WHAT THE WORLD SAYS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4987, 17 March 1877, Page 1 (Supplement)

WHAT THE WORLD SAYS.

(By “ Atlas,” in the World.) I regret to hear, on excellent good authority, that General Garibaldi’s health is in a most critical state. Midhat Pasha says that in his eyes the Bulgarian atrocities are as nothing compared with the treatment of the English creditors of Turkey, and that when he has settled with Russia he will have a meeting at Exeter Hall to commemorate the Porte’s return to its priscajides. . The Tunes has permitted Mr. Conolly to publish the impression made oh the intelligent working man by the International Exhibition at Philadelphia. lam inclined to suspect that the representative of our artisans is as prone to get some of his facts and figures from guide-books as the ordinary British tourist. I fear, too, that he has made an extract from a newspaper without taking pains to verify it. A story which has gone the round of the United States journals appears in his letter as if it were given at first hand. A picture in the English department represented “ Circe and the Companions of Ulysses.” Two enlightened citizens have been credited with remarking that this was rather hard upon Ulysses, meaning their worthy President. Mr. Conolly explains that the point consists in the swine running into the sea. Now there is neither a sea nor any reference in the picture to the Biblical story, as Mr. Conolly must know had he really seen the picture, as lie professes to have done. I hope that the intelligent artisan is not indulging in travellers’ Notwithstanding the strict prohibition against round games contained in the rules of all West-end clubs, it is no secret that 100 and Napoleon are pretty freely played, particularly at the mushroom, mock-aristocratic, associated taverns. The pugilistic encounter that took place a few nights ago over the card-table of a club not far from Hanoversqnare proves the danger of relaxing the salutary laws of clubland. It likewise shows how much easier it is to copy furniture and appointments than to acquire good manners. Prince Eugene of Wurtemburg has been, attached to the 2nd Regiment of Westphalian Hussars (No. 11 in the German service) at Diisseldorf. Thus by degrees the centralising power is gently effacing the ancient landmarks.

Peruvians bondholders—some of them at least—have lately had their spirits revived by a cheering bit of intelligence. It has been announced that their claims are to be satisfied by the confiscation of Church property in Peru; , As the religious houses are reputedly in possession of an immense amount of property, in the' shape of jewelry, precious stones, &c., it is hoped there will bo enough to pay off the debt, and start the Government

with a clean slate. Do not believe a word of it. The gold is silver-gilt ; the silver plated ; the diamonds, rubies, and emeralds are crystals and glass. The priests took care of the real thing before the war of independence, substituting shams, or they would long since been relieved of their treasures.

Miss Neilson seems to, have had a peculiar experience during her recent visit to St. Louis. After her last performance there, on her return to her hotel, she found the corridors blocked with a crowd of between seventy and eighty ladies, who had come in a body to see her personally and express their admiration of her. After they had delivered their verbal congratulations, and what the reporter calls “ floral tributes,” one of the young ladies announced her purpose of “kissing Neilson, if it would be perfectly agreeable.” It is difficult to imagine anything more agreeable ; and the ceremony passed off with delight to all concerned.

The “ didactic” Mr. Bylauds recently bemoaned the conduct of the Government in the strain of a thorough Radical. Perhaps an unappreciative public have failed to do full justice to this ornament of our Legislature. To him more than to any one man is attributable the reductions in our Consular service, to which the ignorance in official circles about the Bulgarian atrocities is chiefly attributable. Indeed the advocacy of a penny-wise policy was the distinguishing feature in the last Parliament of this financial reformer. Burke told his contemporaries that niggardliness was not economy ; but then Burke was a man of genius, whereas the majority of our esteemed legislators are merely successful capitalists. It is advisable that gentlemen intending to run away with other gentlemen’s wives should first count the cost. I hear that a lady, whose flight surprised London society about a year and a half ago, has since that time run up a milliner’s bill to the amount of £4OOO.

