COLONIAL MODESTY.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 237, 15 August 1872, Page 5

COLONIAL MODESTY.

Whoever believed that tho modesty of a Colonial would not allow him to become conspicuous in England should alter their belief when they hear of the exploits of Mr C. C. Moore, of the Ballarat company of Victorian lighthorse. That individual went to the English volunteer review at Brighton. He was only present as a spectator, bnt "his martial aspect and brilliant uniform attracted the notice of the general in command." The general " despatched an aide de-camp to inquire who he was," and on learning, " obtained an introduction to Captain Moore, invited him to join his staff during the review, and was most lavish in his attentions." On another occasion, Captain Moore, as one of the Prince of Wales Light Horse, addressed to the Prince a letter on his recovery, and received in reply a letter mentioning that of all the congratulations His Royal Highness has received, none had given him more pleasure than that. Kings and Kaisers had sent their notes, but this was a small matter, and the Prince preferred to turn from these formal epistles to the communication of the loyal captain of the Ballarat Light Horse. What a bashful shrinking disposition Mr Moore's must be.

Refined Cruelty. — From the H obart Tmm Mercury we have a report of the trial, at Hobart Town, of one Rebecca Hayton, the wife of a Councillor at Spring Bay. The woman was charged with doing grievous bodily barm to a young girl she liad in her employ, named. Harriet Gore. The following is a specimen of the evidence given by the girl : — " I sometimes broke things. I broke plates, and for that the prisoner burnt me. The prisoner took off my clothes to burn me. She held me, and put tne poker, which was red from the fire, on my bare skin. My wounds got well ia the best way they could. I forgot to put water into a tub ; prisoner called me into the kitchen, and putting the poker into the fire, burnt me with it all about my back and body, after having taken off all my clothes. I broke a dish, for which the prisoner took me into the parlor, and burnt me with a red-hot poker on the thighs ; the scars are there now. The prisoner also used to beat me with a stockwhip, both with my clothes off and on— this was for being idle. I was also beaten with a pot-stick." The prisoner, after a trial lasting for two days, was sentenced to a twelvemonth's imprisonment, and the officers of the ppurfc were obliged to remove her from the court in a, secret manner to save her from being mobbed by the crowd assembled outside.

Vaccination in Auckland. — A private letter from Auckland says :—": — " Here numbers of peopleremarking ' Good day ' to' one another, all ask ' How is your poor arm,' meaning that you have been vaccinated. As far as I can learn, I believe everyone in the City has been vaccinated. The Maoris who used to roam about the streets in scores now quietly keep to their huts or whares, in case the small-pox should affect them. If such athingdidhappen, itwould be a very bad look-out for us. Vaccination is the prevailing subject ef conversation, and the papers are full of letters discussing its merits and demerits. Some even give insertion to discussions in poetry ; and one journal has a long effusion, the quality of which may be judged by these lines :—: — I held her softly by the arm, - My gentle blue-eyed Kate : She said, let go you pesky fool, You hurt my vaccinate.

Theatrical. — From our latest Australian exchanges we gather a few items of theatrical gossip, which as it concerns persons well known in Dunedin, will no doubt p'ove interesting: — Miss Dolly Green has arrived in Sydney, and makes her appearance on the 15th instant at the Victoria Theatre, in that city, in a new drama — " Hazard"— by a colonial author. The Wizard Oil Prince appears to have been a sufferer by the stringent enforcement of quarantine laws at Sydney. He arrived, in company with Mrs Weston, having on board a new panorama of the Pacific Railway, at Newcastle, and thence took boat to Sydney. Arrived there, -the -party proceeded to take " their ease in their inn," when they were waited upon by the police, and under th« proclamation taken into custody, and sent down the bay to the quarantine station to undergo fumigation, where the Oil Prince ■will be able to " dig down and dig up another little hymn " for the amusement and edification of Mb partners in exile.

