TOPICS OF TALK.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 239, 3 October 1873, Page 6

TOPICS OF TALK.

It is perhaps unjust, but we cannot liolp thinking the new member for the

: Wakatip—who did, by the bye, a little of the Uriah Ileep business on his .first appearance in the House— is not Altogether unacquainted with the art of clap-trap. The Groldfields constituencies will expect something more from this gentleman than such very Apparent eatch-erodit action as was : phown in his Miners' liights Extension Bill, which, as the ' Guardian ' puts it, - lie never for a moment dreamed of getting passed in the shape in which introduced. Our contemporary says : The Miners' Rights "Extension Bill was thrown out by a majority of 22 to XL. Mr. Pyke attempted to ignore " "several statutes, and agreements under seal with the native.?, and of course he , -failed.. He .could not have bad any

serious intention of passing the Bill, v *is, however fair..the principle may be in the abstract, its application is unfuiited to the circumstances.of the Colony." Mr. Py.ke took upon himself: A serious responsibility when, he so vigorously condemned the Gold-Min-ing Bill. - It is -far easier to condemn than to build up, and we shall look forward with no 1 itile doubt and anxiety to what measure Mr. Pyke will propose better than that which he was so ready •to jump upon. It was an easy matter to put down Mr. Shepherd—it was merely taking adva?itage of the humor of the House. More than that will, however, be required of the member for Wakati [>.

The spirits again are busy in Dunediti —at least, Mr. Thomas Alien ..would have us think so, and gives a detailed

account of two seaness, which a Dune-

din -paper has thought worthy of .publication. Of course there is nothing Dew in nil this two columus of twaddle —of soft rubbish—unless, indeed, the ■■fact that we detect the acknowledged materialism of spirit, for Miss Jessie obtaius: the spirit's hand,, and savs,

#t How r.ice and soft it feels." .Really , this is gushing ! if, indeed, spiritualism has any truth at'all in it, and this is a fore-glimpse into what is to be, it docs not seem anything very desirable to look forward to—this arriving at immortality. At any rate, we may be better contented with the world as it is. it' the world as it is to be is at all After the fond imaginations of Mr. Allen and his party —'but we don't believe it. '

Is the reason why the spirits con-

descend to such rubbish" simply that - they must.adapt their communications to the instruments they employ—that ~fhe: mediums and others favored could not carry any weightier mstal than bright eyes, soft hands, sensational

tunes, &c. The reason would be a very pood one, if it were not damned by the fact that there are a few men of brains.

yet in New Zealand, and that not one of these is ever chosen or selected for spiritualistic exhibitions. Surely the spirits are wise in their generation.

As is well known, if a hitch occurs between the two Houses at Wellington, legislation is at a stand-still till gome compromise can be patched up. When, as in the case of the Provinces Empowering Bill, the bone of dispute is-a vital one to the Government,, and the objecting hodv is the UpperT[ous3 '—who not only object, but positively refuse to entertain the Bill in any form or shape—the difficulty is greater still. This Bill was carried in the Lower House bv fifty against twenty votes, flQ.d yet the Council, after a brief discussion, shelved it.by passing a motion that it be read a second time that day pix months—the most unconciliatory course .possible to adopt. Mr. Vogel threw out a suggestion that an arrangement might be made,in matters, pi future disagreement, for die minority of the one House to meet the majority in the other, and then settle the matter ,'ky vote fie' said : —" It is not for me now to discuss what may be necessary fo fee done to get rid of existing evils; but I that it is worthy of consideration- whether, if we are not to discontinue the system of nominee-ism, but are still to have a non-elective Coi]T}nl t there should not be some arl)j wUi<?l> 3 wher* difference

011 grave questions arises between the two Houses, tlio two could be brought together,"'find the minority of the one body, added to the majority of the other, be left to decide the point at issue." Of course this could only he so long as the Upper House is of a nominee character. The true'solvent," no doubt, i.s by 11.akin <4 the Council an elective body, avid thus throw upon them electoral responsibilities.

The Tuapeka correspondent to the ' Guardian ' mentions that a fosssil fish was found, in a lump of lignite from.-the local coal pit, about eight inches long and very perfect. It is rarely that any indications of the sort are tj to be found actually in the coals. In the older seams, we are nqt aware th xt traces of animal life are at all common, although the period of their . foruVition has evidently been very productive of vegetation, probably under a tropical climate. Modern geologists have, indeed, made a tabulated chart.of lljra peculiar to the carboniferous age. It is to be hoped: that the fragments of the fbh for it got broken —wer.v forwarded to the mus?um, as it might be of great interest in helping science to form ■ more: satisfactory conclusions as to the conditions of deposition during the formation of these inferior coals. At the Kyeburn pits there are great quantities of.;sea shells immediately above the coals, but'we have not heard of any, other indications of life in the coal itself. Any such would be of considerable interest, and should be kept, if found.

It is a happy omen for the ultimate purification of the world,,that lolly and vice alike favor the principle of arrangement into systems. The more men are trained, the more the tendency develops itself to arrange- to sort Whatever it be whether.it be a Legislative Council, a University, a /school of' scandal, or'spirituali: ; m,Or even "Topics of'Valk " —there is an acteiript to'classify —to generalise undei* one" head. Hence the broom process will -be very much -facilitated.;- Wisdom, again, like fine gold, is too often invisible to the eye, requiring herculean labor to wash away the surrounding dross, and by no means inclined naturally to collect—indeed, on the other band, becoming so diffused as to make people,;not without brains, wonder at times if there be any such thing at all at present existing. ■ iXothin;: short of a second deluge will contribute water enough* to make, wisdom and truth visible. Then, no doubt, some fool will make a calculation, what would" have/to:be paid per sluice head to make the?schema pay — find followers, and found a sect.