Current Topics AT HOME AND ABROAD.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 20, 13 February 1891, Page 1

Current Topics AT HOME AND ABROAD.

Mr. Cadman's appointment as Native Minister fob both goose has drawn the attention of some of o-r contempoAND GANDER, raries to the question of the Native lands. It is

argued, and, according to the temper of the times, very rationally argued- even, perhaps, by writers who have little sympathy with the democratic spirit of the day, that the vast area of land shut up fiom settlement forms a serioos hindrance to the progress of the ColoDy, The land lies idle, the Maori owners making little or no use of it, and Europeans who would gladly cultivate it not being permitted to do so. The plea, we say, appears to us to be sound. Why, for example, if a monopoly of land be generally and legitimately condemned, should it be justified by the position of any particular people 1 The Maoris, it is true, are the original owners. But might not a similar ciaim be urged in behalf of the landlords of the older countries? They are certainly in great part either the descendants or the representatives of the ftudal chiefs, who, in modern days, were the original proprietors. ADd if a perpetual right could be so acquired, the f.-udal chief?, with all their faults, did more towards the promotion of civilisation, and coosequently in the service of posterity, than was ever done by the ancestors of the Maori race. Some consideration, nevertheless, ibe Maoris deserve and some consideration, also, is admitted to be due to the landowners of the Old Wi rid. In neither case can any man. who is njt an advocate of wild and impracticable extremes, counsel confiscation. In each instance, on the contrary, compensation must b.> given. The manner in which and is held by Native owners meantime presents Borne difficulty. Their proprietorshp is, to a great degree, in common, and the consent of each shareholder individually must be obtained before a sale can be made. Several methods of getting rid of this difficulty have beee proposed — among the rest that of » Commission to deal with the land in ques'ion aft»r the manner in which the was'e land of the Colony generally is dealt with, aud to hand over the proceeds cither of sale or leasing to the Natives compelled to dispose of the land. Another difficulty that has at least presented itself to the minds of people who wi ie unwilling to see the Native race exposed to certain degradation, was that of stripping them of their lands, even by paying them a fair price. The money, it was thought, would inevitably be squandered, and the people left des'itute and hopeless. If, however, the land were cot absolutely fold, but disposed cf ry perpetual lease, the owners receiving the annual rents, or having them applied judicious y to their use, this difficulty might be pro\idi'd against, litaniime it is not e*sy to see why there snould be one low fcr the Maori and another for the European population. If the Maons *re to bow to the spirit of the day, and to gire up a monopoly by wh-ch settlement is impeded, why are not European monopolists to do the same? The King Country, to which, for instance, our contemporary, the Dunedin Star, makes particular reference, M cks the path of settlement ; but quits a? effectually, though less extensively in any particular quarter, do the vast estate of Europe in monopolists. Wha', for example, is the state of the country that stretches far and wije around the town of Oamaru ?— to which, by the way, Mr. Pinkerton. in bis proposals for placing small farmers on the borders of settlements, might usefully turn his attention-thongh similar cases in other localities will by no means fail him. If the Maori monopolist, we say, be forced to part with his land, his European brother in monopoly cannot claim exemption. That, in the interests of humanity and civilisat.on, and for the necessary advancement of settlement and progress, as well as in accordance with the spirit cf the day, tbe Maori monopolist may be legitimately called upon to yield, is evident. The thing is to deal with him so as to make fair provision for his future, and to preserve him from degradation. We say again, the European monopolist, in every case in which 1* is found necessary or advisable, should share the Maori's lot.

