ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1784, 11 December 1883, Page 3

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

I fekl that I cannot begin the ' Echoes ' this week in a better way than by congratulating you, my gentle readers, .and you mv readers who are, not gently (if there are such) and* everyone else in the colony and especially in this northern portion of it, on the success which hat. attended the negotiations' of' the 'Hoiu John Bryce with the leading chiefs of the Maori* in your district and noighbouihood. It was acknowledged on all bides that it was full Jtiutt ithht the 1 great 'native difficulty— the bugbear of the North* Island — should be ofltectuaHv and, finally disposed of, and the, NatiVe ' DdpaVtmunt abolished. Sonic of the most able men in the colony— men thoroughly acquainted with theM.vous and possessing great influence .over, them— essayed the task, but each attempt resul.tedm failure,. | When the Hon. F. Whitiikor became "Premier he appointed Mr Bryce Native Minister, believing that ho would be able to grapple successfully with the- , native/ difficulty, and the result has fully justified the belief. ' Fiom the veiy first he_ determined to treat the natives honestly a'rtd candidly; telling them that they had any grievances they would icceiye justice, provided they applied for it it in a legal manner, but that he was a Minister, and so the represontativ c, of the Queen, who, and who nlone, was the supreme ruler of New Zealand, and that it was only when they acknowledged that fact that he could make proposals to them or listen to any proposals winch they might make to him. The ic^ult has been that Tawhiao's kingship ha« come to an end — his niana has become a thjin? of the past— and the great chiefs of Ngatimamapoto and other influential tribes have signed an application to have the external boundaries of their land defined by the Native Lands Court. * * The Maoris are a clever and capable people. ' They know thai a soveieign is Vorth twenty shillings as well as any European does, and they know as well what they can buy with a sovereign. By the time the external survey-, of their tribal lands aie completed, the tribes will be not only willing but anxious to have their internal boundaries defined, so that they may bo enabled to obtain an income from their land. It is well that they have been given clearly to uudei stand th.it the Europeans do wish them to .sell their lands. All we wish is to have loads and r.iilw .iy.s made thiough those lands so that people may bo able to pass thiough any other part of New Zealand. When once the roads and railways aie made the native owners may please themselves as to whether they sell or lease their land or cultivate it themselves. For my p,ut I would much piefer to see them cultivating their own land as the natives down South do, but if they me not disposed to do that they may either lea^e it, or «ell portions ot it, keeping the remainder for their own use. Wh.it we object to is their " dog in the mangel " policy of lefuMng to utilise the land, or let anyone else, do so. However, thanks to Mi Biyce, that policy is sine to come to an end befoie veiy long. Amen, tfo let it be. * * * Next to Mr Bryce'.s negotiations with the natives the most inteiesting topic of con\ersation has been the wieck of the Triumph on Tiiitiii. It is one of the most extiaordinaiy catastiophes lecoided in the annals of maiitimc disaster, and we aie anxiously looking forward to the official mquiiy tojßfiarn now it happened that a powerful (Steamship, one hour after the pilot I^-ft her, 'V>n a clear night, l.m on a rocky island, despite the fact that tbeie was on that island a bright light, \isible for thirty miles, to warn her to keep away. The most generally accepted tlieoiy is that the captain was under the influence of liquor, but theoiy is not pioof, and it is mo^t unfair to condemn a man uuhcaid. I have it on the authority of one of the passengeis that the captain was a most abstemious man, and that when entering or leaving the poits at which the vessel called on her \ oyagc here lie caiefully abstained fioin intoxicants of eveiy description. One circumstance has giv en rise to much comment, and that is the fact that the iinniigiants foi Southern ports weie .sent to their destination in the Manapoun, which left Jieie on the same day as the Triumph. Some people say that this comse was adopted because they lefused to piocecd fuither in the latter ship, while othei.s as^eit that the accommodation piovided for them bad to be lcmoved befoie the main hatch could be opened, .and that the agents found that it would cost less to pay then passages by the Union Company's steamer than to le-eiect then beiths. Howevci, we will learn all about the matter when the Com tof Inquiry sits. One thing is very certain. Considering the clash of vessels they have sent out, the Shaw Saville and Albion Company should receive no encouragement fioin our Government, and the Agent-General should b3 instiucted to send no moie inuuigiants by the ships of that company, despite his own predilections in their favour. Ido not like to make insinuations, but I really would be glad to know whether Sir F. D. Bell is a shaieholder in the Shaw Saville and Albion Company. I have aheady referred to the contioversy carried on in the columns of the Heiald between the editor ( f that paper and Dr. Luck,' the Romrn Catholic Bishop. It may be remembered that the latter contended that the Land League was a legitimate organisation, and that, therefore, it could legitimately be employed for the purpose of having Roman Catholics placed on the electoral rolls with a view to obtaining an alteration in the Education Act. After maintaining the controversy very ably and persistently, Bishop Luck has shown most conclusively that he does not consider the Land League a legitimate oiganisation, as he b.is lefused to giant the local blanch tin? use of one of his school-rooms for their meetings. The only conclusion to which an impaitial obseiver can come is that the Bishop has been guilty of an act of glaring inconsistency, and that he did not leally believe the statement which he asserted and re-asserted time after time — that the Land League is a legitimate organisation. His position is so utteily untenable that he has not daied to publicly defend his change of front in the newspapers. However, "it's an ill w ind that blows nobody good," .and Bishop Luck s latest action has, I believe, done good, an it is tolerably certain that, after the lebuff it has leccived, the Land League is not likely to use its organisation for promoting opposition to the existing Education Act. ■* * The lesult of the meeting of the Annexation and Fedeiation Confeiencu, now being held at Sydney, seems to be of a most satisfactory natuio. The several delegates evidently dotei mined to approach their woik in a lihcial and Catholic spirit, and to curry out everything in that spirit. The resolutions carried ai c of such a nature as to commend themselves to all the colonies in the Australasian group, and to be cordially endorsed by the several colonial parliaments. What effect they will have with the Imperial Government remains to be seen, but, whatever that may be, the Conference has perfouned invaluable work by paving the way for the confederation of the colonies — a confederation which, even a year ago, was regarded by most people as meiely the dream of a few theorists. Despite all that has been said about the desirability of Sir George (4rey being one of the New Zealand representatives at the Confeience, I feel sure that matters would not have begfl> so speedily and amicably arranged^ifuhe' nad been there. We know that, in reality, Sir George Grey's motto is, <( Aut Ctesar aut nullus," (either Cajsar or nobody). To put the matter (in plain English, he must either "boss" the concern, or he will have nothing to do with it. Had he gone to the Conference instead of Mr Whitaker, it is extremely probable that he would have caused such a commotion among the delegates that there would have been no practical result. There has been a great outcry because the Board of Governors of the Auckland College and Grammar School elected Mr J. M. Clark, the retiring Mayor, to the seat on the "board vacated by Mr R. Laishley, the late chairman of the Board of Education, instead of Mr R. Hobbs, the present chairman of the latter body. ' As far as I can learn, it is a case of " much ado about' nothing,'' as the Board of Governors meant no disrespect to either the Board of Education,! or its '. ohairmau, but pimply wished tj> retain (for- another three months, for, that iijs,£be period for* which he ! is elected,,^ 1 J. M.. <pla?k, wht> has beenarooßt useful member, and who is on Several committees which have certain matters in train which would Jiaye' to be begun de novo were a oHaftge iiow'ih'ade in'the personnel .of the committees. This i?eiag.the.jcasb..L. there is , noiieea f6r~tbe howl of indignation -about the'sli^Mwut oil fbi cT)4iftriaii i '<)f the,B6j*r4', Q^duc^tion'.'^'nopMghtw^s .intended, /-n

