ECHOES FROM THE CAFE

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1995, 21 April 1885, Page 4

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE

Tiik shocking tipped y .it the Au\iliar\ Lunitic Asylum should seive to bun' undi i the notice of tho (J(i\ernmont tinabsolute necessity for mciea-<incr tin utimbei of waiders. The number i> f patients i-, iuif'>i tun.itrly, (oiiht.intly an< 1 ipidlv nicuM'insf, while the warden .11 • •, ) f.-tt t. to I )i> totilly unable t > look pro pi'ily .ittur the unfortunates under (hen i.ii". Tlio election of the Vumliih V.ylum was ii prOiit boon, as it «ill<m\p<J pi io(l iii.my <>f tlio more hiumlrii p itieiit"to bo lcinovtvl fioin the mam builfluiy, and to bo phiccil 111 ciicnnibtances likely to as M-^t their lccovory, but much of the benefit 1^ lost tliiough tlio attendants beinj,' so few tli.it the sending of another patinit to the AiiMliuy ontiiili-:i <souica of d.m^ei to 1) ith the wardeiiand thoso pationti already lofit"(l there, who are employed on the f.u 111 IWimjTHig to the institution. Thai f.iiin li«ii lvon found most useful, as, not only luvo the \egetables, &c, for tho \. ylum been prown thpic, but alio tho win k on it 11.11 bepn found to have a beneficial effect on tho health of those employed theic. In older to extend its usefulness, it is necssai y th it other patients who am liannless should be diafted theie, but to secure that this may bo done with safety it is requisite that moro warders shdiild.be employed, f-o th.it they in.iy keep .1 jiropor surveillance over those whoso harmlessneuß is not absolutely assured, but who aie sent to the farm on piobation. It neetnsi that there were, at the time of tho occurrence of tho tiapedy on Monday, Unity six patients working on the farm, nndonly thiee wardens to look .after them. It is quite impossible for one man to look after twelvo lunatics, any one of whom may be Mid denly sei/.ed with hoinicidrl mania, and it 11, therefore, absolutely necessary that the number of attendants should be at once 111 creased.

* * It is a rather curious coincidence that tho murder at the asylum should have taken pLice on the same day as the trial of I'ren dcrgast, a former inmate, for the murder of his wife. The case resulted in the jury brining in a verdict of "guilty," with a recommendation to mercy on account of the prisoner having formerly been ms.ino. 1 mint admit that I do not see the force of the recommendation. The man was, either sane or insane at the time that he murdered his wife, and it was on his sanity then, not at any other period, that the jury should have given their verdict If he was sane then, he committed a most foul murder on the woman whom he had promised before God and man to protect and cheii«h, and he should suffer the ettremo penalty of the law, while, if he was insane then, the law holds him guiltier on account of his insanity. So far as tho evidence goes, tliPie was absolutely nothing to prove that he «,w insane when he murdered his wife, and 1 really cannot see on what grounds the jury based their recommendation to mercy However, the judge pronounced hente nco of death, so it now remains with the (Jovernnient to decide whether the man was mho enough to understand what he was doing. # »

Our defence works are being pushed on with commendable rapidity, but not so quickly as they might be were theie more pick and shd\ol men available. This i» a complete refutation of the statement mado from time to tune th.it there aio so many unemployed in Auckl.md. So anxious » the Ministei for Public Works to lose no time in the piosecuhon of the woik that ho attended the meeting of the Haibour Board on Tuesday for the pui pose of :>skmg that body to extend the contract time for tho Calliope Dock ho as to enable the contractor to spare a number of men to assist in the defence works. The members of the board expressed themselvcß as both willing and anxious to grant any reasonable concession for so desirable a puipose, and the contractor for the dock, though desiious of making as much progress as possible during the present fine weather, immediately announced his consent to spare a nnmbei of his workmen for the purpose. Thi« is quite as it should be, as it cannot bo a matter ot \ital importance whether the dock is completed two or three months sooner or later, while it may inako all the difference to us whether our defence woiks are completed two or three weeks sooner or later. Of course, when tho woiks are finished, whether we shall be able to defend ourselves from a hostile cruiser, should one come, will depend very much on tho class of vessels sent here. Should it be a wooden vessel, or one of those fast steameis tho Russians are Raid to havo bought in Amend, our guns, if properly manned, should be capable of defending un, but should an armour plated man-o-war come, £ believe that we have no guns capable of pioicmg her aiinour. However, v\lnlo wo are preparing for the worst we may fctill hope for the best — that no hostile cruiber will come here. * *

