ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1259, 24 July 1880, Page 2

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

One of our lawyers went into his office the other day and found a parcel lying on his table addressed to him. He opened it and found it contained a terra cotta picture representing a cow, which one man was pulling by the horns and another by tbte tail, while a lawyer, in wig and gown, was quietly milking her. He had the good sense to enjoy a hearty lausrh at the little joke, and to thank the sender for the picture. Talking about juries disagreeing and bringing in strange verdicts with a friend recently, he told me about a case in which a jury gave a verdict in diroct opposition to the evidence and the summing up of the Judge. The prisoner was charged with murdering a man with a pitch-fork, and the evidence, though circumstantial, was most conclusive, but the jury returned a verdict of " not guilty," and tho prisoner was discharged. Some time afterwards the Judge met the foreman of the jury and asked him if he would object to telling him how they came to find their verdict. The foreman said that if he would pledge his word of honor not to reveal it he would tell him why he got the man acquitted. The Judge gave the required pledge, and the foreman said, " I knew that the accused was not guilty, because I killed the man myself." He then explained how the man had attacked him, how he had picked up a pitchfork with which to defend himself, how he had run it through the man and killed him, how he had not the moral courage to admit what ho had done for fear ho should be charged with murder, and how ho had influenced the jury to aoquit the prisoner by showing how easy it would have been for someone else to have killed the man. " Whom the gods wi*-h to destroy thov drive mad," said tho Romau proverb. If it still holds good they must wi->h to dcstioy Sir George Groy, for I havo nover heiird of a more inline proceeding than his in standing silent in the House for more than an hour, waiting for the Premier to listen to him. How does he suppose the Ministry are to carry on the business of the country if they are to dr nothing while the House is sitting but listen to the long-winded orations of such men as himself or Mr Seddon P I may remark that Mr Seddon. M.H.R., is a retired butcher from Hokitika, but I am not sure what relation he is to his namesake who made such an excellent bargain with some of the Hamilton Borough Councillors. He it was who spoke for four hours on the desirability of members making shorter speeches. Has the small member for Franklin turned agaiust his chief that he asked, " Will all this silence appear in 11/nisiinl /" Naughty little Ben ! How dare you join in chaffing the Saviour of the Country ! One of the "would-be aristocrats," living at Eemuera, has got into a little trouble with the railway authorities. He has a iecoml-clasi season ticket, but, when the guard was inspecting the tickets last Friday morning, he refused to show his, and he was travelling in &fu;st-chtt,s carriage. The guard, of course, reported him, but he might have got off with a coution on paying the excess fare had he not been cought again on Saturday. I can unclestand a man losing or forgetting his season ticket, but the meanness of travelling first-class after paying for only second-class is beyond my comprehension.

The Rev. W, J. Habens, InspectorGeneral of Schools, has been holding an enquiry, last week and this, into the charges made against the master of the Industrial Home, in Howe-street. The j Government acted wisely in directing Mr Habens to hold the enquiry, as being- a stranger, he is free from any local bias, and he is possessed of the shrewdness and ability to carefully weigh and consider the evidence before him. I think the public and the subscribers may safely rely on Mr Habens to act fairly and impartially, in accordance with the evidence given. After he has finished the Industrial Home enquiry, Mr Habens is to enquire into certain complaints made against the management of the training ship and school at Kohimarama, and between the two he will have anything but a "gay time in Auckland. The Editor of the Ihruld has strange ideas about what are proper items of news. For instance, there appeared a paragraph to the effect that Mr was fined ten dollars for being drunk and disorderly, at one of the Cannibal Islands. As Mr has many friends and relatives here, their feelings are needlessly hurt, without, so far as I can see, any good object being gained* I must set the Editor of the Jfiae at the Herald again. The Editor of the Hcmld is frightened of him, because he is so polite, and his paper is too respectable to treat with the silent contempt meted out to certain other small papers here. I am very glad that the Maori Prisoners Bill has been passed. Oi course, it

i* very well for Sir George Grey ami his friends to talk about the Maoris being a " down trodden race," but it is far better to keep a hundred and thirty men in custody than to have another native war, to the cost of many valuable lives, to say nothing about money. Mr Sheehau showed that such was his opinion by rising above mere party consideration, and speaking and voting for the Bill. All honor to him for his pitriotisil^ That fine ship, the Hydaspes, has been sunk in the Channel, but, fortunately, no lives have been lost. Great sympathy is felt for Captaiu Babbot, who was very popular when he was here, about six or seven years ago. Poor Mohi Tawhai, the champion of the " down trodden race" has very properly brought the House the case of the unfortunate Mohi Tawhai. That hard hearted man, the Native Minister, actually refused to give Mohi carte blanche to anything and everything he wished, including a gold watch, but told him to make out a list of articles of clothing he actually required, which would be supplied to him. The noble savage indignantly refused to make out any list bo he would either have to pay for his clothes himself, or, follow the example of his illustrious ancestors, go without. The Victorian elections have gone the wrong way, the reason why I cannot tell. I should have thought that the Victorians had had enough of Berryism to last for the rest of this century. What is it they wish to encore. Black Wednesday — The Fruitless Embassy — Woods' Railway mismanagement — Berry's Nepotism—or the almost successful attempt to drive all capitalists out of the Colony and to send all Melbourne's trade to Sydney ? The Auckland papers have been teeming with accounts of the personal histories of the notorious Kelly Gang, givingfull particulars about their parentage, when and where they were bom and. educated. I expect they will tell us whether they were vaccinated and if they had the measles. It seems to me that the practice of making heroes of such villains, for that is really what it amounts to, is very reprehensible, and should, not be followed by any respectable journal. St. Muxgo.