A PEW THOUGHTS ON CURRENT TOPICS.

Evening Star, Issue 3720, 25 January 1875, Page 3

A PEW THOUGHTS ON CURRENT TOPICS.

No. 11. “ Paint me as I am,” said Oliver Cromwell, .while sitting to l.ely. “ If yi.u leave ; out the scars and wrinkles I will nut pay you a shilling,” Like its illustrious namesake whatever Cromwell does it does thoroughly. It hates sham 4 ; it scorn gloss. Unlike an empty bag, it stands on its own bot'om. Unblushingly. for smells it took the palm. Dunedin Christchurch, and Auckland mi Jit write ai.d wrangle about death rate, and drainage, aud stinks: Cromwell felt its title was indisputable and was contemptuously sibnt. Its rich reefs are as t'phir, but Cromwell is calm; and now that typhus fever has broken out the "Town Council have taken vigorous measures, and no alarm is felt.” Nothing fuffles Cromwell. ■ ■ mells, riches, or death, to' Cromwell are mere pa-s----ing trifles, and as Oliver treated the peaker of the House in olden times, so this mocieru Cromwell stalks in and says, “ takeaway this bauble.” Will typhus be as accommodating as the Parliament ? Those boys of yours like fun, and no doubt, they think me a legitimate object. I don’t blamethem, I like to see yooth joyous But en cased as I am m humility, I object to your frolicsome imps making me say of the stinks of Dunedin ihat “ The scent is rather solid and sick when you get into a location with for nosegay manufactories that a sheet would cover ” I wrote “solid and rich.” and ’ ‘ a small sheet. ’ Tho-e funny juveniles little think that r h -y are perhaps subjecting me to a dose of Judge Chapman When it is a run between the cities for death rate, and our Corporation has a reputation to keep, any slur thrown upon the efficiency of its system it would rightly object to. No corporation would take a pride in sucb a proportion ■as four s inks to a street. Is Councillor Fi-h an Irishman? Out with it, sir, if you know that ho is ; for if not, I insist tha he has no right to use such langu age as this, “ That he was credibly informed that, not far from the Counc 1 Chamber, sly grog was being openly sold.” Sir Bqyle Roche will rise in his grave at such presumption, Milesians can endure with patience, as we know, but they will not submit to every privilege being encroached on. Let the Councillor be careful for the future how he trenches on the prerogative. v\ hat is the truth about Ohinemuri ? Why the delay ? I begin to think it is for the purpose of keeping newspaper reporters going, and setting up telegraph revenue. There’s no fathoming Mr Vogel. His financial talent is superb. Even solid Home moneygrubbers a-tmire his daring. The man that Dunedin once scorned has come to be the admiration of the ‘ Times ’ and ‘ Spectator.’ The intellect that once was content to shine in Little Pedlingtoo, and grovel over parochial matters, is proved to be capable of enchaining the attention of Imperial thinkers. It is true that, m-t conversant with details, they credit Mr Vogel with >ir Donald M‘lean’s work. But there is no suc-c-ss like success. I read amongst t'-ns of other rubbish, to me unintelligible, about cbie's aud tapus and other North Island oddities, that Mr Maokay has had a long tuzzle with the ('hinemuri chiefs about accounts and money advanced. I should like to see those accounts. Probably they will be produced in detail to Parliament; or will they be accounted for when some prying member inquires, in the manner that Bradalbane answered King Wi liam ; “ My dear Lord, the money you mention was given to purchase the peace of the Highlands. The money is spent, the Hi/blands are quiet, and that is the only way of accounting a i ongst friends. ” Those uneasy spirits—the miners—seem to have got in the wrong box again. The golden Palmer looks “ Brummagem.” What a catalogue of woes : fever, ague, snakes, allegators, blacks, dysentery, water, no provisions, and doubt'ul gold—and heat, compared to which a Turkish bath is like a dog’s cold nose. Cromwell is paradise to that. Even a little snow would bo a boon. Some of the Kushabouts ought to be grateful for the slight misunderstanding between Messrs M llroy and Martin. The battle of the music is progressing. I think it will get interesting shortly. The writers are improving and getting more endearing towards each other. “Bigoted, old man,” —"long aud dry sermons,” and other little love tokens show that the progress of religion is the only thought of the writers. I’he music in itself is a mere trifle. Of course, as au outsider, like Paul Pry, I hope I don t intrude. I would be very sorry to do so. Anything that does not concern me I carefully pass by on the other side. Don’t you think, sir, that something j be done in the way of getting up a dividend paying “ Mb am battle-stealing Company.” . This week I notice two good bonuses in Auckland and Dunedin. An influential . directory and well-worded prospectus thowi ing its advantages would I think, sir, be of I some use. It might be explained how, by a judicious use of cunning, a solid sheep or cattle man might be entrapped into giving an innocent man into custody. I really } think, sir, it would go; but I bow to your ktfpbtfofr jnfijgtttfnl), I kltfw that yWg fatfv'c

an objection to Jeremy OiddLrs and sucl* like. But 1 think than none but really r - spect ble people would join this. This woul Ibe quite a legitimate concern. But excuse me, I merely throw out the sugg-.s r ion ; wiser heads than mine would have thought of it before h»id there been an open log ; and it may b •>, it just strikes me, that the whole thing would be immoral, and tha* would be sufficient to cond' mn it in their eyes.—Your trul , Humility.