ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1226, 8 May 1880, Page 2

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

The principal topic of conversation this week has been the embracery cases against Mr Samuel Coombes, and, of coiu'se, there is a great diversity of opinion. Some people are sorry for Mr Coombes and hope that he will be acquitted, while others, considering the gravity of the offence with which he is charged, think that if he is guilty he ought to be punished. I think that the wretched state of suspense in which he will be kept for the next two months will be a sufficiently severe punishment. I see by the Melbourne papers to hand that David Henry, who is serving a term of imprisonment for embracery, is not dead. The report of his death was, I believe, circulated by his friends, in order to cause a revulsion of public opinion in his favor, and a petition for his liberation was presented to the Government, but was not acceded to. I believe in the greatest amount of toleration in all matters of religion, but any one who tries to combine Methodism and Anglicanism will find that he might as well try to mix oil and water. The clergyman of one of our suburban Anglican Churches is at Christchurch, at the meeting of the General Synod, and, during his absence, a clergyman who has recently arrived in Auckland is officiating for him. The latter is a gentleman of considerable ability, and he has given very general satisfaction. Among those jjriio attend the church, however, is one who has strong leanings to Wesleyanism. Indeed, I believe he is a Wesleyan, and attends the Anglican Church merely because he considers it more fashionable than his own. Be that as it may, he always marches up the aisle during the hymn before the sermon, being detained conducting service in a Wesleyan Chapel before he goes to church. The other Sunday morning he detected something in the sermon which he thought showed a leaning on the part of the clergyman towards Roman Catholicism, so the next day he waylaid one of the church wardens and asked him if he had noticed the objectionable statement. The church warden said that he had noticed the phrase used by the clergyman, and that it plight bear the construction put on it by him. The meddler had been quietly leading the church warden towards the Telegraph Office, and when the latter had made the admission he was just in front of it, so the mischief maker eaid, "It is your duty as churchwarden to telegraph to the incumbent, informing him that Mr is preaching improper doctrines and ask him to forbid him to preach again." The churchwarden could not see that, so he refused to telegraph, but waited on the clergyman, who explained his remark in a satisfactory manner. He, therefore, wrote to the man who had made the complaint, stating that he had received a satisfactory explanation, but offering:, if the other was not

satisfied and would send him his complaint in writing he would forward it to the incumbent. He received a reply to the effect that the churchwarden had himself noticed the objectionable remark, and that if he would not do hia duty, he (the meddler) would not go any further in the matter. Harper's Magazine is responsible for the following story : In some of the Western States it is usual for the people to engage ministers for a term of years, he having the option of terminating the engagement by giving a certain notice. The members of a Baptist Church had engaged a minister in this way, but before half the term had expired wished to get rid of him. He, after a time, obtained an appointment as chaplain to the State prison, so gave notice that he would leave and that on a certain Sunday he would preach his farewell discourse. The people, delighted that they were about to get rid of I the minister of whom they were tired, turned out in great numbers to hear his last sermon. Their delight was turned into consternation, however, when he gave out his text, wh eh was taken from the second and third verses of the fourteenth chapter of St. John's Gospel, "I go to prepare a place for you ; that where I am there ye may be also." It is really wonderful the liberality with which the Roman Catholics contribute towards the maintenance of their churches. Last Sunday evening a meeting of the members of the Church of St. Francis of Sales was held, at which it was determined to build a new church. A sufficient notice not having been given there was rather a small attendance, and yet £195 was promised by about thirty people, and they of what is known as the "working class," The Editor of the Herald ought to employ a small boy to give " Our own Correspondent" atKawakawaa few lessons in English composition, so that he might learn to avoid such a blunder as he made in his letter which appeared in the Herald on Monday. In giving an account of a tangi on the occasion of scraping the bones of a Maori chief, he said, "As in the case of Matu, the warrior over whose bones the ceremony has just been performed, after being buried a number of years, the grave is exhumed, &c. " Who or what was buried — the warrior, the bones, or the grave ? I suppose it was the grave from the mention made of the fact that "the grave is exhumed." Mr Arthur Sketchley's entertainments have been rather a failure, simply because they failed to entertain. lam not greatly surprised, as I have tried on several occasions to read some of his papers, but found them too serious to read, to say nothing about laughing at them. Talbot Champneys said "Life is too short for chess," and I say "Life is too short for us to spend our time listening to Sketchley." What with our local charities, such a colonial charity as the Kaitangata Relief Fund, and such National charities as the Indian and Irish Famine Relief Funds, I thought the charitably-disposed here had quite sufficient calls on their purses. The Jews in Palestine seem to think otherwise, for, some time ago, they sent us a Rabbi, to collect funds for a soupkitchen in Jerusalem, and now they have another Rabbi, to collect money for the purpose of renovating the tombs of Esther Mordecai, and of building a synagogue at Shushan. This is a little too much, and on account of its too-muchness I object. If the Rabbi calls on me, I will say to him in the language of euchre, (he does not understand English), "I pass." The English mail arrived on Tuesday morning, so the Auckland papers are full of clippings from the Home papers, and letters from their London correspondents. These letters, it i 3 generally believed, are, like the "bogus telegrams," made on the premises. We have had visits from the Royal Commissioners on the Civil Service and on Local Industries, aud I suppose that we will shortly see the Royal Commissioners on Railways ; but I doubt very much if any of them will do us any good,, or, indeed, if they will do good to anyone except the Commissioners themselves, who are enjoying very nice holiday trips through the Colony. I should like such a trip very well myself, and I am sure I would make a very excellent Commissioner, and I would spend the public money in a Royal manner (hence the term Royal Commission) ; but my qualifications for the position have been overlooked, and I am of too retiring a disposition to push forward my own claims and speak of my own merits. Sir Hercules Robinson appears to have made a very excellent speech at the opening of the Normal School at Wellington, which I will be very glad to read when it is reported in extenso in the Waikato Toies. He seems to advocate Bible-reading in schools. I have always been an advocate for a purely secular system of education, such as we have at present; being supported by the State ; but when I see the introduction of religion recommended by so many wiser and better men than myself I begin to think I may be wrong. The Government Auditor has refused to pass the item of £40 for travelling expenses of the members of the Waitemata County Council. This is very hard, as some of the members have to travel a long way. Two have to go from Queenstreet to Shortland-street, while two or three more come all the way from the North Shore, and for these long journeys they voted themselves £1 each, but that mean auditor refused to pass the item. It is really no encouragement to become a County Councillor. I would advise the Councillors to become members of Parliament ; then they can vote themselves what payment they please. St. Muxgo.