Fix this text
THE BULLETIN
Fix this textVol. 3.—No. 117 —New Series.
Fix this textSATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 1885.
Fix this textPrice— Od.
Fix this textThe Bulletin.
Fix this textSATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 1885.
Fix this textThe Banquet.
Fix this textThe Soudan Contingent had departed,
Fix this textserved, returned, and been disbanded when
Fix this textit occurred to some of those who had been
Fix this textinstrumental in despatching it that some
Fix this textthing further was necessary before the
Fix this textword “ finis” was written to a unique chap
Fix this textter in our national history. Banquets and
Fix this textbabble had fittingly inaugurated the wild
Fix this textexpedition. To be in keeping, let food and
Fix this textfroth close it. This is the genesis of the
Fix this textdinner given a week ago by the citizens of
Fix this textSydney to the returned braves. The refec
Fix this texttion was held in the Exhibition Building
Fix this textand — including those who attended in
Fix this textKhakee suits—quite 900 persons must have
Fix this textoccupied places at the tables. We have no
Fix this textintention to describe the dinner itself. Ban
Fix this textquets so much resemble each other that the
Fix this textperson who has been present at one may be
Fix this textsaid—except for the absence of subsequent
Fix this textdyspepsia—to have been present at all. The
Fix this textduty of describing this one may safely be
Fix this textleft in the hands of those useful litterateurs,
Fix this textwho carry on physiological functions, not
Fix this textby eating and drinking, but by “ refreshing
Fix this textthe inner man” or “doing justice to the
Fix this textgood things provided.” In their hands we
Fix this textfeel that this dinner is safe. The duty we
Fix this texthave before us is of an entirely different
Fix this textnature. We have to review the speeches
Fix this textmade by the principal guests, to discover
Fix this texttheir meaning and point out their ten
Fix this textdency. Still, with this serious task be
Fix this textfore us, a few words may be spared re
Fix this textgarding the banquet. We consider that
Fix this textto allow the soldiers to bring their female
Fix this textrelatives to the dinner, and then shut them
Fix this textup in a gallery in full view of the mounds
Fix this textof wholesome food and drink which the
Fix this texthusbands, brothers, and sweethearts were
Fix this textsteadily reducing, was callousness of a
Fix this textpeculiarly reprehensible kind. It was
Fix this textnothing new for them to see their protectors
Fix this texteat. At the table that night there was
Fix this textprobably no soldier whose appetite and
Fix this textcapacity were not well known to some
Fix this textbody in the gallery. It is idle to say that
Fix this textthose poor ladies made up for their enforced
Fix this textfast by—at a later hour—timidly venturing
Fix this textamong the revellers, and making short work
Fix this textof the debris. In future, we trust either
Fix this textthat places will be found for females
Fix this textpublic banquets, or, if that is impossible,
Fix this textthat they be securely locked up at home>
Fix this textunder proper supervision.
Fix this text• • *
Fix this textBishop Barry was unfortunate from the
Fix this textbeginning. When the strains of the National
Fix this textAnthem, welcoming the Governor, were
Fix this textbecoming faint, the Primate prepared to
Fix this textpraise God for the manner in which
Fix this textthe Compagnoni Catering Company had
Fix this textfulfilled its contract. But the soldier-guests
Fix this texthad anticipated him. The signal he took
Fix this textfor “stand and thank” they took for “sit
Fix this textand tackle.” And it is but fair to say that
Fix this textthey took their seats with an emphasis
Fix this textwhich set the senior partner of the company
Fix this textspeculating whether, after all, his contract
Fix this textwas a judicious one. As it would be flying
Fix this textiu the face of the most elementary law of
Fix this texthuman nature to expect men masticating a
Fix this texttoothsome tongue to rise and pray, his
Fix this textLordship accepted the situation, and sat
Fix this textdown also. Whether the irritating contre
Fix this texttemps unsettled him, or the signs—now be
Fix this textcoming apparent—that some Soudanese
Fix this textskirmishes would be fought over again
Fix this textconvinced him that he would be better at
Fix this texthome, it would be hazardous to say. Cer
Fix this texttain it is that, when his turn came to speak,
Fix this textbis seat was there, but it was vacant-
Fix this textWhether he prayed on the way home, what
Fix this textshape his orisons took, or whether auyevil
Fix this texteffects resulted from the absence of grace,
Fix this textit would now be impossible to say.