A Prussian law requires peddlers to "behave politely^ clean their boots on entering a liousc, and bow when offering wares." , The peddlers continue to emigrate. 5 'The egg .trade is so' great at Berlin that on the forenoous of two days in the week the Produce Exchange is wholly given up to the e»?g dealers. Urfiform rates 'are thus established which are respected by all dealeis." Canon ' Knox Little recently took part in an open air mission meeting held by Wesle'yans at Chcstwood, England— "probably, the first time," says the London Echo, " that any member of ihe Ritualistic party has actively taken part in a Dissenting service." It is estimated that 10,000 people attended Tom Thumb's funcial at Bridgeport, Conn., four-fifths boys and'girls. The corpse was dressed in a black broadcloth suit, a white lace veil being spread over the face, and the knights templar ehapeau, silver sworn and other emblems lay on the coffin. The little widow fainted at the grave. It is known that about 140,000 tons of fish are e\ cry year consumed in London and it^ submbs, and it is estimated that about three times that quantity is required in other portions of the three kingdoms, say in all 500,000 tons. The yearly value of the supply is reckoned at £12,000,000 sterling. A couuK.sroNi)K\T of the London Tele graph asserts that the " golden apple " of tlic Old Testament is undoubtedly the apricot of Cyprus. The references in the Old Testament apply, in all respects, to this f i nit tree alone. It has been abundantly cultivated in Valentine from early times; it foliage foims a "delightful shade," and is bright and pale like " pictuies of silver," while it bears "apples of gold " of 4*4 * fragment smell " and " sweet to the taste." Tick missionaries of the Canadian Pie&liytman Church arc accomplishing a highly successful work among the coolies of Tiinidad. They devote special attention to education, having twenty-nine schools, attended by 1139 children, whose parents aie from India and China. You will do well to furnish your house from Garhck anil Cranwcll's lhcy hn\o now the most complete Furnish ing Warehouse in Auckland, furniture to suit all cl.isbes, good >-trc.-.^, rind cheap. Thcv ha\c Tapestry Carpets .mm 2s 3d pci yard, Urusscls from 3s lid per \.ird. Linoleum from S-. S)d to ">-., Oil Cloths from Is Gil to 4s (id per 3 aril, good 12 feet wide Oil Cloths at 3s (id per yard. Immense assortment of Iron licdstculs from Infants' Cots to 5 leet wide half-tester Redsteads. Double iron Jsed'tc.ids from 2,')->. 4SO Mcd&tcads in stock to select fiom. Rcddings of all kinds and sizes kept in readiness. Dining, Sitting, Dravvmg-room Furniture, and and a large assortment of .M anchester and Furnishing Goods, including .i lot of Cretonnes. Hook Catalogues sent free to intending purchaicrs, Garlick and Cranwell, City Hall ArraoV. Queen-etrppt AnrU.ind.