TOPICS OF TALK.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 261, 7 March 1874, Page 3

TOPICS OF TALK.

It is a prominent matter iu dispute, between two Provincial journal*, whether there be a national conscience at the present day or not. if we assert there is, we need not go back to the great men famous in the history of British liberty for our types by which to judge our own leaders of public opinions. It would not be easy for anyone to-day to work himself up to the pitch of believing he was prepared to die for his country—for his opinions —for such a possibility is clearly not within his reach. Luckily, any man may hold what belief, or even extraordinary delusion, he likes without interference or remonstrance. Hence, real vitality of opinion—religious or civil—the more real must be proportionally the less obtrusive. • From this we deduce what to us is a comforting assurance that the present apparent indifference of public opinion is an index not utterly unworthy of a belief in the existence of a deep, widely spreading feeling of affection for all efforts tending to ascertain what is true—a feeling only requiring the spur of a powerful necessity to break the veil that hatred to criticism and instincts of false shame too often throw over the noblest impulses capable of being experienced by man.

Mb. Voski. seems to be getting his share of good things in the present. Every week we read of banquettings and public deputations, of which he is the guest and the interviewed bestower of patronage. If he likes it, why Rhould we find fault ? On the contrary, we find none, as by such local feastings opportunities are afforded for obtaining glimpses of what the Government really do mean to attempt. At Gruhatnstown, last week, we lea.-nt that it is proposed to amend the electoral laws previous to the general election at the end of next session. As telegraphed, Mr. Vogel said positively "The Government proposed to do away with the exceptional franchise, and to substitute manhood suffrage." If so, the miner's right and business license—the exceptional franchise alluded to—will cease to be a qualification. We need not say how necessary it then is for those not on the roll to at once place themselves on it, as it by no means follows that every man will have a vote by reason of his manhood —for the exceptional franchise may be abolished without the other being obtained, or it may be neutralised by carrying out a favorite idea of some politicians, to give every wealthy man a vote because of his manhood and another because of his property.

Should women vote ? Mr. Vogel says Yes. " He -said that, as his personal .opinion, and not aa representing his colleagues, he did not see why women should not exercise a share in the selection of representatives." The objeptions, to our mind, are endless. Of course, when an extreme ..e/me:'is puT as an example qf^bardship—say the case of a 'wealthy unmarried woman who has large property at stake—the opponents of female franchise are to a certain extent shut up and demolished. It is, forgotten, however, that all the men who have an interest, however in-, direct, in the diDtribution of this lady's prpperfy, are sure to represent that

interest at fie ballot box Possibly, too, any lmiy of real philanthropic character would he puinc 1 at the supposition placed before her of not only setting up as man's equal, but as his judge —for, if you have a semi-female constituency, yem must also allow representative seats to be open to females for election. It is better that they, deserving of honor as the weaker, should be spared the vexations and annoyances attending all men who, forsaking private life, launch away as workers f;r the public, to reap too often only calumny and abuse.

- There may be some. excuse for an obscure up-country paper .humoring advertisers by insertions of the genuine puff, but it is lowering in a papor setting up, not without chain, to be a leading organ of. Provincial opinion. We refer to a statement given, with all the authority of the 'O'ago Guardian,' that the land of the Mount Ida district is unfit for agriculture. We cannot but hope that the paragraph we refer to was inserted without the inspection of the editorial staff, for it would be presumptuous in the extreme for a paper conducted by comparative strangers to the Province, to make, as if with authority, such a statement so unwarranted in fact —unless we sup'pose some slight relaxation of the usual vigilance on the part of the conductors. Let us inform our "ontemporary once more that thousands of acres suited for the growth of the .finest cereals, are to be obtained in the .district; and not only so, but a great 'number of settlers are prepared to take the land if they get the chance—a fact that, to us, is a far more satisfactory proof of the adaptability of the soil and climate than quires of paper filled with theory and statement in tbe interests of conservation. The men who are prepared to risk their savings of years are those who are the right judges of what land will pay to farm and what will not.