Fix this text• • •
Fix this textBut, as before remarked, it is with the
Fix this textspeeches we would deal. And first the
Fix this textGovernor’s. His Excellency is reported to
Fix this texthave said:—“This is no ordinary occasion-
Fix this textIt is the closing scene of a great national
Fix this textevent. It has been my inestimable good
Fix this textfortune to be here at this most eventful
Fix this textperiod of your history, to watch this new
Fix this textgrowth of patriotism from the beginning, to
Fix this textbe in the midst of all this enthusiastic devo
Fix this texttion to the great old land from which you
Fix this texthave sprung, and of the glories and achieve
Fix this textments of which you are so proud. . . . These
Fix this textmessages [the Queen’s to the Contingent]
Fix this textwere not mere formal acts of courtesy, but
Fix this textwere, on your part, practical proofs of a
Fix this textloyalty of the highest kind known to the
Fix this textworld. . . . They were exchanged in the
Fix this textsight of all men, when the strength of the
Fix this textbond between England and her colonies was
Fix this textdoubted by some timorous and ill-informed
Fix this textpersons. They dissipated these doubts in an
Fix this textinstant, and showed mankind that in
Fix this textmoments of danger and difficulty we were
Fix this textall shoulder to shoulder in upholding the
Fix this textgreat and beneficent Power which, under
Fix this textGod's blessing, exists for the promotion of
Fix this textHis glory.” Volumes have been written,
Fix this textspeeches innumerable spoken, concerning
Fix this textthis patriotism whose birth and growth
Fix this textLord Loetus witnessed. But it would be
Fix this textsafe to say that, if the Governments of the
Fix this textvarious countries sanctioned the experiment,
Fix this textnot 700, but 7000 men could, within 24 hours,
Fix this textbe raised in Paris, Berlin, Vienna, St. Peters
Fix this textburgh, New York, or Philadelphia forservioe
Fix this text(at five shillings a day) in any country, from
Fix this textTartary to Tierra del Fuego. Should war
Fix this textbreak out with Russia, and Mr. Dalley
Fix this textdesire to test the robustness of this new
Fix this textborn patriotism, let him offer a shilling a
Fix this textday to men for active service in Afghanistan
Fix this textand tell the result of the appeal. Among
Fix this textthe “ timorous and ill-informed persons ”
Fix this textwho “ doubted the strength of the bond
Fix this textbetween England and her colonies” are the
Fix this textleading English statesmen of the past twenty
Fix this textyears. And, so far from the despatch of our
Fix this texttroops tending to allay those doubts, they
Fix this texthave but confirmed them. We are as highly
Fix this textappreciative as His Excellency of the part
Fix this textplayed by Britain in the world’s affaire, but
Fix this texttp say that England exist* “for the promo
Fix this texttion of God’s glory” is—there is no use
Fix this textmincing it—the veriest clap-trap. If the
Fix this textBritish Islands had never appeared above
Fix this textthe Atlantic surges, or if the sea rolled over
Fix this textthem to-morrow, the Creator’s glory would
Fix this textbe still quite sate. He, from the hollow of
Fix this textwhose hand countless worlds were sent spin
Fix this textning through space, is quite able, without
Fix this textextraneous aid, to control the insects crawl
Fix this texting on one of the most insignificant of them.
Fix this text» • *
Fix this textThe Mayor now proposed the health of the
Fix this textMinistry, and in doing so said “ he believed
Fix this textthey all would admit that they had done
Fix this textone of the grandest acts ever performed in
Fix this textAustralia—that of sending these men to the
Fix this textPoudan.” There were many present who
Fix this textadmitted no such thing—many who, when
Fix this textthey want a definition of what constitutes a
Fix this text‘‘grand act,” will not think of applying to
Fix this textthe Mayor of Sydney for it. Mr. Halley
Fix this textresponded. He was justly severe on what
Fix this texthe rightly called “ the dismal and tearful
Fix this texthumorists — the exasperatlngly funny
Fix this textpeople ’ -whose “ heart-breaking facetious
Fix this textness so dangerously tempts a really humor
Fix this textous man—no matter how intense may be his
Fix this textlove of peace—to ideas of violence.” The
Fix this textallusion was too thinly veiled to be mis
Fix this texttaken. Nor was it intended to be misunder,
Fix this textstood. The dullest present saw at once that
Fix this textthe speaker, although not naming the Syd
Fix this textney Morning Herald in so many words,
Fix this texthad that journal in his thoughts. It is hard
Fix this textfor the representatives of an important pub
Fix this textlication to be obliged, in the midst of a dis
Fix this texttinguished company, to stand as targets for
Fix this textshafts of the keenest raillery, but they have
Fix this textonly themselves to blame. We trust it will
Fix this textbe a warning to them to confine themselves
Fix this textin future to the well-beaten tracks of re
Fix this textspectable and legitimate journalism, and
Fix this textleave to the Pariahs of the Press the unbe
Fix this textcoming flippancy Mr. Dalley so trenchantly
Fix this textcondemned. “ Youf action,” continued the
Fix this textspeaker, referring to the Contingent, “ re
Fix this textvealed our Imperial resources.” Precisely.
