NOTES FROM SPECIAL REPORTERS AT WELLINGTON.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 235, 5 September 1873, Page 6

NOTES FROM SPECIAL REPORTERS AT WELLINGTON.

The dull tedium of an exceedingly dull session of Parliamentary debate, has been relieved by a morsel of ; soft scandal. That very excellent but very infirm body of legislators—the Legislative Councilhas been cutting- some queer, T -capers. Twelve months ago, a Mr. Lahmann, Chairman of the County Council of Westland, was called by Sir George Bowen to a seat in the Upper House. Mr. Lahmann was not by any means received with cordiality by his colleagues: His presence in the Chamber appeared to be regarded as a blow struck at the social status of that august body. Accordingly, they lost no time.in making it as hot for him as they possibly could. After a good deal of " fossicking " they got up some sort of a trumpery charge in connection with the dismissal of a West -.Coast Warden. A Select Committee was appointed, and the whole facts of the case fully investigated. The personnel '--of the Committee *of Inquiry was the reverse of friendly to Mr. Lahmann, still they failed in. making out anything like a case against him. A report on the subject- was forwarded to G-overnor Bowen, who took, not the slightest notice of it.. On Mr. Lahmann taking his seat this session the old'sore was revived, and a fresh Vrepre- ! sentation, based on the old inquiry, was forwarded to the present G-overnor—Sir James Pergusson. Sir James has shown rather, more pluck than his predecessoi. He replied to their communication, and his reply is characteristic of a man with a mind of'_'his own, and who has no intention whatevGrbf being dictated .to by-a set of gossiping old women. He-told-them frankly that their scruples-were a farce, and refused"point blank to take cognizance of them.—'Star.'

s & correspondent of ;one of the - ]S["orthern papers writing from -Wellington ijjays :—. " Mr/Vogel is the, Eigaro of the Minister rial bench I —the Premier here; - the,: Premier there, the 'Premier everywhere—in the character of Postmaster-General, in that of Telegraph Qomtnissioner, : 'in'"that of Treasurer, a financial statement inaker, author of a new tariff, propquhder of a system of life assurance, extension in the -public security >to the assured,? answering questions on= a.multiplicity of.subjects, meeting exigent deputations .jonj. land schemes," coal schemes, and'.new railway demands it cannot be continued ; the Colony is talfi&g top much an able as 4 willing servant, who requires

both diplomatic aid in the Cabinet, and, on the Ministerial benches, ready debating power—a power <of judicious attack as well as of mere defence and mild explanation. vHe works too hard, and the House expects too much from him, and he: gives it too much for his own health and comfort."

There is considerable dissatisfaction felt both by Northern and Southern members as to the Provincial Borrowing Bill. The Northern, people necessarily having a small landed.estate to hypothecate, object to th e Bill in to to; and the Southern members say, if works of .a Provincial character are. absolutely ; necessary^, it is unfair that the money raised for such.purposes \ should be iborrowed alone; in the Australian -markets,/•< as such borrowing means one per cent. more. They consider that the Government should take security for special works, obtain the, money at the lowest possible rate of interest, and hand it over for expenditure to the Provinces. The probability is that the young members will ..combine together and initiate a hew party.—' Star.'... . .

' A Sleepy M.embeh. —Mr. Seymour, the -new, Chairman., of Committees, has been diverting the members of the House of Representatives after a fashion peculiarly his own. He drew attention to. one of the division lists of the previous sitting, and complained that his -vote had been recorded with the ayes, although if he had been awake at the time of the division, he would have voted with the noes. His excuse was that he had been asleep during the division, and knew nothing about it. Mr. Swanson, however, threw a little more light .upon the matter. It appears that he .had. actually, roused Mr. Seymour, who.said-,that he voted with the ayes, arid relapsed, again into sleep. .. Other members corroborated .Mr.. Swanson's.'state : , ment; and then: Mr. Seymour, ah innocence peculiarly his-: own, .declared that he must have voted unconsciously, as he did not remember anything of the matter. And so his vote remains among the ayes.- With such a?Speaker, and such a Chairman of Committees, the House of Representatives will soon lapse into very strange practices. Of the two, however, .Mr. Seymour is to be preferred, as he is not likely to do much harm in his waking moments. —' Guardian.'

