SAYINGS AND DOINGS AT WELLINGTON.

Evening Star, Issue 3596, 1 September 1874, Page 3

SAYINGS AND DOINGS AT WELLINGTON.

(From the, Wellington Papers.) A VOOELIAN JoKE. When tbe Bill for a grantjia aid to Nelson was before the House of Representatives, reference was made to the schedule defining the works for which the money should be appropriated. It was said that they should i start from a point, styled the “ Devil's Grip,” and *to some other point also indicated. Mr Vogel naively sugg>sted that a less harsh but equally expressive name might be substituted for the starting point. He thought tbe “Superintendent’s Grip” might mean about as much and would be 1 more euphonious. VERT APROPOS. The following lines from “The Battle of Lake Regilius ” are not inappropriate, a< i illustrating the attitude of the leader of the - Provincial phalanx, in the late contest;— ‘ Under his hoary eyebrows Still flashed forth quenchless rage And if the lance shook in his grasp ’Twas more with hate than age. OFFICIAL SNOBBISHNESS. On the 27th nit. an intimation was given to the occupants of the reporters’ gallery that they would be permitted to occupy their scats in that gallery to-morrow night when the members are entertaining his Excellency at dinner in the Chamber be ! ow. Strange to say this intimation was not accompanied by a further permission to feast off the broken viands in the kitchen afterwards. This was required to render the thing complete. The members apparently wish to have the pro-, ceediugs reported, bu>: object to pursue the usual course of forwarding invitations to the Press. This may arise from ignorance of the courtesy and custom usual in such matters, or from snobbishness We susp;ct the latter is the true cause. Had an invitation been s< nt in due comse, we should have been happy to have sent a reporter, and our contemporaries wou’d no doubt have done the same, but as it is we certainly shall not allow any m mber of our staff to attend, and we trust our contemporaries will also refuse to avail themselves of the insulting offer so liberally made. A WASTE op MONEY. The acoustic properties of the House of Representatives after all do not appear to have been much improved by the extensive alterations effected by the new green damask hangings, although the expense of this new experiment is close on LIOO. There were nearly 350 yards of damask used in this last trial, and all apparently for no purpose. Nearly half a thousand of money has been expended in trying to improve the hearing of the Chamber, but every attempt has been unsuccessful. HOW IRREVERENT. The talk on the Wellington beach the day after the North Island Provinces Abolition resolutions were passed, was how the Provincial building may be turned to profitable use in the future, the prevailing opinion being that it will make an excellent publie-house, and send the Empire into a cocked hat. • It is wonderful to what base uses both men and things are sometimes brought. AN ALLEGORY, Our Parliamentary figures of this session been mostly taken from forestry. We had the famous blue gum similitude, and the more ancient but less appropriate upas tree ; we may continue the style, by saying that six weeks ago there was not a rustle of leaves nor a toss of the branches of our little legislative forest. But this quietude has gone. Tbe trees—even the feeble reeds —are now shaken by the wind ; there is a stormy sough among their tope; and even the hoary stems are shrie!nng,with the tempest. The storm will soon blow over, but it is unpleasant while it lasts. SHEPHERD AND BROWN. There was a great scene in the House during the small hours the other morning when Mr Shepherd rose to speak. The Speaker’s attention was called to the empty benches, leading to an order to ring the bell. Of course members came trooping in, and Mr Shepherd, taking advantage of their presence, proceeded to speak, and would speak, despite of.all opposition. “I never see.” said the critical Mrs Waggles of the French gentleman who was always contemplating his logs, ‘ I never see such a creature for admiring of hisself.” What would Mrs Waggles have said, if her all-observing eye had lighted on the hon. member for the Dunstan, as he was determined to give the benefit ofjiis sentiments to unwilling hearers. Again there was a rush for the doors, which the hon member said prevented his going , on properly, and he was so warm as, we fear, , to call a member who was rather conspicuous i in opposing him “a donkey.” He had to apologise, and finding that the fates were

against him, he left the House. The above account of tho little affair does not give the exact facta, Mr Shepherd got up to speak after Mr Fox. who had just delivered himself of a speech worthy of the man and tho occasion. Therefore the House was in no mood to hear Dunstan’s member, and as he persisted iu speaking, member after member walked out, until there was no quorum left. Ail thi-. time Mr J. C. Brown was playing a part. First he got the House almost emptied, and then called Mr Spca .er’s attention to the fact; whereupon the bells were rung, and a House made, and Mr Shepherd proceeded with his speech, but with the same effect. Mr Brown kept on nagging him with some uncomplimentary observations, until at last, no longer able to bear it, Mr Shepherd addressed the Speaker—“ Sir, I cannot proceed while the hon, member for Tuaueka is making such a noise. It is more like that of a donkey than anything else.” Of course this was very unparliamentary, and Mr Shepherd had to withdraw the expression. SENSATIONAL TELEGRAPHING. Have your readers taken the trouble to read your contemporaries, north and south ? If they have not, they should do so ; and then will understand how the telegraph is prostituted by unprincipled correspondents Kveryone remembers the instance at the beginning of the session ; but they have multiplied to an extent that is astonishing. la some papers not only have 1 seen the defeat of the Uovernment announced, the names of the new Ministry set forth and their policy sketched, but attacks on private character made, and the purest of inventions circulated by those who delight in sensation. And all this is done and sanctioned by the Department to the exclusion almost, certainly to the prejudicial delay of bona fide telegrams.