That was a very suggestive leader published the A suggestive other evening b? our contemporary the Globe leader. against the use of Messrs. Whitcombe and Toombs 1 school-bcoks. The admissions made by our contemporary, as the organ of a party whose majority are fieroa secularists, are, to say tbe least, remarkable. What a pic tare he gives us, besides, of tbe state of things produced by this system, for whose maintenance such sacrifices are made, in the miserable teachers whom he describes as holding their tongues in terror leit they should offend the Board. The consequence would be their prompt dismissal. " And hundreds of huogry applicant*," Bays our contemporary, " would soon wolf up their positions." But is thtir no pity for these wolfish hundreds — the products of our educational system — who, while the miserable teachers hold tremblingly on, wander about unfed ? Our contemporary again bae a frank word or two to Bay about the godless Bchools :— " We are not educating our children," he very truly remarks, as, indeed, we ourselves have constantly remarked, " we are not succeeding in properly developing their faculties or cultivating their thinking powers. We are only preparing stereotyped reprints of a model automaton child charged with certain dates and facts, and guaranteed to discharge them all within a given time. Reforms are needed all along the line. 1 ' The suggestive passage, par excellence, in our contemporary's leader is the following: — l( It the Board's inspectors persist in examining children in books to the use of which the par nts have conscientious objections, they need not be surprised at finding that they hare nearly empty schools to examine, for we are certain parents will not suomit to having their strongest convictions set at nought by a handful of Conservative educational faddists." Conscientious objections, then, touching their material interests — involved in the purchase of Messrs. Wt.itcjmbe and Toombs' books — justify pareots ia keeping their children aw *y from school. The majority of the party which the Globe represents nevertheless insists on forcing parents who hive con-ciuihous objection} relating to spiritual interests — which are mu^b. higher— to send their children to the schools th.it on such groun Is tu»y object io. The necessary conclusions are iut much to th? credit of the majoiity referred to. We have before ua one of Dr. Barnardo's little A tit-p.it books. It is natn.'d" Twelve Sheep from Australia, 1 ' k'ROii and purports to be the explanation of circumstances BVRXAKno conrected with a letter in which a former pupil of the Doctor informs him th it ne his sent him twelve frc/en sheep from Sydney. Tne writer si^ns himself "Timothy Regan," "Timothy B gau," of cvirsi'. miybe a real entity. We should not, however, be surpnsed if he were a youn^ man improvised for the occasion, and given an Irish name, to sug^e-it hu«r remarkably well those young Papists turn out whom the cpnd Doctor kidnaps.— Be that as it may, we rh.d the following passage relating to " Timothy Regan" and his brother und sister in the nirritiye of th Mr antecedents given to thj Uocto r , on his firs discovering them, by an old gentleman of ih-ir acquaintance. "No one wnits 'em,'' said the old gentleman, as quoted in thi* little book, '• cos fim is afearei they 'v Ibe inteiferiu'. Ods:, 1 heer'd them 'ere Sifters o' Mussy, as they cii' the. selves, got hold o1o 1 Bess, and male a pretty fuss over 'er, and wos a- n 'oin' to take her off to on« o' them there schools ; bat Tim, he kern 'otne, and turned 'etn out double quick, a-sayin' as he worn't papibh 'isself, an' no more wor Bess nor Jack. Now ihey all leave 'em alone, but Ive heerd lately as they've bin werry nigh starvir/ since Tim's bin at the 'orspital, If you coul-i o-ily ccc 'em yerself, sir, you 'ud 'eip Bessie somehows, I'm ture ; for anyways you take it, it ain't a good thing for her, poor l'»I, to be- brou^nt up as shj is."— "Poor gal," it was better, nevertheless, for her to be brought up in any way than by the Sisters of Mercy. But let us note the virtuous indignation of the good Doctor a the attempt rmde by the Msters of Mercy to rescue this girl wtM " woru't papi3h "—although a boy named " Timothy Ret:an ' might very naturally be taken for an Irish Catholic or the son of oue, while the good Doctor himself is constantly engagpd in laying hold of catholic children— and spends more in trying to maintain his hold on thtm. in spue of the law, than would suffice for the keep of several Prote^ant children legitimately in

his charge. But when was the profe'sional proselytiger honest or consistent or in any way capable of common decency ? We may add that, now Dr. Barn.irdo has come before tie world as an avowed proselytiser, his tactics in emtinuing to etnl his appeals to Catholic journalists are evidently thes • of obtaining their adverse notice, so as to keep up the tlame ot bigotry among his byiupathiseid and make a profit of it. Havug, tht refute, done hutßcient to inform our readers •s to the true nature ot the ins itution conducted by this man, and to put them on thur guard against, m my way, contributing towards itssupport, we s .all not again return to the subject. Henceforward Dr. Barnardo's appeals shall go uaorened into our waste-paper basket.

