ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1370, 12 April 1881, Page 3

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

The honourable member for City East addressed his constituents last Friday evening, or rather the few eleetora and non-electors who went to hear him. There were not many, as the Lome-street Hall is but a small building, and yet it was not half -full. The day fixed for the address was a most appropriate one, being 1 All Fool's Day, and the audience found they had been befooled, as they heard nothing but talk, and that talk of a not very high class. There was nothing original in the address, which consisted mainly of the speakers opinions of what had been done during the last Session of Parliament, and as the speaker was elected as a mere cypher, who was to have no opinion:* of his own but merely • to do what he was told by the leader of his party, those opinions were not worth much. Poor unfortnnate cypher ! he does not know whether he is to be allowed to seek re-election for City East, and he was honest enough to admit it. What a difference thpre i8 between thii cypher and the man whom in the plenitude of their wisdom, the electors of City East rejeoted. He was so manly and independent that, in spite of the solicitations of his friends, he refused to promise to vote even once for the Grey Govprnment. Truly the ele,t of City East showed a proper appreciation of the people who chose him as their representative when he invited them to meet him on All Fools' Day. The governors ot the Auckland College and Gramtner School selected the same jmpropriate day for the consideration of ;Mr Brookfield 8 motions with regard to the masters of the College. The Purchas I '/ inquiry has been a complete farce from > - 'beginning to end, as the result, as far as the bead master was concerned, was a foregone conclusion before a word of evi- > - dence wn heard. The governors ha^ , ? tehown their total unfitness to act as judges, as they have shown partiality throughout the whole enquiry— some to- • Mr Macrae, ■ and , the majority afludfiit him. The unseemly haste with '^^inrai^aey came to decision, proved the 'Wmm L-~tit-rL -~ tit-r- of Sir G. M. O'Korke, U j fpSpfcsarg Fenton, Tole, .ifclson, and l^okfield. ( Tho, taking, of evidence occupied upwards of two njonths, the governors had spent £50 or £60 of ffce., '?o^£bfy.TOdneyJn getting full' notes of the r e»jide.nee ta^eny tfoere was not one -of, the - "governors, wh'ohadjhot been absent jratn iVi a§hi o*r more" of the nieetinks a> which ev> den cc bad beenj»ken t ana yet J those five "^!pn|lelnen"lro^'s^-"lb*'- ; wait three^weeks ■%is%nlal * the nDtea?' Otj^he evidence/ were u )V $&Av for. pes«H*l a/tfiwcßaatd decided, k'llitJWeir^Wting lDay,-to give liijtihjejiua^terjs.notioe th*t,.»tthe ex-

the Hon. W. Rolleston to procure the services of a head master for the bchool. It seems a strange idea to ask Mr Rolleston, who is the Native Minister to select a schoolmaster. It would be more appropriate to ask the Minister for Education, but the Hoii Thomas Dick' is Minister for Education.and'he is a Scotchman, and might get a Scotchman for the position, which would not suit the views of the gentleman who passed thu resolu; tion. No doubt the reason Mr Rolleston was selected to perform the duty is that he is a personal friend of Mr Fenton's. The Criminal Sessions of the Supreme Court commenced on Monday, and have been continued from day to day throughout the week. The calendar was' a very long one, but the majority of the cases were not particularly grave ones. Among the prisoners were three Frenchmen and two Maoris. The former were convicts who had beon sent to New Caledonia, and had come thenco by the schooner, « « Griffin ' ' to the Manukau. Two of them had served the time for which they were sentenced and had been liberated, while the third, who bad been sentenced to imprisonment for life, had effected his escape. There was a great outcry at the time of qheir arrival and an attempt was made by the authorities to prevent them landing, but it was ineffectual. Two of them were found guilty of the crime with which they were charged — stealing gum— and were sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment with hard labour, while the third, who was charged with receiving the gum, knowing it to be stolen, was acquitted. The fact that these Frenchmen have put the Colony to so much trouble and expense, proves the advantage of bur geographical position, in close proximity to a conviot settlement. Of the Maoris, one was charged with uttering a forged cheque, and the other with setting fire to the lock-up at Mongonui. The former was acquitted, as the jury did not consider the evidence proved that he knew that the cheque was forged. The latter was found guilty, and sentenced to two years' imprisonment, so the governor of Mount Eden Gaol had better apply for a fire engine. When the prisoner was told that the jury had found him guilty, and was asked if he had anything to say why judgment should not be passed on him, he replied, through the interpreter, "The twelve men are liars.'' He tnen went on to say that he had a plantation, and that there was a fence round it to keep out the pigs, and sheep, and cattle, and that his sister Emily took care of his plantation for him. Then he told the jury that that was a riddle, and that if they could solve it he was guilty, but that if they could not they were liars. The jury did not attempt to solve the riddle, so the propounder thereof kindly explained it to them. His plantation was New Zealand, the fence around it was the sea ; the pigs were the black men, the sheep were the pakehas, and the cattle were tho Maoris ; his sister Emily was the Que^n. How proud Her Moat Gracious Majesty would feel if Bhe knew the honour that was conferred on her by this Maori incendiary ! Much anxiety was felt in the early part of the week by tho.se who had friends on board, at the non-arrival of the " City of New York," which left here on the Ist ult. with the English mail, at San Francisco. Those who had not fiiends on board, took the matter very philosophically and said she would be sure to arrive in due course. The result proved the correctness of the prognostication, as she did arrive, though ten days behind contract time, the delay having been caused by the breaking of a crank pin, four days after she left Auckland. It is surprising how calmly we can consider the probabilities and possibilities in a case of this sort when we are not personally interested. If the readers of the Waikato Times have no objection I will give them a piece of advice. I know that, as a rule, people do not care much for what is given away, still less do they care for unsolicited advice. However, I believe that those who act on my advice will thank me for it, and, if they wish to show their gratitude, I beg to inform them that a brace of ducks addressed to me, to the care of the Editor, will reach me safely. After this long preamble I will give my advice. It is that all who can do so should cotne to town within the next three weeks and paya visit to the Theatre Royal to hear Sirnonsen's Opera Troupe. A friend of mine— a brother scribe— told me that he heard them on 18 consecutive evenings, and that they are very good. They are not able to perform such operas as Aida and Lohengrin, but they know they are not able and so do not make the attempt. But in such Operas as Martha, Hermit's Bell, and The White Lady of Avenel, they are very good — so those who can spare the time and the money had better act on my advioe and come down. St. Mungo.