Select Poetry.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XIII, Issue 562, 23 March 1868, Page 3

Select Poetry.

HOUSE-MOVING. fr'TTK winter sunshine, tori adit. and cold, Falls on the floor—uucanieted ; The pictures stacked against the wall, And on the old dismantled bed. The sale's lu-iiay ; aa uoui ur tnO, And greedy hands and staring faces Will peer, and pry, and analyse In sacred rooms, and dear old places. Well, life is but a shifting tent. Time furls and pitches; moving, then, Is but rehearsing graver things— Playing at Heath who mocks at men, Sc lots mock Heath ; I?swat be warm. Flowers sweet, love dear, and June skiesblue, What matters here or there?—no jot, So hearts be warm, and friends bo true. THE COUNCILLOES OF WESTLAND. A LEGISLATIVE LAY; ALONG WAY AETEII MACAULAY. SKO! reasonable Province men, come listen to my c?' lay; " Clear-headed” Centralisers, hear with such grace as ye may; For I must tell a story, will astonish all your ears; And make all honest Councils shame their selfish West compeers. ‘Twas in the Westland Council Hall—seven councillors were there; John Hall, official nominee, sat in the “ curule chair,” And round the Board, the seven were ranged; O, patriots dire were they. One Haebison was absent on that financial day. Of Haeeison, the absent, boots it little here to tell; Dunedin’s precincts know him. Port Grcymoutli knows him well; Good “capital" from absence he may yet seek to raise, By repudiating selfish votes, to win the public praise. Keaey was greedy for the prey queer patriots oft pursue; And Whall shookofl'Uis "delicacy” —an easy thing One moved, the other seconded that each of all the 1 ! eight Thrice fifty pounds a-ycar should “lift” from the coffers of the state. Pshaw! Must I tell my auditors how Shaw, the printer, spake; j The Hokitika Mayor, with both name and fame to | make? 1 It grieves me much to spoak it; but the truth must 1 here be told; 1 Bhaw slightly “ stinted and said ‘Aye.’"* and] pocketed the gold! j The “country members pressed on them tlns ; bounty,”—so he said.!_ I Though only Whall and Keaey did—wise Bonau'i shook his head : i And thus ’mong all this curious crew, one bright | exception he; i Eonar’s the sole opposing voice; — the six assent with glee. For Clarke, and Barff, and lloos (such names 1) a silent vote bestow To make throe public pounds per week into each pocket flow, 0, shame upon the selfishness that spends our taxes Lives patriotism ’mongst us now ? Sad Westland answers— '■ No And nearly twice the pay she gives for onc-flfth the working days Of the General Assembly,—each member's eo4/<which pays;— And thus the Westland County scheme, which Central fraud did breed," Shows, in its first assayings, more expcusivcuoss more greed. Soon must our politicians learn Frugality and Thrift, For these alone can save us from the gulf to which we drift: The Central Spendthrifts’ Westland plot must surely come to grief. Like all their “ new sensations,” so costly yet so brief. Then let all careful colonists consider well the game That Centralisers play to capture popular acclaim ; Behold their many failures, how they r,:nl-c il.r proper pay; And hide their blunders 'neath new schemes that rise but to decay. Let Westland, —latest failure, —this wholesome precept teach: — Ocr Statesmen must tie Honest. And must Practice what they Preach. Nelson, 29th February, L. POSTSC.UI’T, Nelson, 2nd March. [Advices received to-night from Hokitika, state that the strange motion above referred to was rescinded,'Messrs lloos, Whall. and Koary, that noble truimvirate, opposing it; but, happily, without effect.l Shamed! Was it force of principle, or popular disgust. That made three members change their minds, and true bo to their trust? No matter now the thing is done? the grecdv motion’s slain. Take warning selfish Councillors, ne’er play such tricks again.

•.Tww?.—“ And pretty fool, it stinted and said Aye ßomeo and Juliet.