ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1074, 29 September 1879, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

TO VIIK EDITOR 01' TilE OArifAILU SIAIL. S;;;.—The ihming sword of the liutnan peris guards the entrances to their modern Ellens. The " wealthy lower orders" of this community liavo hedged themselves in by imperceptible superiority. They spurn those by whose grace they are what they are, forgetful that those •whom they are aping wero admonished that The rank is hut the guinea stamp, The man's the gowd for a' that ; that princes and lords are but the breath of kings, and that kings borrow their grandeur from the people. But who are these that draw such fine distinctions between society that one would think they are afraid That their own sliaddows might contaminate them I—bank clerks and brewers, with a lawyer or two thrown in. Perhaps it were -svi.se that such should jealously guard their respectability, which may only flourish in a greenhouse—the banking chamber, or the brewery cellar. Cikullu* nan. facit monarehnm, nor does ■.he clerk, the brewer, and the lawyer necessarily make the gentleman whose gentility is sufficiently deeply rooted not to be rubbed off by external friction, or blown off by a breath. It has been said by a great poet that :l an honest man is the noblest, work of God." "Would the persons who met lately to assert- their superiority over everybody else in this community dare to deny the truth contained in these lines, or would they inculcate some new grammatical rule, and toll me that anything can be nobler than the noblest 1 Burns was inspired when ho wrote that grand sentiment—a sentiment that stands indelibly engraved on all time as a beacon to warn the foolish, the empty-headed ■''aristocrat/' off the shoals of self-suffi-ciency. . [Here our correspondent's remarks are too personal for publication.] I know men here puffed up with conceit who are " not even the accident of an accident " in the sense meant by Lord Thurlow in his memorable reply to the Duke of Grafton. That is, they have not the •:-x'.'Mirage of noble—l might say even the semblance of aristocratic—birth. JTcr are they men of independent fortune, who can afford to shut themselves up from the outer world. They are, like me, getting their bread and butter from those they despise, whose money fortunately is respectable enough, ortheir superiors would starve. I grant

that these or any other persons had a perfect rigkt to hold a private meeting to attempt once more to establish a club for their own amusement. But they overstepped the bounds of decency when they at that meeting cast a slur upon some of those to whom invitations had not beer, issued to co-operate with them. To all intents and purposes, the meeting was a public one. I suppose that it is not their intention to solicit public support, but the meeting was numerously attended, and the ineligibility of the friends and associates of some of those present to be accepted as members of the proposed club was so freely discussed that it might just as well have been published on the housetops. No one would feel these slurs more than the friends of those who had been overlooked. They had been insulted, for it had been distinctly assorted in their presence that those with whom they associated were not fit for the companionship of those who were guilty of the act of snobbery to which their friends owed their exclusion [Again our correspondent travels without the bounds of propriety.] I am one of the outcasts ; but, in making these remarks, I am not actuated by personal pique. Ido not aspire to the standard of respectability of which the promoters of the proposed Lawn Tennis Club can boast. But blue blood courses through my veins, so that I suppose if I were to produce 1113' card indorsed with my pedigree ! should be admitted into the charmed circle of the elect. My wife would, perhaps, be a stumbling block. Unfortunately, she cannot speak French, and is not au fait in the rules that govern colonial nobility. She would, therefore, shut me out, unless I chose to throw her overboard altogether. So far from feeling inclined to do this at present, lam obliged to my friends—l hope they will not think me too familiar, for I hold the view that we may be friends, although we may not meet on the tennis lawn —for having omitted to send me an invitation to be present at the meeting. But where wives are so objectionable, would it not be better to exclude them from membership rather than innocent husbancs? Not that I care. I belong to the old s ;hool of gentility, and I think that I could not have felt at home as a member. Society has so changed of late years that I believe I should have displayed gross ignorance of its amenities, if not disapproval of its altered condition. In conclusion, permit me to express a hope that the Oamaru Lawn Tennis Giub will bo safely floated. The association of the wealthy lower orders with a leaven of the more substantial kind, which they cannot afford to entirely despise, will bo conducive to good manners and pure enjoyment. Never mind whether the players' grandfathers, or even fathers, were tradesmen, or their grandmothers, or even mothers, did their own washing, or even washed for other people. Never mind whether the lady players went to boarding schools or graduated in the skullory. Let all meet for the game's sake, and learn each others' good qualities, without first seeking to know their pedigrees.—Yours, &c., As English Player and Lover o±' Ti A -s T jjJs Ik),

[We publish the foregoing letter by the special request of some of those immediately concerned. Nothing but this warranty could have induced us to excise the more objectionable portions and give it room in our columns.—Ei>. O.M.]

