NOTES BY THE WAYFARER.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 197, 26 January 1875, Page 2

NOTES BY THE WAYFARER.

Since my last, many items of public importance have been prominently noticed in the papers, and occupied the public minds. Chief amongst those items is the fact that the Home Rule movement has found its way to Canterbury. “ All honor and grateful praise to those true-hearted Irishmen of Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand !” Such may be the opinion of the Editor of the Nation, but I question very much whether the public of Canterbury will feel inclined to bless those “true hearted Irishmen” who have sought to introduce party feelin g in a new country. Would it not be better to leave all these matters behind us, or have them washed out of our minds by our voyage of 16,000 miles. No doubt Mr Sullivan, M.P,, must have felt highly flattered when he received the letter in question, and it is no doubt highly gratifying to those “ true hearted Irishmen” to know that their cognomens have appeared in such a paper as the Nation, but I think I am not far wrong in holding the opinion that the old motto ne sutor ultra crejjidam is most applicable to the gentlemen in question —Adieu children of the Irish race in “exile.” So poor Prince Bismarck has roused the ire of the Editor of the Lyttelton Times. How deeply he must feel cut up when he takes up his Lyttelton Times at his breakfast. For shame, Mr Editor, to wound the feelings of such a man. The banks have also come in for a share of your sarcastic pen. What have they done to you? Have they stopped your account, or have they refused to discount your bills ? Keep on- with articles such as these, Mr Editor, and I venture to predict for you a brilliant future. So the Council and the cabmen are going to war again. Well, certainly, this is one way of spending the ratepayers’ money; but as they have plenty of it, as it would evidently appear, by the collector being ordered ;o summons every seventh man on the rate roll., it does not seem a matter of very great momemt. But why seventh Mr Mayor ? Well, it may be that as it is a scriptural number it will have a righteous eftect. However, time will show. So poor Joe, of Kaiapoi, was ignomxmously licked by our new Minister of Justice, and very justly too. The public’s experience of Joey as a politician, is, upon the whole, a painful one, and it is only right that he should be made to feel that a man who sticks so faithfully to office as he did—who went in for crushing poor old Railway John, and who endeavored to reduce the wages of the working man, is hardly a fit representative to send up to the General Assembly. But as this gentleman is endowed with a considerable quantity of “face,” he may

try his “ ’prentice hand” ajain. lam much afraid though Joe, that you have not a leg to stand on, so retire gracefully from the arena of public life where you gained so many laurels, and made so many friends. The recent murder in Lyttelton is hardly a fit subject for my pen. It is something so horrible that one feels disinclined to touch it. All I have to say is this that I hope the police have got the right man, because if they have not it will be a disgrace to our constabulary force. I noticed a considerable difference in the railway management lately, so far as smartness and civility goes. But this is not all that is wanted, Mr Maude, you must give us safety combined with civility, and you must endeavour to make the railway pay better than it has hitherto done. The punctuality at the Resident Magistrate’s Court is now something wonderful, eleven o’clock sharp being the order of the day. May it continue.