UNDER THE MICROSCOPE.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 25, 5 February 1879, Page 2

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE.

" A chiel's amangye. takin' note*.. An? faith he'll prent 'em." :;<

Mr. JohnGower is on the war path, andf "when he- layjs down. Ki.9 v ; howt '^e nutol '. it; ,»: caution to snakes. Hitfierto hjjha^ei^oyed the reputation of being champion, talkist mi the county; he has now brdfcstt out m a' fresh, place-; has discovered that the-. pen is. more mighty than, .the tongue, and has two special journals to give hi* utterances to theworld.-: Tfeere- was; once a bucoh'c : youth, who delighted m the- euphonious title of •' The: Ring-tailed. Squealer from the- South," who; was a very decent fellow at home/* But; np. sooner did he visit-bhe city, thai} his dormant pugnacity awoke* __ Qn oneqccasion while on, the-yampiigfrhe accoited a'guardum'ofi.he.peaco with a r-equswt that he would' procure!someone- to fight, prefacing the favor with. : the announcement that he- was the "Ring-: Tailed Squealer from the South." Whether* , foes Wer.e few, or the- constable-did not want ito hare-ifturder at his^door it is hard to say, but the-youth' remained unsupplied at his departure, alternately amouhcing his name, and his. intention to slaughter some one. : At break of day next morning! that sameconstable was going .'his lonely- rounds; and m passing a cellar he- thought he heard a groan; Advancing to t)h» spot, vhe cast thashade of his bull's eye down and called outj "Below there,"" Siowjyl a head was- iin-4 coiled from beneath an, a^m, and' the lantern, ehon* on a face- with one- eye, a nose whose, chief -peculiarity w&s the- amount of space' it' covered, while a bare- scalp told a tale offearful struggle* Taking one glance with ■ the. aolitfory "optic, the. wounded warriorsettled himself again, to reifr, gracefully con-, coaling tbo lost locks with his arm oncemore. : Hailing from aboxe- the policeman' - asijod, w Hilloa, Hilloa, ! are- you, the Ring-: tailed Squealed from the So.ish ?/' Then, the arm was once- more- uplifted, the head uncoiled, and the eye took m. the. speakeri whilo the- following- ascended from-, the. i depths below: ; "Ne^ I'mspV; hut I'ni-.tho-blessed" fcol that thought ,tw»9 last night."' Mr. John 'Gbwer has started out m search of ■ a Goliabh ;- but X need say no more ; a nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse. I notice, that "Thr^CoWn Twaddle '•• has again made his appearance m the' co-: Jumna of your Poxton-.conte.mporary, this time under the norn de plume of " MaggufGn's Obdervciv" X%h%Uft.com|nunicationi j hq.soughfe.&rb©. didactic ;- 4oW'h<j..ape3 to bs^facetious, but, his second failitfe is even,.: mpre-pitiable than his first. Ap -he has W*.come.an Observer *of mine, 1,, will give him; a little-bit of advice which; if he- be wise hewill obseex*-:" GHve-owxvattempting to bofunny; your-fbrte is neither the witty- n6T* the- sarcastic, as your- profundity.- w' eithertoo deeps or- your flights" of metaphor too. 'high for- any- ordinary mortal to foilo'w^ You have a no We mission fo "fulfil m imparting instruction, but bh& columns, offa paper, are- not. exactly the. fitting media, Wield* your sceptre. in your.- own, Tittle-sphere, and-believe-me-yoi*wi& appear.- to far moire advantago- fchan m youi> ailiy attempt- to don. the cap and' bolls. "Ait- irinoiri Ddmine!*' Verily a terrible retribution has fallen up • on the Fourth Estate, and the- membera of the Press are passing through a fiery ordeal;. The air- is heavy wibh actions for libel, and ; the delivery of a payer is only the preludefcb thfr service- of a writl I- believe* th©. . Editor can .speak feelingly on the subject as; a-sbonewaa shot f row, a legal sling to smito. the-literary Goliath of the' Tiiißs; but I sup-, poße-his escape is to be-accoufited for on the premise, that " the 'VVhats'-Jiis-name" look* after his own," said"'Goliath beifig still alive and kickiugv. Th«.-fuUfury of the tempest has, howeverj burst upon -the devoted head of tho- editor- of" blieDunedin who has at present one. libel for- every day m the. week and two for-Sunday. At the risk of being made the- target of another 1000-, pounder, I must say a few words-upon what has called-forth this downpoiir of legal attentions. There, is. a precocioua but clever yow^ barrister- practising m Dunedin, m connection with whose, conducts the editormade the following observation)': That police court flippancy and unpertiinehce did not pass for; Supreme Court c6«itesy/' : and forthwith the mani -of law " went for " the; man of letters. It has not transpired to what particular- portion of the. allegation Parchment-has taken exception ; orwhetherbecause tho assertion "is true, or" that it ? is.. false, proceedings have been' taken. _ Then, again a gushing .reporter m chronicling the.departure of the Leon Minstrels went into, particulars too minwtely as 1 to the tenderleave takings of a number of lore-sick ladies, and although no names were mentioned, in-, jured husbandsj'iYate brothers have cropped up innumerable, and a perfect flood of writ* has" been the result. It^is a wonder the ; Jtfinistor of Reform has not seen the necessity of moving m this direction, and altering the law of libel, for decidedly some. provision should be made by which the Pres* would be- saved, from frivolous and irritat-. 't$Q actions which interfere more or less with its usefulness. W.ith all.their- faults, they manage these things better- in "Americai In tha^ inuch-abuaed country if" a person, raises an action for- damages for-alleged libel against a newspaper- he has to. deposittwo thousand dollars or find unquestionable security to that; nmpxmb, ;"dulb : bf whic^'Blß^Sa he fail m ostablisbmg.his case, or^slificatjon.' is proypd^ the posts of; bhe- defendant may be defrayed:' lWerj& fchiithe." fcS??il»rsrew Zeabihd VouUl not be»qu^te» such a. rush upon Cour^ fqir. Rasters, for BUpposeS'ra&niged roputetibiißv; . •■- •♦• ' ■--• MAQOOEK&. .