“VAGRANT’S” NOTES.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 478, 10 July 1890, Page 3

“VAGRANT’S” NOTES.

If Mr Justice Edwards is not getting a pleasant time of it in the House—or rather if the Government who made the appointment is not let off easily—he ought to rejoice over the merciful treatment that has been accorded by the unseen powers. At Gisborne he only had to go through one land case—the other was settled by counsel—but he was in a great hurry to rush away, and when Mr Finn applied for the remission of one adjournment fee (a most reasonable request) he drew a woful picture of the cost to the country, and flatly refused to consider the unusual circumstances under which the request was preferred, the settling of the case between counsel having saved perhaps weeks of the Commissioners’ time.

Well the Gisborne cases were nicely got through for him, and then the idea was conceived of sending him to that place known as ‘'Sleepy Hollow” — otherwise named after the great Nelson. Why he should have been sent to Nelson is one of those mysteries that can be solved only by those behind the curtain, to whom there is no mystery at all. It may be that the lawyers at Nelson are thought too tame to question the legality of the Judge’s appointment, about which nearly everyone sterns to have some doubt, or it may be that the quiet town was thought a fitting stage for the newly-pledged Judge to make his debut. But what happened ? Nelson could only produce one case, and that could not be trusted to a Nelson jury. So there was a rittle complimentary speechifying, and plastering of butter, and the whole session’s business was done. Should not the Government feel grateful for this fortunate turn in their affairs ?

The brief telegraphic item that the Federated Trades Council had expressed their confidence in Mr D. P. Fisher does not give a very adequate idea of the nature of the trouble. Mr Fisher had resigned bis office as secretary to the Union, and this is hew it all AMB-nboat. As Mr Fisher was formerly a resident, a few particulars of the anaAt will have more than ordinary interest. Papers had stated there was to ba a meeting rf ex-operatives one evening, but no one seemed to know who authorised the announcement. The ex-operatives, male and female, waited at the Woiking Men’s Club, for the convener cf the meeting to appear, and when Mr Fisher came up an altercation arose between him and Mr D. McKenzie, Secretary cf the ex-operatives Union. The Press says that Mr McKenzie in very strong language openly accused Mr Fisher of selling the ex-operatives, and of attempting to call a meeting to take them unawares end also with withholding certain correspondence in connection with the matter with the Maritime Council. Mr Fisher gave him the lie direc', saying that be came there to attend the meeting as a delegate from the Maritime Council and adding that he had in his pocket a document which would prove Mr McKenzie to have said wbat was false. This and other such language had only the effect of adding fresh fuel to the fire and several of the women and girls chimed in, disclaiming Mr Fiaher and denouncing him as a schemer, etc., and giving it as their opinion that if he got brained that night he would only get his deserts. “If it had not been for that thing,” said one irate damsel, “ coming up here preaching unionism to ua we should have all been in the mill to day.” •* Come inside and have it out,*’ cried another, “ let us hear what you have to say for yourself. ’ Mr Fisher asked what they wanted. He came out to attend the meeting and then they turned round and said he had ■old them. '• So you have ” cried a voice, “ we all know what you, Macdonald, and Woods are.” “ Well, what do you wan: ?*’ asked Mr Fisher. •• Postpone the meeting,” said Mr McKenzie, " until tomorrow night or any night you like, and we will hear you and be ready to defend ourselves, and if there is ary low work to be done we shall see it.” *• Low work,” exclaimed Mr Fisher, “ the whole of the low work has been [done by you.’* ‘lt’s a lie,’ eaid Mr McKenzie. Mr Fisher said he had been challenged by Mr Graham, president of the Federated Trades Council, and he meant to accept the challenge. Mr Fisher was hooted to the nil way station. Now it appears he was in no way in the wrong.

I see my old friend Sydney Taiwhanga has been distinguishing himself in the House on the first possible opportunity. His first shot was on the address in reply, and he sailed in as Taiwhanga-like as ever. On rising he spread a sheet of paper resembling a map of Europe on the desk in front. Then waving his hands he coughed and snorted and cleared his throat. “ Massa Speaker,” he exclaimed, “I war near squashing him. (Laughter). Yes, squashing a gemmen in the lobby. (Boars of laughter). Yes Saar, I never come nearer squashing benybody. I mean that man with buttons. (Renewed laughter). He ■ez—” Hilloa ! That you again ? Who—who—who—let yoa out?” Roars of laughter followed this allusion to Sydney's recent incarceration. “ He met me in the lobby,” he continued, coughing and raising his voice till it whistled like an artificial canary. “ I sez, I don’t know what you for at all.” More laughter followed this observation. Sydney Dow grasped a handful of documents and began tossing them about and gesticulating wildly. Then alluding to the alleged debts of ministers to the Bank of New Zealand he •ays:—“You says they owes sixty tousand pounds !. Sixty tousand ! Ugh! Why it is million—hi!” Again roars of laughter Bmowed the sally, which is accompanied by knocking about of the foolscap. “Last ” screams Sydney, evidently pleased at the impression he is making. “Last yer twelve Maori Bills come from the Upper House. Ugh! God only knows how many more there were!” (Roars of laughter.) ** Then comes an amendment that never no one sees, but somehow I got it.” Pointing to the documents streaming from his right hand he yells:—“lf dat Act passed, whaar is the Msori? The Maori nowhaar! (Laughter.) It was obfiscation. Another Bill we never saw till the last moment of the proclamation of Parliament to-night.” In the meantime the speaker’s voice was gradually reaching a higher pitch: his gesticulations were becoming more frantic, he seemed inclined to jump to the ceiling, his voice whistled when he did not cough, and his friends appeared to apprehend an apoplectic seizure. Then a member quietly rose to a point of order, the voice of the speaker was heard and Sydney subsided. Gisborne often complains, and sometimes with very good reason too, of the way it is misrepresented in other districts, but nothing can equal the wretched blunders into which an Australian paper has fallen concerning New Zealand harbour matters. The Australasian of June 14th, referring to the failure of the New Plymouth Harbour Board to pay full interest on its loan, predicts that the Napier Board, which is building “ a breakwater where ■hips will never be able to lie,” will “follow the example of its neighbor in due course.” Now if there is oncj local loan in New Zealand amply secured it is the Napier Harbour Board ban. The Australasian knows as much about Lyttelton and Auckland, where, it *•!•» large harbours have been built though “ it is only ♦ once in ja blue moon ’ that any merchant vessel wants tp use them,” A London correspondent gives me the following information, dated May 16:— Mr Stanley is getting into trouble. He is a difficult hero to imitate. His angularities come out at all sides—there seems to be no end of them. On Sunday he delivered his soul upon the wicked apathy of the Britisher in reference to Central Africa to a representative of the Manchester Guardian, and on Tuesday, at the Guild hall reception, where he was feted by the City Fathers, he launched out against the Quakers in particular, and all and sundry in general (not forgetting the newspapers), as to the constant and persistent attempts which they made to gag British enterprise. Yet he was fain to confess that J 1 * Major Wiesmann's

