A FEW THOUGHTS ON CURRENT TOPICS.

Evening Star, Issue 3718, 22 January 1875, Page 3

A FEW THOUGHTS ON CURRENT TOPICS.

1 begin to feel sad about poor old Victoria. Gm day her loan is not negotiable; another, 5,0 CC good men and true want to desert her for New Zealand, should the poor fellows get assisted ; and now, unkindest cut of all, the Heathen Chinee, to whom she bas been so kind, in his blandest manner thinks it necessary to convert her Heathen masses to the creed of Confucius. That is turning the tables with a vengeance. Is Mr Ah Sing poking fun at old Vic., oris this a genuine business? But why should he not stait a trade in that fine as well as others? In these free countries any soundlunged pariy who fee’s stirred starts preaching and converting. Why should not Ah F-ing? Ah 1 Sing! What melody. Well done, John. The Heathen Chinee ain’t peculiar in that line. The muster roll is pretty numerous; and it shows too, John, that you are not, as people said, void of gratitude. The kindness of Victorians in the old days, showing you the error of ybur wkys in wearing long tails by cutting them off, and in impressing you with the fact that your advent to the golden country was worth dollars to' the revenue, you take your Own original way of 'returning ; and no doubt both the Government and people of Victoria will feel proud that your residence in their Colony should open up such a brilliant future to -them both in this and the luture World. Amongst your locals is a soothing bit of news. Can it be too good t» be true? We know Jonathan is a daring innovator. But have the New madams really consented to forego the Fijian wigs ? If so, dare we hope, we poor family men, that our local ladies of the ton will follow the example ? It will, of course, cause consternation amongst some —every change does; so does cremation. At the thought tbe Dismal Jimmies arc aghast, and should tho ukase go forth against chignons and pads artists in dead hair will be indignant, imd that of course we ought to pay a deal of attention to. Oh ! and so Bishop Moran does not approve of teetotallers. They are arbitrary and coercive and won’t let others do as they like, which is very wrong. I could not, I am sure, did I think until I lifted the eyebrows over my head, pame any other class of people who like to interfere with the urays-of others. It is quite aq unusual s6rt of tiling, particularly in the educational line, and the smallest particle in the way of belief. How are you off for nose, sir? Why I ask the question is because I think anyone who is badly off in that line in this City of ours is lucky. A good nose for a scent is awkward here. If you doubt it, some day when I have leisure and should you be inclined, I’ll take you round and introduce you to some of tho nosegays. The scent is rather solid and sick when you get into a location with four nosegay manufactories that a small street would cover. But perhaps the whole thing has been investigated by the authorities and it is found conducive to the health and enjoyment of tho inhabitants that such should exist. One should not be surprised at anything in these days of Darwinism, Ritualism, and other novelties, and, fls in duty hound, of course our local authorities keep themselves posted ■ to the latest acientifio theories. Is this the sort of thing we are to expect in Dunedin? “ The Synod of Angus and Hearns met recently. The Rev, A. R. Fraser, the Moderator, who is opposed to instrumental music, desired that the organ should not accompany the singing, otherwise he would not conduct the usual opening devotions. The Synod disregarded bis request. But Mr Fraser "gave out a pf*ihn, a choir was present, aud iminNiiatety we begun tbe scruad el tbb oigafl

was heard. During the remainder of the service Mr Fraser did not give the choir and organist another opportunity ot offending him —dispensing with further hymns. The proceedings created some amusement.” Such a shir dy is edifying and tends 'to promote religion. this is the downright style in which the Hon. Mr Vogel writes to Dr Featherston, the \geut- General, respecting the immigrants per Woodlark “Dissipated and immoral, theyreflect most strongly upon the department which selected and shipped them to this country ” the Premier appears to have been in earnest; hut the Doctor is used to blank cartr dge, and troubles himself little about such explosions, a id probably in return will acknowledge the dose, and retain office. What do you think of this fora touch of the long bow, Mr Editor? I take from an English Provincial paper—" It is estimated that of th<area of the Province of Wellington 12,000.000 acres are fit for agriculture and 50,000,000 for pasturage. Uf the total, 20,000,000 acres are still under timber.” We sometimes complain of being underrated at Home : this ought to atone for a deal of undervaluation. Jonathan could not have done much better. And you really think, Sir, that amongst persons connected with quartz mines are Jeremy Diddlers and that sort of people. I did not expect that from you, sir, I am sure. I always thought you an admirer of energy and enterprise. I imagined that any trained and daring pioneer you would sympathise with. I hailed with pleasure the arrival of Mr Ulrich, whom kind Victoria, the land of gold without measure, spared us from her plethora of scientific and mining talent to enlighten us on our hidden riches. I intended legitimately, as a colonist, to take advantage of his obliging information and to bring out what I felt would have been not only an advantage to an upcountry district, but an opening to Dunedin merchants and speculators in the use of their surplus capital, and a blessing to Otago generally; and who knows, I thought, perhaps to numbers now on the deep or amongst the struggling crowd at Home. A man working from such a motive feels proud. He sets himself above filthy lucre, and feels a benefactor to mankind, like Mr Pavleticb, who, by the way, does not seem to be appreciated in his efforts as a disinterested projector. I expected i»efo e now to have seen on the black boards at the doois of our eminent sharebrokers, “ Wanted Piggies,” or “ Rags for sale !” but I fook in vain. The dealers in millions of valuable mining and other scrip perhaps feel an objection to the association of spch homely names with nice-sounding “ Magnificent Balloons ”or “ Inflated Bladders.” What’s in a name? That’s trite ; but perhaps Mr Pavletich was unfortunate in his selection of a name for his enterprise. Not being a horn Briton, he perhaps is deficient in the vocabulary necessary to select from. To leave that subject, I may say that I feel sad. I have almost brought myself to believe that you have unwittingly mjured my prospects. But I don’t murmur. It’s the public I feel for. When I think of the wealth that I might have been the means of scattering amongst them, I grieve. I hope, MiEditor, that you sympathise with my regrets. -Believe me yours truly, Humility.