MR WHITE AND "PEREGRINUS."

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 533, 18 October 1871, Page 3

MR WHITE AND "PEREGRINUS."

The Haivlces Bay Herald's special correspo - dent at Wellington has sent, by telegraph the foUowin- particulars with regard to the scene n the House on Wednesday night in referonce to the allusions to members in the letter, signed "Pe.egrinus" which appeared m the Saw-lev's Bay Herald:--Mr. Steward moved tbei second reading o the Newspaper Libel Bill. After he had concluded 'his speed., Mr b hepherd, llnSmiler," rose. He opposed it; he .aid hat there were, no doubt, respectable journalists in the colonv who treated even political opponents fairly and honestly ; but there Were others who were a disgrace to the profession. Only a month or two ago, he find heard of aii editor being deservedly horsewhipped in public. Mr. White spoke next. He opposed the Bill on the ground that newspapers had too much license already. In the Hawlcc's Bag Herald some letters had appeared signed " Peregrinus," a supposed " Stranger in the Gallery" —a stranger to good manners at any rate, observed Mr. White. In these letters members had been spoken of disrespectfully. To make this plain he quoted several passages, from the letters in question. One member (Mr. Thomson) was referred to as " a howler (laughter). Another, Mr. Murray, was spoken of as " a raw hobbledehoy from somi bucolic constituency in Otago" (more laugh ter). Another letter had the following passage:—" Mr. Bunny followed on the Conservative side, and chaffcd the youn. member, as being new brooms who wished to sweep everything very cl« an indeed (renewed laughter). "Mr. Colder was for the change, which he advocated in a speech of a ver? dreary and incoherent character (another burst of laughter) ; then " Mr. W bite, » small and very unprepossessing person (absolute convulsions of laughter). I did not know that before sir, (a perfect roar). Who, habitually works himself into a state of iurj and drops his lis right and left (Premier, members, reporters, and strangers/here roared a*ain. Such a scene never occurred in the House before). "To use his own elegant phraseology, 'assumed the perpendicular' " (another burst). Having concluded this extract, Mr. White continued, " Sir ! 11 I'ave a weakness, it is a literary turn. J onse wa> heditor of a paper myself, and I never filled a 'igher position, and'ere I am, charged with not knowing the Queen's Hinglish With habsolute murdering of it. I'm said to be hunable to pronounce m.v haitches ! I'm made to t-dk of 'ouse. O-yu ess-ee. (Bowls of laughter all the time, 01 he was murdering his h's all through.) 'Er< I am too, spoken of as a hex-purser, of a second-rate steamer, llif I was a purser, hi' need not 'ave been a second-rate steamer. Sir, I shall hoppose the second reading oi tinbill, hunless its father will bring down a bil to 'legalise 'orsewhipping of rascal, win slander men from behind the hincoguito of a j-ewspapir (trementfo'** anplause)."

*' Peregrinus," wm.i.. m the Haioke's Bay Herald, and giving personal descriptions ol the leading members in tbe House, says :— "As regards mere brain power, Mr. Gillie? would probably rank tolerably high. He hat great legal learning and acumen, considerable general knowledge, and very fair oratorical powers, when he chooses to exert them. He renders all these powers, however, comparatively valueless to himself and to his party bj the obvious and undisguised partizanship oi all his utterances, as well as by the absence o< any apparent principle .underlying his opposition. Whatever the Government, or any member of it says or does, he objects to, simply because they say or do it. As Mr. Bunny may be regarded a* retained for the defence, so Mr. Gillies may be regarded as retained for the prosecution, and the personal influen e by either of them is therefore nil. In appearance, Mr. Gillies has a strong; resemblance to a well known member of the Upper House, ordinarily resident in this province. He is rather above the middle height, bald on the crown oi the head, with iron-grey hair fringing it round the back from temple to temple. Mr. Reader Wood is a large, good-looking man, gent-rally dressed with particular care and elegance ; be wears a continual smile of compl.cent selfsatisfaction. He seems to take pains to look more than usually amiable when he has something specially unpleasant to say.