ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1325, 25 December 1880, Page 2

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Mb Proctor has been delighting large audiences both last and this week with his wonderful astronomical lectures. He is without doubt the best lecturer we have ever had here, not excepting Charles Clark, who had a splendid memory but a bad voice, which became very distressing to his audience before he had ceased speaking. The matter of hia lectures, too, was not for a moment, to be compared with the matter of Proctor's lectures. The latter are full of scientific information pleasantly and interestingly given, while the former were, as a rule, mainly extracts from history, with Mr Clarks comments. The former were, without doubt, very entertaining, but I do not think any one was much wiser or much better for hearing them, whereas anyone who paid the slightest attention to the latter, could not fail to be wiser, and if applied properly the lessons taught by the lecturer, better than he was before he went. Everyone does not seem quite satisfied with Mr Proctor, as Mr G. Tibbutt, who ever he may be, wrote to the Herald as follows :— " Assuming Mr Proctor's theory of the life and death of a planet to be correct (which I very much doubt), will he explain the monstrous proposition of a dead world (the moon) performing her part in our system with unerring exactness." I do not know who Mr Q-. Tibbutt is, but I have no doubt that that is because of my ignorance not of his obscurity. I suppose I know about half the male population in Auckland, either to speak to or to nod to, so Mr Tibbutt must belong to tho other half. Doubtless, he is a savant, who has hitherto hidden his light under a bushel, and for one am exceedingly gratified to Mr Proctor for ha via q been the means of bringing this great scientist out of his obscurity. His letter, especially the clause in parentheses, is evidence of a great mind, aud why people should be so foolish as to pay their money to hear Mr Proctor lecture after Mr Tibbutt has expressed his doubt about the correctness of his theory, is a mystery to me ■, a proof of the perverseness of foolish people. Why the absence of life on its surface should prevent the moon. adhering to the course laid down for her in the system of the universe, I do not know. It is a question, the answer to which I must leave to wise men like Mr Tibbutt. Two things I do know, however, that the moon does pursue her proper course, and that Mr Proctor and other eminent astronomers have carefully examined the surface of the moon, without finding any sign of life there. I went to church last Sunday (not that I do not go to church as a rule, for I generally gro at least once on each Sunday) and heard a parson preach. I did not hear much of what he said, as he did not speak distinctly, and I was sitting at the back of the church. However, I heard one sentence, and made a note of it. It was : " A great orator will always draw crowds to hear him whether he speaks sense or folly." The parsons often tell us that when we go home we ought to think about the sermon. I did what I was told last Sunday, if never before, and, as that sentence was almost the only one I heard, I thought about it. I do not know whether the parson intended to jrive the Greyites a rap over the knuckles for the way in which they allowed themselves to be led away by the Great Pro-Consul, but I thought the remark was particularly applicable to them. By the way, it must surely be nearly time for Sir George co start on his annual " stumping" tour of the colony. Perhaps " htumping" h<is lose its charm now that the Hinemoa is no longer at his disposal. Last week I referred to the charge brought against Mr A. de Lisle Hammond, of assaulting a son of Mr A. Heather, by striking him with a cane. Mr Hammond was remanded until Saturday, and, in the meantime, the matter was satisfactorily arranged . I believe that Mr Heather thought that, his son had been unduly punished a:id in the heat of hisjust anger, laid thj information, but when his anger and the marks of the cane had disappeared, he regretted the step he had taken and withdrew the charge. Bath must be a t>low place — worse than Auckland, and that is quite unnecessary — as I read in one of the newspapers that a gentleman had offered to give a building suitable for a Free Public Library, and which is woith £300", to the city provided the citi/^us would tax themselves to pay for the library, but they refused the offer. A poll of the citizens, to decide whether the Public Libraries Act, authorising the Municipal Council to levy a rate for the formation and maintenance of a Free Public Library, should ' be brought into force, was taken about three years ago, when the vote was adverse. Another poll has just been taken, which resulted in the proposal being again negatived, this time by a majority of 2000. Like Saul the son of Kish, who was sent out to seek his fathers' asses, I have been '•put out to seek a place more ignorant aud mean than Auckland, and lo ! 1 have found it, and the name thereof is Bath. There was pome surprise manifested on Tuesday afternoon when it became known that Mr. Samuel Brown had been charged with stealing tinware to the value of five pounds trom Mr. Henry Waite, tinsmith, of Fort Street, generally, but erroniounly called Fort Street. As Mr. Brown is believed to be, comparatively speaking a wealthy man, e very-one wanted to know all about it. So far as I can learn the circumst-inceh are these. Mr. Waite, not having sufficient room to show his goods, rented a small shop near to his factory from Mr Brown, and used it as a show-room. Immediately after taking possession of it he began to miss goods, some of which he saw exposed for sale in the auction rooms of the city. He discovered some reason for suspecting Mr Brown, so obtained a search-warrant, on which authority the detectives searched Mr Brown's house, where they found a considerable quantity of tin- ware, which was identified by Mr Waite as his property. It is also stated that a number of knives, forks, spoons, &c. which have disappeared from the various restaurants in the city were found in the house. Altogether, the case has a very ugly appearance. Larrikinism seems to be thriving in Auckland just now, and the larrikins do not seem to be all of the lower classes, as, one evening recently, a number of rery respectably connected youths, employed in the counting-houses of some of the principal firms in town, went out " on the rampage." They went up Symond Street, removing gates, damaging gardens, and destroying a portion of the cemetry wall. Fortunately, they were detected and brought up at the Police Court, where two of them pleaded guilty, exculpating the others, and were fined. It is to be hoped that if any similar cases come before the Court in future, imprisonment, not fines will be meted out to the culprits, as it has been found in Sydney and Melbourne that fines do not have a deterrent effect. Well ! I wish all the residents of "Waikato a very meny Christmas and a Happy New Year, and many of them. St. Mungo.

Chief Justice Gorrie vraß first of all posted to a puisne judgeship at Mauritius, with £1,200 a year salary; but the Colonial Office on petiton of the European residents, translated him to Fiji at a salary of a £1,000 a year.