THE WEEK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 173, 19 July 1873, Page 2

THE WEEK.

The opening of Parliament and the Governor's speech are of course the prominent features in the history of the week, though why such interest should attach to the latter, excepting because it is the Governor's speech and therefore requires as many words as possible to be pressed into

the service for the purpose of. expressing as little as possible, I am at a loss to know. This, the latest production of an Executive on meeting the Legislature, is a perfect marvel of nothingness. I should like to criticise "it, but there is nothing tangible in the whole column of words it contains. We have all seen a conjuror take a silk pockhandkerchief between his two hands and, rolling it round and round, make it appear to the eyes of an astonished audience to grow smaller by degrees and beautifully less, until at last he opened hio hands and it was gone—nothing remained. Such, I think, would be the result of any attempt to handle the vice-regal speech. There is however, one sentence in it that Ido like. The ingenuity displayed in its construction ia worthy alike of a Minister aod a conjuror. There has been a good deal of talk and excite-, menfc about Sullivan'a murder, and the general impression was that it boded ill for our future relations with the Maoris. This was the commonly accepted view of the matter, but it now appears that we are all in the wrong in looking upon it in this light. On the contrary. Of course it is a lamentable thing that a man should have been deprived of life, but viewed political}', it eeems to be a matter for congratulation rather than for regret that such an occurrence should have taken place, since the Governor is thereby enabled to say "1 would announce with satisfaction that it has evoked from leading tribes throughout the Island general and public condemnation, aa well as renewed declarations of their loyalty." This view of the question never struck mc before, but then I have not bad the political training that enables an experienced Minister of the Crown to state in the blandest and most matter-of-fact manner that an event which has been looked upon throughout the colony as the probnble forerunner of disturbances likely to affect the public credit is rather to be considered ac something satisfactory, since it has shown how peaceably inclined are the natives towards the Europeans. I feel a longing desire to take off my hat to somebody in acknowledgment of his astuteness, but I am not quite sure whether it is to Mr Vogel or to Mr M'Leau that the salute is due. " The Government have left the criminals to the ordinary operation of the law" That, too, is another neat sentence, but I shouldn't like to handle it too critically, lest under the operation it should be found to have gone off in searoh of the handkerchief I was speaking of just now.

The "Peeress case" hos cropped up again, and, whatever may have been the opinions previously formed, the shape it has now assumed can have but one effect on the public mind. The general impression must bo that her owner has shown that he possesses peerless audacity. Until Mr Walters' confession was published there was a good deal of sympathy felt for him, but now that he has turned Queen's evidence, as it were, the verdict ot the Irish jury "Served him right" must be unanimously recorded against him. He asks for mercy, not because he can justify his action, but because others who were implicated in the nasty transjifttiori were more to blame than himself. Peeress has been disqualified for ever from appearing on racecourses where the Canterbury Jockey Club rules are in force. I am fond of racing and am au admirer of racehorses, and I really don't like to see such a stigma attached to the name of this noble animal, who, whenever she was allowed to do so, always acted in an honest, straightforward manner. How would it be if some one were to move as an amendment to the decision of the C.J.C. that the word "Peeress" ba struck out with the view of substituting the words "Mr Walters." After his letter to the Canterbury Jockey Club I really don't think there would be :i single " Aye " wben the question was put, "that the word proposed to be struck out stand part of the question." lam not a little gratified to find that the remarks I made last Saturday with reference to the establishment of a Horticultural Show iv Nelson are likely to bear fruit. The matter has been taken up by a few individuals who, like myself, think that it ia a standing disgrace to this town, where we give peaches to pigs, grow camellias of exquisite beauty in the open air, and don't know what to do with our cherries, that no exhibition of the kind ie held, and sleps are soon to be taken for forming a Committee for the purpose of setting the thing on foot. lam sure they will succeed if they only set to work fn the right way. I should like to offer one hint. Let there be two sets of prizes, one for professional aud the other for amateur gardeners.

A man with a grievance is always to bo respecied, that is to say if he is really iv earnest. At all events you must either sympathise with or shun him. If you think he is in the right and not altogether selfish you will do the former, if he does not succeed in interesting you, the latter. I laet with a man the other day who grumbled as heartily as anyone I know, and I really believe he has cause for so doing. The red flag which disturbed his equanimity was that annual fee of one pound that has to bo paid by the individual who grows a small quantity of fruit which he converts into wine, but is unable to sell it unnl iio has lodged his twenty shillings*with the authorities. I asked, " Is the paltry sum of one pound per annum worth making a fuss about ? " Hβ replied that it was; that he was only tt wine maker on a small scale, and was not in possession of more money than he knew what to do with, and that he could oof. see why he should he compelled to pour about three gallons into the Treasury chest before he was allowed to dispose of, say tho remaining seventeen. I think he was right. Brewers, distillers, and wine merchants, who sell their hogsheads during the year, can afford to pay a trifling fee without miseing it, not bo

the poor cottager, to whom the little profit he can make out of his industry forma an appreciable sura in his year's income. Couldn't some of our local M.H.R.'a look into the matter. There are many in the Province of Nelson who atiueh raore importance to (his subject thau to the Financial Statement, or the three hundred and odd clauses of a Bankruptcy Bill. Because their requirements are so small, if, is no -reason why they should beignored. F For remainder of news see fourth page.