"SOFTENING" INFLUENCES ON MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3171, 27 August 1881, Page 3

"SOFTENING" INFLUENCES ON MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT.

" Civis," in the Otago Witness, submits a passing note as under : —One or two good stories reach me from Wellington. Mr Saunders, in the House the other day, complained of the softening influence of balls and parties on those Civil Servants who are 'in society,' and of the pernicious effects of the softening process. Mr Saunders is something too much of a Spartan father; but I hear that there really is some ground for the supposition that members of the House, and especially new members, are exposed to these c softening' influences, and don't always resist them. For instance, Mr Vulcan, a new member, who was a son of toil before he was an M.H.R., was closely observed recently afc a Ministerial party. Mrs Minister, one of the creme de la creme of Society—which word Dickens always used to say should be spelfc with a big S —was apparently told off to ' soften 'Mr Vulcan. She paid him marked attention, though he was ' only a clod,' danced with him, went in to supper with him, put ice in his champagne with her own lily-white hand, and altogether sent Vulcan up to the seventh heaven of enjoyment. He had been in Opposition, but how, after that, could he continue to oppose the husband of that dear Mrs Minister ? Flushed with success (and champagne), he went home to cool his fevered brow, and I have not the least doubt, was ' softened.' JEx uno clisce oiitnes. Sad is it not ? Another story is told of a certain dapper little member, also new to the House, and if not in Opposition, at least doubtful. He voted straight for the Government in the no-confidence debate ; but afterwards a few questions were asked, and answered by the Hon. Mr Diek —(poor Mr Dick seems always put up to answer inconvenient questions) —as to certain refunds of the 10 per cent, deductions. Mr Dick admitted that there were two refunds to dismissed officers. Names being pressed for —also amounts, also dates of payments —it came out by degrees that, of the two, the new member was one, and that £19 was paid to him on 31st July, just three days after the division on the no-confidence debate. The point of the joke, however, was in the remark of a rude member of the Opposition, who, on hearing the reply, turned to the new member concerned and ejaculated in an explosive manner, 'Blank it all, so-and-so, why didn't you tell us ? We'd have made it twentyfive.' This was cruel. Rude members of Opposition evidently argued on the post hoc propter hoc principle. For myself I can't believe for a moment that £19 had anything to do with the division. No, it was a coincidence, that is all. But tho rude remark is, I believe, authentic, and was very good chaff indeed. Of course you mustn't take such things era serieux. You see, my dear readers, the tedium of a session must of necessity be relieved by these little incidents, and I hope none of you will go away with the impression that members are actually bought and sold. No ; they are only soothed and ' softened.'

I thank thee, Saunders, for teaching me that word, —Shakespeare.