The National papers received by the San Francisco A lamentable mail have not brought us much consolation touching exhibition, the contest at North Kilkenny, and which was taken

at Home, as in the coloniee, for a fair ttst of the feeling of the countiy towards Mr. Parcel. The victory was, as we know, decisive, but much that took place duiing the struggle was humiliating and grievous to witness. It is tiue the matter has been greatly exaggerated. All kinds of people, with all kinds of motives, bitter enemies with malevolent intentions, jesterp, and would-be wits — iuch, for example, as the " agreeable rattle " " Civis," of the Otago Witness, and funny folk rf that calibre, to whose attempts at humour the stage Irishman — miserable, threadbare, scare-crow as he is, proves a perfect God-send, have raked up events and sayings that never took place. But this is a matter of course, and may be taken for what it is worth. If it affords the spiteful a snap, or the silly a giggle, why ■hould we grudge them their gratification I Allowing for everything! however, what really occurred was bad enough. Ihe spectacle, for instance, presented to the world by Mr. Parnell himself was most lamentable. Mr. Laboucbere, we trust, has hit upon the right Bolution_ For who is accountable for his actions when his mind gives way, and which of us is proof against this I Vulgar and f imiliar gestures, unbecoming exclamations, a line of conduct utterly out of keeping with the dignified reserve that, almost to excess, had characterised Mr. Parnell in by-gone days, — such wis the rule of his whole behaviour. So low had he descended from his former station that we can even believe te wilfully misrepresented the nature of the attack on him that has been so loudly complained of — that is a blow received by him in the eye, and, as it was reported, from a bug of lime. The truth appears to be that he was struck by a lump of mud containing ■ome particles of slack lime, and that some mischievous boys, who were also throwing chalk and flour, with no party bus, were the offenders. But his speech at Kilkenny, for instance, as reported in his own paper, United Ireland, of which he had taken forcible pjS. session a week or two before, clearly betrays lih fnl'. What can b 0b 0 •taler, boulenn^ mure closel/ on slari:. or mure htupia than his \ u.vai allusion to Mr. Ju-'in McCarthy. It mi^ht aimoat do for oui de lghtful "Civis'" riras'.'lt, and, 1.1 pus nj;, we r^c.imuu 0.l him to store iL up for some ruiHiant uccaMuu ia tlu n< ar luture. lie i c cnbj 1 Mr. McCarthy aa Lwil^ oulired a good a .It tumbler of j inch abd a bath of hot water and uius ard to he in io.dim.ss on Lv arnval in the town. "Heis a nice ild gentkman fur a quiet tea-p irt) , 'he added. Could any of us have conceived that Charles Stewart Parne 1 would come to th s ? T r e f-pcctacle i», inJttd, one to be regarded with humility— one un which we would gladly draw the vtil, remembering that no man atucrg us, as we have said, is in his own measure proof against an equal fati. .Mr. Parnell, however, has giveu his pledge that he will fiuht a 1 ovei lie. and, <>nd who can Ull when an end is to be put to this deplorable ixhioition .' Unfortunately, men who ought to know btt er are blindly lollo.wnj; him. and are edging him on. But as to the corcmuu sor,s> by wtiic i Rich men aie iruided and the spirit that actuate th m, .t wot<..u oncj more to I mttj Inland we shall see ot wha" va ue t'i, \- ,ue. Mr D ivitt, the lush priests, and the English party nre tin- m>j „• - ot oar contemporary's anger. Mr. Davitt it accuses of agnostic. mi, the Iristi people, on the other hand, at least by lmphcatiun, of tuu r ady cornpha .cc with tlu commands of their Ct.urca. "It was a ty pic il Irish c ection scene,'' it siys, '• to see the priests coacluog the 'ig nts <>* in old times." And jet, in another way, our contenipoiary would bring b.ck the old times under Btill worse aspect. It would deploy t.i: b ttr understanding tnat has arisen between the English Liberals and the Irish people, and renew the pr< judiees and enmities a tie p-»st. Nothing but evil can now come et the leadership .if Mi. Fainell. It has, alas, ended for us in confusion, humiliation, ml torrow. The Daturc of the content at N. r h Ki.kenny — if lnu, .tuleed, hail not already fee r. done by the decision of the l-i*h hieiaiclu l he L t woul to be said on the surqect for ary b ma ie Cat 1 olu;_ a.A,' i have placed a seal Lur us on the conclusions to which of umi own accord we h.d ciine at first, and renderei any nunval of oar allegiance to .Mr. laint.ll completely irupobsi h ie, We u^ed to be te-ld that a.l tnat was wintedto AN tiPL' di:d establish a eoiuplut ■ rei^u of brotherhood and FALL.VCV. bring ao ar the universal pi. vrtlerc cf n charity far auperi-i Lv . nythins,' .hat Chustiani'y could UiCUlcate, was that a thorough acquaintance w.th icieoco should be-

