The Globe. THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 1878.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1428, 12 September 1878, Page 2

The Globe. THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 1878.

Beyond all comparison the most humorous man in the present House of Representatives is the member for Akaroa. Other men make puns, and throw off airy jests, usually of a personal character, but such trivialities are beneath the notice of the member for Akaroa, and ho would not condescend to them. His humor is of a totally different order; it is of a kind that is almost better apprehended in typo, than by ear. As a speaker Mr, Montgomery is lamentably deficient in grace, and his very gawkish appearance necessarily creates a prejudice against him. But when wo come to read a speech such as that which ho appears to have delivered last night, the pleasure is unalloyed. There is a ponderous innocouce about the way in which ho pats his friends on the back, and stabs them to the quick at one and the same moment, that is perfectly charming to those who appreciate fine traits of political character. Ho condemned the Government because they had broken their promises, because their proposed system of taxing laud was impossible, because their beer tax was a tax upon working men, and their company tax one upon savings, because they had imputed evil to the importing classes without evidence of the truth of their accusations. But notwithstanding all this multitude of rather serious shortcomings, ho announced that ho would support the Government, because ho believed that “ their aspirations wore liberal.” Such an exquisite paradox lias not boon offered to the House for argument these many years past, and it will no doubt forcibly recall the reason given by the same gentleman why the public meeting in Christchurch some months ago should support Sir George Grey. That reason was that there could bo no doubt that the Premier’s measures would embody his desire for the welfare of the colony. In the present case it is nearly impossible to believe Mr. Montgomery in earnest. He denounces the Government in the most wholesale manner, because their practice is illiberal, is inconsistent with their professions, and in one respect at least the fruit of ignorance; but he will support them because they aspire to bo liberal. Wo wonder if those who, as Mr. Montgomery says, are hardly used or unjustly accused by the Government, will bo satisfied with his philosophy. The Ministerial aspirations are liberal ! According to the received narrative the aspiration of the Evil One once was to reign in Heaven. That was not an illiberal wish. According to his own view of things it was an aspiration of freedom. Would Mr. Montgomery therefore argue that that spirit should have been supported in his desire? Again, the aspiration of most newly convicted criminals is towards freedom, and a chance of turning over a new leaf. Would Mr. Montgomery support a proposition that all such should immediately have that chance given them ? Wo treat the matter seriously because the air of seriousness with which the member for Akaroa delivers himself is apt to deceive. Therein lies the charm of his jokes for those who know his singular vieu. But to the mass of mankind his speech will read as though he thought aspirations were all that was to be sought or wished for in a politician, and as if no amount of action in an opposite direction to their supposed aspirations could justify the -withdrawal of support. We are quite sure ho really does not really hold this doctrine, but it would have been well if ho had explained under what dire necessity Ministers laboured that compelled them to act in a manner contrary to their own wishes. Such an explanation would perhaps have spoiled his fun, but it would have avoided any risk of his being misapprehended, and this perhaps was the more important thing of the two. It will, wo hope, bo understood that we do not say that Ministers are acting contrary to their aspirations. Far from it. It is only Mr. Montgomery who jestingly makes that assertion. Wo have a very different idea of what the Ministerial inclinations are, and we find their action consists admirably therewith. No doubt in his heart of hearts the member for Akaroa holds views on the subject very different from those ho enunciates when wearing his legislatorial cap and bells.

Another sally, not exactly brilliant, but still immensely amusing was made by Mr. Montgomery, when he quoted the inevitable Mill. Fancy W. Montgomery quoting J. S. Mill! That must have been quite the funniest incident of the session so far, and it is only to be regretted that the master could not be present to commend his new disciple. Of course there is a splendid incongruity, a mental divergence such as imagination can conceive between the two men. But wo take it that it was just because Mr. Montgomery had a strong perception of this that he quoted Mill. This was the very essence of his humor, A dose of Mill from most other men might, he thought, prove powerful, as it often has. But Mill once Moutgoraeritied would be spoiled Mill for ever as an authority to be quoted by others. Therefore, having a desire to serve his friends with the aspirations and nothing else, the honorable member proceeded to Moutgomerify Mill accordingly. When will Parliament enjoy such another spectacle ?

It was suggested iu these columns u short time back that an opportunity should l)o afforded to the general public of celebrating iu their own way the opening of tho railway between Christchurch and Dunedin. If there is anything in tho popular argument about the necessity for changing tho incidence of taxation, | it means, as applied to the present case, that tho working men have paid and are paying just as much for this railway as the select fow who were privileged to make a cheap excursion on it last week. Therefore, the equally-paying public have an equal right to claim tho use of their own railway for tho purpose of a celebration after their own manner, though the festival bo only a simple holiday employed in a journey. "W o have no objection to tlio doings of last week. Those who took part in them were to some extent at least representative men, and travelled as such. But Sir George Grey says they are only the representatives gf a narrow oligarchy, and not of tho working classes at all. Cl course,

the Premier must bo right, and therefore iho working classes cannot bo considered to have had their opportunity of celebrating the opening of this great work constructed to a largo extent with their money, and which has deprived their daughters of innumerable cotton frocks their boys of many shoes, and their babies of much sugar in their pap. Under these circumstances how can a Government with liberal aspirations refuse to run a few excursion trains during the next week or two, whereby the working classes may bo gratified with an inspection of their own property, and the country through which it runs, Wo not wish that absolutely free passages such as were accorded to our unrepresentative legislators, should be given, but simply that tickets should bo issued at a reduced rate for certain trains, and a certain time. Wo do not believe the Government would refuse so reasonable a request if it wore referred to them. But it is unlikely that the idea will occur to them unless such request is made, and on the other hand it is hardly reasonable to suppose that the head of the local railway department should act without instructions. Probably a suggestion made to the Minister of Public Works, through one of the local members, would produce the desired result.