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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 961, 8 March 1871, Page 2

Captain Baldwin, who has been appointed by the Ministry to earn a salary by lecturing on the advantages of the Government scheme of annuities and insurance, made an ai.tem.pt to address a public meeting at Dunedin a few days ago, but the audience was so interra ptive and personal that the lecturer had to give up hi 3 lecture amidst great confusion.

"The King of Prussia was deeply affected by the news of his sister's death." So reads the newspaper paragraph, and we doubt it not. " The Crown Prince, .who broke the news, had taken precautions that the telegram announcing the royal lady's decease, which had been expected tor several days, should nob reach the King by any other hands than his own." And yet we cannot sympathise very much with the pious King in his distress. His sister was stricken in years, her death had long been looked for, and doubtless she died from natural causes. We should rather ask—What about the thousands of homes that have been made desolate by the bloody war which the Pi nssian King is carrying on in France % If he is deeply affected by the announcement of the death of an aged sister, what must be the feelings of the bands of widows and orphans when they are told that their bread-winners have been slain on the battle-field, or shot in cold blood to satisfy that cruel revenge which is euphemistically called " reprisal." The King's sister died in her bed, doubtless with every comfort that could be provided for her; yet, "the King is deeply affected." How about the hundreds of mangled men who, vainly praying for death, lie out in frost and snow, without a hand to help or a drop of water to cool their burning tongues? And what about the feelings of their wives and children when the sad tale comes to be told ? Compared with theirs, the King's grief must be poor indeed. Whatever the small chroniclers of royal small things may say, there is no " divine right " about sorrow. And, under present circumstances, the less that is said about royal grief the better. As yet subjects are not wise enough to prevent .the kingly game of war, but e'en let us hope that " a day will come." —Leeds Times,