Topics Current at Home and Abroad.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume v, Issue 232, 12 October 1877, Page 1

Topics Cvr rent at Ho me and Abroad.

'INCfi' our last issue" we have lived to witness an amalgam* tion of oil and water, and have beheld with wonder a coalition of the Kilkenny cats. In other words, the Daily Times and the Otago Guardian have become one and the same. History has repeated itself, and the lean kine have prevailed, and devoured their fat and well-established predecessors. The proprietors of the Gvardianhave purchased the Daily Times. We confess that to us the matter appears to be far from a subject of jubilation. A monoply is at all times hardly desirable, and when a monopoly of opinion becomes guided by the idiosyncrasies and interests of an individual, as it is hinted will now be the case, the affair becomes still more objectionable. It would, indeed, have been desirable that one, at least, of our contemporaries — the Daily Times — might have altered its principles Here there was wide room for improvement ; and, in fact, unless certain members of the " Perpetual Priesthood " display now a capacity for sacrificing professed principle to Mammon, we shall see some such change take place, — but that a mere matter of pounds, shillings, and pence should break up, on a week's notice, a large establishment, and throw a vast number of hands out of employment, while rectitude, and justice, gain not one whit thereby, appears to be a most lamentable affair. The Guardian, it is true, affirmed with its fleeting breath, or rather seemed desirous of conveying the impression, that an amalgamation of the staffs of the newspapers in question had likewise taken place. This statement we believe is, however^ to be taken with modifications, and there is not the least doubt that sans ceremonie has been the motto of the movement. As to the policy of the Daily Times, under its new management, we confess that we shall watch with some curiosity for indications of the line it means to pursue with respect to those questions in which we arc more particularly interested— namely, Catholic affairs. Of late the Guardian showed a disposition to deal fairly with siich matters ; has &uch a disposition been carried over into the hitherto hostile columns, or will it prove that the echoes of the present situation have been loud and lusting enough to drown the voice of justice .'

" Like master like man."' Homely adage though this be. it still serves to convey a true le&son. We are aver&e to inserting into the columns of the Tablet anything gross or worthless, and if occasionally we are found to do t>o, it is because necessity obliges us to make buch an insertion in order to contradict some falsehood or illustrate some warning. In bringing forward, therefore, the production which we are about to lay before our readers we beg to apologise to them. We do bo for a specific purpose, and, if we give ear for a moment to the yelping of the jackal, it is that we may the more clearly learn in what direction lies the lion's course. It will be recollected that we have once or twice of late alluded to a certain lecture delivered at Oamaru by a person named Fidler, who. we believe, occupies a .situation as assibtaut-master in the Government Grammar School in that town, a person asserted to be an " earnest and profound thinker !" — " Grace aux beaux esprit* dc notrc age, L'cnnui nous gajjnc assez bouvent I'" — but the scintillations of whose intellect .appear to our uncirounici&ccl eyesight to shine like sparks from the most ordinary fuel. The Rev. Father Coleuian, nevertheless, saw fit to notice in the Oamaru Evening Mail the lecture alluded to, and last week we gave the correspondence which ensued, believing that many of our readers would gladly avail themselves of the opportunity thus afforded of reading the wise moderate, and witty letters of the respected priest to whom we refer! We, however, did not tlicn publish the concluding epistle .sent to the Mail by our worthy usher, and il we now do so, we a"aiu bu ir to apologise to our readers for tho act. Here it is :—: — TO TUti KJMTOII «l' THK KVKXINU JIATI., Allow me to state that I iwsitively decline answering anyone who writes in so ungentlenian-likc a manner as your correspondent William Colcmun. Had anyouo calmly offered any rational objection to my lecture, I would gladly have answered but am tumble to engage iv a combat of abuse.— l am, &c, w. fidleh. We have no intention of commenting upon this. It i s tiniply beneatli contempt; cuacl we produce it yuly in. or/jer, to point gut figaiu ft

Catholic parents the interpretation placed upon the attitude of the Government towards Catholics, in the matter of education, by the myrmidons of the Government. We likewise believe that by making such utterances known to them, we may induce many right minded Protestants to ask themselves the question as .to whether .the system upheld and served by such men as this is likely to be the immaculate institution that they are inclined, perhaps, to imagine it to be.

