THE GLOBE. MONDAY, APRIL 19, 1880.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1919, 19 April 1880, Page 2

THE GLOBE. MONDAY, APRIL 19, 1880.

Tkuth is stranger than fiction, and tho light thrown by Mr. Hurst (at tho end of last month, while addressing the electors of Auckland City West) on the defection of the four Auckland mombors, throws an action of Sir Goorgo Grey during last session into such an extraordinary and ridiculous light, that it is worth while pausing for a fow seconds to glance at it. Our readers will remember tho thunderbolt hurled from tho hand of Sir George on to the floor of tho house in the shape of a proposed measure entitled " Tho Prevention of Corruption Act, 1879." The measure threatened with imprisonment, forfeiture of seat, &c, &c, all mombors Jwho were influenced in any way by outsiders, all members who attompted to influence other mombors, and all outsiders who dared to look at a member, and was in every way of such a scouring and electrifying character that a shudder passed through the House whilo tho ex Premier was proposing it. The demonstration was directed of course against the four Auckland members, and was never meant to bo of tho slightost practical value. Tho four mombors wore to bo rakod fore and aft as thoy sat cowering in their seats in the House, and tho world at large was to swallow tho manifestation with what appetite it might. And now it turns out that Sir Goorgo was cognisant of the intended inovo on tho part of tho four mombors, and practically approved of it, and tho whole time whilo ho was introducing and dilating on this till he was woll aware of tho real history of tho withdrawal of tho mombers from Mi-

Macandrow's party. We can well imagine Sir George winking at Mr. Hurst as ho proceeded in his tirade. To these two inon thore must havo been a large degree of solid onjoyment to bo derivod from the situation. Thore being a thorough rapport between them, Mr. Hurst must have looked upon Sir George's impassioned appeal for purifying the House with the calm judgmont of a connoisseur thoroughly laying himself out to appreciate a first-class actor.

Ouit correspondent," Ratepayer," writing from Lyttelton, certainly appears to make out a very strong case why the proposal of the Committee of the- Lyttelton Colonists' Society should be carried into effect. This proposal appears to bo that tho building, library, &c, should be handed over to tho Borough Council for the use of tho town of Lyttelton. In Novemhor last, on tho occasion of tho Committee handing in their report, we took occasion to remark on the disagreeable outlook of tho Society, and to regret that its usefulness was likoly to bo curtailed for want of public support. Tho reading-room in particular had been a great boon to tho seafaring population, and must have had material weight in keeping jack a-shore out of tho public house. But out of a population of nearly 4000 thore wore only ninety subscribers, and the revenuo derived from this source was manifestly inadequate to keep the affair going. On the grounds of tho public good the institution was doing we strongly urged the grant by the Government or the Borough Council of a subsidy towards keeping the library and roadingroom in fit condition. But again the committoe havo seen that the present status of the institution is untenable, and this time they urge the handing of the whole of it over to the Borough Council. Our correspondent puts forward valid reasons why this might be done with every show of justice. The building stands on land owned by the ratepayers who havo never received any rent from the Society, nor havo any rates been paid for the samo, and, moreover, in the days of tho Provincial Council, the institution was kept on its legs by subsidies of from £IOO to £3OO per annum. The subscribers may certainly, by straining a point, consider that they have a vested right in the management of tho institution, but considering the state into which its affairs havo fallen, considering the large development for good that would eventuate were the Society's property to be handed over to the Borough Council, and finally considering tho manner in which the public have in times past put its hand into its pockets on behalf of the institution, the subscribers who hold out against the proposal at present on the the cards, would do well to reconsider their determination. •It is sweot,' says tho poet, 'to die for one's country;' to die for one's borough would be, we imagine, even sweeter, because tho pleasure must be more concentrated, and the Colonists' Society might giv9 up the ghost surrounded by a halo of patriotism that would bo a fitting termination to a career which has been both useful and ornamental.