OUR WELLINGTON LETTER

Evening Star, Issue 3592, 27 August 1874, Page 3

OUR WELLINGTON LETTER

August 19. lestcrday tbe FTouse was treated to one of those farcical proce dings that justly excite the ridicule of sensible men. There is a petition against the return of Mr Von der Heyde, the sitting member for Waiteinate ; and becauso the House has no standing com raittee, Jsuch as is appointed in Victoria, or does not relegate the trial of e ection petition to the judges, as is now the custom in I- nglaud, half-an-hour had to be wasted in taking the initiatory step towards striking a commitlee. The process is so graphically .Jf scribed in the ‘ Times ’ that 1 cannot do better than make use of its account A bar had been erected very like a Brobclignagian towel-horse, or the head portion of a modem English bedstead—behind the centre cross-bench, and behind it again were two chairs, one of modem ami the other of mediaeval for the accommodation of strangers or prisoners—the strangers in the gallery were unable to decide which. Then the Sergeant-at-Anns was instructed from the Chair to examine the precincts of the House, and, arming himself with the authority of a lethal weapon, in the shape of the in ace j he duly did so. Returning, and depositing the emblem of the authority of the House in its accustomed place, the .Speaker mildly inquired whether any hon. member knew whether the petitioner was represented by counsel? The hon. member for Hunstau ventured, in a mild whisper, to say that he thought counsel were in attendance. _ Thereupon the Scrgeant-at-Arms was again instiucted to make a voyage of discovery iu. the precincts, and he speedily returned, bringing under his convoy Messrs Moorhouse and Buckley, pi full professional robes, who took their stand behind the bedstead, the former representing the sitting member (Mr Von der Heyde), and the latter the petitioner. The Speaker then invited Hr Von der Heyde to name a member of the Select Committee about to be appointed to take care of his interests. The hon. member named Mr Reader Wood, Counsel for the petitioner was then asked to select a member to represent the petitioner, and Mr Buckley responded by namin'* M r •J• Creighton. The Speaker then named Mr Walter Johnston as Chairman. It was then arranged that the Committee itself, on the suggestion qf Mr Yon der Heyde, should be nominated at an early hour this forrnoon. The gentlemen of the long robe were then informed that they had the gracious leave of the House to retire, and this most solemn piece of business yyas over, The “expedients and devices” of the Wellington blue gums have received further illustration, this time at the hands of the ‘Wanganui Herald.’ This time, however, Mr Vogel has got the best of it. The little affair, which helps to pnii.t a moral, is so well told by the ‘ Herald’ that 1 give it as it appears in that paper, leaving your readers to draw their own conclusions :

The proprietors of the ‘ Wairarapa Standard’ wrote to Mr (Bunny offering the use of their pfficeas an immigration pffiue, if the Government would pay them a rent of Tj9o per annum. It appears that some private correspondence had been earned on between Mr Bunny and the proprietors of the ‘ Wairarapa Standard,’ the result of which was they formed their mild request into a semi-official application to Mr Bunny, who endorsed it—‘‘l recommend that this should be aereed to”--and forwarded it to Mr Vogel, who,-however, very properly sent it to the Superintendent. Mr Vogel observed—- “ I think recommendations of this kind should come from the Superintendent. I may say I t|iink expenditure for rent should not be initiated by those who have offices to let. We have a depot at Greytown, &o.” As Mr Fitzherbert iu reply urged that the offer should be accepted, Mr Vogel reluctantly acceded to the request, evidently thinking they would be satisfied. But Mr Bunny had not got even half of what he wanted, for Mr Fitzherhevt’s next letter contained the request that Mr Payton, one of the proprietors of the ‘ Standard,’ should be appointed agent for the Wairarapa, at a salary of LSO per annum. Mr Vogel at saw how matters were drifting, and that Mr Bunny was not at all anxious to pmmote the interests of the immigration otnee by attempting to obtain an appointment tor one ot _ the newspaper proprietors in the district which he represents, but that his only object was to secure the support of the paper, to avoid losing the confidence Of the electors ; and LTOwas the price the Colony was requested to pay the ‘Standard’ for its assistKf- acknowledging the receipt of this letter, Mr Vogel says These gentlemen are the proprietors of the newspaper o published in the district, and it is of great importance the Press should hold to the conduct of immigration independent relations. For this reason if for no other, I cannot approve tho proposed appointment. But even this plain answer dul not satisfy thbm, for Mr Payton, having been informed of the unfavorable result, did not quite despair of catching the L7O Mr Bunny

had so temptingly hung before him, and immediately suggested that Mr R. Bright, a young man who knows nothing whatever about immigrants, or the necessary office routine, should be appointed in his place. Mr Vogel, however, took no notice of this, and appointed a suitable person to take charge of the immigrants sent to that district. Upon heaving of this appointment, Messrs Wakefield and Payton immediately withdrew the offer of leasing any part of their office to the Government and therj was no further correspondence on the subject, excepting perhaps hitters of condolence from Mr Bunny to Messrs Wakefield and Payton, who, no doubt, replied in the same strain, probably beginning their private letters as they did their official ones with “ Dear Mr Bunny.”

The Canterbury members are determined ■'o carry off the palm for joking In the Upper Hous*, Col. Hrebt has already been ciedited with two jokes, certainly of a questionalde character, and in the Commons Sir Cracroft Wilson strives hard to earn the title of ‘‘funnyman.” On Wednesday last there was an amusing debate in the Lower House, on the committal of Mr Buekhmd’a iittlu Bill, which sought to give the Superintendent of .Auckland power to give permission to all and sundry to shoot pheasants in curtain parts of the Province, arid, particuhtrly in > rarklyh (which the hon. member ; ©presents), where it was alleged they existed ii; such numbers as to be a source of annoyance to the farmers, whose crops they destroyed before they ripened. Mr Ruckland, who was very pathetic in his appeals, had framed his Bill so as to make it compulsory on the Superintendent to issue the licenses; to which Mr T. B. Gillies and Mr R'lleston objected, urging that they should be at liberty to exercise their discretion Mr Ro’leston opposed the clause reviving the old joke about the clause uot making game of the pheasants, &e. Later in the evening Sir t racroft Wilson had a tilt with the Superintendent. Ihe Knight of Cashmere was piloting through the House a little Bill, which will punish people who carelessly set fire to bush or grass lands ; and the measu e or the penalty (1 can’t remember which) did not rn-et with the approval of the member for Avon, and on-- or two other members. > s ir Cracroft, tired of explaining, and replying to the various opinions offe ed with a view to improving his Bill, turned upon the House and t°ld it that each day he had so much wisdom poured into his ears, that he was gradually becoming deaf; and ho ipjpjored hon. members to be caieful. The a-peal was successful, for opposition ceased, and the bill passed through Committee.