Parliamentary Sketches

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 74, 10 December 1887, Page 3

Parliamentary Sketches

By Omt Weijjngtqn Waicoejcaw. : .—. — r-e-If I were once again keeping the official ship's log of some tall ladia•nan I should descrioe the (Parliamentary) weather of the past weak as distinguished by •'* light winds and * «alms, with occasional squalls from all points of the compass." There has been a decided tendency on the part of members of both sides of the House to do business. Whether this proceeds from an innate sense of progress . or from a wholesome dread of the j vox populi, and what <• My Constituents" may say, I will not attempt to decide! Certain it is something has been attempted, something done, and though the original Adam will every j bow and again assert itself in our unTegenerate representatives, they have kept that old serpent within them in decent subjection, and the stone walling tactics of the Opposition have not been peculiarly objectionable until Tuesday night last when the committal of the Representation Act 1887 Amendment Bill came on for discussion. # . * * "* - /Major Atkinson has had success with three of his Bills, those relating to t^e Governors, Ministers, and Members screws— and ,l am not going to say that these successes have not inflated the Hon. gentleman, because I think they have, aad that day by day the Major becomes what Mr Sydenhacd Taylor would call more "hawfuliy harbitary:" Some few weeks ago. a military hero of great renown.wrote a pamphlet about our Defence Forces, in woichhe asked — I write from memory— " Who saved Borne ?" " •• Who lolled Oeck Robin ?" Who chawed up the Maoris ?" or questions to the same effect. Each time the writer supplied the reply to his own query, and the answer was — I, write from Memory-- " Why, Major Atkinaon and his bushwhackers !" Well the truth is, the bushwhacking Major has never forgotten' his bushwhackers ; ias never forgotten lie once led them,, and thinks he leads them now, and when he has made up his mind, to carry a' measure he bushwhacks it through, and on the faintest sign of opposition ' complains of obstruction and threatens courts-martial. It siricks me however, that what our .House how suffers from is too little Opposition and too much Go rernment party, and such a party without a strong,' homogeneous, and vigilant opposition, is likely- to become corrupt. Some of the rail-sitters, have ratted to the strong side, and day by day the followers of Yogel show a less solid front. Under these circumstances, and in the absence of .Ballance— whose opposition, by the way, has been remarkably lukewarm, even when expressed — we cannot blame the courageous but exciteable Mr Seddon if he, as he does, very frequently places himself in evidence. i * * * * It is amusing to watoh the dignity and condescension with which the ladies —in the ladies gallery presumably member's wives — in the front row regard the females of lesser social calibre in the back seats. When a new arrival enters, they turn and languidly take stock of her bonnet, and wonder among thamselveß "Who is that woman, my dear?" and criticise the details of her toilet with intelligent contempt. One cannot help wondering why ladies subject themselves to the neat, bad air, and hard unsympathetic seats of the gallery for. long weary hours and with apparently inexhaustible patience. It certainly cannot be to listen to the eloquence of members, because, imprimis they do not listen, and secundus there is no eloquence to listen to. It can hardly be to look at 'members either, for the back rows cannot see pur senators, and all the beautiful occupants of that gallery where all are beautiful, keep their eyes rivitted upon Onr Wellington Watchman. I am reluctantly compelled therefore to believe that the dear creatures simply come to see and be seen by me. ■■■\ '; ;*■■'. *• * " * On Thursday, December 1, Mr Mitchelson inaudii by moved, and Mr Rich* ardson, the ex-Minister, inaudibly commented upon the' Government Railway Bill. It would be impossible to say which was the most heartrending performance. ■ ' • • - "•■ ■-.-#■ * In the evening Sir J. Yogel continued his comments in "no hostile spirit." He is evidently enamoured of our railways, of the manner in which they are managed, and deeply impressed with the beauties, mental and moral, of the beloved and departed Maxwell. Members did not seem to pine after railway matters, as very few of them were present. After Sir Julius, Sir Join Hall stepped gingerly into the arena. Sir John does not impress, though I admit he depresses me profoundly. I can detect nothing About this gentlemen that would leave me to believe that he was ever the leader of a party and the House. He has an ordinary but benign physiognomy, and a large penholder wherewith te point his periods. Item, a black coat, waistcoat and continuations, •eye-glasses (jdnes nez], as also a watch .chain, and does not appear desirous of injuring a worm. He has no evident jocosity, and in common with by far the largest proportion of our representatives, views this sublunary sphere as a vale of tears. Major Atkinson loosely laid out on a bench, like an Irish body ready for wakeing, takes stock of Sir John and occasionally .encourages him with a hear!, hear! where no hear ! hear ! should be. Sir John, who speaks with that dreary gusto with which a very low churchman reads that peculiar and cursory portion of the Church of England ser--vice. He said among other things •that New .Zealanders were not made fox railways, but railways for New f a statement which Mr Maxwell would consider the rankest §ort of blasphemy. Monday, December Major At-

| kinson moved the second reading of the Representation Bill. The gallant warrior seemed to be in a more bushwhack* ma humor than .eveiUfor when nsked to speak louder, he declared that there was so much n«'isp he could not make himself heard. There was a good deal of elegant conversation going on, but the Premier i« the last wqo should complain, be beina a notorious sinner in this direction, and continually drawing upon himself the rebuke half«serions, yet semirhumoroas i of Sir George Grey. : * * * * The Maori members kicked lustily at any reduction of Maori members, and Mr Carroll made a short speech noticeable' for good English, heat diction, and correct elocution. Mr Taipua thought now that all danger of war was vast, the Europeans and Maoris should live together as one people. It would be bet« ter, he said, for the Maori members to leave that House altogether, indeed they would be prepared to do so,, were that measure passed. I do not think these Native gentlemen need fear. The Pre* mier will square the Maori vote, or I am no prophet. « .•■; * ' • , '■..•• ■■'*■ Mr Seddon, who said his heart sank within him, but did not appear as if that operation hurt him, shot tempestuous glances at the Premier frond beneath louring brows, and smote him, hip and thigh, with rhetorical thunderbolts. He spoke wisely and truly of the present want of a community of interests, and of the absurd local jealousies that unhappily prevail. During the time that Seddon was castigating wealth, land- rings, tyrannical majorities, and other matters, his faithful Achates, Eerr, sat as usual mazed in a deep wonderment at the fatal fluency of his friend. The position be* came serious, however, when Mr Kerr was seen, for the first time in the memory of living man, to take a parliament- ; ary note. (To be continued. j