to day is being done by Englishmen. Mr Stan •ey riiould have addressed his appea’s to a different quarter. Everybody knows with what great difficulty the "two British companies in East and Southern Africa got their charters from the Government, and how it is the Government that is the chilling influence in this great work of civilisation and discovery. And yet not altogether the Government.

The Government are handicapped by consideration of European policy, and cannot very easily consent to ride roughshod over other folks. As a matter of fact, they have not yet been able to say whether they will back the treaties which Mr Stanley has made on his own account with the chiefs between Yambuga on the Arnwimi and the Victoria Njanza. There are difficulties of which Mr Stanley takes no cognisance, yet which are very real and substantial. As a matter of fact, unless we are to abdicate as a European power, we cannot very well do what he demands in Central Africa. As to his attack upon the he forgets how much they did in regard to the emancipation of the slaves in our West Indian colonies, and how benevolent they are in many ways. To put the thing plainly, Stanley is a bit impulsive, and rather over does his case, which would be all the stronger if it were put with somewhat less energy and more moderation. We may not be able to forge ahead at his pace, but it is the absolute truth that public interest in African discovery and African enterprise has never been keener in England than it is to-day.

This is how one clever writer scores a few points at the expense of Sir Harry Atkinson: —One would think that Sir Harry Atkinson was determined to furnish material for a bitter satire somewhat in this vein: He would be pictured by the satirist taking leave of many of his political friends at a select and secret dinner. At this would be present only members of the Civil service and the choicer spirits of the professional politician class. In their presence he could Speak without disguise. Sir Harry would address them thus :— “Gentlemen, I have been Colonial Treasurer in New Zealand longer than any other man. I have made some fourteen Financial Statements ; and I can place my hand upon my heart and say that I never oneo remitted a single penny of taxation that had ever been imposed. (Loud aoplauie.) I was never guilty of that weakness. You will see that I acted in your interests. No matter how monstrous an impost was, no matter how hurtful to commerce; no matter although it was specially limited in time; no matter although imposed only for a specific purpose—l never let it go. There was always some pretext for keeping it on.

“ When the primage duty expired, I professed that it was absolutely required for school buildings, knowing that education was a popular subject, and that members would be afraid to prevent an increase of expenditure on that head. When the primage duty comes up for consideration again, it will be easy to find another pretext to keep it on, if the Treasurer knows his business. It will be sufficient probably, to say that people have got accustomed to it. Gentlemen, I was determined to have an unblemished record, and if I had let go the primage duty, I would have considered that I had sullied my fair fame a« a man who imposed heavy taxation year after year, but never took any off.”

It is pretty certain that Shakespeare’s plays don’t “catch on” in Gisborne, though the Miln company is the first Shakespearian company we have had in this town. For my own part I confess that I could not helfc regarding all the p’ays as comedies, not beceuse they were so acted, but because the unfeeling young rascals at the back are not quite up to legitimate drama standard, and look upon all the touching scenes as a new kind of clown business, and think they are doing the actors a good turn by laughing at them. It is wonderful, too, to listen to some of the critics—not the youngsters, mind. One man of great experience in ruch matters was actually beard to say that Irving could not act the part of Shylock. Others I have heard say that they cannot appreciate Shakespeare at all—of course they would prefer nigger minstrel?. To those-intellec-tual prodigies I would like to commend an old story. Just a hundred years ago Boswell told his friend Dr Johnson that tha only thing he would regret it he were to be transferred to heaven would be that he couldn’t take a copy of Shakespeare’s works with him.

Half a dozen schoolboys were overheard last night in an animated controversy about Mr Miin’s performances. One boy stoutly naintained that it was Shakespeare that was played on Tuesday night and not Julius Casar at all, and he would have it that last night‘s play was entitled Bbmeo and Ctesar. One intelligent youth had an understanding of the real position of things, and he set about arguing to the effect that Ctesar had been killed on Tuesday night and therefore could not possibly be put on the boards last night. What was the upshot of the debate was not disclosed, but it must be ad minted that each of the boys had a very weighty regard for his own opinion.