WELLINGTON.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2722, 7 November 1871, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

(FXIOVI Ot'R OWN CCEiJESFONDENT. ) November 4. At this period of the session events follow thick upon each other, and during the past week many measures of great political importance have received the sanction of the Douse of Representatives. The predictions which I ventured some time ago to make respecting the position and power of the Opposition have so far turned out to be true that they have been unable to make even a respectable figure upon any political division. If they had hopes upon the Brogdcn contract question, which were, as all are aware, very rudely dispelled, still more w ra they confident that upon the San Francisco Mail Service —they would run the Government close, if not defeat them by a small majority. The result is already known to you by telegram, hut the wires can hardly convey an idea of the utter chagrin and discomfiture of Gillies and his friends, when they found themselves in a miserable majority. It was quite true that several of the ordinary Government supporters declined to pledge themselves as to this question, but expressed their wish to hear the pros and cons before deciding bow to vote. Mr Vogel’s exhaustive and able statement, and the wretched quibbling of Messrs Gillies nml Staff rd in support of the amendment, settled the matter. Ministers lost not a single supporter, and Mr Bathgate, much to his credit, recorded his vote with them.

The Wellington Loan Bill, of which I have advised you before, has been aban doned as a private measure, and a modified Bill, under the title of the “ Wellington Debts Bdl,” brought down by the Government. This simply provides for the sanction of the Assembly being given to the Provincial Government to borrow sufficient money upon the Provincial security to pay

off all outstanding Labilities, amounting to some LSD,ooo—the Colony not assuming any possible liability whatever. The Opposition have taken up this as a point of attack, and resolutely and with apparently most venomous animus oppose it in every possible way upon every possible occasion. Mr (Lillies gets absolutely furious upon the subject, and brought down upon himself the most severe castigation I have ever heard inflicted in the House, at the hands of a man thoroughly capable of doing it effectively—Mr Fitzherbert, the Superintendent of Wellington. By the time this reaches you the fate of the Bill will have been telegraphed. The fact of the Opposition taking it up politically will in all probability ensure its successful passage, through the House. The cereal duties wove v. ry keenly discussed. I do not know that anything very now was said. The debated drifted into “free trade v. protection but the votes were in must case- given upon the mere question of revenue. The majority was much larger than had been anticipated ; and it is indeed a very remarkable fact tint the imposition of new tax ition in < his matter and that of the stamps and timber, was assented to with so very little real hearty opposition. The Colonial Treasurer must be surprised at his own success ; but it is to bo hoped will not thus be encouraged to move a little more in the same direction next year.

Mr Mervyn has been distinguishing himself, as you may have seen by the local journals It would appear that he took umbrage on behalf of his constitutents. whoever they may be, at some sections of the Payment to Provinces Bill, aud when in committee was determined to impede its pas sa.c by speaking (!) and dividing upon every clause. He commenced this little game about midnight, being entirely alone ; and his opposition very soon disgusted the House and ended by insulting the Chairman of Committees, who thereupon left the eha:r ; when the Speaker called the member for Mount Ida district to order, and he was, to use the p niaucc of the police courts, “removed by his frie ids.” The next day the Speaker ordered the House to be cleared of strangers, and, we are given to understand, requested that the House would give him authority, not vested in him at present, to cause members under certain circumstances of disorderly conduct to be summarily removed. Mr Fox said he would consult with other leading members, and would then be prepared with suggestions to meet the difficulty and prevent such disgraceful scenes in future. Mr Mervyn is also said to have expressed his regret, and there the matter for the time ended. It is a pity the member for Mount Ida does not keep himself a little more in the background ; he does improve by time, but rather becomes more objectionable. This was by no means his first offence, and a graceful retirement would under the circumstances be the best thing he could do in the interests of hj s constituents. Mr Murray of Brace, is worse than ever; his whining tones upon every subject are exasperatin,■ enough, but his attempts at being witty are absolutely excruciating. This is a late specimen. In Committee, the Speaker (Mr Dillon Bell), was addressing himself to the subject under discussion, when the Murray rose “to a point of order.” “I want to know, Sir,” he said, “ whether Mr Bell as addressing us as the Speaker; or as himseff?” with a sickly grin he then sat down, and whispered admiringly to a neighboring idiot. His last effort was to make a perfect ass of himself—strong language, but no other is suitable—upon the item in the Estimates for Mr Vogel’s travelling expenses. He was so utterly “at sea,” that the House laughed him down, and he has since subsided. He has evidently mistaken his vocation which nature evidently intended, by .-conformation of mind and body to be that of a “Jack Pudding ” in a travelling theatre.