ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1488, 17 January 1882, Page 3

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Maxy people think, and I am among the number, that it is full time the Grand Jury system was abolished. lam not aware that grand juries ever were of much use, but, if they ever were, the time has gone by. Last week the grand jury, of which Mr Barton Ireland, the justice of the peace who was accused of charging a shilling for signing a document (the charge is permitted by law, but is never — well, hardly ever — made) was foreman, ignored two bills for breaking and entering against the notorious Fred Hummer. Seeing that Mr J. E. Macdonald, a magistrate of considerable experience, believed that prhna facie cases hail been made out, the general opinion is that the grand jury should have allowed the cases to go before the common jury. That they did not do so has caused a great deal of public indignation, and has set people wondering what lis the use of a grand jury. I know that, if I were accused of a crime of which I was innocent, I would much rather let the case go before twelve " good men and true" awl have their verdict of "not guilty" recorded, than have the bill thrown out by the grand jury. It stands to reason that they cannot go into the cases fully and fairly, and, however anxious they may be to do their duty honestly, they are very apt to jump at conclusions. However, the grand jury found true bills in three of the cases against Plummer ; the common juries found him guilty, so he will be out of harm's way for some j years to come. Plummer is decidedly clever, and showed great ability in the way in which he conducted hi& defence, and cross-examined the witnesses, and no one can help regretting that he has not turned his abilities to better account. Anyone who went to the Supreme Court to nee Plummer, expecting to see a man with the brand of crime on his face, was doomed to disappointment. He is an in-telligent-looking man, his only drawback being a hypocritical drawl when speaking. Fortunately, for some time to come, that hypocritical drawl will be heard by no one but the warders and prisoners in Her Majesty's gaol at Mount Eden, and the few philanthropic men who visit that establishment. Talking about trials and juries the other day, one of the diners at the Cafe" told a story about a practical joke played on a jury mail in one of the Southern towns of the colony. The jury were to be locked up for the night, so most of them determined to "make a night of it." With this end in view they got some beer and other drinkables into the room in which they were, and proceeded to enjoy themselves. One ot their number, however, was a quiet man, whose idea of enjoyment did not agree with that of his companions in misfortune. He lay down on his back on a bench and went to sleep. The rest of the jurymen decided to enjoy a piactical joke at his expense. One of them cut a cork so that it would fit on the bridge of his nose. A number of matches were stuck in the cork, which was put on the sleeper's nose. These were lighted, and then there was. a cry of "/ire" raised. This awakened the slumberer, who .started up, saw the fire just in front of bis faeo, and struck out wildly in hi*, endeavours to extinguish it, amid roais of laughter from the rest of the jurymen. A coiitiidemblu amount of unea&iness> was caused on Tuesday by the arrival of the P.M. t>.h. Zealandia- with small-pox on board. Many people were disposed to cavil cit the &ti iiigency of the quauintine regulations a& applied to vessels arriving here from Sydney, but when it was found the disease was at our own doors — was in our harbour — the general impression was that the regulations could not be too rigidly enforced. The New Zealand passengeis by the mail htetuuer have been sent to Motuihi ami, without doubt, they will be kept there until all who arc ill have become convalescent, and until there can be no danger of their carrying the contagion here or elsewhere. One of the regular diners at the Cafe who recently visited Australia, gives an account of the absurd way in which the Victorians carry out their quarantine regulations. People going from Sydney to Melbourne by steamer are subjected to a most rigorous and careful examination by duly qiuilified health officers before they ate permitted to land at the latter port, whorcas with those going from the one city to the other by vail the examination is a mere farce. When the train from Sydney reaches Albury, the las>t station in New South Wales, a doctor walks along the platform, looks in at the carriage windows and asks if any-one has small-pox. If no one pleads guilty, and the doctor does not notice any-one ■potted like a leopard, he passes the train, the passengers go to an hotel and get lunch, and then drive across the border into Victoria. Illnatured people say that the Victorian Government wish to prevent people travelling by sea and to compel them to travel by rail. This may be so, or it may not. People will talk. Herr Wilhehnj, or as the small boys call him, "William with the j," has been playing the violin at the Choral Hall, during last week and this, to fair houses, ami various are the opinions expressed regarding. A few people .declare him to be an "A, number ] man;" others say that he is fairly good, but not better than Camilla Urso, while others j say that he has been greatly over estimated, tod that, in horsey language, he does not come up to his warranty. Ido not profess to be a musical critic, but my own opinion is that we have not heard his equal in Auckland before. By the bye,- a kind and indulgent friend has had compassion on my ignorance, and has taught me the pronunciation of Herr Wilhelmj's name. It is pronounced as if it were spelt " Vilhelmie." It seems that we are to have an international exhibition in New Zealand this year. You and I, dear readers, think that the promoters, Messrs Joubert and Twopenny, have made a mistake in choosing Christchurch instead of Auckland, as the place in which the exhibition is to be held, but we will show that we are not jealous by doing what we can to make it a success. With pictures, photographs, machinery, sulphur, wine, beer, furniture, timber sashes, doors, gold, manganese, coal, wheat, wool, flax gum, soap, matting, portmanteaus, hats, brushware, glassware, and sundry other wares •vre can make a very good appearance, and let all and sundry who visit the exhibition see that Auckland is not by any means a one-horse place. It is a pity that we cannot exhibit, our gas, our ' water supply, and our fire brigade, as I believe that- they would compare very ' favorably with those of any place in the wlopy. A$ wy rate, w qW4 exhibit

our "saviour of the human race," and we might show our Speight as a " gasmaking machine." A sample of the average Greyite would make a very interesting exhibit, at least so thinks. St. Mungo.