RUNNING COMMENTS ON PASSING EVENTS.

Evening Star, Issue 2916, 24 June 1872, Page 2

RUNNING COMMENTS ON PASSING EVENTS.

To the Editor. SlE,—Being by nature of an enquiring turn of mind, my attention was caught—yes, caught sir—l mean caught, and not called, as is usual with the attention of those happy beings whose sublime thoughts are always soaring towards the skies, and who never condes send to notice what appears in newspapers, unless their attention is specially called down from its aerial occupation for the special purpose of doing so. Well, sir, as I was about to observe, my attention was very naturally caught by an advertisment inviting all “ persons desirous of becoming members of the Society for Investigating Spiritualism ” to attend a meeting in the Lower Hall of the Athenieum on Thursday evening last. “ Well,” thought I, “ this is the very thing we want—investigation. We have heard and read enough of the claptrap and sheer nonsense talked and written on either side. Now for the investigation of the claims put forth on behalf of Spiritualism by its professed believers and friends. And in my simplicity I was led to anticipate that provision was about to be made whereby this process of investigation would be committed to a select number of gentlemen of acknowledged scientific attainments, and being otherwise qualified for the task ; of which qualification, freedom from prejudice or bias would be insisted upon as a sine qua non. Yes, sir, I admit I was shortsighted enough to imagine that before such a body of men the avowed Spiritualists were prepared to produce some of the phenomena of Spiritualism, and to adduce their reasons for believing they were results from the causes usually assigned ; that, this being done, the investigators would quietly proceed to the examination of the phenomena, reasons, arguments, etc., and they having arrived at their conclusions, then they would publish them to the world, giving in their turn the reasons by which they had been led to the cosclusion they had arrived at; so that, in the event of any difference of opinion still existing, each individual might for himself pursue the investigation process with at least some of the main arguments on either side before him. Judge then, sir, of my surprise when upon entering the hall I found myself in the very camp of the Philistines. Yes, sir, in the chair, on the platform, in the body of the hall, almost every visible human form present was that possessed by a Spiritualist, more or less openly avowed and professed as such. My first sensation of surprise now gave way to something approaching alarm ; for if such were the visible forms with which I was so suddenly and unexpectedly brought into company, the thought naturally occurred to me, “ Who can tell what may be the the number and influence of the invisible powers called up from the vasty deep to perform duty on this special occasion?” However, my anxiety was somewhat allayed when the first line or two of the Constitution being read, it was evident that it was, notwithstanding present appearance, still to be a society to * ‘ investigate spiritualism.” My satisfaction, heweiw, was of but short duration, for all after seemed to be summed up in the resolve to afford instruction in the formation of circles, and to obtain and circulate information regarding spiritualism, Ac., Ac., and so I cleared out, lest, after all, I should become entangled by some subtle influence of spirit origin, and nolens nolens, be drawn into some one or other of the mystic circles, and so you would be deprived ever after of my valuable communications. For though I might possibly hereafter become “the amanuensis of a higher intelligence,”l could of course no longer, with a good conscience append my own name to the productions of another. But seriously, sir, I would, in all friendliness suggest to this society the desirability of adopting a designation more indicative of its constitution and objects than the one they have assumed. Say, for instance, “A society established for the purpose of practising and propagating Spiritualism,” or one of similar import. The designation and constitution would then be in harmony the one with the other, and the outside public and the inside society occupy a definable and understandable position, which is not the case at present. For, on the very face of it, a society to investigate Spiritualism, with Mr Thos. Kedmayne for a President—to say nothing of the members of committee—is a mere farce. One might as well propose to try the issue between plaintiff and defendant with the plaintiff himself on the Bench, and all his witnesses and personal friends sworn in as special jurymen. I fancy the absurdity of the so-called investigation of the real matters at issue, under such circumstances, would bo self-evident. Tie Government have certainly done a remarkably good thing in erecting the quartzcrushing machine for testing samples obtained from newly-discovered reefs, or from claims recently commenced working operations. I hope all the good indicated as possible in your leader of Wednesday may result from its operation. I have just one idea I should like to add to those so well expressed by yourself respecting the precautions necessary to be taken to prevent the public being deceived, or at all events misled Jby the reported results of specific crushings. It seems to me that, where the result of any crushing is intended to act as a stimulus in the formation of a new company, or as a reviver of the drooping prospects of an old one, the Government would be justified in going even further than the accurate register of results, the affidavit as to where the stone came from. Might they not also inelude a statement as to whether the stone crushed was the ordinary produce of the mine as brought to the surface, or if to any extent—and, if so, to what extent— it might be considered a selected lot. If, as the stone is brought up, here and there an unlikely lump is to be thrown aside, and all the more likely ones only forwarded for crushing, great deception might result. I know it is next to impes« sible to frame any set of regulations that will compel the man who desires to deceive to act straightforwardly. Still, as there are not wanting men, whose elastic consciences will enable them, without much strain even, to condescend to the operation of “making a lie,”

