OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2556, 27 November 1888, Page 3

OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

(FKOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Sydnet, October 31. The death of MrDalley has casta sombre tinge over the events of the week. He was a man whom epicureans adored because like them, lie made no secret of his intention to enjoy life. Politicians, even thaßO who most bitterly opposed his policy were compelled to respect him, on account of his commanding ability. Pie had the rare and inestimable gift of being able to move men's wills and influence their affections where lesser rights found themselves laboriously endeavouring to enlighten their understandings. Of course this only applies to the ordinary rank and file and to his own party whose prepossessions were already settled in his favour. There was a staunch hard-headed minority who saw flaws m his brilliant devices, and on whom it always devolved, sooner or later, to they had caused. But when these, while they distrusted the politician, could not but admire the man. He owed his chief power to his bright, genial, and sympathetic temperament supported by a rare tact and experience of men and of history. No one could leave his presence without feeling that he had, ir might have, a powerful personal friend. Nor did his good will end here. Many instances of his magnanimous generosity and prompt liberality are spoken of, and there are doubtless many more which will never be known on this side of eternity. A man of such magnetic influence and power and such intellectual ability might, if solely devoted to unscrupulous ambition, have been as great an enemy to his country as Napoleon Bonaparte was to , France. What he expected from the military resources of the people, and how little regard ha paid to the constitutional restraints by which the activity of those resources is wisely restrained, may be gathered from the history of the Soudan expedition. No difficulties would have daunted him from forming a conception and a plan; no scruples woulci havo prevented him from putting his plan into execution. The difficulties he would loave to those who ventured their lives to overcome them, the scruples to those who felt them. On the other hand, had he devoted himself to that political life for which he was so well fitted, he might have been an active force in the regeneration of his country. But so far as outsiders can lead his character, the same considerations which prevented him from achieving a more unenviable distinction than pertains to him as a self-appointed military dictator, also prevented him from greater achievements in a more laudable direction. He loved, as I said before, to enjoy life. He entered politics only, when thi victory had been achieved and he could take |his place with acclammation as the cynosure of a triumphant party. The toils and vexations of Opposition he consistently eschewed. Still it is given to no man to be perfect, and, while truth compels me to endeavour to form an accurate rather than a flattering estimate of the distinguished man who has just been removed, I cannot forget that he was distinguished—that he occupied a prominent position in tbo eyes of his fellows, not by virtue of adventitious circumstances, but by virtue of great endowments, which, on the whole, were not unworthily directed. From the dead to tho living is always an inevitable transition. Among Mr Dalley's most prominent remaining disciples must be reckoned Mr Dibbs, who glories in the influence which his departed chief has exercised over his political beliefs and actions. Mr Dibbs has just been elected Leader of the Opposition. Not that this is any great honour. He was leader last session, and it was no uncommon position for him to find himself without followers. This untoward situation was partly duo to his own impulsive waywardness and obstinacy, partly to the ill-disguised ambition and bickerings of his "supporters," of whom there are at least six who regard themselves as much better fitted for the chief position than the gentleman who now occupies it. I don't know that this state of affairs need be quite so severely visited on tbo Opposition as it is by the press writers on the dominant side. In a state of affairs like that which obtains at present, when all the prizes go to the supporters of the Government, it takes a man of some strength of mind and great independence of character to belong to the Opposition at all. And men of this description find it at least as difficult to agree with one another as with those who are more docile and biddable. To do them justice I must say that the Opposition, so far, have evinced no desire to resort tQ factious obstruction. The only delay that has yet been experienced is that which is caused by the tardiness of tho Government in bringing forward the proper business. The session can only be a very brief one, and even a single day can be ill spared if the business is to be transacted properly.

Everything comes to him who waits. At Wollongong the tide seems to have turned in favour of the long-suffering licensed victualler. All over the colony ha is threatened with the operation of a remorseless locnl option law which is not only intended to limit his output of manufectured products but to take away his very means of subsistence. Of course I need hardly explain that in the eyes of the teetotallers, the " manufactured product" of the publican is the confirmed drunkard. Without stopping to discuss that question, I may state that in the pleasant little township aforesaid the rum selling interest is strongly represented in the Borough Council, and it has been doing a little " local option "on its own account. It has secured the passing of a by-law which enacts that in Wollongone, any persons marching through the streets as ft musical procession shall be liable to fine and imprisonment. Nothing to them that this right was freely conceded in every other town in the colony, even in the crowded streets of Sydney. They had their local powers, and they meant to use them according to their own interpretation of them. For my own part I must say that I think they have strained them to an altogether unjustifiable pitch, I find it very hard to believe that it was ever contemplated to allow municipal magnates, who in many cases are ignorant of the first principles of jurisprudence, to pass laws affecting the liberty of their fellow citizens, even when they disapprove of their religious belief or proceedings. Still less can I imagine that it was ever intended that the whole paraphernalia of national justice, our police force, our warders, and our gaols, should complaisantly be placed at the disposal of any form of local bigotry which happened for the moment to be paramount. Perhaps I am hardly a reliable guide in this matter, for I must plead guilty to a very firm belief that if the imprisonment of any section of society is a panacea for our woes, we should suffer much less from the permanent incarceration of " Brother Bung " and his best customers than from that of the Salvation Army, grotesque and mistaken on many points of practice as I believe them to be. As, however, I have very little faith in the virtues of imprisonment in any case, perhaps this confession of faith is irreverent.

Anyhow, the Borough (Council strained its powers to pass the by-law, and it was ably seconded by the civic Solons. Repeated prosecutions brought down the strength of the recalcitrant Salvationists to two individuals, all the other effective male members being lodged in gaol at the public expense. Of these two, one marched up the street, playing a cornet. Then there was only one. The performer was promptly summoned. He thought he had circumvented the obnoxious law, as he triumphantly pleaded that one man could not possibly be a procession of men, and as a Salvationist was never, or at least hardly ever, known to be musical, the presumption was that he could not be a " musical procession." But the Bench promptly over-ruled him. He was " proceeding "; therefore, said the local luminary, he was a procession. He was playing a cornet; therefore he was a " musical procession " —two astounding dicta which mijkt well make the ghost of Lindley MurraPfcurn uneasily in his grave —that is to say if the worthy grammarian is still there, which I don't believe for a moment. What can be the intellectual atmosphere of a place where such things are possible is entirely beyond my comprehension ; still more so is the mental and moral condition of a Government which can permit them.