STATEPAPER GRAMMAR.

Timaru Herald, Volume LV, Issue 5739, 2 August 1893, Page 4

STATEPAPER GRAMMAR.

The following letter to the Melbourne Age tells it own Btory : — Bie,— You've been giving us Viotorian boys fits about our bad grammar and spelling lately. May be we deserved it. I don't koow. It's a plaguy nuiianoe, that's certain. But what I'm writing for is to protest against our little failings being carried before her Majf sty the Queen m a representative address from our Parliament. I reckon we ought to give her the beat kind of composition we ctn mutter. But I don't think much of the wind up of that address that's to be cent to the Queen about the late royal | marriage. It speaks of " our fervent hope that it will vouchsafe Providence to grant them." etc What's the meaning of " vouchlafe " ? My die. says " condescend to grant," or just " condescend." But, eith«r way, that makes nonsense. You oan't say we 'hope that it will condesoend to grant Providence to grant," or even we " hope that it will oondesoend Providence to grant." There's something wrong somewhere (I believe it's sheer nonsense ) I voto they put " please " instead of " vouchsafe." They will be od the safe side then. What do you say, Mr Editor ? You ought to make a pretty ! good authority, eeeing you set up as a kind of general aroh inspector. — Yours, humbly, Bob. P.B.— Mind you, I don't want to be hard on Mr Patterson. I know what an awful fsg it is to put things just the way old Morell wants you. But until we get as aot of Parliament abolishing all the tomfoolery of parsing, spelling, etc, etc, Mr Patterson must do his best to abide by existing laws of grammar and sense, same as he expects ua to do } don't you tbink so ?— B.