THE WEEK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 191, 9 August 1873, Page 2

THE WEEK.

I nm sure all newspaper readers in Nelson must entertain a great and growing affection for the word " tariff," seeing how frequently it has been before them during the last week. Accompanied by the adjective "new," it has presented itself to us in so mauy different guises that I have not been surprised lo find some people talking on the subject with the utmost fluency and confidence, aod all the time display inj?, without knowing it of course, the most intense ignorance of the matter under consideration. There isacoquettishness, an uncertainty about the "new tariff," that forms its chief attraction. Now, it is to be adopted for convenience sake, and with a view to preserving uniformity, it being clearly understood that there is no wish to increase the revenue ; then we learn by telegraph that Mi* Vogel expects to make £50,000 out of it, and iherefore tbat it is desirable; and again it finds favor on account of its protective tendeDcies. These chameleonic characteristics—l think I may venture on coining a uew word iu connection with a subject possessing in itself so much of novelty — are not confined to the tariff itself, but extend themselves to those who tako an interest in it, for within the last few days we have seen a petition signed by a very large majority of the adult population praying that Mr Vogel's proposals may not be carried oat, and on Monday wo are to havo a monster meeting for the purpose of asking tbat the petition may not be attended to, and from letters I see in the papers I observe that some of those who signed are now the loudest in proclaiming tbat no value whatever is to be attached to their autographs. Altogether, this new tariff is likely to produce some strange results. I think, however, that we are all pretty well satisfied as to the principle of ad valorem duties, and their superiority over tbose by measurement, but we don't much care about being additionally taxed when the Colonial Treasurer says be does not require tbe money. I was on the wharf the other day when the Rangitoto was leaving the harbor, and a companion wbo was with me at the time could not refrain from exclaiming, " Isn't she a beautiful boat ? I suppose she is the flower of the fleet." I daresay she was, and probably at that moment £20,000 would not have bought her. Four days later she was disposed of for £125, so you see there is a very wide difference between the estimate to be placed on a boat that is floating on the water, and on the same vessel under the water. lam not sure that thia is peculiar to ships. I have known some men who so long as they were floating merrily along on the surface were the best fellows imaginable, they were liked and admired, and flattered and toadied to their heart's content, but a time came when, through no fault of their own — just like the Rangitoto — they came to grief, and could no longer hold their heads above water. It was wonderful how they at once fell in tho estimation of their fellow men. In body and disposition they were just the same, but they had lost their buoyancy. Their conversation was no longer brilliant; it became a question among their female acquaintances whether their good looks For remainder of news see fourth page. . _ 1 ,

had not been exaggerated in their ,days of prosperity; men who before their misfortune took off their hats to them, rather avoided and fought shy of them; in a word, their glory had departed. Moral : If you wish to be admired and seemingly respected, keep your head above water, for, if you once siuk, you will very soon find people saying, that, after all, you are not half the fellow they took you to be. I am afraid the characters of a good many of us are measured by the length of our purse. I sometimes see things in the newspapers that tickle my fancy immensely. I met with one the other day, and if others were struck with the absurdity of it as much as I was, there have been a good many laughs over the following telegram : —" The Waikato Kingites at the Kawhia meetiug just held have decided that, should a man-of-war be sent there by the Government, they would take to the mountains." It would appear then, that this warlike race are by no means deficient in one at least of the compouent parts of valour. Discretion, indeed, predominates with them, and their evident determination to keep clear of the shot and shell that, when occasion requires, proceeds from Her Majesty's ships of war, proves that they ara by no means wanting in common sense. I have no persoual acquaintance with the manuers and customs of the Maoris, but supposing the above telegram to be correct, it strikes me that it would not be a bad plan for getting rid of Mr Purukutu and his brethren to at once despatch a man of-war to the harbor of Kawhia, and keep her there. If the absence of these amiable gentlemen from the European settlements is to be secured by so simple a process, it would pay the Government to buy up one of Her Majesty's most ancient of tubs, and anchor her permanently in those tapued waters, 1 doubt whether it would cosf* more than the money now spent in flour, sugar, and salaries awarded to influential Maori chiefs. I would suggest that a photographer accompany the ship, as views of the threatened stampede to the mountains would be comically interesting, and might sell well. J roceeds to be devoted to the maintenance of the Native Department. I should like to know whoMrFitzgibbon is. Of course lam aware that he is Town Clerk of the City of Melbourne, because the telegrams tell us so, but I am desirous of learning something more about him, and why newspaper proprietors should be required to pay the telegraph department a certain sum of money for the privilege of j diffusing the information that he has mar- , ried a young lady wilh a fortune variously estimated at from £10,000 to £30,000. No doubt he is a very lucky fellow, that is, if the bride is as good as she is rich,, but I daresay that there are not half-a---dozen people in New Zealand who are in the smallest degree interested in him or his domestic affairs, or who derive auy greater gratification from reading that he has become tbe husbaDd of an heiress, than that which they would experience on learning that he had married a toothless old pauper out of an almshouse. As a reader of newspapers, particularly of the telegraphic column, which ia supposed to contain nothing but items of real interest, I feel personally aggrieved that this stranger and his good fortune should be thrust so prominently before me. I don't care a bit about his getting a wife, but I confess to being rather envious of tbe good lurk lhat hus placed from £10,000 tO--£30,000 to his credit. Nevertheless, lam not one to bear malice, and I do not wish any greater disaster to occur in his family circle than that which in the Australian telegrams by the Albion —another interesting item —is reported to have overtaken a lady named Mrs Williams, who has •' borne triplets — two boys and a girl—this morning. All well." F.