The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1884. The Member for Ashburton.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1383, 18 November 1884, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1884. The Member for Ashburton.

Although the contest for (he Ashburton seat at the general election elicited a good deal of strong feeling at the time, we think that even those who • were the strongest partisans of Mr AVason will admit that the conduct of Mr Walker during his first session has amply " justified the choice of the majority. That this is the general opinion is indicated by the fact that at a recent meeting of the Borough Council the proposer and seconder of the candidate who opposed the sitting 1 member, themselves expressed satisfac--1 tion with the attention given by our representative in Parliament to local affairs. Returned as a strong supporter of the policy enunciated by Sir Julius Vogel, Mr Walker has throughout remained strictly loyal to his chief, and there is no room for doubt that in thus acting he has done no violence to his own personal convictions. It was probably the remembrance that Ashburton was the place whence the exAgent General sent forth his message to the colony, that instilled a feeling of confidence into the community to which we had long been a stranger, which determined the choice of a member to second the Address in Reply. Be this as it may, Mr Walker clearly made his mark on this occasion, and his subsequent appointment as whip to the Ministerial side of the House showed that he was regarded as a staunch party man. Nobody expected that the presence of the new member for Ashburton in Parliament would add greatly to the oratorical ability of that branch of the Legislature ; he was not returned for the purpose of adding to the already superabundant volume of talking power —•but whenever he spoke he was always listened to with that respect which is never refused to one who shows he has special knowledge of the subject he takes up. His speech on the ill-fated District Railways Bill is a case in point, and his advocacy of the claims of the country Volunteer corps bids fair to bring about a very necessary reform in regard to this matter. The session was not of a kind to afford an opportunity for an individual member to make a brilliant hit, nor do we for a moment desire to claim for Mr Walker that he has been a phenomenal parliamentary success. Had this latter been the case, we should be disposed to distrust his future more than possible under the present circumstances; but there is not one among his constituents who could fairly deny that the member for Ashburton has made his presence felt in the House, while no chance has been lost for futthering the interests of the district he represents. The possession of shrew common sense, clearly defined political views and a knowledge of certain important questions such as local government, begot of wide experience, are qualities which more than compensate for the absence of mere flashy oratorical power. We can say, without fear of contradiction, that if every representative could return, to his constituents, as Mr Walker can, with the consciousness that he has not in any way failed in his duty, and has given satisfaction so thorough that even his former opponents gladly admit it, the lot of a number of the House would be a more generally happy one that it at present. At the time of the election we supported Mr Walker’s candidature to the utmost in our power, and we have, therefore, special pleasure in congratulating him on the success of his initial session, and we feel sure that this will be universally endorsed throughout the length and breadth of the district,