com i general. In fact, such was a chief argument brought forward in support of secular education— as indeed it still may be, for all we know to the contrary. Professor Huxley, nevertheless, is, for instance, an admirable representative of men who have a thorough acquaintance with science. We do not suppose, indeed, any one more versed ia such knowledge could h* readily found, and yet the Professor, as we occasionally see — is anything rather than a man and a brotherbeing also of a charity which seems rather doubtful. The Professor his just made another of those characteristic remarks, which, although we know we must not judge of tbe universal from the particular, are still very suggestive, as coming from a man who ia the head of a more advanced school of the period. Referring to Cardinal Manning's late letter to General Booth, in relation to the General's proposal for the relief of the suffering masses, and in reference to the special passage in which the writer Bays he holds that every man has a right to breai or work, Professor Huxley says : " My opinion of the dictum of Cardinal Manning, to which you draw my attention, is that it is a very mischievour error. ' A spirit of universal brotherhood, therefore, and a perfect charity do not necessarily flow from a perfect acquaintance with science. On the contrary, a much nearer approach to tbem may be made, as we see, by those who are guided by what are by some considered the obsolete principles of an older system. Christianity, in fact, ana the teaching of tbe Catholic Church may inculcate precepts much more suited to the requirements even of the enlightened age in which we live. Does not this throw a little doubt on the advantages to be derived from a pure secularism! and does it not tend towards pointing out the necessity for a moral training not quite consistent with it ?

The Bishop of Ossory, in addressing his people MR. rAENEIx's about the approaching election, Nor'h Kilkenny leadership, being in his diocese, threw out a hint that it may

be useful to keep in mind. "It must have struck the most casual observer of events during the past few days," said the Bishop, " that the hereditary enemies of the Irish cause have begun to exhibit a sadden partiality for Mr. Parnell and his followers." This, we say, is a hiut that may prove useful to us. It is well to be on the safe side, and prudence would certainly seem to recommend that we should be very well informed concerning the motives of those who still claim our allegiance for Mr. Parnell. It is not necessary for us to believe that Mr. Parnell himself would directly pi \j the traitor — though perhaps it is not inappropriate to recall that a famous predecessor in guilt of (his, that is Dermot McMurrough, played sacb a part by the Irish people of his day. A conespondent of the London Star, moreover, relates a suggestive incident as to his having accidentally discovered ODeof Mr. Parnell's personal friends on his way to Hatfield, the residence of Loid Salisbury. Tne important point is, however, that artful enemies of Ireland, or people desuou?, as the a tying is, ot twisting lushmen around iLeir ht'le tinkers, may riud it to their advantage to fatour Mr. Parned. We see his cnine male light of. People, we are told, who are quite as bad, condemn him. Nay, saints tbtmselves have b^en guilty of as inuca. Tie first argument is unworthy of reply. It is too foolish no" to make us suspect the man who urges it. The secou i is answered once for all by the venerable Canon Doyle. '• \\"j are told," he says, '• of David's fall, but not a word about his qu.ck np^ntance and overwhelming sorrow — not a syllable about the dreadful chastisements those s*ns, though repented of, brought upon Div.d and his house. We are not shown the aged King prostrate on the ground, his garuneits ren^, and his grey hair sprinkled with ashtp, crjing from the depths of a broken heart,' Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy gtct mercy, and according to the multitude of Thy tender mercy, blot out my iniquities.' " We do

