LATEST AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Thames Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 8322, 13 April 1896, Page 2

LATEST AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

r [Special Message.—Press Association]

Sydney, April 12 PLEASURE FIRST AFOREMOST.

The Cornstalk is a pleasure loving 1 individual, find the enormous attendance at the Easter Carnival sports and Show in evidence of the fact. Sunday is exclusively the day on which the average Englishman enjoys himself hi other ways than church going, and this trait of character formed the keynote of a well thought out paper read before the 'Baptist Synod by the Rev. Mr Harry. Pleasure, asserted the author, has bien elevated to a tine art even in religion. lie thought the church was to blame somewhat in that matter ,with their pleasant Sunday afternoon and competitive efforts to entice peoplo to spend a pleasant hour in tlie churches and understanding they would not be troubled by serious thoughts or personal appeals. Many churches were recognising the existing craving for pleasure among the people, and were catering for it in every possible way. Puritanic worship was out of fashion, and the people would crowd the churches when everything was made comfortable for them—soft cushions, fine music, very short sermons, and nothing in the service to awaken conviction.

A BRILLIANT WEDDING

A brilliant wedding was celebrated in St. Andrew's Anglican Cathedral during the week, the bride being the daughter of the late Sir William Allen, formerly Speaker of tho Legislative Assembly, and the bridegroom Lieutenant Somerville, of H.M.S. Pengwin. RIVAL CITIES. The Age has been waxing wroth over the fact that Sydney sees so much of the fleet and Melbourne so little, and more particularly over Lord Brasssey's request that H.M.S. Endymion should present herself to the inspection of residents of the southern city. Admiral Bridge, interviewed on the subject, said H.M.S. Endymion's cruise had been laid down by the Home authorities on exact lines, and to divert her would entail upsetting plans made contingent on her precise fulfilment of the cruise. Then the Admiral proceeded to make a reference, which those who know Hobson's Bay will understand. He said :— '' There are very good reasons why the Endymion should not go to Hobson's Bay. These j reasons I am quite prepared to give if called I upon by the proper authorities to do. I will not give them now, because I am sure it will be very much better for Melbourne that they should not be too prominently brought forward." As to the complaint that Sydney sees more of the ships than Melbourne, he said that the complaint ought to be made not against the Admiral but against the Creator, Sydney being by nature the absolutely most convenient harbor in the world. The Age, with what amount of truth its readers can imaging for themselves, hinted that vessels generally contrived to visit Melbourne during the Cup and Carnival, but the Admiral disposes of feltis by tellimg his interviewer that personally he is extremely proud of Melbourne, and thinks it one of the most delightful places in Australia to live in except during the Cup week, when it is nearly as detestable as such a delightful place can be. After this the Aye loaded up its bowchaser, and came at the Admiral's defence with a terrible acciisation that for 340 or 3-30 days in each year Port Phillip miyht as well be a seaport in Bohemia for all the use and benefit it was to the war vessels, which should be an object lesson to the local naval forces or to the people of the colony. The paper, however, frankly admits that Admiral Bridge is not so remiss in doing justice to Port Phillip as some of his predecessors, and it concludes by remarking '' It is really distressing to find a British Admiral so indifferent to the splendid opportunities afforded for putting into shape raw material to hand in the shape of local naval forces. Nor need Admiral Bridge be reminded that the naval forces are organised for the protection, benefit, and safety of the whole Australian colonies, and the fleet should not be kept anchored in Sydney, or when not lying there to be found anywhere but near the ports of the other colonies, the inhabitants of which have to maintain the fleet, the whereabouts of which and of whose discipline, equipment, and organisation they are kept profoundly unacquainted with, as if the fleet belonged to the Emperor of China and only anchored in the most convenient harbor to avoid the atmospheric discomforts."