PERSONALITIES FROM “HANSARD.”

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1056, 15 November 1877, Page 3

PERSONALITIES FROM “HANSARD.”

SOUTHLAND SABCASH. Dr Hodgkinson—l would like to know what sacrifices the hon. member for Egmont has made in the course of his life. What amount of patriotism docs he possess ? Sir, his patriotism may be summed up in a single sentence. It consists in drawing salary, and an much of it as he can. I myself gave him an opportunity last session to show what patriotism he possessed by asking him pointblank whether he would reduce his own salary, and what was his reply? “ Of course not.” Wo learn from the lion, member for Clutha that the emoluments this gentleman has been receiving for some time past amount to £2150 a year. That is his patriotism. He belongs to the class of patriots described in the Diglow Papers. Hosea Biglow tolls us of an order of patriots in America who have a high reverence for Uncle Sam, but especially for his pocket; and that is the patriotism of the hon. member for Egmont. A similar sentiment imbues those of his colleagues who hope to get back to office. I am a tolerably modest man, and never pretended to be a financier, but I cannot do much worse than the bon. member for Egmont. Well, when I reflect upon the hon. gentleman’s inordinate vanity and self-esteem, I cannot help thinking that I might do one financial stroke which would show highly favorable results. I should like to buy the hon. gentleman at my price and sell him at his own, and the balance would bo so enormous that it would go a long way towards reducing the cost of Government, if it did not reduce the colonial debt. We know, too, that the hon. gentleman’s vanity soars to a great height. Though no one suspects him of taking “Excelsior” as his motto, yet his vanity would raise him to the summit of his own Mount Egmont; whereas his proper employment would be to plant cabbages and potatoes in the fertile soil at its base. He may be equal to act as a clerk to a Road Board, but if ho were clerk of a Road Board I have no doubt that he would get the funds of the Board into confusion. “ POOB BOWEN.” Mr Delautour —We have heard in the lobbies during the past week—and we cannot help hearing the talk in the lobbies —questions of this sort; “ What is to be done for poor Bowen? He must bo provided for.” Now, sir, what claim has that hon. gentleman to be taken back, or to be provided for P 1 do not think ha himself would advance n claim of any kind ; but if ho did advance it 1 think ho might ask himself whether the de partment of which he has hud charge during the past year has been conducted in such ;> way that it would be advisable to put him again at the head of it. If ha were again to lake his scat as Minister of Justice, I should

think the ghost of poor Curtin would haunt him. lam glad to hear that he recognizes the fact that that would not be advisable, and that he intends in the future to devote himself to the duties of the Colonial Secretaryship in another place. If those hon. gentlemen are so anxious to get back to those benches, if they are so anxious to again hold the offices which they have already abused, I say it is not proper to endeavor to advance their interests by appealing to the sympathies of the House. Before they return to office they should be prepared to defend their past acts ; and I call upon the hon. gentleman to whom I have alluded, before he takes office again, to give a reason for a great mistake that was made—and to call it a “great mistake” is a very mild way of putting it. We all heard of the miserable occurrence which took place in Marlborough a few months ago. We heard of steamers being despatched during the night in connection with the case of a man who was taken out twice to be put to death. I do not think, when we remember things like that, that we should be doing right by again placing that hon. gentleman in charge of the Department of Justice. DONALD DEMAS. Dr. Hodgkinson—ln reading the New Testament we read of a certain character who was honored, trusted, and beloved by his brethren; but, in an evil hour, in the day of temptation, he fell away, and the record which we now have of him in the sacred page inscribed by the great Apostle is this — “ Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world.” There are men in this House whom we could compare with that character in Scripture history. I am aware of one character in particular, a man who for a long time was considered as one of the most faithful, and most zealous, and, I may say, one of the most beloved and most trusted of that party to which I have the honor to belong. Well, the time of temptation came, and that hon. member could not endure the cold shade of Opposition, but longed for the sunny benches of the Treasury, and in an evil hour he deserted his party for place and pay. He will leave, lam afraid, upon the records of this House a description as melancholy as that to which I have just alluded as mentioned in sacred history. We can form some opinion of the fate of that character from what we read in that famous work of the great dreamer, Bunyan, who had a great insight into sacred things. He has given us a description of the end before the hon. member. We are told that certain pilgrims were on a journey ; they ascended a certain mountain, where their guide showed the place where poor Demas, in search of a silver mine, went too near the edge of the precipice, fell, and was shattered to pieces ; and there he remained a warning to all backsliders. There are in this House—l will not say how many —but we have some in this House who, I am afraid, have, if I may use the expression, fallen from a state of political grace. Wo all know that in politics as in religion there are certain men who are reprobates. MR BAREF BLATANT. Mr Rowe —My hon, friend the member for Auckland City East has not spoken yet; I hear ho intends to speak for a week, and during that week he will develop a number of reasons for his vote.

Mr Barff —That is more than you can do. Mr Eowe —My hon. friend has a larger amount of brain and sense than I can pretend to possess, and no doubt he can give a number of reasons that will please the House and benefit hon. members. I shall not oppose the adjournment. Mr Barff —Afte* the remarkably lucid and connected speech of the hon. member for the Thames (Mr Eowe), I have not the slightest doubt that hon. members who belong to the party of which he is a bright and shining light will at once consent to an adjournment. I would ask whether it is not fair that the debate should be adjourned. The fact of the matter is that the wretched resolution of the hon. member for Egmont was moved in a speech the like of which was never delivered previously in the New Zealand Parliament on such an occasion. It was a speech without argument and without any reason being given why the present Government should be removed. The only argument was this ; “ I want to get back to my old place where I was leader of the Government, where I stuck to my scat for many years, and where I hope to stick to it again for many other years.” That was really the entire argument. Mr Speaker —The hon. member must really confine his remarks to the question of adjournment.

Mr Barff —I was about to say that, on an occasion like this, where the fate of a Ministry is to be decided, a certain amount of latitude is always allowed in debate; and in the remarks I have made I believe I have given reasons why the debate should be adjourned. These reasons, I think, will tell with all reasonable men. But there are such things as dumb dogs, who will not bark, and there are political dumb dogs who cannot speak, political dumb dogs who consent to be kicked off the Government benches without opening their mouths or saying a word in their own defence ; and they, without giving a single reason for being replaced, but simply because they have gone through the process of counting noses—which is, however, sometimes very illusory—wish to turn out their successors Where do the

Opposition receive their stqiport from ? How do they manage to get it ? Mr Speaker. —The hon. member must confine his remarks to the question of adjournment. It is very undesirable and unparliamentary to speak twice upon the main question. I always desire, and it is my duty, to give every reasonable latitude in debate ; but I am sure the hon. member will see that he ought to confine himself to giving reasons for the adjournment. Mr BarlV —I before stated that, in my opinion, it was customary to allow a very large amount of latitude in debating a question on which the fate of a Ministry depends. ivir Speaker —It is quite true that, when hon. members are speaking to tho main question, it would not become mo to interfere too much as to tho direction the arguments they used might take ; but that is narrowed down when the question comes to one of the adjournment of the debate. The lion, gentleman will see that 1C it were otherwise hon. members might make as many soueohes to the main question as occasions occurred for the adjournment ot the debate. Mr Barff —I have no further remarks to address to the House, unless I am permitted to conduct thorn in my own way. Major Atkinson—Tho hon. gentlemai might have saved, himself all this trouble. Wo are quite willing to adjourn, upon tin understanding that we shall endeavour to take the division on Monday.