nut in iact, see one argument which has been urged for the retention of Mr. PameU'd le-vdershm th it. is vali 1. The chief ot all, and that which seems to claim most attention, is thar based on the services rendeied by him in the past. But let us recellect the old saying respecting the gratitude due tj the cow that gives the milk and then kicks over the pail. Mr. Parneil knew what the effect ot hia misconduct on the Irish cuse must be, and yet he did not restrain himself. How, then, ara we to believe thit his motives were genuine .' But let us not question the matter too closely. Whether his motives were pure or imperfect, whether or not the thought of self entered into his undertaking more than we believed it did, is nothing now to the point, lie served us, and we remain his debtors, and would gladly be silent respecting his fall if he would permit us. What we would insist on is the necessity for Irishmen to know the character of the people and all their circumstances who urge them to remain faithrui to Mr. I'arnell. We qu>te again that warning given by the Bishop of O*>sory as most deserving ot attention— " It must have stiuck the most casual observer of events during the past few days that the hereditary enemies of the Irish cause have begun to exhibit a sudden partiality for Mr. Parnell and his followers." The writer of a letter from the Irishman in Trut k A a.YMI'LE. is accountable for the iullowiag : — "You will remember, dear Lady Betty, that in hia 'Confea noah st, Augustine naively exclaims • 0 Lord ! convert me— but not

•" You will

now.'" If dear La ly Bitty, however, recollects this exclamation, her Ladyship's memory must ba very defective St. Augustine, in fact, does n)t exclaim anything of the sort, naively or otherwise. What St. Augustine penitently confines is that bef )re his conversion, he had made such on impious prayer— of which in his " Confessions " he shows a pioper appreciation. Ta*t a fnvo ous water, det in* with light topics, should make such a mistake miy, perhaps ssem a mere trifle, and hirdly worthy of note. Tne mistake, nevertheless, furnishes a very fair sample of the manner in which mitters relating to Baints and doctors, and their teaching and utterances are generally understood by Eoglifn non-Oatholic writers. As such it is worth recording. There are, nevertbess, subjects on which the wiiter A candid to whom we have alluded may be taken a? a fair, admission, as he is also a candid, authority. We take tbj following, for example, from his letter in Truth, of December 4 :— " The fact is we are every bit as bad as our neighbours, though our evil-mindedness is of a more morbid character. Whilst they trespass gsily and openly, we envelop our misconduct with a semi-transparent veil of artificial excellence, which deceives ncne but ourselves, Tbe observance of •' respectability " is our real national religion, and so long as we conform outwardly to its dictateß, we may each and all of us individually do pretty much as we like— and, what is more, we do. Have you ever noticed the singular difference there invariably exists between English people at home and the same when abroad ? Paterfamilias, accompanied by his wife and daughters) freely attends plays in Paris that he would strongly reprobate being even performed io London. They visit places of amusemeot that they would not dream of approaching here. They read books printed in French which would appal them if published in English, and laugh heartily at foreign grossien-tes that would horrify them if reproduced in their own mother tongue. Is English " society ' better or worse ttun that on the Continent ? I unhesitatingly assert that it is infinitely worse, and the more so, because the evil that is in it is partially concealed by an artificial atmosphere of organised hypocrisy King Ja Ja Oko Jumbo, who kills little girh and eats them in the wastes of Central Africa, la not one whit worsj than we who permit them to be relentlessly tortured to death by hard work and starvation wages." The Rev. Canon Howell, who has just been A HA«ABDOU3 appointed to the incumbency of St. Matthew's pledge. Church, Dunedin, m3ans to pursue the juste milieu. He told his parishioners the other night, at a meeting held to welcome him, that this was what he meant to do— "He would be neither liomuh nor Presbyterian," he said, "but a true son of the Church of England, and would stop short at nothing the Church of England allowed." The Canon, then, proposes to go " the whole hog " so far as his doing bo is consistent with hie avoidance of either of two extremes. His reverence will not be 41 Romish," neither will he be Presbyterian. What, however, does the "whole hog" consist of where the Church of England is concerned? The judgment lecently delivered by the Archbishop of Canterbury— '• a respectable clergyman," says the London Daily Ntn-f, " against whobe character no one has a word to say, and to whose opinion no one attaches the slightest importance" — wil' inform us. The Church of England allows of the mixture of water with the wine used in communion, provided tne mixture be made before the communion service begins. But this practice, in any case, writes a clerg>man of the Church concerned, " is perilously close upon Romanism." The Church of England also allows of the übc of lightei candles at the communion table, and, consequently, of candlesticks in which to place the candles. Here, however, we are admonished by the awful example that occurred the other day at Roslyn. In that instance so " Romish " were the candlesticks alone, even without the lighted candies, esteemed, that it was thought a godly act to Bteal them and lay a stone :n their place— unless, of c mrse, an Evangelical miracle was worked, aod the candlesticks were turned into a stone, which, we must acknowledge would be fetill more remarkable and effective. The Church of England also allows of the singing of the Agnus Do. during the communion service, and of ceremonial ablution and drinking from the chalice after ablution. AH, in fac', of the six points brought against the Bishop of Lincoln which the Church forbids are the making the Bign of the cross in giving the benediction and the turning of the celebrant's back upon the people. To four of the points, then, brought as grave offences against the Bishop oi Lincoln Canon Howell stands pledged. Will it be generally admitted in the parish that his reverence observes the judt miluu .' Developments in due time will no doubt inform us. The probab'e, or, indeed, the almost certain loes A GRIEVOUS of the s.s. Kakanui, which had been d«-sp itched disaster. towards the end of December to the Macquane Islands to bring back a party ot people engaged there id obtaining eea elephant and penguin oil for Mr. Hatch, of