TO THE EDITOR OF THE O AMARU MAIL. I Sir, —I trust you will kindly insert this letter in the columns of your valuable paper, as I really think the people of your good, town are not looking after their own interests. When I first travelled by rail from the North to Dunedin, about a year ago, I was much struck with the beauty of Oamaru, but, at the same time, I had an opposite feeling regarding the paltry station at such a fine town as Oamaru. It is inadequate in every respect for the requirements of such a place. There is not a refreshment room, whereas such places as Ashburton and Timaru—-nothing in comparison to Oamaru—have such accommodation. Even now Palmerston is better off, as I observed on my last trip. On my alluding to this matter on my first visit to your good town, I was informed that a new station was going to be built, with all the necessary accommodation that such a place requites ; but, alas, I find the same paltry station, as before stated, which is causing the travelling public a great amount of inconvenience, lint one thing I am glad to find—-that Oamaru has become a head centre in railway matters—that is, the head of a district extending from Temuka on the north to Palmerston on the south, with a general manager resident in Oamaru. This only adds to the necessity for a station becoming a town like yours, and sufficient for the increasing business, which the last change indicates. I therefore liopo that those in authority will at onoe make a move in this direction by calling a public meeting, the resolutions passed at that meeting to be submitted to the Minister for Public Works. If this were done I think there would be every cliauce of a new station being built. If a new station cannot be secured, then, I say, make some alterations upon the present paltry erection, more room on the platform, with some cover, but, above all, there should be a refreshment room, where travellers ©an lunch, dine, or have what refreshments may seem to theni needful. Trusting you wjll excuse this rather lengthy letter.—l am &c. TRAVELLER. Dunedin, September 20, 1879. TO THE ELiITOK OF TUE OAMAKU MAIL. Sir, —I am a resident a few miles north of Oamaru, near the railway line, and have lately been speaking to a number of my neighbors upon a matter that I am sure only requires to be mentioned to be attended to. It is this : We are at present debarred from attending lectures, concerts, &c., taking place in Oamaru, because we should have to remain in Oamaru until the next morning, which would not suit our books. If the railway department would only attach a carriage to the midnight luggage train the difficulty would be overcome, and the department would gain rather than lose by such an arrangement. I am., &c., Papakaio.

OUR RESIDENT MAGISTRATE. (to THE EDITOR OF THE OA-MAIiIJ MAIL.) Sir, —Under the wing of an old proverb that " right is right, and wrong is no man's right," I ask the indulgence of a small space in your journal. That the decisions of Sir. Parker in many cases have been ridiculed by a large nur. >ber of the residents of Oamaru is a stern fact, as also his incapacity as the chief magistrate. I will only refer to one case recently heard in court. Plaintiff'sued defendant for L 4 19s Gd. Defendant disputed in the account LI 14s. Evidence of the two parties was taken, defendant admitted his | indebtedness to the amount of L 3 5s Gd, and plaintiff was non-suited. And what ' nest ? Why, two or three hours after ! the case was virtually finished, a solicitor went to Mr. Parker, who, when challenged concerning liis decision in the case, there and then entered another verdict, giving the plaintiff outside of the Court, and in the absence of the defendant, judgment for L 3 os Gd.. PlaintifTat once obtained a distress warrant for the amount, which, I believe, was served before the defendant was aware that judgment had been given against him, and he. filed a deed of insolvency shortly after. If you or any of your readers will inform me wherein lies the justice to either party in this case, I shall then certainly know

more of either law or justice than at p re . sent. So far as I am concerned—and I I speak the mind of a good number-.! sincerely hope, for the public welfare and the cause of every man's right to jus! t.ico, that Mr. Parker will not much longer occupy his present position ; and I will express my opinion that it is tinu; i n . deed for the Minister of Justice to l) e better acquainted with his subordinates than at present. I speak feelingly and fearlessly on this subject, because with many this is not only a matter of right, but also of i' *. l>.