What Everybody Says.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2117, 16 October 1875, Page 3

What Everybody Says.

"In multitude of counsellors there is safety." —Om> Proverb

If ever a man cut a ridiculous figure in any position it must have been Mr Bridges, " director and manager of the National Bank," at the bar of the House. Mr Bridges has before now given some of his " subs " a taste of his quality, but being "a director and manager" he could boss them with impunity. If he was as nice in his charges against the unfortunate subs, as he appears to have been reokless in making charges'against better men than* himself, it is not wonderful that some of the former have kicked against his rule. As a bank manager he is doubtless familiar with the process of putting on the screw, and now that the operation has been applied to himself he doesn't, like ifc In his own comfortable

parlor lie would be autocratic, but he appears to hare met his match on his introduction to the " bar." But the House has not done with him yet, and Bridges ■*may before long experience the delightful ''sensation of having to tell that which he would prefer to keep to himself. The weather is getting warm and a " sweating^ process—a sort of Turkish bath without any of the agreeable sensations supposed to accompany that mode of ablution may possibly bring even. a Bridges to his senses—if he has any; And his co-directors may come to the conclusion that he is not such a smart man as he has appeared. . Parliament is supposed to be on its last legs, but that august assembly has not shown much dignity of late ; members have gained for themselves an unen-

viable notoriety over the Eepresentation Bill, and if the Thames could hasten

their dissolution by a good sound course of

kicking, evorybody would rejoice to have a show. The proper treatment for the unreasonable gentlemen who voted against giving the Thames its just due, ought to be to run the gauntlet through a crowd of Thames diggers, as schoolboys who have incurred the wrath of their playfellows sometimes have to do. If they came out of the scramble with whole skins they would be lucky. JSufc Parliament is not a body to be kicked, so while they escape the just reward of merit, the individuals will be long remembered as an illiberal lot. The general election will make some of them. wish to have their time over again. The " members" have been enjoying themselves this week. . A little relaxation is no doubt a good thing, and there is no reason why Members of Parliament -should not enjoy a dance as well as ordinary mortals; but it is not everybody who could appreciate such a dignity ball as the members gave. Occupants of the strangers' gallery in the House might be awed by the knight in the chair, with that emblem of authority, the mace, lying imposingly before him, but if people 6aw even- a knight waltzing, and pirouetting at four o'olock in the morning they would be inclined to think that even he was mortal and less of a big wig than they thought. Did any one ever sit down in an obscure corner of a ballroom after a fatiguing night with dull partners and watch the gyrations of dancers as they spiritedly go through the tail end of the programme ? If so did they ever feel that dancing was a stupid form of amusement ? If they haven't had this experience they must be extremely juvenile in their 5 sensations. With all its attractions, no doubt some of the members preferred the floor of the House to the slippery boards of the ballroom, and they would be oftener caught tripping on the latter. Some men are Rood at talking but indifferent dancers, and the " members' ball " is probably got up more for the sake of showing off" members' wives than for exhibiting their own agility. It would be interesting to know if the ball night counts as a sitting day, involving the usual honorarium of a guinea apiece. If it does there is some excuse for members appearing in a character which certainly does not become some of them.

The licensing commissioners have affirmed the broad principle which they laid down for their guidance some time ago by refusing to grant a license to a woman, for no other reason than that she is a woman. This seems very hard in the abstract, because the peculiar condition of being made a woman was a matter in which she was not consulted, and over which she had no control. If she had, no doubt she would have been a man, but being a woman, on broad principles she must not hold a license, no matter how well fitted she may be for the business. The commissioners are evidently unbelievers in the doctrine of. equal rights for both sexes. "Some uncomplimentary people say that if J> women are not allowed to hold licenses thejr certainly should not be allowed to act as licensing commissioners; which is a ','bage" insinuation that some commissioners are little better than "old women." Recent decisions favor this conclusion, which is not complimentary to the triumvirate,. A letter was recently received by a gentleman in this district from a remote set_*ement in the Australian continent. TnTwriter had heard that Ohinemuri was opened and he wanted some information about it. He had evidently been in this district at some period or other, and thought Ohinemuri a perfect Eldorado. He was very precise in his letter in every particular saveone—he neglected to sign it. So the information that might have been given to him remains unwritten, and no doubt he is lamenting the want of civility displayed by his correspondent. Moral: always sign your letters.