Invercargill, is now a topic of interest an 1 anxietj . The cause which led to the despatch of the steamer was a rumour to the effect that the supply of provisions taken io the island with the patty in questijn must have run shoit, an 1 that in cormq'ience, th >y were in dang>r of pension* from hunger. The Kakanuii h iwever, remaining aw.iy far be\ond the lucepsary time, (he H.nemoa wa6 sent in search of hei, a-;d this vcpsel, whicb re'urned last week, brough' back alarming new?. The Kakanui had arrived at the islands on January 2, and had left next d sy, bunging off eight of the ten people to whose aid she had gone. It is therefore be'ieved thit she foundered in a violent gale that occurred two days af erwards. The fatality seems aggravated by the fact that the rujQour as to a failure of the food supply prove \ groundless. M 'antime a somewhat heated discussion is taking place as to the origin and intention of the rumour alluded to, the fitnoes of the Kakanui for the voyage on which she was sent, aii 1 matters generally that seem now but little to the purpose. Possibly a conclusion may be arrived at to the traditional iffect that homebody has blundered. Several valuable lives have, however, most piobably been lost, and without any alequate cause for the risk that was run. The case is exceptionally distressing. The period v a fighting on^. Among the lces:r ANOTHER rows is one between the London Tuna and Mr. scurFLE. William O'Brien and Mr. Patrick Ford. 'The Time has accused Mr. O'Brien of proving himself a member of the dynimite party by writing an aiticle for th> lru\h World. Mr. O'Brien ha 9 fiercely defied the accusation, po.nting out that the article was written for the New York Herald, ; n 1 alttrwar.ls inserted, without acknowledgment, in the Irhh World. Mr. OTmai, besides, has threatened the 'limes with an action for libel. Mr. l\i n^k Ford very naturally tak' s the condemnation mide of his papei, backed up by at least the silent coasent of Mr. William O'Brien as it a, by no means kiadly, and, quite as na'urally, gives his opinion vii t c su')j ct with complete candour. We fancy, however, that :ho lrnh World will bear a good deal of snubbing without buffering much daaaa^e. It is one of the best papers published anywhere, and evea Mr. William O'Brien might write for it without discredit to himself. Vr. Fold, moreover, is no advocate of dynamite practice 0 , but has loDg since gi>en in his adhesion to the conslitutioaal agitation for Home Kule ( and very ably supported it. Of late years, in fac:, th 2 Irhk World has had no superior in thefhld of lrisa natio.ial ht-rituiv.aud n me of the National leaders can sight it without m^r ititu le. Wuat is more, none of them can hopj to s lght it with impunity. Let us hope, however, toe matter is no more important than a httlj skirmish, in accordance with the spirit of the period. It. is to Lc rcg'ettuJ, never theless, as a further departure from the uaity oa which the success of the Irish cause is staked. The Russian Prjsb, it =ejm«, id ak'n^ lUtuntly A BLOT ON with regard to the effjitb madu tj bung Euioreau CIVILISATION, opinion to bear on be'ialf of the peibeeu'L 1 Jiws One ot the principal papers in >M V< tLi^ojig compares the situation to that existing in Ireland, au 1 poiuts to ilie t fleet of a meeting held in his cit> to a Ivocate ilorne P.ul •. The Je^v-, he says, deserve toeir treitmtnt by the m inner m which they djnl with the peasantry. Bat when was the icligious per-.icj.Ur in want of an argument to prove that religion did net enter into his motives I Truth, meantime, points out that it is not the <Kwsonly who are persecuted, Catholics and Pro ts^ants, he til's v«, aie suffering as well " Persons of rink," he says, "of the liberal profewot s, and of both sexes, are being ferociously Hogged all over tlu c^u'itry." ''At Warsaw, the other day," he adds, " a Cathohc priest, of exemplary character, received sixty strokes with a birch-rod because be had endeavoured to hold a service in the opco. air after his church had been closed by the police.' 1 The Rjssiaa newspaper aUuded to dih'es a coalition of all Europe, aid declares that h s cjun'ry cou d hoi \ her own ani work her Wicked will in spue of it. Truth, however, predicts an internal solati in of the question m the shipa uf a revolution or a military or palace couji d ttat, " Alexander," he concludes. "is either a maniac (like the rest of his fimily) or clsi he is so saturated with apprehension for his own personal safety or with religious fanaticism that he is practically insane.' We read in the Dunediu Star of batur lay evening '•COLONtL" the following HinUnce . "Colonel Barker, who pieBAKKEIi's WORK, viously had the uuingLimutof rescue wi'ik in Australia, has brought that branch of faalvitun Army enterprise to a high state of efficiency, and h h njw been iecalled to England to take an important position in the open'ng of the ntw scheme. " — Before " Colonel " Baiker, however, quits our shor s \Mth a laurel wreath around his brows, to t ike up work in the O 1 Co.ki'i \ ia which thct>e colonies may have a very giave ia ere^t, it would be well for us to learn what reply he hab m de to the charges lately published by the Melbourne Aye, The Aye, it would appear, had

