DUNEDIN NOTES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4553, 28 May 1898, Page 3

DUNEDIN NOTES.

[Own Cokrespondent.]

Newspaper columns bordered in black, laudatory articles in all the ' papers, organs playing the " Dead March" from Saul, large congrepa'inns rising to their feet as by a common inspiration whilst tho solemn tones reverberated through the buildings, earnest men pouring forth their feeble words of tribute — all these served to show that ono of earth s grpat ones had passed from our midst " to where, beyond these voices, there is peace." It is customary upon such occasions, even when the dead are known to have lived lives of " inglorious ease," to speak nothing but good of them, so it is hardly a matter for adverse comment when a Hurley, Tyndall, or Darwin, a Newman, Manning, or Spurgeon, a Tennyson, Eliot, or Browning, a Bright or Disraeli, pass through the river of death that eulogies should be delivered perhaps of too lofty a standard ; but in the case of the great Englishman who has, old and full of honors, left us, there is a wonderful consensus of opinion from all kinds and conditions of men that Gladstone's life was, whether. as a statesman, scholar, Christian, or gentleman, as high up in the scroll of fame as it is possible for any frail mortal to be. The world recognises this and the world mourns his loss as a personal one. Dow simple, unostentatious, genuine the great man was ! No fireworks, nor posing, nor theatrical display. He, the maker of earls and barons and viscounts and knights, died plain Mr (-iiaristone. The word "mister," almost, becomes enuobled under auch auspices. And then, that death! Like Addison, he might have said " see how a Christian can die." Nor will there be any funereal pomp. No massing of military, no clash of arms, no trappings of royalty, no outward signs of the inward greatness, no triumphal procession through the streets of that mighty metropolis to the sound of trumpet and the beat of drum, but a gracious simpleness of service such as he himself desired. Aod yet tbere will be, perhaps, the largest assembly of genuine mourners ever attendant upon a similar ceremony that this generation has known. The myriad humbler ones throughout the globe will, in spirit, stand ar. und his tomb.

Comparisons are odious, but they are, not the less, necessary. By contrast we check,, reprove, advance, correct and form standards of conduct. Political life reached its high water mark of what it bhould be in Gladstone. Most of our enmities are due to contempt for the character of the party disliked. Gladstone's enemies respected whilst they hated him. For they did hate him those young Tory lords. We talk about " Tories "in this colony. The term here is utterly out of place and has absolutely no relation to the Toryism of old England. During Gladstone's third term of power a gang ot these young men tacitly agreed to worry the old man to death. They bated him, hooted him, cried him down and, in the superiority of ignorant youth, sneered at him. On one occasion, and only once, they made him falter and break, but he lived them down, and their leader, a few shades better than his bullies, after a showy career dropped out of sight and died pitied by all. As for Gladstone's great opponent, the clever, brilliant, keen, sarcastic phrase-maker Disraeli. He was the antithesis of everything that Gladstone was. One ruled the most exclusive aud reserved aristocracy in Europe — the other lived and died " the people's William." Theological controversy still runs through the columns of the Press. 'I he editor of the "'J ablet " is now tackling a preacher who referred to the Pooe as " His Holiness Lord God the Pope/ tbe speaker asserting the title is " blasphemous," whilst the editor contends the title is not applied by Catholics to the Pope. There has been the usual pro and con, each contestant bringing forward, as in all caaes, sufficient ev£ dence to prove that he is right and the other is wrong. As usual, I fail to see anything iv the charge worth making a fnss about. If Catholics care to address the Pope in any such manner why object ? I presume,bowever,the original charge fouud its sting in the term " blasphemous," but why, if a man ia foolish enough to use such a term, dispute with him ? What is blasphemy ? The laws against if are long since either non-existent,repealed or practically dead in all decent lands. Because I have the bad taste to use coarse language against the religious beliefs of my neighbor why call me a " blasphemer " or place a social ban upon me for it ? If some men think the term " Lord God " is the sole prerogative ot the Creator of the universe, let them so think ; but this concession does not confer upon them the right to say I am "blasphemous" because I apply the term to some one else. But LJunedin would not, I think, be happy in any event without her *• acrimonies of theological controversy." The Otago Harbor Board continues to occupy a prominent position in the editorial and correspondence columns of the daily papers. Mr Eitchie, one ot the members, started the discussion anew by sending a letter to the " Star " in which he gave some figures and crosses that were, doubtless, interesting but, unfortunately, understood by oue man in ten. However Mr Carroll, another member, seemed to understand them, for he wrote a letter in which he laid it down as an axiom re whereabouts of the channel, " that the channel was in the deepest part," which, I think, though axiomatic, is likely to give rise to the query: Where is the deepest part? Now, this reply has brought forth other replies and retorts and opinions Through them all, good and indifferent, one face looms up — namely, the imperative necessity the Harbor Board is under to convince the commercial and shipping interests of Dunedin that the Victoria channel is aafe and navigable, and that the large suras of money spent thereon have been wisely aud profitably expended. Tbe piesent members are nob to blame, as they are not, I believe, responsible for the initiation of the policy followed so long by the Otago Harbor Board ; but they will be to blame if, in place of obtaining a competent man to superintend tbe large interests qnder their control, they persist in their proposal of employing an ordinary foreman of works at a moderate salary.

The Qaeeo'g Birthday passed off in Its usual quieb way. Large nuraßera wended their steps to the races where, I notice, no large dividends were paid ; and many, in spite of the cold, went out to St. Clair and wound up the day either at the exhibition, which was packed, or the theatre, where " standing room only," succeeded by " no more tickets on sale," noted the success of these entertainments.

A very large audience gathered in the Garrison Hall on Monday night in honor of the men who' protested, " oven unto death," in the year 1798 against the policy of the British Government. '1 he Bishop (R.U.) presided, pathetic songs were excellently rendered, and a wellknown Catholic priest and a Protestant lawyer delivered the speeches. Everything was harmonious and in keeping with the occasion. No false notes were struok, love of liberty was emphasised as the " properly " of no special creed or class, and the name of that man who has done mere for Ireland than any other statesman, or body of statesmen, during the century — I might as well say since Henry 11. first "annesed" it — was invoked and received in a manner worthy of the man and the hoar.