ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1367, 5 April 1881, Page 3

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

The other evening 1 went into Jones's tobacconist's shop, there I saw a man whom I took for Carter, the celebrated coach proprietor, whom I know. I looked very hard at him and concluded that it was Gaiter, so I spoke to him. He told me that he did not know me, but that lie knew for whom I had mistaken him, ,md that he had often been taken for Carter. As soon as he spoke I knew that I had made a mistake, but the similarity between the two men is so great as to excuse anyone who took one for the other. I entered into conversation with Carter's alter ego, who is a very intelligent man. He told me that he had been in the United States ior a number of years, and had left when the Civil War In okc out, as he did not wish to light in other people's quarrels, though his sympathies were with the Isortherneis and, if he had not left the States he A\ould have fought with them for the emancipation of the slaves. At the same time, he said that the stories told of the cruelties practised on the slaves ■w ere in many cases untrue and in others grossly exaggerated. He told me that he was for some time on a, plantation, on which there were 1500 slaves, and only eleven white men. The former were quite sitkfied with their condition and treatment, which was much better than that of English agricultural labourers, inasmuch as they had comfortable houses to live in and plenty of good food to eat. Speaking about thejemancipatiou of the slaves, he expressed an opinion that their sudden emancipation, which was the result of the defeat of the Confederates, was not an unmixed good, either for the slaves themselves jr for the nation at large. He thought it would have been much better had the plan adopted in one of the States, Delaware, I think, been brought into general operation throughout the slave States, There every child, whether the offspring 1 of bond or free, was born free, the consequence being a gradua) diminution in the number of slaves. In all probability, the idea was suggested by the history of the Israelites. A nation which iiad been in bondage for four hundred 3'ears, was quite unfit to fight against, and dispossess the warlike Canaanites, and the forty years' wandering in the desert, gave the slaves time to die out, the majority of those who entered into possesbion of the Land of Canaan being free-born. A case, which caused some amusement, was heard before Mr Barstow, R.M., at the Police Court on Tuesday. A man named Lynch was brought up charged with assaulting Theresa Hand. Both are what are commonly known as " bad eggs." They were living together, but separated some time ago. The complainant deposed that defendant went to her house and tried to prevent her cooking her son's breakfast. He then struck her On the head. She returned the compliment and then ran away. He struck her again, so she went for Sergeant Clarke. Lynch then wanted to make peace, so he said, " Theresa, smile on me as thou wer't won't to smile." She smole not, so he broke the windows, smashed the crockery, and dragged his quondam beloved along the floor by the hair of the head. Mr Barstow showed his appreciation of Lynch's gentlemanly conduct by providing him with free board and lodging and gentle exercise for a month. Last week we have had a drama in five acts performed at the Theatre Royal, the title being "The Danites." I have not been to see it. as I do not patronise the theatre very often, and am holding myself in reserve for Simonsen's Opera Company, which, begins a season 4iext week, but several of my friends Went. Of these, most saw one act, but I have not discovered anyone who managed to see the farce. The Star cays that " several of the ehararactera were represented "with power, mingled with a pathos sufficient for tears." This is just what people objected to. There is too much pathos and too little fun. After being worried with bussiness all day people do not care to go to the theatre to see pathetic acting which will make them feel more miserable than they were. What they want is something amusing,,, which will drive away the recollection of their own I worries and trouble. ," y I The great event of the waek has been the laying of the foundation stone of the new Freemasons' Hall, in course of ereotipn ja PrinOeas-street, opposite the

Museum. The ceremony was attended by a large number of Masons, residents in Auckland, and visitors from the Thames, Waikato, Mahurangi, and other country districts, and was witnessed by a considerable concourse of ladies and gentlemen, as well as by the irrepressi;ble small boys, who always gather together whenever there ia anything in the way of a show going- on. Talking about a show, I should not have liked to have taken part in that procession, even if I had been decked out in blue aud gold, or green and gold. . Those trappings will, doubtless, look very well in the Lodges by gas light, ,j but some of them looked very seedy by daylight. I believe that Freemasonry is a most excellent institution, which does a great dpal of good in the way of charity, but it seems to me that, aa the regalia worn on Wednesday must have cost many hundreds of pounds, tho* money might have been much better expended. However, I suppose that those who pay the money have the best right to say how it f phall be expended, and I have no doubt they would resent any interference or offer of an opinion on the part of an outsider. I was talking one evening this week to a prominent Greyite, who told me that he believed that his party did not wish to oust the present Government from office (what is that littl6 story about the sour grapes, and does it apply to this case), as they were doing work for the benefit of the colony which the Greyites wished to do, but were not strong enough. He referred to the carrying 1 of the " Great Liberal measures" and the reduction in the cost of the Civil Service. My opinion is that Sir George Grey did not wish the measures, which he advocated so vigorously, carried, as he wished to have them as a party cry, wherewith to "stump" the colony, and I think the present Government cut the ground from under his feet when they passed those measures in spite of him and his party. Anyone who has paid any attention to our politics during the past few years, and who is endowed with memory, will remember that for some time the Grey Government were strong enough to carry almost anything they wished in the House. That they did not then carry the "Gieat Liberal measures" proves that they did not wish to do so. A good deal of curiosity is felt as to what the co-called "Saviour of the Country" intends to do in the next session of Parliament. That he is concocting some great scheme, calculated to draw on him the admiring gaze of the whole human race, is generally believed, though what that scheme is neither his dearest friend nor his bitterest enemy seems to know. Will we see something practical, or an illustration of the Latin proverb, Partiouoit montes^ nascetur ruhudus mut, ? In all probability we shall see a ridiculous muss, if I may be permitted to misquote the proverb. The gentleman who has the honour to mis-represent City East has announced his intention to address such of his constituents as feel interested as to the work of the last session of Parliament, tomorrow ( Friday) evening. Ido not suppose he will have anything new or interesting to say, but we shall see — Avhat we shall see. St. Mungo.