who would nevertheless refrain from telling one, I would suggest that thestatement or affidavit, should bemade to set forth the one, two, or three tons, as the case may be, was the whole taken out for the purpose of being forwarded, and whether they were selected from any other given number of tons. Perhaps it would be a step towards reaching the required result if the declaration were flanked with three columns headed respectively :—“ Ordinary,” including the whole of the lot as obtained for the purpose of being tested; “select,” which should set forth the proportion sent, as “out of five tons sent two,” &c. ; and “ picked specimens,” which would usually be in small lots, and need no further explanation. It seems to me that if some such plan as this were found practicable, many a man who would not perhaps hesitate to send say a couple of tons of what he might think likely stone simply, would yet refrain from signing his name to a statement that the stone sent was the ordinal y produce of the mine; and hence the danger would he lessened of this really valuable work being to far abused as to bo made to mislead instead of protect the public. I am by no means averse to a well-devised and faithfully-executed scheme of assisted immigration. Few sane men are. lam nevertheless disposed to treat somewhat seriously a suggestion that has recently been made, and treated in an altogether jocular manner, viz.: to extend pecuniary aid not only to those by whose agency population is induced to emigrate to our shores, but to those also really needing it, whose domestic hearths are so often, I had almost said encumbered by its increase so rapidly as to prove extremely embarrassing to individuals, while a great benefit is conferred upon the community as a whole. In the early days of New South Wales it was customary to give a grant of land, as a bridal dowry, npen the marriage of every happy couple who formally and according to law took each other for better or worse in that Colony; and I believe an additional grant was also made upon the birth of each child, whose parents had so been married. Such well-timed liberality, it may well be believed, had a material effect upon the .Registrar-General's annual returns ; and no small influence upon the growing prosperity of the Colony. Of course the day has loug since gone by when our own Government could afford to act on so liberal a principle, or on so liberal a scale, to so great an extent. Still it may not be too late even yet to attempt something to relieve what at times amounts almost to a family calamity, while it proves a public good. I have it upon reliable authority that within twenty miles of the City of Dunedin there lives a hard-working man, who, having been twice ma r ried, rejoices (?) in being the father of no less than twenty-five children ; all born in this Colony, and many in this Province. And, so abundantly has he been favored in this particular respect, as to have been presented with them by twos, threes, and I think in the last instance —a recent one —by four at a time. At Home, it is well known that her Majesty’s personal bounty always steps in to releive the embarrasment, or inconvenience often occasioned by such profusely liberal showers of Nature’s favors ; and I cannot but think that her representatives in . these Colonies would earn well merit popularity by immitating their Royal Mistress in this particular respect. But though I have lived in five different Colonies I have never yet heard even of a solitary instance in which it has been done. But apart altogether from Royal bounties, I am inclined to think in sober seriousness that the State should step in and do something under the circumstances I have indicated, whenever they are known to have occurred. So much for the general principle, which is easily laid down; the matters of detail 1 must leave to wiser heads than my own. For supposing it to be decided to give either land or money grants at all, the main difficulty would be to decide where to begin and where to end. Whether with every child after the eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh or twelfth in the ordinary succession of blessings in units, or with twos, threes, or fours in company, according to some well-digested sliding scale of equitable proportions, I confess I am unequal even to a suggestion. Perhaps your correspondents “Economicus” and “Thomas Roseby” could help out of this difficulty, as, judging from their letters, it would be far more in they way than my own. But joking apart, I do really think the idea a good one, and seriously commend its consideration to our representatives in the General Assembly. I will only gently hint in the softest possible whisper I can put on paper, that perhaps it would be as well for the initiation of legislation on the matter to eminate from some member not having a direct or nearly personal prospective benefit or interest in the matmar. Of course the motion once tabled could be supported by all, irrespective altogether of personal or family considerations, —lam, &c., Nemo.