HOME TALK.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IX, Issue 475, 2 May 1867, Page 3

HOME TALK.

(From Uio Home Aews, February 20.) Tat; Temple, Feb. 2G. Tn-3 rest of this letter shall, if possible, b; coni;ael ti domestic m 'lters, w ,ich mast be com-, eresei iird.Muhc lly, by the stress of politics. and a pool Jinny others, esp -dally French .and Spaniards, are aware that on the Slit of October, 1305, an English Admiral called Lord Kelson, obtained, off Cape Trafalgar, a splendid victory over the fleets of France and Spain, brat that iV was dearly bought at the price of his life. We raised, after many years, a column to Lira near Chnring-cross, and we called the area around it Trafalgar-sijuarc. The column had f.,ur pedesah for as many lions. For these lions we waited until the 31st January, lSd7, when four gigantic beasts in bronze were unveiled. They are from the hand of Sir Edwin Landseer. I need not say that the question everywhere is, “Have you seen the Lions?” It may he remembered that I had the opportunity of seeing two of them last year, and that I mentioned that a gool deal of nonsense would he emitted concerning them, in the way of cnt.cism. I bdievc that the sent nice of true critics is that they are splendid tilings, worthy of the man in whose honour they are erected, and of the great arCst woo iias reared them, but that they are open to some technical objections arising from t!ic fact tHut Sir E'win, though ha knows more about lions Ilian anybody in the world, was not educated as a sculptor, and therefore some details which may be pointed out bv the stupidest mini | who has chipped blocks all his life, are open to

••xception. My own humble oimiiou is tlut the Landseer lions are very grand indeed. A Motional Gallery and a Temple of Justice (I mean law) are the two wants of London, ami plans for both have been sent in by oar leading architects, and are now sub judl-y. I have not yet seen those tor the Gallery; I have examined tnose lor the Law Courts, Turse are to oecuny an imnvnse block which is to he cleared for them, and which wiil ext eid from Temple-har, along the north side of the Strand (the left as you go from die wc-.t into the City), and ail the courts are to be gathered together. Unless one were paid to -it in judgment on the external arrange meat of ibe various designs, the undertaking would he Q nxotie. On the elevations one can decide ■n.-r.dy from personal liking, and without regard Utl '

o comparative merits of the interior. Merely * a such a view I, personally, she wy verdict fur Air. Barry, for the sake of lire most beautiful and

imposiii* domes I ever saw—on cardboard. It will non be necessary for any Australian amateur in architecture to come Ironic specially to s»u the Temple for at least lea years—should I lbs i be •.rating “ Home Talk ” I will ineutiou vrlietirer the edifice is ready for infection. Tame Jmrrici (.'"mmitia, who cannot forgive Mr, lavra for saving the island to the BritishCrown, have commenced operations. Vi'hh nnnv orole-tathms that they all meant fair play, I heheve that ihey are disposed (o ;iv thom-ches of all “dodges” known to attorney;.-in, and they ■ ire trying to Ret 51 r. Eyre, (.’ohm •! Nelson, and Mr. Brand iue.hideil in one indie! men!, so us to prevent cither giving evidence for tire other. Bat limy have as keen intellect ms their own oppose] to them, and 51 r. Tyre is advised to remain in Shropshire, against his will (I have so-a l.; s letters) and stay until he is fetched. The Government defends Colonel AhTon an 1 slr. Brand, as o iicers vdio obeyed the commands r-f their superior, hut dees not def-ud Kyrc. lie lias how■ver, a. resolute and liberal Defence Committee, Tim whale, atihir is a fare-', the andi-.-nces i aagh at the preliminary examinations and cheer the accused, :i;!,1 the “Times” declares that the public look at the proceeding as a “ mockery,” Colonel Xeisot; an I dir. Brand have been committed, of course on bail. The great French Exhibition is a fearful bore, but it will have to be un.Drgon-', I suppose. To call it French, by the way, is cool, for the Imperial Government makes every nation pay its own expen- and we voted no le-s than i. 110,000 the other night for England's sh ire, and the Lae and the present Goverumeat avowed that we are rather “done.” However, we cm aiihsj it. The Emp’ror is exceedingly dissatisilol with (he present state of the show, and is d uly on tile sped, correcting an 1 stimulating. Katrhn.i is all h hind, .as usual, but will do herself credit hyc-and-bve.

I deeply regret to say that one of our very greatest painters, slr. John Phillip, 11. A., las been suddenly sei/.ed wiih very alarming idne. s, and Ims in a most precarious state. 5Ve hose, 1 r *■ • against hope,” that the result may no! 1 o das is feared. The gri.-f that is fell at i ci ion is very wide-spread and very sincere, for Mr. IViliip is no! o iy a man of g.-nins, bat one of the bv.-hearted men who ever lived.

There is nothin:: more (o add, grave or gay, except that the portion of “ society,” a very large m i fashionable part, which, goes to the Zoological Cardens on Sunday afternoon, is saddened bv the deir.He of the quaint and domic great s-v.-bear, so c.iited, whose aif-ctioiiatc rmries with a pieturespae French sailor, his keeper, w.-.re a strong attraction last season. I newly mention—Australia is not very far from the quarter the creature carac from —that such an animal is worth £SOO to the Socictv.

The Hoy. J. JouNsxoy.— Referring to (ho recent resignation by (he Hon. John Johnston of his scat in the Executive Council, the Wairarapa Mercury, 20:h ult., says : —“One of (he most clear-beaded, straightforward, and far-seeing members of the General Government—(he Hon. John Johnston—has resigned his scat in the Executive Council. The ministerial press, aware that such resignation, if the true reasons were given, would have the effect of inflicting a severe blow on their clients centralising policy, have endeavoured to make it appear that the resignation was, natie on purely private grounds—(hat his public duties interfered too much with his mercantile pursuits. We have reasons to believe cither that the ministerial journals have been misinformed, or that they have, to save the Government from injury, assigned ether than (he true reason for the course taken bv Mr. Johnston.”