PAMLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1219, 30 August 1911, Page 6

PAMLIAMENT.

THE COUNCIL. WELCOME TO SIR JOHN FI NDLAY REFERENCES TO HIS TITLE. There was an air of activity ami bustle about the Legislative Council when members assembled yesterday afternoon, the. occasion being the return of the Leader of the Council, Sir John I-'indlay, after his visit lo London. The Hon. J. M'GOWAN, Acting-Leader of the Council, congratulated Sir John l'indlay on tho honour bestowed upon him by the iiing. That honour, he was confident , , had been well placed and would be worthily worn. 110 trusted that Sir John l'indlay would have long life and health to enjoy Wic honour. The Hon. J. E. SINCLAIR also offered his congratulations. His knighthood was not only an honour to their leader, but to tho Council and to the community as a whole. The honour liad been largely brought about by his own work, wefl and faithfully done. (Hear, hear.) He had knowu Sir John Findlay since he was a lad and ho had always been a worker in the truest sense. In the Council they knew the work that their leader had done. He hoped Sir John Fimiiay would be long spared and have health to enjoy his latest honour. A Discordant Note.

The Hon. J. E. JENKINSON paid a tribute to the work done by flic Hon. J. ivt Gowau during his term as ActingLeader of the Council. Ho was sorry to havo to utter a discordant note at this gathering. On the debate on the Addrcss-ln-Reply, however, Jib had. spoken of the honours conferred recently, and when he had been stopped he said he would take another opportunity of saying what he had to say. This was tho lirst opportunity ho had. Ho said now, as he said then, that some of the honours v/ero to his mind not fully deserved. Some of them were fully deserved, and, he believed, there were a number in the country who thought as he did, that where a title is given it should be for long and faithful services to tho country. He reoo'iiised thfj abilitj- of the Attorney-General, and that tho country was indebted to him for the work he had done. The work of the lion, gentleman _ was colossal, but there were other politicians and statesmen in the country «'ho had done equally good work, and, therefore, the title was not quite so well earned as the others. ' Mr. Jenkinson proceeded to congratulate Sir John on receiving the title. He did not wish to find fault with the title at all. A man should be recognised for tho work he had done, and there were those who thought that Dr. Findlay was deserving of tho title. He only expressed his own opinion. Iho taking of a titlo would not, he was suro, change the man in any degree. The lion, gentleman had built up a certain amount of popularity, and no deserved it, but the taking of a title miglit perhaps prejudice him in the eyes of tho democracy. He hoped it would not. He was sorry their leader had decided to leave the Council, as he was peculiarly suited for the work here. Could unvone imagine tho Hon. Sir J. G. Findlay "battling for roads and bridges, added Mr. Jenkinson. No, ho continued. He was destined for something higher. Mr. Jenkinson proceeded to refer to the appointment of the High Commissioner. In his opinion the salary was nothing like adequate for tho duty. At tliis stage tho Acting-Speaker intervened, and suggested that Mr. Jenkinson was. introducing debatable matter. Mr. Jenkinson concluded by congratulating Sir John Findlay on getting his title, and hoped that ho would long be spared to enjoy it.

Sacrifices Undreamed Of. Tho Hon. George JONES thought that the speoch of the lion, gentleman who had just sat down did not exactly fit in with ni3 conclusions. Mr: Jeiakinson agreed, that tho distinction should bo bestowed on great public men, but ho thought Sir John Findlay had not fully won his distinction. Mr. Junkinson had done good work in tho Council, but ho was apt at times to be eccentric (Laughter.) It was because Sir John Findlay was a man, and deserved distinction that he received tins honour from his Majesty. No ina,n had ever wou a. place in the affections of the pwiplp more honestly than Sir John Findlay had done. He had made sacrifices undreamed of by his detractors. The retirement of their leader was occasion for sincere regret. Sir John was going into the hurly-burly of politics, and lie (the speaker) believed that there were few constituencies that would not bo glad to elect him. It had been stated that Dr. Findlay had been rejected by two constituencies —(A-voices "No! One.") — but, Mr. Jones continued, ho could conceivo of a man with all the attributes being rejected by a Wellington constituency—(Cries of "Oh!")—and that a man without any attributes at all might wiu a Wellington election. Tho Hon. J. T. PAUL said ho personally did not approve of titles granted as they were granted, the whole thing being anomalous in a democratic country. At the same time he did not think the title would make any difference to the Attor-ney-General. Still, he saw nothing in the title to congratulate their leader on. He had no hesitation in saying that tho wish of Dr. Findlay had been for the ecod of the people of the country. (Hear, hear.) In congratulating Sir John Findlay on his decision to contest a seat for the House, Mr. Paul said this was .the only logical outcome of tho position. Sir John Findlay had been twitted right and left as being a reject of the people. He certainly was in the strict sense of the woftl rejected at an election in Wellington, but what were the conditions. Dr. Fimllav bad been, away from Now Zealand for nine months, and he came back anil fought the campaign for a few days before' tho election, and then polled close on 5000 voles against tried Parliamentarians. Mr. Paul concluded by Voicing the opinion that there was a great career before Sir John Findlay. Tho Hon. J. IUGG again voiced his opposition to courtesy litk-s in a democratic country. He thought that Sir John Findlay who would go before the electors in November, was a very different man to the one who had gone before them a fow years ago. (Hear, hear.) The Hon. Sir Henry MILLER remarked that during the 45 years, he had been in the Council, it had never had a better leader than Sir .lohn Findlay. Ho congratulated him heartily on the honour conferred upon him. The Hons. C. 11. Mills, Wi Pere, C. M. Luke, J. B. Cnllan, W. W. M'Cardle, J. Anstey, W. Italian, R. A. Loughnon, and 0. 'Samuel all joined in the congratulations and expressed their regret that, they were to lose Sir John Findlay as their leader. '

