A NOBLE REPRESENTATIVE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1255, 19 March 1886, Page 4

A NOBLE REPRESENTATIVE.

Once upon a time, and not a very long time aco either, the Provincial District of Marlborough enjoyed the privilege of handing to the New Zea« land Parliament three members to represent its interests. It we may believe all that we see and hear the ■district still enjoys the same privilege, because under the heading of “ Marl* borough ” in the list of members of the House in ‘ Hansard 1 we find the names of Messrs E T. Conolly, 11. Dodson, and J. D. Lance as representing the •electoral districts of Picton, Wairao, ■and Cheviot respeclivelv. We are very glad to recognise Messrs Conolly and Dodson as representatives, but Lere the line roust he drawn,.and we are not displeased that for geographical as well as other reasons we can altogether repudiate Mr J. D. Lance and refuse to acknowledge that he is the representative of any part of Marlborough, He represents Cheviot, of ■which Kaikoura forms a part, but he does not represent Kaikoura to any great extent, as the electors there would only have been too glad to have returned but vested interests were too strong for the Kaikourians and they were compelled to accept to the choice of the people. Previous to his election Mr Lance was comparatively unknown and it would not have injiued his ■reputation had he remained in the merciful obscurity of private life, instead of showing how utterly unfit Tie is to be a member of a legislative body that is supposed to work for the public good. Mr Lance was lately in good company at a banquet given to His Excellency the Governor at Westport, and there made a speech which was characterised as being remarkable for bad taste, coarse language leckless extravagenee of statement and remarkable economy of truth,” so that he must be hard to satisfy if the notoriety he has just received is not sufficient. lu this now celebrated speech he advocated by the best means at his command, the construction of the East and West Coast Railway, ignoring altogether the interests of a large number of his -constituents, and betraying in a mosl palpable manner the selfish motives that actuate him. Ho was not alto* gether pleased because a previous speaker had thrown a doubt on the soundness of the scheme and expressed a hint that Parliament would hardly aid Westport in all its demands, consicLring that an expenditure of nearly L 50.000 was being incurred in giving the people a harbor. Mr Lance said “ he had helped to get this money, and would get another sum equal to it for •them ; and they should have the rail -way as well as he was chairman of a 'band of twenty three s did billows agoing in for the railway, and they meant to go in through thick and chin for it.” This is a sample of Mr Lance’s after dinner oratory, and, if it suits the people ho represents, then electors and elected are well matched ; but we will not believe that even the • electors of Cheviot can feel proud of their member.— 1 Marlborough Times.’