INEBRIATES IN PARLIAMENT.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 412, 25 November 1884, Page 2

INEBRIATES IN PARLIAMENT.

The '"Evening I ' Post-' publishes an article on the alleged drunkenness, in the Legislature, and is considerably less veiled in its comments than was the ' New Zealand Tinies ' which, just called attention to the subject. It states that there was nothing exceptional in the amount of intemperance amongst legislators last session, adding that so long as the writer lias- known the New Zealand Parliament ifc has contained members addicted to drunkenness. The " scandalous scenes " witnessed in former years were absent last session, and the . 'Post ' emphatically exonerates the new members of any participation in. improper conduct either in the House or out of ' ifc. It then goes on to say : — " Tho real offenders were men who were not new to Parliament, and, so far as those of the Lower House were concerned, whose fault and ..failing must have been known to the constituenfcsjwho elected them. In the whole Parliament the flagrant offenders can be counted on the fingers of one hand ; in the Council there were but two men of good position and ability, but who throughout tho session were literally soaked in liquor, and the worse for it morning, noon, and night. In the Lower House there were really only three who habitually exceeded the bounds of temperance so as to invite remark. UnfCsfcunately, one of these occupied suck a'^%h official position as to force his faurcon the notice of the House and the public owing to his fre ]uently being incapacitated from the proper performance of his duties. It is no doubt owing to this fact that so much has been written on the general subject ; it must, not, however, be forgotten, in justice to the present Parliament, that oven the intemperance of this high officer during the late session was not worse than his conduct a few years ago when, filling a slightly less important office in the House. The whole subject is an unsavory and unpleasant one to write about, but it is only fair that the blame should be placed upon the right shoulders. It is too bad that odium should be east on the whole Parliament, and that it should bo stigmatised as a drunken one, bocauso less than half-a-dozen of its members are unfortunately unable to control their appetite for strong drink."