UPPER HOUSE APPOINTMENTS.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 6, Issue 303, 2 November 1883, Page 5

UPPER HOUSE APPOINTMENTS.

•-' The Auckland Star says: —" If the secret history of every appointment to the Legislative. Council were written, the doom of that ~au^gTns^od^WQiild.^bejgaled, , It jis tolerable , and prudent perhaps that men ot expel 1 JUiUlft?*' who have rendered distinguished service to; the country, should be secured a quiet place, of retirement, where, without engaging in, the fierce battles of their early political manhood, they make their influence felt on the legislation of tho country; but tke use of the power possessed by a Ministry over the Upper House as a means of rewarding po-. litical services and of strengthening their party's position by grants of life pension, is a degradation of the Chamber. Through the occurrence of a little domestic quarrel the facts connected with the last appointment to the Legislative Council have come to light. During the last Parliament Mr A. de B, Brandon, member for the Wellington cbuntry electorate, was the. father of the House, having sat for twenty-one years, and always given the party now in power a consistent support. At the last it was generally believed that he would be called to the Legislative Council. The first session, however! came and went, but he was not called, and it was well known that he was very sore on the subject. During the recess Mr Edward Shaw, late District Judge in Wellington and formerly on the West Coast, joined Mr Brandon's legal firm, which became Brandon, Shaw, and Brandon. Then, shortly before the last session Mr Weston resigned his seat for Inaagahua, and Mr Wakefield came forward. The Government were very anxious to keep Mr Wakefield out, and Major Atkinson personally waited on Mr Shaw at the firm's office and asked him to stand for Inangahua. Mr Shaw replied : ' How can you ask me to stand in your interest after the way have treated my partner, Mr Brandon V Major Atkinson replied : 'Oh, that will be all right. There will be no difficulty about that.' Ultimately Mr Shaw agreed to consult his partners, and Major Atkinson promised to find LI 00 or L2OO towards the expenses of the election. Mr Shaw did consult Mr Brandon, and became a candidate. Mr Beetham, the Government whip, handed him, it is said, LIOO towards his expenses, arid a similar sum was also afterwards sent to him. While the election was on it became whispered that if Mr Shaw got in Mr Brandon would be called t j the Council, and that Mr Brandon woald pay Mr Shaw's expenses, This was denied ; but Mr Shaw got in, and almost immediately afterwards Mr Brandon was called to the Council. It seems that the costs of the election amounted to some L7OO or LBOO over the amount contributed by the Ministerial party, and this was paid out of the firm's account. Other partnership differences, however, have since arisen between Mr Brandon, jun., and Mr Shaw, the result of which has been a great row about the whole affair and a dissolution of the partnership, and one or two lawsuits it is rumored are likely to follow. Thus the whole story has come out, to the great amusement of all people in Wellington, and to the edificaiion of the unitiated in the mysteries of political wire-pulling." ;