WELLINGTON.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2703, 16 October 1871, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

(from our own correspondent. ) October 11. Some novelists begin their stories at what we may call the wrong end, and work back through the narration of fictitious events ; an old worn out man is perhaps introduced, whose chequered career up to his pi - esent misery forms the subject of the piece. I am forced into much the same course in this letter, the grand fiasco of the Opposition last night having completely, so to say, altered the political complexion of affairs, and deprived altogether of importance or significance many episodes Parliamentary which have occurred since I last wrote. To continue the illustration I commenced with, it may be interesting to the novel reader, although he knows the sad end, to trace through its varied phases the life of the hero, but to the politician the utter collapse of a party movement is everything in itself, and matters leading up thereto are beyond consideration. Vague rumors gaining day by day in intensity have been circulated, that a great debate was imminent, that the Stafford caucuses were at last to hear fruit, and that a slashing onslaught upon the Government would be made, terminating with proposals of so abusive a character, as to be equivalent to a want of confidenoe motion. Threatening whispers went round (he lobbies, and the vacillating members who always like to make sure they will be worth the majority, were in doubt and trouble beguiled by the seductive statements of the great button hj Ider, Mr J. C. Brown, and the drops of sententious wisdom which fell from the lips of the Otago man of mystery, the great political economist, Mr J. B. Bradshaw. One thing always s'ruck me as being especially curious, and 1 may say almost unprecedented— le., that the secret was kept so well Nothing leaked out whatever as to the nature or character of those wonderful proposals which were to dawn on the Government and place Mr Stafford in power. I found my own conclusions justified by the result that there really was no secret to keep, and that with the common ground of hostility to Ministers the cohesion of the members in opposition began and ceased. Imagine the bare possibility of Messrs Rollestou and Donald L'eid agreeing upon any given subject, or Messrs Gillies and Curtis—or, to bring the thing to the very u'thna.tnm, of absurdity, Messrs Stafford and J. G. Brown. Such as it was, the matter culminated last night, and resulted as you have already heard by telegram. After bullying for weeks, threatening, hectoring, insisting upon a day being devoted to the great debate, Mr Stafford got his day, and marie a speech not deficient in oratorical power or in any way unworthy of his undoubted ability, but sadly weak in argument, and a complete breakdown so far as it aimed to be a damaging attack upon the ministerial policy. It was very much the old story by which he foisted himself into office in 1805—complaints of the reckless expenditure of public money, necessity for great retrenchment, &c.—and to the astonishment evidently of the House he sat down without making any resolution, being however loudly applauded by his supporters as in duty bound. Mr Vogel then rose. He appeared to be suffering from indisposition, apd did not speak so effectively as usual: he however tore Mr Stafford’s arguments to pieces very completely, and amused members considerably by sketching the various phases of the political opinions of that gentleman dining the past five or six years, Mr Gillies then rose and made, as usual, a very bitter speech; he was not, however, so entertaining as I have heard him, but dipped a good deal into figures and lunded the subject of finance in a most dull and wearisome manner, unenlivened with those flashes of venom which generally characterise his utterances upon every possible occasion. ' No other member rising, the Speaker put the question that the House resolve itself Committee of Ways and Means, which, being carried, terminated this unfortunate display of the weakness of the Opposition, whose game, except so far as factious hindrance to public business, may fairly be considered played out. The new stamp duties will probably come on for discussion to-day, and will probably be considerably modified in their course through committee. Other Government measures are understood to be in a forward st ite for bringing before the House in a practical form. The Estimates Ipavc made considerable progress so far as regards items not subject to political discussion. A stand will be made against the San Fransisco mail service ; but as the contract was entered into in accordance with the resolution of the Parlia raent, Ministers may fairly enough leave the matter to be dealt with upon its merits without putting the screw upon their supporters by making it a Ministerial question. Your Mr Bell has been up here for the last week, having been in attendance upon the Telegraph Committee ; he will, therefore, be in a position to afford information upon all important subjects which may have transpired since my last letter. I am to-day very much pressed for time, and shall postpone any further remarks until the arrival of the Wellington, which is expected to leave in two or three days. (from an occasional correspondent. ) Every one is so busy about Parliamentary matters it is not easy to get a few nn’uutes conversation with our Otago men. They complain most lustily about hard work, but their appearance betrays them —they seem sleek and plump, and not at all like men suffering from dyspepsia or any other thing that flesh is heir to. The ministry have the hardest time of it; Vogel looks pale but still in good heart, and, notwithstanding what the Otago people say of him, I believe he is the man for the period.

Mr Gisborne’s statement of the Government policy in connection with public works was well received in a full House. The Lords being in full force in the galleries; the Stranger’s Gallery crammed, as also the Ladies’ Gallery. By the bye, in speaking of ladies, our friend Shepherd, alias Smiler, has a seat right in front of the gallery, and his eccentricities have brought him into print in the Dailjj Advertiser of this day—it is rather good. The first meeting of the Waste Lands Committee to take the 0 ago Land Bill into consideration, is now sitting, and I guess that it will come out in a new dress, if not, when in Committee of the House, it will receive a tackling, and justly so. Eeid, in his blandest tones, on winding up the debate on the second reading, said “that he was quite willing to agree to such modifications in the Bill as would be agreeable to those holding opposition views. ” Why did he not do this when he had an op. portunity in , the Provincial Council,

aud all would have been right ? Cargill and his his party, as you know, were quito willing to hold a conference. The fact is, however, his bull-dog ferocity and stubbornness will not go down here, and his determined oppositi n to the present Government is just another phase of his muleisbness.

The land sale to Clark is causing no slight sensation in both Houses. The leaders in two last issues of the Independent state the case very clearly. A committee of the U[>per House is appointed to enquire into it, and to-day a question is to be put in theHouseof Representatives by Mr Reeves, of Christchurch, asking the Government ‘ ‘ if they intend to institute an enquiry with the view of ascertaining whether the Waste Land Board have exceeded their powers ; and if so, of taking the necessary legal steps to declare the transaction null and void.” It is clear that the Waste Land Board must no longer be a political body, making ducks and drakes of the public estate,” where and 0 where is the political consistency of the Reid, Cutten, and Bathgate party, whose cry was land for settlement of the people ? It is a mighty farce, and it is wonderful that the eyes of the people—a thinking and intellectual people, all things considered—should have so much dust thrown into their eyes by men whose only object is power and pay. Writing of pay, it seems Mr W. H. Cutten has made a demand that Bradshaw should give up his salary lo him while he remains in Wellington, and threatened at once to resign if he did not agree to the proposal. This Bradshaw at once agreed to do, which is so far good on bis part ; but what can bo said of Cutten ? If he had been elected for Roslyn, would he have given up his pay as a non-official member ? Lord save us from our disinterested Executive officers ! Their time, however, it is to be hoped will be shortlived, and that the pruning knife will not be too gently applied to such an abuse of Provincialism. If the Otago people would only forward a petition for a modification of Provincialism, it would assist greatly in having abuses rectified.

Living in Wellington I don’t at all like, Dunedin is a paradise compared to it, and 1 shall be glad when I get back again—there is some life and energy in Otago, but not ‘so here.