Canada is making a great bid for population. , A passage across the Atlantic for 405., a 100-acre farm free (eight acres of which are to be cleared tree of cost), and a comfortable log hut. Such an offer must appear to a hard-worked English laborer a glimpse or foreshadowing of Paradise.

i It appears to be a pity that aome organs advocating Goldfield interest should have so overstated their case as Ito the poverty of the goldminer. We : have some reluctance to say. anything very positive of the Gold fields as a whole, having no more to go by than the statistics so'differently interpreted by the 'Guardian' on the one hand 'and by the ' Southern Mercury' on the other. In our own district we fail to find the poverty attributed to the miner generally. We have lots of rogues and rascals who spend their earnings in the bar of the public bouse, and clear out in debt. We have quantities of balers, too, with miners' rights, who do nothing but loaf upon , those who do work ; but our men of 1 action, who, work their own claims, certainly, even in bad seasons, are quite able to pay their way—living in comfort; having, too, their two shillings or three shillings for an evening's amusement when it is offered them, or their. £1 or £2 in spare cash to bid for the cheap bargains at the auction sale. This could not be the case upon 235. per week. What we dislike so is the principle of the destitute miner cry—the miners are naupers; they are in extreme want; therefore conr-ede them this right of abated gold duty. It would be much more manly and more politic -to urge abolition of the gold duty solely because its imposition is unjust—not as a pauper privilege, like meat in a noorhouse once a week. What, too is it thought an unfavorable Government will care for the expression of opinion from a decimated body of men. It would be wiser to be candid—where mining is prosperous to claim the right because of the prosperity. A rise in the price of wool, and consequent prosperity of the farmers, would not justify a tax on wool. If the miners prosper, they have a right to tHeir prosperity—a right not to be deprived of the legitimate fruits of their arduous labor. Very seldom does a miner who is temperate and careful fail, on the Otago ,Goldfields, to secure to himself a living of inde-. pendence and fair comfort. If it were not, so—if 255. per week was a fair estimate of miners' earnings—no abatement of gold duty could keep the miner in the country six months.

'SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. DUNEDIN RACES. The weights for the Publican's Hurdle, Steeplechase Handicaps were declared this week, as below : publicans' handicap. at lb Cpombes's b h Newbold, 5 yrs 9 5 Redwood's b g Parawhenua, 4 yrs ... 8 12 Hazlett's brm Brunette, aged ... ;. 810 Wards's ch g Malabar, aged ... ... 7JO Hutchison's ch m Mabel, 5 yrs 7 5 Redwood's br f Spritsail, 3 yr3 7 4 Reay's ch colt by Malton, dam Ada 3 yrs 7 4 Swanson's b g Border Lad, aged 7 0 Dodsons sb g Merryman, aged 610 j Smith's br g L'ongivve, 4 yrs 6-7 Stephenson's b h Wee . od, 3 yrs ... 6 5 Watevs's bin Verbena, 3 yrs 6 3 Broadwny's br m Mies Eowe, 4 yrs ... 6 3 Reay's b filly by Malton, out of Miss King's dam, 3 yrs .... ... ... ... 6 0 - HURDLE 'JIAOE. Fraser's b m Medora, aged ... ... ... 11 0 Patterson's b m Maid of the Mail, aged, 10 5 Rjeay's b g Bismarck, 6 yrs : 10 3 borbr g. Mistletoe, aged 9 10 Ward's eh g Swaggerer, aged 9 0 Fraser's ch g Banjo, aged 8 10 STEEPLECHASE. Schluter's br g JJouest John, aged ... 12 7 Rea/s b g. Bismarck, 6 yrs ... ... 12 0 Fraser's b m Medora, aged ... ... 11 5 Patterson's b m Maid of the Mill, aged 11 0 Swanson's oh m Miss Tatton, aged ... 10 7 Low's ch g Beaumont, aged 10 5 Biehardson's borbr g Mistletoe, aged 10 5 Ward's ch.g. Swaggerer, nged ... .... 9 ,7 Frascr's.cli g Banjo, aged . ~. ... p p