&thi Acb 1890" permits any person to make his solemn affirmation' instead of taking an oath. All the witness has to do is to say thtt he wishes to affirm, whea the oath taTsea the following - shape:—" I, A. 8., do solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm 1 that the' evidenoe I shall give .in this case shall be " ■ the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."- A' witness, in point of fact, may, take; ■ upon himself, any form.{df/obligajioh that he; considers binding."" It may.bethat the, disre-,' gard for the obligation which ha«f forced^itself • into notice inf'thff,'courts" of law,:oMateJ«a reflection of "the mari'nerjn which itisadminia* j ■ teredo It-is""ußuaUyfgabl)lf d over in; an, 'tinin« tell^ble^and; unedifying 71 manner^whereas ifi ,. ißnght<tp|be a ' s'oleaiin ceremb^r,- Bjacb;;aß 'impress eyea'the most unttiihking^S , '^-pV "v," v , V,-'"-'X *••" - ■'* '••' r • ' "' '''V' v r t'" r: r. ,: . • .' • .