A HOME-THRUST.

Evening Star, Issue 3634, 15 October 1874, Page 3

A HOME-THRUST.

The ‘ New Zealand Times ’ in noticing Mr Fox’s remarks concerning barmaids during the discussion ofi the Licensing Bill in the House of Representatives, states ;

“ Mr Fox’s argument—and we give it briefly if not literally—was that no father with properly constituted feelings would take his young son by the hand, introduce him to a publican, and ask Boniface to take him as an apprentice j that no mother, with a proper natural heart in her bosom, 'would think for a moment of allowing the darling of her eyes to go behind a bar to earn a living by supplying even “a pot o’ the smallest ale” to a thirsty traveller, or minister to the wants of say a couple of antiquated politicians, with strong opinions in their noddles on various subjects, who desii ed to discuss them over a glass of toddy, made of the best Glenlivet or ‘Long John,’ in the ‘snug barparlor. The answer of the Premier was that there was a good many duties to be done in social life—duties that were indispensable to the safety as well as the comfort of society—to the performance of which neither the hon. member for Rangitikei nor himself, nor any member of the House, would be willing to train their sons or daughteis. There was, said the Premier, the necessity for providing for the safety of the life and property' of the lieges by means of the police force. The institution was a highly honorable one—but he did not think that Mr Fox, any more than himself, would deliberately train a son to All the position of a parish constable, or even the higher and more useful position of a detective. It was necessary that there should be persons to wait at table—at Bellamy’s, for example—but he did not think that the hon member, any more than himself, would care to specially train a son to put on livery, and attend behind the the chairs of hon members, to supply them with soup, or fill their wine-cups fiom time to time. But there were still humbler duties to be performed in such a city as Wellington, said the hon the Premier—duties which were essential to the health of the City, indispensible to the comfort of the inhabitants, neither pleasant nor attractive, and that could only be performed in the night. He did not think, said the Premier once more, that either the hon. member for Rangitikei or himself would wish to train a son to perform those duties ; and the roar of laughter which followed this home-thrust as by the Committee, and the astonished and confounded look of Mr Fox himself, showed how exquisite was the sarcasm* and how true the common sense, with which the train of thought of the ‘ friend ’ of the waiter and the barmaid had been followed up to a natural though it might be an unexpected conclusion.”