Bom 3 reason to question the efficiency of the rescue work performed by the " Colonel "ia Melbourne. Has the " Colonel " been able to refute the charges ? According to the official reports of the police department in Melbourne it would se^m that the efficiency of rescue work was insome degree, to say the least of it, doubtful. Stnior-Detec-tive Sergeant Thomas Nixoo, for instancy rpporting on August 7tb, 1890, states that the members of his particular branch of the service are agreed that the Army's Prison Gite Brigale has rendered them no services. "Colonel" Barker and "Captain" Foley, he says, again, had frcm time to time furnished information as to contemplated crimes and other misdemeanours which was found to be false and groundless. "I am also in a position to say," he adds, " that some of the worst criminals have been kept and fed while they were out at night committing robberies. This was well known to ' Captain ' Foley, but he was prevented, as he told me, by ' Colonel ' Barker from giving information." We may, however, give " Coloael " Birker the benefit of the doubt. " Captain " Foley does not appear to have been a very reliable informant. The " Captain " himself, in fact, has since returned to his evil ways, and is now serving a sentence of three years in gaol. A more serious charge brought against the " Colonel," and concerning which there is no apparent doubt, is that on a certain occasion he was found in possession of about £60, which was part of the proceeds of a big robbery of watches and jewellery committed in Collins street. A man, again, who ha 4 been wounded in an attempt to rob a bank was kept in the army barracks some days, and when the police were informed of it he was sent out of their way. " The Army generally," concludes Sergeant Nixon, " is made up of strong men who are quite able to do any sort of hard work if they would, and of young girls who would be much better — and more respectable — in service than selling the War O*y."— -Inspector D. 8. Kennedy say b, " So far as thieveß are concerned I do not believe that the' Army' effort to reform them is attended with much success." — Superintendent Sadleir, in his ieport to the Cbief Commissioner, under date September 2, 1890, declares the Prison Gate work a failure. Some of the police, he says, believe the criminals taken in hand hopelessly depraved but cunning enough to deceive the officers, while others have no faith in the officers, but believe them to be working for their own personal gains. •' Facts," he concludes, have been stated to me that cejtainiy place their conduct in a somewhat suspicious light." — " These," finally remarks the Age, " are very grave charges, and it is incumbent on ' Colonel ' Barker to refute them if he can. They are officially made, and if their accuracy is challenged by the Salvation Army officers, it is open to them to apply to the Chief Secretary to cause a searching inquiry to be made into the whole matter." Have the efficers done so, or did " Colonel " Barker leave Melbourne without moving in the matter ? Is he. moreover, now about to proceed to Loodon with his honours thick upon him, to perform rescue work of the same kind there I As the people lescued by the " Colonel " may possibly form a portion of their future population, a full explanation ot the matter must needs be of interest to the colonies.