SOMETHING TO BLOW ABOUT.

Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 133, 2 April 1879, Page 3

SOMETHING TO BLOW ABOUT.

From th e ( ‘ Q ueen si an d er. ’) In answer to a supposed question from a visitor from Saturn, who asks why the hand of Russia should be impotent in the Afghan crisis, the‘Queenslander’ says :—To this we can only answer by putting our finger, with a smile of grateful complacency, on the dot on the map that we have already indicated as the centre and focus of the habitable globe, and telling him that there exists most of the wealth, most of the political honesty, a fair share of the intelligence, and the truest conception of liberty that the world knows. Power, we presume, is the natural product of such forces. But power, as brute force, we should explain, was not our only boast. We had, with our products, manufactures, and fine arts, made the biggest display at the Paris Exhibition ; and, after fighting a famine of the most terrible kind in India, had subscribed more than any other nation in the world to the relief of a people suffering from a still more awful visitation of a similar character in China. We should then probably remark airily that we had accepted the protectorate of Asia Minor, with its enormous responsibilities ; had a considerable war on hand in South Africa ; bad just exacted a few millions from the United States as penalty for invasion of certain fishery rights in British American waters ; had protected the Portuguese at Delagoa Bay ; assisted in suppressing a negro revolt in the Danish isle of Santa Croix; and, though not very sure when the inevitable European conflict would take place that should tax our resources to the utmost, were readv to assist France in putting down the New Caledonian insun cction, to suppress the slave trade iu any part of the world, punish piracy in the China seas or elsewhere, and, by jingo, generally act as constable to the universe. At this modest peroration onr visitor would in all likelihood spread Lis pinions and wing away to blow the fame of the “ tight little island” amongst the farthest stars. He has our permission. Let him blow 1

their durability. Improved machinery anr. a reduction in the price of steel, enable them to reduce prices. Americana by supplying unlimited wheat to England, and manufactures to the I'est of the world, are endeavouring both to stuff and to starve John Bud at the same moment. The manner in which the Melbourne ‘ Argus’ conducts political controversy, is not by any means to be admired, but it was foolish of Sir Bryan O’Lougblau to Gazette it as unreliable authority. The example of the Kelly gang of murderers and’robbers, is producing a very bad effect. One or two gangs of imitators have commenced operations in Victoria and New South Wales. Places of meeting for religious worship in England and Wales have been certified to the Registrar-General on behalf of 16 different sects, and there are others in Ireland and Scotland not included.