SKETCHES FROM THE GALLERY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 1, Issue 141, 19 August 1880, Page 2

SKETCHES FROM THE GALLERY.

Ho. 11. {From our own Correspondent.) Wellington, Aug. 8. Mr. Wakefield has taken a back seat behind the Government, where he sits dreaded by all, yet silent as the grave except now and then an authoritative “Order, order.” No one knows what he is bottling up for, or whom he means to demolish when he begins. He probably scorns to throw his pearls before such swine as now undertake to entertain the House. Mr. Stevens is seldom heard, and is never a bore. Ho seems to have given up talking finance since he has been Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee.

Mr. Richardson says but little, and that little is always about something on which he has some special knowledge. His weak voice would be quite lost on an unwilling House, but he commands the attention. of both sides to the little he has to say. 1

Mr. Moorhouse is speaking more than usual as to quantity, and much as usual as to quality. He still despises all common economies and “ cheese-paring,” and would enrich the colony by some bold stroke of extravagance. He would borrow another L 50,000,000, make a few' more tunnels, import a few million immigrants, and send all the fools who talk economy to break stones on the road.

Mr. Montgomery seems every session to get more pompous and less wise; He has been joked out of attempting financial statements, but he has some very good notions of taxation and economy, and, compared to most of his party, is still a sensible man. He naturally accomplishes nothing in the false position he has placed himself. He despises Sir G. Grey, and disbelieves him as much as most persons who know him, but he would rather be top of the tail than tail of the top, and therefore electa to stay With a party in which a very little judgment or ability makes a man conspicuous. ; . Your member for Coleridge keeps very’ quiet,' and is perhaps reserving all his powder and shot for the defence of his Commission, of which he is the only representative in the House. Mr. Andrews is greatly altered since last session. He has become a much sadder and a much wiser man. His fine gold has turned to dross, his golden idol has proved to be clay, and he now finds that the man who was to lead him into all liberalism knows nothing of the business himself. He still talks far too much, and says many mischievous things, but he is a real economist as far as his light goes, and is one of the few men in the House who has kept clear of all social fetters and dares to bark at a lion, ho wever big. Mr. Allwright did not take near so long to see through Sir G. Grey, and has the courage to vote on his own convictions without putting himself under anyone’s wing. Although one of the quietest of men, he can walk alone, and rarely seeks advice. He is always found on the side of real .economy, and does not spend LIOO in trying to take off LlO. He has a good deal of the right sort of self-respect, so that ho man in the House can be more certainly depended upon never to make a fool of himself.

Your neighbor Mr. Studholme’s voiceis only to be heard in the lobbies, and there it cries “property, property, property.”, He came this year full of hope that the “ property ” was to be saved at the expense of education, but found little sympathy, except in the Upper House, and they could do nothing for him.