Fix this textAi d it is of this we chiefly complain. The
Fix this textnations of the earth might have gone on
Fix this textthinking us powerful and ferocious, as the
Fix this textbeasts in “JEsop ” thought the donkey. But,
Fix this textlike the ass, we Avould speak out, and so our
Fix this textcharacter and resources were revealed.
Fix this text“Your action,” went on the Attorney-
Fix this textGeneral, “ will live in history wfen we are
Fix this textin the dust and are forgotten.” It is not
Fix this textgreat actions alone that live iu history. The
Fix this textlives of ridiculous onei also are tough and
Fix this texttime-defying. If the story of Leonidas and
Fix this texthis three hundred has come dowu to us
Fix this textthrough the ages, so have the adventures of
Fix this text“Goody Tavo-Shoes ” and “Old Mother
Fix this textHubbard.” The latter have been tract d to
Fix this textsolar myths, old before the Aryans turned
Fix this textwest from their Cential Asian tents. Com
Fix this textpared with them, the Pentateuch itself is
Fix this textbut a tale of yesterday.
Fix this text* * •
Fix this textThe Hon. E. Barton proposed the “ Army,
Fix this textNavy, and Colonial Forces ” with a re
Fix this textassuring modesty. “What need he say in
Fix this textfavour of our army and navy, whose vic
Fix this texttories had been countless and whose defeats
Fix this texthad been as glorious as the victories of
Fix this textothers.” Mr. Barton is reported to have
Fix this textsaid this. Yorktown, Saratoga, Walcheren,
Fix this textand the Transvaal were probably running
Fix this textin his head. If Fontenoy and Bunker’s Hill
Fix this textwere as glorious as Austerlilz and Sedan, it
Fix this textis difficult to see why the French and Ger
Fix this textmans train men at all. If their victories arc
Fix this textno better than our defeats, their defeats
Fix this textmust be mournful, indeed. Admiral Tkyon
Fix this textresponded for the Navy, paid, sailor-hke, a
Fix this texthigh tribute to the ladies, and ended by
Fix this textsaying that “ should war unfortunately
Fix this textbreak out in the immediate future, he would
Fix this textbe proud to escort a contingent from this
Fix this textcolony to the seat of war.” We think the
Fix this textAdmiral can rest assured that he will never
Fix this textbe called upon to redeem his pledge—that
Fix this textwhatever fighting Australian troops have to
Fix this textdo will be done in Australia. But it was
Fix this textwhen proposing the toast of the evening—
Fix this textthe health of the Contingent — that the
Fix this textChairman was at his best. “How pleased
Fix this textand delighted,” he said, “ the ladies here
Fix this textwere that their boys were going to show
Fix this texttheir gratitude to the country from whence
Fix this textthey came, by fighting for her,” What
Fix this textladies ? The wives, mothers, sisters, and
Fix this textsweethearts of the men ? We often won
Fix this textder whether men, when they speak like
Fix this textMR. HARRY STOCKDALE,
Fix this textLeader of the Cambridge Gulf (W.A.) Expkricg Expedition.
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
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http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-239694833
(1880). The bulletin Retrieved May 19, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-239694833
The bulletin Sydney, N.S.W: John Haynes and J.F. Archibald, 1880. Web. 19 May 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-239694833>
1880, The bulletin John Haynes and J.F. Archibald, Sydney, N.S.W viewed 19 May 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-239694833
{{Citation
|
| title=The bulletin.
| year=1880
| section=105 volumes : illustrations (chiefly coloured), portraits (chiefly coloured) ; 30-40 cm.
| issn=0007-4039
| series=John Ryan Comic Collection (Specific issues).
| issue=Vol. 3 No. 117 (8 Aug 1885)
| location=Sydney, N.S.W
| publisher=John Haynes and J.F. Archibald
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-239694833
| id=nla.obj-239694833
| access-date=19 May 2025
| via=Trove
}}
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