What Everybody Says.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2093, 18 September 1875, Page 2

What Everybody Says.

" In multitude of counsellors there is safety." —Old Proverb

People have no doubt heard of various devices being resorted to for getting up a crowd, but it is doubtful if ever an attempt was made to bring in the stragglers from the highways and byways, which more signally failed than that attempt of a few would-be leaders of public feeling on last Saturday night. To hire the bellman and give him his cue was a small matter. It was quite legitimate; only they should not have told him to say the meeting was to discuss the abolition ques-. tion when they only wanted to obtain a few signatures to a petition. .No; there was a marked discrepancy between the bellman's story and the purpose of the meeting as explainedby the Mayor and Mr Bowe. But it was not of the meeting or its purport that everybody wanted to speak. It was about the devices pro-, posed to be resorted to to gather a crowd. A s 'twas told one gentleman with a sporting taste proposed a dog fight, but the dogs were not forthcoming, and that brilliant idea bad to be abandoned. Then a man fight was suggested, but the specimens of the genus homo present didn't see it, and as the promoters were all afraid of each other they wouldn't fight and the cou sequence was the miserable failure already fully commented upon elsewhere. It Will be a. lesson to persons who take upon themselves the responsibility of calling meetings, and if they want a little advice on such masters, whenever they feel an itching to distinguish themselves in that line again, let them remember Punch's advice to persons about to get married—Don't! Public meetings are not your forte, Messieurs "Convenors. The more you keep in the background the better it will be for your peace of mind. Mr W. L. Bees has a kind of disappointed the 'lhanies people. It is not like Mr Bees to do this sort of thing, but he justifies himself on several grounds. Nobody accepted his challenge to discuss politics, and since he issued the challenge politics have taken a turn. It is to be regretted, because Mr Bees would have afforded a fair evening's entertainment. He would have said some hard things of Vogel and the Government; praised Sir George Grey and his following, and then have done a little bit of special pleading for Provincialism. People would have been edified—possibly Mr Bees would have been gratified with a favorable vote. But no matter. Abolition would not have been affected, and public feeling on the Thames would not have suffered any great revulsion from anything Mr Bees could have said. If he should reconsider the matter and come down a good reception could be guaranteed, and fair play throughout, although his visit on such an errand.would savor strongly of impertinence.

Everybody has been indulging in a mildform of dissipation this week. There have been soirees and dances, and playacting and more dancing, and lectures and opening of batteries. To go into all these things would tax everybody's patience so let us indulge in a few wonders, which will express everybody's sentiments as well as if the whole week's business were fully discussed. Wonder who the young lady was that lost a file of the Evening Star—three months complete, neatly bound with red —at the Academy of Music on Monday evening last? Wonder who was the author of the happy thought to call a-meeting at the Theatre Koyal last Saturday night? Wonder what will be the up?hot of the Ohinemuri Miners' Right business ? Wonder if it is true that Brissenden. split, and if so whom did he implicate P Wonder if Sir George Grey is tired of Parliament, and will he ever go home ; and if he fights "to the death " will he be conveyed to Kawau on a stretcher? Wonder who suggested that Mr Rowe should " ask a blessing " at the Tairua spread ? Wonder why Caledonians harp pgme down by the run ? Wonder if the Cricketers' Dramatics Club will be proceeded against for playing ''• Caste " without permission ? . Wonder what will become of the Thames Stock and Share Association ? Wonder who stole the petition from the Corner with the signatures on the passing of the Abolition Bill.