A Fateful Year.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 250, 28 March 1888, Page 4

A Fateful Year.

Ik fcheie be any particular magic in the figures which compose dale, the year which began on .Sunday should be an eventful one (writes the " Tall Mali Gazette). The fact that the three final figures of 1888 are alike is> itself portentous. Fortunately for England, this does not occur very often— as a rule only once in 111 years— but even that is too often. The year 1.">55 (to go no further back) Witnessed tho Marion prosecution in its full fury, when Ridley, Latimer, and about a hundied others peiished at tho stake. The great fire of London makes 1666 for ever memorable in our domestic histoi y. Tho .surrender of General Burgoyne and his army at Saratoga in 1777 was the turning point in the stiuggl© in which we lost a big slice of our American colonies. In this view the outlook for the new year is daik, but still there are gleams of hope. Tho year 1888 is tho centenary, tho bicentenary, aud the tricentenary of events closely associated with the progress of British liberty. In 1588 the Spanish Armada was destroyed, and England was saved from Papal domination. In 1688 tho evil Stuart dynasty came, not too soon, to an end. In 1788 th« Common Council of London petitioned in favour of the abolition of the slave trade, and in that year commenced the trial ©t Warren Hasting, winch demonstrated to all Englishmen having charge of subject races that any abuse of the power entrusted to them would not escape punishment. Will 1888 see some great and definite step taken towards giving Ireland a Parliament of her own ?