Ninety thousand pound, the worth of the diamond necklace which played so prominent a part in the French Revolution ! Nowadays £90,000 is in the market, and may figure in the Divorce Court. "Verily in the market; for the woman who has left husband and children for the company of an “honorable” protector, with that sum settled on herself, may try other society when her present rapid life tires and satiates. £90,000 is a large sum enough to tempt the virtue of men ; enough, we trust, to induce the injured husband to dare publicity, and secure some portion of the mother’s dower for her deserted children. Would it not be well, now that divorce cases are so fashionably common, for a clause to be inserted in marriage settlements regarding the disposal of money when the runaway episode takes place ? Certainly a new method is required to check the epidemic which pervades some portion of the habits and customs of our upper ten. It has long been rhy conviction that the style of our dramatic criticism is devoid of nervous vigor and emphatic straight-speak-ing. They manage these things better in Canada, if I am to judge by a critique in the Toronto Olobc on Miss Neilson’s in “ Twelfth Night,” from which I extract the following morccau as a sample “It was a pity the Duke was represented by a fellow with a face for a low comedian and a manner fit for the dogs. He was the bearer of a double chin that would have done honor to an Episcopalian rector of the old sort, and .displayed a profile that was a yard long, and as uneven as the coast of Maine.”

His Grace of Marlborough, in his first public appearance as Viceroy of Ireland, basbeentrue to himself, as witness this extract from his address in reply t'o the congratulations of the Town Commissioners of Kingstown. “ Landing,” said his Grace, 9 in this spacious harbor, which, favored by natural advantages, is evidence of the highest enterprise and engineering skill, which is a monument of the country, and tends so largely to its commercial prosperity, I am forcibly x'eminded of what Ireland is capable of becoming.” If his Grace really did land in the harbor, he must have got very wet. Is Ireland defunct, that a harbor or anything else can be called its monument ? And how can a man, even a Viceroy, be “ reminded” of what he himself-declares to be in the future potential ? There must be a terrible dearth of employment in London when a firm who advertised for a gatekeeper last week received 900 answers.

I want to give a “straight tip ” to the gentlemen of the Press who are in search of another Nawab Nazim. Odian Effendi, who has come over here reputedly on a financial mission from the Porte, has his pockets full of money, and pays for' everything “ cash.” He has liquidated old arrears and made new contracts, and has plenty of good “ security.” I fancy the hoarded treasure of Abdul Aziz was much more valuable than is supposed., I ain told that Odian Effeadi’s real object is to ascertain the truth about English feeling, and find out whether Lord Beaoonsfield or the National Conference represents the national policy. He is prosecuting his inquiries. Verbum sap. Is it true that the Rev. Arthur Tooth, before leading one flock into the paths of Ritualism, made money by shearing another ? If am rightly informed, both his brothers and himself became rich by sheep-rearing in Australia before one of them was able to become patron of a living, and another aspired to the position of a priest. In this case Mr. Tooth would differ from some of the poor priests who lose their all by resisting the law of the land. But the martyr for his conscience who has a good income to depend upon is not wholly to be pitied. He has no dread of the fate of Mr. Purchas. He gains notoriety, which to a man of means is often as welcome as it is to the impecunious adventurer. I simply desire information on a point which ought not. be overlooked in this controversy. When any one appears at the bar of public opinion, it is but natural that questions should be put as to his antecedents.

The other night, after witnessing a kind, of theatrical performance d faire pitie, I stood pensively at the door of the theatre watching the people going out. Amongst other loungers at the door and round the steps, I happened to observe the eldest scion of one of our noble families, which possesses arespeotable antiquity, as things go now. The young aristocrat was ■ quietly . chatting with some other men well known about town, and the whole party was perhaps arranging some little amusement for the rest of the evening. At this moment my friend X appeared, escorting an old lady to her carriage, when suddenly, and out of pure wantonness, the scion of nobility above mentioned deliberately threw ' his gloves in the old lady’s face, .My friend X, with admirable presence of mind, put the lady safeinto her carriage, and then returned to the doorway, quietly took off the young nobleman’s hat and kicked it into the gutter, and asked the owner what he had to say for himself. The young noble, being more or less a gentleman, laughed off the matter, and admitted he was in the ■wrong. But the whole affair was in the highest degree ridiculous and unsatisfactory, and points to a deficiency in the organisation of our social relations. Had the practice of duelling been still in fashion the affair would, perhaps, have ended in a less lame, though at the bottom equally ridiculous, manner ; still Gauthier was not without reason in prophesying the decay of courtesy as soon as the rights of honor ceased to be maintained by force. It is noteworthy as evidence of the progress of Russia that no registry of deaths is kept either in Moscow or St. Petersburg. And yet such a useful branch of statistics is not neglected even in the land of the neglectful Khedive.

The British householder is nothing if not virtuous. I copy the following advertisement from a daily contemporary, and sincerely trust the scrupulous and prophetic advertiser may be suited:—“Girl (respectable) -wanted, about 10. Will have good home, and no children. Inquire, street, King’s-cross-road.”