Sir John Findlay in Reply. Sir John I/JLNDLAY. who was loudly applauded when ho rose to reply, said that flftcr tho opinion* expressed it was difficult to speak with that freedom ono 'would like, lie valued very highly tho opinions of those with whom he had now worked for four years. Tho best critics of tho character of a public man were the men who worked with him and in the reception he.had been Riven, he found not only a comfort, to his heart, but an answer to his detractors. It was more than this; it was also encouragement. If; after this time, they could express themselves as they did, he felt he could well content himself with indifference to those who criticised him. Ho thought he could say he had not left the path of rectitude in public or in private life. Kir John Findlay procoeded to condemn criticism which, although not coarse or denunciator}', hinted at corruption and attributed evil motives mid perverted men's minds. It was a criticism which made a man appear to say things of which lie should bo ashamed. This sort of criticism galled a man no matter how long ho had been in public life. The press were the true sentinels of public purity. When any journal discontinued to perform its true duly and wilfully and unjustly ran a man down, it not only wronged the man attacked, but it also did a wrong to the profession. That kind of misrepresentation and detraction had provoked a disbelief of Hie press in America. It had provoked a distrust of the press wherever the press had prostituted it-elf for mere party cutis. If journals in Kew

Zealand persistently and wilfully distorted and misrepresented public men, they were doing an injustice to their profession and sacrificing iheir position as sentinels of public purity. He had liecu subjected to criticism that had not been honourable and had not. been manly. Concerning the Title, As io his accepting a title, ho felt that it was not a very great thing ono way or another. Ho did (hink that it might have b?en some -honciir to tho Leader of the Council, and that tho men who came after him, having done some work in tho position, might, get some definite recognition ot.it. As to Mr. Jenkinmii's remarks, that hon. gentleman had been among his most useful friends, and ho had never admired him more- th.in svhen his candour led him to disagree wit.h him (tho speaker). It might be hs was right; perhaps he was wrong, but if he (tho speaker) had not earned tho titlo ha would at least express the hope that before he ended his career lid would have earned it. His life in the Council had been a happy one, and he had striven because the wnrk itseK had lvpn n ""ntii' , " pleasure. He had loved tho vrorlc, and did not do it with any eye to rownrrt. Whatever future years had in store, hewould never lose his affection for that Chamber. Why he decided to do as !ip said was due to many motives—some important, some unimportant—l)m( '-■ - -

question which weighed in his mind was where was his most useful sphcro in the remaining years of his life. He wanted to be where he would be most useful to his country. He owed all he had to this country, in which he had begun a penniless boy. Was it not proper that he who owed his position to New Zealand's educational system should devote tho active years of his life in working for the country. Thoso observations, ho knew, would be foocl for some very cheap clotractors, but they were sincere. lie hoped to be able to perform moTO useful work "in another place." Reference had been made to his rejection at a former electicn. It may be- as was said that he entered upon it rashly, and he was defeated. Their welcome home and evidence of goodwill would lie a lasting memory that he would carry to the grave. (Applause.)

FIRST AND SECOND READINGS. The Methodist Charitable and Educational Trusts Bill was read a second time and was referred to the Committee of Selection. The Patents and Trade Marks Bill and the Stone Quarries Amendment Bill were read a first time.