Ornamental Art. — We have been favored by Messrs Harrop and Neill of this town with a sight of a very beautiful challenge belt made by them for the Napier Rifle Volunteers. It is of Mack enamelled leather, ornamented in the centre with a tasteful wreath in silver of frosted fern leaves surmounted by a crown. Within the wreath is a raised plate of blue enamel, with an inscription, stating the purpose for which the belt is designed. The buckle, slide, and end plate are of bright silver, frosted, with leaves, and, at the other end is a massive embossed wreath with crossed rifles. Between that and the centre wreath are six bright silver scroll clasps, on which the names of the different winnors are to be engraved. The pouch is of enamelled leather, mounted with silver and run with floral letters in the centre. Two beautiful medals accompany this handsome belt, both of the same design, but one is wrought in gold and the other in silver. They form handsome wreaths of laurel leaves with crossed rifles. The designs of belt, pouch and medals are exceedingly elegant, and the workmanship in all is admirable. Even the most minute details will bear the closest inspection. As a matter of course the silver ornaments form the most striking features ; but on examination it will be found that the stitching displays great technical skill. It is done in white silk by Mr Smith, of Hope strest. '• he design is free and flowing, and the stitching beautifully neat and uniform. We have heard, some yeais ago, of srtistic works of this description being sent for to Melbourne or England, because it was said they could not be made in Dunedin. That reproach is at any rate removed, for nowhere have we seen better workmanship nor a display of purer taste. We understand this is the third belt made by the firm of Harrop and Neill.— Star.

The Chinese at Tuapeka. — Mr A. Blewitt, the Government Interpreter, has sent into the Goldfields Secretary his halfvearly report relative to the Chinese residents of the Tuapska and Switeers districts, from which we make the following extracts : «♦ The Chinese in the Switzers district I am glad to state, have lately been more attentive to their rights. This, I believe, is owing to my having visited that district oftener than last year, and to the fines which were inflicted on some ef them who were brought up before the resident Warden. A few of the Waipori, Adam's Flat, and Tuapeka Chinese have likewise been punished within the past six months for neglecting to take out their rights, which, in many instances, has had a very good effect. lam also glad to state that the conduct of the Chinese here is pretty good, and, considering their numbers in these districts, there is but little or no crime committed by them. Although there have been a few deaths among them recently, they are generally healthy. There was however, in March last, one Chinaman, who, after severe suffering from the awful malady, died in the Chinese lazarette of leprosy. As instances of "small-pox have recently occurred in the Colony, I would here submit that, should it effect the Chinese, it might perhaps end in very serious consequences owing to their habits : for sometimes six and even eight of these men sleep in a little hut 18ft. x 10ft. I may state that applications by the Chinese for extended claims, water-races, and dams are materially increasing this year. I may add that a few of the Chinese have taken advantage of the Naturalisation Act this year, and have taken the oath of allegiance and become British subjects."

Compulsory Education. — Mr Russell, in his paper on " Compulsory Education," read before the Schoolmasters' Association on Saturday, stated that man is a being endowed with expansive faculties to be operated upon, which may be divided into the instinctive part and the aesthetical part. The instincts are the first developed, and need no stimulus, but very careful training. The sesthetical part of mau's nature requires a stimulus, unless in rare instances of natural genius, as well as cultivation. Closely counected with, nay a part of, aesthetics is man's moral nature. And this latter requires very great cultivation and careful training Now as knowledge is the maana of making men useful, of giving mental power, it is, clearly the duty of some party, socially, morally, or legally, to undertake the task of seeing means provided for its acquisition. These parties are the parent and the State. Parental law : is the most important— the divine and f unda mental law of society; and therefore it is clearly the duty of the parent in the first instance to see to the proper training of his child. This was his inalienable and indefeasible right. But in many cases it was necessary for the State to interfere in the way of assisting voluntary effort, and also as a matter of protection to the general interests of society, inasmuch as it being acknowledged on all hands that ignorance is the parent of vice and crime, it is the duty of the State to prevent these for the protection of society generally. He considered that when the State provided the means of education, it was its undoubted prerogative to see them taken advantage of. A system of aiding voluntary effort was a much better method, than, as in Prussia,., where the whole is under the control of ..the. Government. In the latter case it would be apt to become a very dangerous machine. His general conclusions were that it is the duty of the State to see that means of education are provided, and not to compel parents to educate (heir children, but to wopel •dilation. ■•• •-■ « i