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Taranaki Herald, Volume XL, Issue 9089, 22 May 1891, Page 2

Mr Justice Richmond gave a hint to the Legislature, says the Post, during 4 the hearing of Judge Edwards' case, as to the proper wording of their enactments. In one of the statutes relating to the Supreme. Court Judg6ships occur words j "demise of. Her Majesty" ,in a clause providing that the office shall not come to an end upon the monarch's death. His Honour said the term " demise of Her Majesty" was a gross vulgarism. It ought to be "demise of the Crown," that was the constitutional phrase, and it was the Crown that was demitted and not the Queen. The word was used as a vulgarism for death, and the sqoner it was set right to Acts of Parliament tbe better." Qn the following day, 1 the Post says, Mr Justice Richmond apologises, He finds that the use of the phrase " demise -of the Queen" as a synonym of her Majesty's death is not a mere vulgarism, but is sanctioned by legal usage; though etymologically incorrect. His Honour explained this position on Tuesday morning, and quoted an expression of Blackstoae, that "so tender is the law in referring to the death of the Sovereign that it euphemistically refers to it as the demise of the Sovereign. 11 It gave him some consolation to find that ho knew better thirty years ago, when he had charge of the bill in Parliament, than he did on Monday when he criticised the Act. The following is evidently the quotation from Blackstone, referred to by Mr Richmond :—": — " So tender is the law of supposing even a possibility of his [the King's] death, that his natural dissolution is generally called demise— 'demissio regis vel coronas, I—an1 — an expression which signifies merely a transfer of property." Gilbert A'Becket. in his Comic Blackstone, says : "It is a legal maxim that ' the King never dies/ but thisis a quibble, like that which asserts that ' to morrow never comes,' 'for if Kings never died, William the Conqueror would now be residing in Buckingham Palace.' The fact is that .when one King is, cut off, another, like the head of a hydra, 1 springs up to replace him, and the wellknown burst of enthusiasm on the part of our present Soyereigp, who ia said to have flourished her nightcap, exclaiming. 1 Hurrah, hurrah,— l'm Queen of England/ wa» in conformity with thy gonstitutionsl tn&sitn alluded to/ 1

Tho docision in Judge Edwards' case will probably be delivered to-morrow morning.

A train to join the s.s. Gairloch going north will leave for the breakwater on arrival of the express train to-night.

The 4 o'clock train on Monday next for Hawera will be delayed till 5 o'clock on account of the Bell Block races.

Tho petroleum works have been closed on account of a break in some machinery having occurred. As soon as the break is repaired, which will take about a week, operations will be resumed.

Captain Edwinyirired this afternoon : — " Every indicatafion of frost to-night."

Tickets are going off rapidly for the performance of " Pinafore" on Monday evening by Mr Sparks' amateur company. A full rehearsal took place on Thursday evening, when v overy thing went smoothly. The orchestra consists of fourteen performers, most of them well known amateurs. A final rehearsal takes place on Saturday night.

The Queen-street Sunday School hold their Anniversary Services on Sunday next, and there will be a Soiree in the Church on Monday. Particulars can be ■een in advertisement.

The decadence of the game of football in town this year is very pronounced. No enthusiasm is shown in the game at all, the practices called for Saturday afternoons by the New Plymouth Club being attended, as a rule, by 'about half a dozen players only. The production of " Pinafore " by local amateurs on Monday night next promises to be a great success, both musically and financially. We are pleased to learn that the Freezing Works at Waitara are not to be closed at the end of the present month, as stated by us yesterday. We are informed by the proprietors that if tlie need arises for enlargement of tho works, there will be no necessity for " shutting down" during the progress. We have to acknowledge with thanks a brace of pheasants from Mr. Mcßeynolds, of Pungarehu. •

One of the most handy household equip ments that we have Been for, some time is Walcot's emery file sharpening stone, which the patentee is at present personally introducing into' New Plymouth. For all sorts of edged tools it is simply perfect, and will be found particularly useful in households where the exasperating bluntness of knives and Bcissors is' frequently the cause of much domestic disquietude At any rate a personal application of the stone to the editorial scissors" has caused a marked decrease in profanity in this office, and'therefore we are justified in predicting that this useful instrument will be found equally useful in raising the moral standard of the community. Mr Walcot will commence to sell the article at the Bank of New Zealand corner on Saturday evening.