The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 31, 23 November 1888, Page 17

The New Ze aland Tablet. Fiat Justitia.

The Winton Art-Union has been postponed until Easter Monday, April 22. This step has been made obligatory by the slow reiurn of blocks and remittances. It is, ther- fore, hoped that tho=e interested in the undertaking will kindly exert themselves in the interval sj as to prevent any necessity for further postponement and to lecure success.

It is definitely announced that^Mr. John Dillon sai'a for these colonies next month. Let us hope there may be no disappointment aud wish the welcome delegate ban voyage.

The Freeman's Journal sta'es that the Duke and Duchess of Bate-Meiningen, with their eon the Prince Frederick, Duke of Saxony, have visited the scene of the Vandeleur evictions. 1 hey were specially interested in Pat M'Grath's battered bouse, and the Duke and Duchess on leaving made presents to M'Grath'a family, complimenting the Bon on the bravery of the deEence of his home.

_ AMONG the incidents of the Parnell Commission reported to us during the week have been the examination of two ex-moonhghters, but members of the Land and National Leagues. These geatternen' sustained their claim to credibility by swearing th it they°had been ready to commit any murder demanded of them. What it was that worked their conversion we are not told, nor yet why it was they ceased to be moonlighters, though perhaps that negative fact might be sufficiently accounted for by the presence of gas-lamps in the London streets. Lady Mountmorns was also examined as to her husband's murder some years ago m Mayo, but fainted under the crose-examination of Sir Charles Kussell.andso intenupted the sitting of the court. The Commission was again pobtpced by what beems to have been a Bharp passage at arms between Sir James Hannen and Mr. Harrington the Secretary of the NaLmua! League, wno however subsequently apolgised for the pail he h.id taken in the matter As a further instance of the trustworthy aod abdndant evidence in possession of the Times we may add that that deponent has nought and obtained permission to bring forward the reports published by other newspapers.

We are told every now and then of rebellions agamst the Ameer of Afghanistan, and anoa we hear that they have boen eubdued. It

Thk Euiopeau situation is staring us in the face again, and let us make the most of it while it lasts, for to-morrow it will have disappeared, and we shall see it no more for a week or two at least. Biitfiy the facts are these :— The King of the B^lfjiaua says thesituation is full of danger. The German military staff, General Von Waldersee, peihapa, warua the Itali ns that 300,000 men are to be thrown into the Val'ey of the Po. What for, we know not, as Germany and Italy are said to be on the best of teim 1 -. and if it was nectßsary to defend the coumry against Fiance or Austria, lialy would hardly want to be warned of a movement most acceptable io her. A promise not a wamiDg would be the thing. Kussia, which is unexpectedly turning out most amiable in assuring the Pope of support ugai.jbt the aggression of the Qumnal, 13 massing an irmy on the Andtrmu fromur, and the £mp< ror of Austria is to much annoyed by this tint he refuses to meet the Czar until the army is withdrawn. Finally, Lord Randolph Churchi 1 lias it f 10m a prominent American gentleman that if Great Britain hi attacked, all America, regardless of the Irish vo.e, will march to her assistance. But was that prominent American a member of a ceitain class, and is he also in England bent on purchasing an aristocratic husoand for one of his tiaughters. If so we can understand his assurance, which will be fulfilled when Americans can march aciosa the Atlantic dry-shod. Such, then, is the European situation, of which our readers may accept or reject just as much aa it pleases them. For our own part we are not disinclined to reject the whole lot of it altogether.

Can a bare residence in toe North laland have an educating effect? There is. for example, Mr. Gordon Forlorig, as we learn from the Wanganut Chronicle, who declares himself aa authority on nutters of history. But wla nwe ha<t the advantage of possessing Mr* (Jurdon Forlong as a resident iq Dunedin he was an authority on nothing on earth bat blank ignorance. Mr. Gordon Forlong, more, over, aa we remember, at that time also retained dreadful recollections of Continental Europe, wnere iv so'ne capacity or another he had made a tour. Bat then we may rationally conclude that life on the Continent, as studied from the r scalier tie service, has much that ia unpleasant for the wand.-nng Briton. Mr. Gordon Forloog, meantime, posing as an authority on anything woitli speaking of is a new phenomenon to us, and unless we attribute this matter to some natural effect ot the Northern atniospbcic ftc cannot tell what to make of it.