AT THE CORNER.

Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 5079, 25 April 1885, Page 2

AT THE CORNER.

[by nemo.]

Homo sum, Jmmani niJdl a me aliemim puto.

"A waggish writer truly" is an old quotation from an old play, but no more waggish writer could have written than he who chronicled in the London Daily News that the patience of England was "almost exhausted" in parleying with Russia on the Afghan question. Where has the patience been required P Should national dignity bow down to the meek goddess? Should Brittanic honor flinch a jot to Russian over&earance ? No ! a thousand times no ! saith Nemo. The vacillating policy of the Gr.O.M., who may be—-I hope he is —now gathering up his forces, but who might have declared his intentions— that is, of course, those to be known to the people — without keeping back in any very serious wßy those detrimentally effecting them, has perhaps tended to bring to, a climax the rankliDg sore between Russia and her stronger opponent. For years has this hatred between the Sclavonic and Anglo Saxon been existent, and I fear it will never be extinguished—a species of vendetta seems to have arisen. Continental sympathy also prevails on behalf of Russia—to a certain extent only —owing to the somewhat foolish braggadocio indulged in by weak-brained enthusiasts, who shout " Britannia rules the waves," while they really don't know what the source of their momentary joy is.

It was only a dream, bat yet worth recording because it was consummated. I had heard that one of the local bodies had been buying a safe. The dream, I suppose, arose from that. In my dream I saw the Treasurer of that body try all the windows, look at the door-locks, grease his revolver, sharpen bis watch-dog's teeth, charge his dynamite mines, fix his man-traps, point his self-go»bff muzzle loader, and cb all and sundry things necessary to see that no illicit attempts were made to, in any way, interfere with the true, straight, and correct system of keeping his cash. I saw the new safe arrive; it's inside was carefully examined to see if dynamiters or other dastardly scoundrels of a deep, dark, ad bloody dye were concealed within its creases or cracks ; but no! naught was found but a bunch of keys—in my dream I counted nine. A being of demoniacal appearance then appeared as the Treasurer counted the mystic number nine. The Treasurer sought for the reason why the keys should be inside the new safe. The demoniacal one said, " Nine, ha ! •ha! the magic number; a key for each- Councillor.", *• Ho J ho! " quoth the Treasurer, " not if I know it 5 I keep the cash." My dream closed with the destruction of the keys.

What mimicry will effect, is, when thoughtfully looked upon, truly marrellous Man is a thoroughly imitative creature, as a whole, his kind are conventional, and inclined to follow examples; and where those are given, no matter how adaptable, or otherwise, they must—as a rule-^be followed. The system of enrolling, a militia has been adopted in older ooun« tries, and therefore must necessarily be followed in this—no matter, what the..exigencies'of the case may be. A militia raised in this country must of course be framed on the same basis as those organised in other places. A sense of the fitness of things seems not to have entered the heads of those to whom the direction of such matters has been left. It is a capital notion from the alarmist point of yiew, to pat a rifts into the hand of t^e* householder, and give hini a'so a bayonet to be thereunto afijxed, and supply his cartouche box with several rounds pfamunitkm, and" tell him "right, left '\ right, left j right turn," and so on ; but when be has no heart in the work, do you suppose he is going to study hia drill to "turn out a first class soldier. As Sam Slick says, ••■ no Siree!". This militia business as far as this colony is concerned is a|l a sham. The Volunteers are quite good enough, and can be relied upon, and Nemo has sufficient confidence in them (don't blush, dear boys) to assert that the Militia movement in our district in unnecessary. , The time lost by men "on shift," and connected with various trades (foundries particularly) would make a material difference \n the week's income-" which, when the irregularity, of work is considered, is a hardship—• Were strict rules carried out, and as far as the applica* tioa of the system affects the Thames, much individual loss would be entailed, while no commensurate advantage would be gained. Two member? of, tlje police force have been, diligent in " running in " the militiamen, and raids have boon made in all quarters. One' zealous bluecoat waited patiently till close sundown, and fell upon a football* host on the£araka Flat. Little did the wily kiekiits wot of the result attached to tfcejr aßiejjjbling to

propel the leathern sphere. Out'came the book, and a fair enrolment took place. Later on a shop in Grabamutown—generally attended by go3sipers— was visited by the same officer, and a scamper for the buck yard and under the counter ensued, but nature asserted her bertit self, and more names were put down. How absurd. Best assured, my friends, your services will never be called upon.

" Let the past dead bury its dead" is a charitable motto, and one that might have been studiously followed by the ltte representativeo of that barnacle attached to the Thames Borough—the Parawai Ward. I was in the Council Chamber on Thursday night, and, after the storm attached to the passing of the last three months' minutes proceeded, I shut my eyes and fancied I heard the- distant approach of a military band ; faint were the sounds, .but the theme was sad—it was the " Dead March," as could be told by the solemn measure and slow approach of the procession. Onward it came—that is, the procession—but, mirabile dicta, the * corpse was actually struggling in its coffin; the poor thing knew it was dead, yet, in the face of the many rebuffs it had received, it almost seemed to want to life again. Perhaps I should not say that it wanted to live, but those who would have made use of it betrayed a positive inclination for its vitality being sustained.

The spirit of a young colonist born in England—one of the Parihaka Scottish, and a oon commissioned officer in a New Zealand Volunteer Company, is thus let out:—" Young fellows in Auckland are all excited about volunteering. Strange to say, I should like to see the Russians do a little damage here, and I would not fire a shot at them until I was pushed. The Government has treated the Volunteers very badly, and now that they are likely ta be wanted, it is ready to do anything to please them. I like to see young colonists imbued with patriotic feelings and martial spirit. I would willingly take up arms to uphold the honor of England, but I would not so eagerly rash into the breech for New Zealand. What is New Zealand to me and more than threefourths of young fellows such at I am ?■— merely nothing. Supposing I take op arms against the Russians, it is not to protect my home or my little piece of land —I have none.—lt is only in order that a few men who own half the country may stick to what they have become possessed of; dishonestly—they don't offer to fortify * our towns and harbors. No! They expect us to shed our blood while they look on. When the Militia is : called out and country and homes are to be struck for, then we will strike for home.