What is this that we learn of Italy in these times of European complications and disturbances t After all the fine Roman spirit^tbat it was believed her union was to revive, appears to have turned out a complete failure. General Garibaldi has proved, impotent to summon up from the vasty deep the soul of. tho /jold v ßepublicans k ?and r ,tne r<? galantuonw has succeeded in inspiring bis subjects with no more glorious ambitions than might be supposed to actuate those of a King of " Yvetot." It ill befits the dignity of a great nation to fawn upon another, when there seems a likelihood of the latter becoming a conqueror, and being willing to cast a scrap of territory acquired to a, trusty ally, but to be ready to tone down before any reverse, and fight shy of the alliance. Yet this is the part our great united Italy has been playing so far during the present struggle with respect to Russia. But mean as has been her coarse in this respect, what shall be said of her ingratitude to England. England that helped in throwing her " open to the gospel," and that shouted " Italy for the Italians " until the welkin rang with the echoes. Verily nations, like individuals, are sadly forgetful of benefits conferred. " The offensive strength of England," says FanfuUa, "no longer exists, ' I will not * is only a mask to hide ' I can not.' England, as a part of Europe, is played out, and the exchange of her wooden walls into iron sides has only precipitated events, and destroyed her appearance of strength. If England interf ered in the present straggle, Europe would certainly feel the effects, and commerce would suffer considerably, though not so much perhaps as is supposed ; but would the result of the Eastern Question be altered ? Not at all." And we are further enabled to state, on the authority on which we make this quotation — that of a London newspaper — that in Italy there is a feeling of actual contempt for England, — that is, there was such a feeling when the Buasiaa forces seemed marching without let or hindrance on Constantinople. Flouting the Pope is, after all, not so paying a game, and they who give a moral support to an immoral cause need but expect a shabby recompense.

These is a German phrase which describes an unfortunately too common character by the words "house-devil street-angel." Arc we to regard in such a light the lion. Mr Ormoud. He does not scruple to arouse the echoes of the House, or to insult an hon. member, by the use of intemperate and unjustifiable language, but he refuses to allow a true report of his words to go out to the vporld and down to posterity in the pages of " Uansard." The weakness is not unusual, though the scene of his violence has been rather strangely chosen by the gentle, man in question if he desires concealment. Or is it that he is genuinely ashamed of his utterances 1 In this case there is hope for him ;we may live to witness a reformation, much needed, in his tongue. At any rate, while its proofs are subject to such corrrections " Hansard" cau hardly be looked upon as a reliable ptiblication, and in future rre shall expect to find there what lion, members wish that they had said, rather than that which they actually did say,

The policy of the Berry Ministry is destined, according to tho Pall Mall Budget of «a recent dote, to work the rain of Victoria. In fact the physicians into whose hands he was betrayed, never affirmed a worse state of health concerning M. dc Pourceaugnac than does this journal with respect to the colony in question. We doubt if Victorian colonists fully recognise the volcano on- whose surface they arc placed, or arc alive to the iniquities of the society by which they are surrounded. Their native born citizens are not generally on the side of property and order. Their police are few, and M-hure they do exist, are cowardly and corrupt. The larrikin clement is universal and of the utmost ruffianism. « Especially within the last ten years a population accustomed to look upon law as a disagreeable restraint, aad with no sentimental horror of criminality has grown up" in the country in question " where, also the original taint of the convict colonisation remains, and where the influx of the gold-digging clement did. not tend to imgipve tha mowl inaJtty tf fte ;WnM»uiuty, y It is fcutfiy to to TOVtatf at il

such a state of affairs obtain, that the most dismal results are looked for. " The people, that is to say the working classes, have been told over and over again that the burden of taxation should be laid upon the wealthy; that the protection of industry will secure them all good wages. They will soon discover how unsatisfactory Mr. Berry's proceedings are in their results, when" compared with the hopes they have been led to cherish. They will urge the Radical party further and further on the path of spoliation, but sometime or other even the "^jst reckless politician will be compelled to cry a halt. There will be an explosion of popular rage, and all the bad elements that have been gathering during the reign of ' larrikinism 1 will be let loose upon society." An insurrection of labor will be the result, to be attended, however, by far worse consequences than that in America, because of the greater weakness of the employers, the greater strength of the employed, and the general corruption of the masses. The Imperial Government may not be able to interfere so as to save the squatters and merchants from ruin, the most that is to be expected is that it may rescue the colony— the greatest in Australia— from anarchy. It appears to us that black swans and externally-stoned cherries having become stale in the Home market, when expatiated on in connection with the Antipodes, it is being attempted to replace them by sensational paragraphs of another kind.

