ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1598, 30 September 1882, Page 3

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

So the Garden Palace has been burned down. It is a great pity that a building which cost so many thousands of pounds should be reduced to a small pile of ashes, but it is worse than a pity that the valuable public documents should have boen burned in the building. I fancy that, if I were a Sydney instead of an Auckland resident, I should be inclined to " go for" the Government for keeping documents, which were invaluable because tne could not be replaced, in a building which the insurance companies refused to insure. I did not see the Garden Palace, as it was built long alter I left Sydney. I was very anxious to go to the International Exhibition held there, as special reporter for The Waikato Times, but the propiietors of that journal declined to supply the '•needful." They kindly consented to let me go as thenrepresentative, provided I paid my own expenses, but I had not the cash, and my " uncle" refused to lend it to me, so I could not avail myself of their kind offer, and so it happened that I did not see the Garden Palace. Talking about " uncle" reminds me of a rather good thing that happened some time ago. Young Brown and his friend Smith were at Broadcloth's, the tailor, who had been making some clothes for Brown. Before going out he said, "Ah ! Broadcloth, I wish you would send in my account to my uncle, John Brown Esq." Certainly," was the reply. "Ah ? Broadcloth," said Smith, " I wish you v ould send in my account to my uncle, Henry Neumagen Esq." Brown did not say anything, but he looked as if he, like the monkey, thought an awful lot. The Licensing Act has done a great deal of good in Auckland. Before it was passed, when the Licensing Bench was appointed by the Government, who very of tun chose old fossils as Licensing Commissioners, licenses wereinvaiialy renewed There were a number of people who prophecied that the lesult of the polling, which decided that no new licenses should be granted in the city or suburbs, would be the creation of a dangerous monopoly. Such might have been the case with an irresponsible licensing bench, but with licensing committees elected by the people, especially when they consist, as they do, of some of the best of our citizens, there is not much probability of the prophecy being fulfilled. The public have every reason to be grateful to the present Ministry for the Licensing Act, which they were mainly instrumental in passing, and which they objected to Parliament tinkering during its last session. So far the Act has been most beneficial in its working and has given very general satisfaction, so there is no need to alter it. The would-be tinkers ought to remember the motto, "Let well alone." By the way, I thought that was a most appropriate motto in a most appropriate place when I saw it engraved on the windlass of a well, the only objection being that those who most require to read the motto are little children who are too young to reud. I was faomewhat amused by reading an advertisement of "lost luggage" to be sold by auction at New Plymouth by order of Mr J. Duncan Harris, District Manager of Railways. Among the articles of " lost luggage" are two spars. No doubt these were left behind by a sailor who intended them as presents for his wife and little girl, whom he had been compelled to leave for a whole week while lie made the perilous voyage from Waitara to the Manukau. He probably put them safely in the traiu at Waitara, but, by reason of sundry potations, lie forgot to take them out with him, and so his wife and child never saw those tokens of love for them. Another item of " lost luggage "is a pair of small bellows. Perhaps these are a pair of those very elegant ai tides made by Mr Gihnour, of Uoburg-strcet, in this city, which are ornamented by pictures burned into the wood. They are pretty enough for drawing-room ornaments, and, as the price is only a guinea, they are within the reach of even the poorest of the poor. Another article in the ' ' lost luggage " list is a cart or dray. This, doubtless, was left behind by some farmer, who had got evcited over the discovery that he was a " down-trodden serf." Two ladies umbrellas were, of course, forgotten by two fair damsels who were so interested in discussing the last piece of scandal and the latest fashions that their "ginghams" were over-looked. A bridle was left by a man, whose horse had been stolen, as a legacy for the thief. A cask of beer must have been turned sour by. the tremendous rate of speed at which the traiu travelled, or else the owner theveof was converted to teetotalism, and so had no further use for it. Altogether the " lost luggage" is a pretty mixed lot, and an imaginative individual, which I am not, might preach some very strange sermons if lie took the various articles for his texts. Robert Marsh, Esquire., wholesale burglar, was introduced to J. E. Macdonald, Esquire., Resident Magistrate, yesterday (Wednesday), and that gentleman kindly made arrangemeuts for an interview between him and Mr Justice Gillies on Monday next, or as soon thereafter as His Honor can give Mr Maish's afFaiis their due and proper attention. It is a fortunate tiling for the public that Mr Marsh's career was brought to a close, as there is no knowing when he ould have retired from biwness, had he been left to chose Ins own time for doing so. He had already burgled the house of a clergyman, so would probably have paid a predatory visit to a church. He had "cleaned out" the house of a Judge of the Native Lands Court, so it is not at all unlikely that he would have paid a peculating visit to the residence of Mr Justice Gillies himself. Had he done so, would it have been the "krect card" for Judge Gillies to have tried the case, seeing that he would have been an interested party ? Now that would be a nice question for some of our Mutual Admiration Societies to argue. I must suggest it to Mr Seth Smith, the President of the St. James's Society. He is a barrister and solicitor of considerable ability, so should be able to throw some light on the subject. A great controversy has been carried on in the daily newspapers for some time past, and is now raging, on the subject of the Contagious Diseases Act. I will candidly admit that I have not read the act, so am not qualified to express an opinion on the subject, but, if it will have the effect of driving the abandoned women and their associates from thp leading thoroughfares to the back-slums, the sooner it is brought into force the better for the morality of Auckland. A correspondent of the Star makea the very pertinent suggestion that the ladies and gentlemen who are getting lip the present excitement should spend their superfluous energy in starting a reformatory for fallen women. Let them do that, and support such institutions as the Young Women's Institute, which exercises' a beneficial effect on the morals of young women, and they need not trouble themselves about the Contagious Diseases Act. St. Mujjgo.'

Fifty , thousand Americans will visit Paris during the summer, and .Ifigaro estimates that they will leave in Paris a million of dollars. /, ,\ v '«" tl ; in 'London averaged last -year one per dieins + fThe'bodiesreclnimedifrom the Thames were two per week. *

For remainder of news see Supplement,