Our Wellington Letter

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 20, 2 August 1890, Page 3

Our Wellington Letter

(feom our own correspondent.) Wellington, July 31. Sir Harry Atkinson is very much missed in the House by his party, as has been shown by several of the Government supporters voting against the proposed Estimates. Mr Mitchelson does not seem to be able to control his men, and the result has been that the Government have found themselves more than once in a peculiar fix. The position in the House is decidedly unique. One strong economist stated recently that if Mr Ballanca came into power that he should seriously consider the necessity of packing up his belongings and leaving the colony, yet we find this same gentleman voting with the member for Wanganui against a Government that he professes to support. It is the usual Auckland "roar" for retrenchment that is responsible for the mixed state of parties ; the Auckland members prefer the present Government to any that could come from the Opposition, yet they must vote according to dictation from their constituents and cut down every vote — bar Auckland. Anything that touches Auckland must be left, *nd as the " Skinflints " hold the balance of power, they generally get what they want. On Monday last it was thought tint a dissolution was inevitable, but Sir Harry put on the proverbial " hob-nailed loot* " and told ' Ski fit s " that some of tneir proposed reductions were ridiculous in the face of the fact that some officers had pensions due them, equal to the reduced salary, which would make it necessary to replace those who would not work for the country for nothing. The " Skinflints " opened their eyes rather wide when the true state of things was laid before them, and several of them consented to go back to the Government side on condition that certain yotes were cut down. The Government bowed to the inevitable with the result that all increases to salaries over JE2OO are to be docked. In many cases the recipients of high salaries can do very well without the increase, but there are just as many who really deserve some further recognition, but they n U I suffer with the rest. The trial of the two young rogues Eobinson and Wickham has brought to light the unwelcome fact that we have growing up in our midst some very undesirable colonists. "That an old man could be decoyed at a late hour into a back street and there be half-throttled by one ruffian whilst the other " ran through " his pockets, which he lightened of Bs, is a niaoter for some serious reflection, and it should tend to show to old and young alike, that *• things are not what they used to be, in the days of Auld Lang Syne," and that it behoves those whose duties compel them to walk the streets after dark to be careful Low they accede to the requests of benighted travellers who ask the " ioan of a shilling to get a bed, or a meal, as they iave not had anything to eat for over a week, &c., n but which requests are only made with the object of seeing whether the person addressed is wOL'th " shadowIng." It is a matter for congratulation, in this case, that the delinquents are now lying in durance vile awaiting the sitting •of the next Supreme Court. Mr Hobbs, the member for Bay of Islands, felt very sore at being locked in the Government Whip's room recently when the House was " counted out " on the Dog Registration Bill, so he and Sir George Grey complained very loudly in 4he House on Tuesday about such " larxikinism." Mr Scobie McKenzie, who was mainly responsible for detaining Mr Hobbs, explained that when he heard the door locked and saw Mr Hobbs rush for the window, he thought the hon. gentleman contemplated . uici le, so he held on to his legs to prevent the rash act, but as soon as he found that the "gentleman from the North " was in his right senses, and that had neither pocketed the key of the door, nor desired to end his life, he let him go ; but he regretted that the hon. gentleman was too late to vote. Several other members followed in the same seriocomic strain, Mr Pyke declaring that if it was not f > r the fact that he intended depriving Mr McKenzie of his seat at next election, he would move a vote of censure on that gentleman. The only result of the debate was another wasted afternoon. The man Dooley, who was remanded •on the charge of illusing his little daughter, showed himself to be as big a coward as the rest of his kind when their own skins are touched. In vain did he plead that in administering such severe punishment he was only doing it to bring the ■child up to its church, and in obedience, and that as God would show mercy to the presiding Magistrate, 80 the R.M. should show mercy. He forgot, however, to say whether he considered thrashing a naked .child with a belt until h poor child was bleeding in several places, was mercy. When the R.M. ignored his wail and sentenced him to three months' hard labor the fellow broke out into coarse abuse, daring the police to lay hands on him, ■and warning His Worship that he would lave to answer for liii decision at the judgment day. The world is well rid of such people who only use their knowledge of Scripture to further their own vicious ends.