Some of tha residents in ono of our suburbs had an unpleasant sui prise thn other evening. There is no public house in that suburb, and the majority of the iohidents are determined that there sh.tll not be one. However, a few people who are interested in a hon->c which was built for the purpose of becoming licensed aio very anxious to tuin that house into a " pub." With this object in \ iew, they convened a meeting and hired a 'bus to comey to it ratepayers from the other end of tho district who were supposed to bo favouablo to the project. Despite their exertions, they did not succeed in getting more than a score of peoplo to attend tho meeting, and of those the decided majority was opposed to the granting of the license.

* Talking of licensing matters, I notice that the recently-elected Takapuna Licensing Committee were unseated on account of mistakes made by the returning officer and Ins deputies. The latter had allowed pliual voting, while the latter had opened the voting papers and taken out those which weic in excels. The election having been declared void, though there was nothing to prove that the plural votes mado any considerable difFeience, it is not at all impiob.iblo that the Governor may issue an Urder-in-Council appointing the five gentlemen who were elected. Should a fresh election take place, the result will bo very hiimlar, fur the real question at ib.suo was whether conditional licenses should be granted for the Takapuna Jockey Club's vices. The major portion of the residents .it the Noith Sli'ne take very little interest in the races, but they do not object to those who do so getting up the meetings. What they do object to is the vending of liquor at the races, which generally lias resulted in annoyance to quiet and peaceable subject! of her Majesty.

* * ♦ I'y-tho-byc, I notice that some of her Majesty's subjects in Itelund have been quite the reverse of peaceable in their reception of the Prince and Princess of Wales. This is really very foolish behaviour, as the Royal visitors went there ■w ith the very best intentions. They are neither of them in the (lightest degree responsible for any of the troubles of the Irish people ; they are both deservedly popular among all classes in England, and would bo so in Ireland if the people there would allow them an opportunity of showing what a good and noble lady and gentleman they are, and it would c mso a (rre.vt improvement in business in Ireland if Royal vnits wero the rule and not the exception, as they have been hitherto, and as they are likely to be if they are to be accompanied by riots. I noticed by the English pa pel « that the Queen had boon encouraging Iriuh manufactures by ordering for the trmisicau of the Pi incogs Beati ice homo beautiful dre«ses of frish poplin. Tli.it fabric is, I believe, mipenor toFiench Hilk in appearanco, and is almost overlastmg in wear. It was an Irish poplin dress that was worn by the Irish lady who, when tho Marquis of Waterford thought he would enjoy a joke at her expense, neatly turned the table 1 ! on him. She was walking in I > ii«3ii i x Park, wearing a poplm dre«s which tho MarquiH knew she had worn for many yoaiH, when the Marquis doffed his hat and sii'l, "(loud morning, Lady . Will you permit me to kns the hem of your antediluvian garment." ''Seoiiigyou are so fond of antiques, my Lord Waterford, I will permit you to kiss my antediluvian hand, which is fully thirty years older than the (.'iii rriPiit " The JVl.urjiiii kissed the piolleri'd hand, lifted his hat again, and walked away to his club, where lie told with much lelish how he had been outwitted by her ladyship. Seeing that tho alh.ineed husband of Princes-, Beatrice is very poor, it will bo a groat ad\antago to her to have diesses of so durable a fabric. St. Minco.

Cviirn of Dkivki\(i — "A younjj friend o mine v.is cured of .in insatiable thirst for liquor, that hid so prostrated Ins system tint lie was unable to do any business He was entire ly cured b> the use of Am Co's Hop Hitters. It i Hayed .ill that burning thirst, took away the appetite for liquor, made his nerves steady, and he has remained a sober and steady man for more than two yens, and has no desire to return to his cups."— l'rora a leading R. K. Oflicul.