It appeabs that, after all, the gaol at Auckland, even making every allowance, can not be said to be " very well managed," as the Hon. Mr. Bowen lately affirmed, that is, it cannot be said to be so in the eyes of ordinary people, for we by no means presume to speak for the hon. gentleman in question, whom we know to he superior on many points to prejudices that are commonly entertained, and which persons of every-day ideas, intellectual and moral, esteem as a sine qua rum, Mr. Bowen, in answer to certain questions asked in Parliament by Mr. Beaton, drew a comparison between Dunedin gaol and that of Auckland, by which he made it evident that the expenditure on maintaining and guarding prisoners in the latter institution was much less than that in the former, and he went on to say, " The Auckland gaol was very well managed, considering the very great want of accommodation, and it was managed at a cost of less than one-third of the Dunedin gaol." (We quote from « Hansard.") This then, we understand, was a consideration that influenced the Government in determining to make a reduction in the sum spent on the support of the latter institution. But now it seems that the Auckland grand jury, induced by the late fire at the Lunatic Asylum in their city, no doubt, have paid a visit to the gaol for the purpose, among other things, of examining into what preparations have been made with a view to a like catastrophe, and they have come to the conclusion that the gaol is excessively badly managed. They declare that the number of warders is insufficient, — a number which in Mr. Bowen's eyes, it will be remembered, aided in proving the superiority of the management to that of Dunedin. They found the space allotted to the females containing double as many prisoners as it ought to contain, that the untried women were shut up amongst the condemned, no distinction being made between them and the vilest criminals, that the exercise ground was too limited for health, and finally that there was not the slightest provision made for the escape of the inmates in the case of a fire. In short, they seem to have discovered that the condition of the place was simply disgraceful. Here, then, we have an instance of the sagacity of members of the late Government, and of the discretion which they made use of in pursuing the policy which they proposed to themselves. We trust, however that a timely warning may now be taken, and that efficiency and good management may not be replaced by the "cheap and nasty."

The news brought by the San Francisco mail from the scat of affords no clue as to what the result is to be. Continued fighting which good generalship, and bravery on the part of the troops, are conspicuous, is reported to prevail on both sides, but so far the advantage decidedly rests with the Turks. The siege of Plevna is beta* vigorously carried on by tlie Russians, and the Schipka Pass as vigorously defended by them. The loss of this latter would entail a retreat into Bulgaria, to which province the winter campaign would then be confined. Meantime, the distress occasioned in tbe districts concerned » inexpressible. South of the Balkans horrible massacres of the Christians have taken place ; and Germany, Austria, and Italy, with certain lesser Powers, have entered a protest against the Turkish bar°f l ' nio " in E »g^ appears to be divided. The Turkish Relief Fund has been liberally subscribed to ; but on the other hand it is reported that Mr. Gladstone, who represents a large party, has written a letter urging the Greeks to unite with the Sclavs. The attitude of the neutral Powers is, indeed, extremelyjmusual. Germany is neutral, yet guarantees the autonomy of Servia, and approves of its entenug upon hostilities; and the English Government is neutral but still gives an evident moral support to Turkey. Much reliance appears to have been placed upon the arrival on the scene of the Russian Imperial Guard, by this arrived there, and 50,000 other troops were about to cross the Danube into Servia. The belligerents entertain ao idea of making peace, ana Had Derby holds they

should be allowed to fight on until one has conquered, or both" are exhausted. „

We learn that France keeps out of the Eastern Question, but she has probably sufficient employment at home to occupy all her energies. The political ferment is becoming hotter every day, and, with a determined Government and a fierce radicalism threatening one another, the prospect is anything but reassuring. The death of Thiers, for a moment seems to have damped the hopes of the Republican party. We, however, know it was only for a moment, and the prosecutions of the Press make it evident that, though the hopes of the party had fallen for a time, their voice became none the less shrill and daring. The situation calls for all the firmness the President can summon up, but it also demands a coolness in which we fear he may prove deficient. Matters generally throughout Europe are not cheering. Magyar disturbances seem probable in Austria, The English harvest has failed, and there is much destitution in the country together with scarcity of employment. In London heavy commercial failures have taken place. The cattle plague prevails everywhere, and the plague has set in amongt the Polish Russians. In America, likewise, commotion is the order of the day. The Mexicans continue to violate American territory. Labor troubles are prevalent in California, and a war against the Chinese seems imminent. Fighting with the Indians still goes on, and there have been storms, fires, railway and steamboat accidents. In Peru there has been an eruption of Copotika, by which a vast amount of property and 1,000 lives were lost ; and in New York a dreadful fire has taken place, originating in a varnish factory, and by which fifty buildings were destroyed, with many of their inmates.