- Pahltam entary Bores.—An occasional correspondent sends us the following from Wellington:—;" This session has developed a nuisance by members—notably Messrs Mervyn, Bradshaw, and Murray —of acquiring a cheap and easy notoriety in the pages of ' Hansard' by putting questions to the Government on the most trival subjects, previously wellknown. The modus operandi is as follows : —The Government have informed .the House, possibly by, printed papers ' laid on the table, that a survey of a water and sludge, channel from .Growlei*V Gully to Middletown has been made and that tenders will,shortly be called for its construction. The hon> member for the district put the following question :—Mr. Tightskin will ask the Government when the surveys of the Growler's Gully water race will be completed, and when tenders will be called for the same. On the appointed day he proposes the question with a long explanation, showing the importance of the proposed work, and his energetic endeavors to get the work done. Thus leaving it to be inferred that the electors of Middletown will be under an eternal debt of gratitude. The Government simply repeat in a dozim words. what was wellknown before, no one listening throughout but the ' Hansard' reporters. But the ruse is successful—the, talented member .for Growler's Gully gels 'his.speech in and his sole, object is. accomplished, arid he forthwith, posts numerous copies to the humbugged electors. On future occasions he.quofces ' Hansard,' and boldly asserts that it-was. his .powerful" exertions that raised the thriving district of Middletown froniits previous;depression. The practice is so notorious' that the ' Wellington Independent' had an article on the subject last week, pointing out what a grievious waste of time was incurred."—' Guardian.'

- L .The, length, of the Session, says the usually well-informed correspondent of the ' Taranaki Herald,' will " mainly depend on the Government.. . If they are firm, and push those measures which are of importance to the country, it will not be a ' lengthy one, but if they will allow a" bit-' ter, snarling, nagging Opposition to occupy the -time of the House by. detailing their grievances, then it may be very muchmore delayed than there is any occasion for. The work of the session is proceeding as fast as the Government supply material, and J think that, as far as the legislation, goes, 'the Government have not acted wisely.in providing so much'. There seems a. disposition to grant everything the Government asks.for, and the session woulcbbe- short but for the introduction of , Bills which have for their object to re-

medy gri_etances!<>f which the country has " not These attempts to hastily- 7legislate, especially on law reform, how*" ever well intended, have the effect 'some* ' times of creating as many evils as purport to remove,-and I fear that -this" will;be the case this session."

I suppose for the benefit of your min* ing readers"'l must give some short :ac--< count of what took place on the-motionof Mr. O'Neill to reduce the gold- duty; 6d' per ounce during the ensuing year. It will be borne in mind that'the'impression * left on the mining mind from last session s - proceedings was, that this tax should b'e reduced 6d annually, until it became, exitinct. Mr. O'Neill drew particular attention to this fact, and said all that he ; wanted for the'miners was fair play. * He? made a long .speech, on the subject, but was lacking in apt illustrations,- has a bad delivery and precision as to data. The-" gist of what he said may thus be summar? ised :—'He wanted an expression- of> opinion from the House on the* subject—wanted to see who would advocate" the reduction, and how the Goldfields members would'vote. Mr. Yogel said " 'No I" and then wandered away 'discussing the" mint business, to return, however, to say he was sorry the reduction was made last year, that the tax was a light one, and that Goldfields members should-be thankful to' outside members for opposing the reduction. " That the duty collected -fell-not on the miners themselves generally, but on companies; and then made the astounding assertion that miners' wages were exceptionally' high on the Thames. He- cbm- - pared the gold duty to the rent- paid by pastoral tenants, and informed members that while gold duty was only'paid oh the' gold obtained, wool had to pay rent whether the market was iip or down, "and the occupation profitable or the reverse I .' Every Goldfields member would doubtless get' up and bully him, but still he must say no. Mr. O'Conor was prolix on the matter—he had crammed himself to repletion with statistics and facts; :and nature, self-asserting; compelled 'their infliction on the House. Are they not - all narrated in the blue-colored books of Parliamentary records that can be perused and digested during the recess ? Next to the hon. member for the D'unstan, Mr. Luckie is, one of the most ardent supporters of the Ministry —everything that emanates from the lips of a Minister is of course to them ex cathedra. When one of the defeated candidates for Wakatip ' contested, or started to contest, a seat at Tuapeka several years ago, he got snowed, up on the road. There was a whisky.mill in'' the neighborhood, and for some time during his stay at the mill he had imbibed pretty freely. Previous to starting on his journey again in the evening over the hard-crusted snow, he- was advised- to grease his horse's, legs well before' starting, to prevent their sticking in the-'&rift. So -the incipent legislator ' got a bucket of slush, and with coat off, and shirtsleeves rolled up commenced greasing the legs of his Arab from the stifle and forearm downwards. Now these gentlemen, in nautical parlance, are greased from clue to earing. They. are. boa constrictors and a half at swallowing any Ministerial ''food put before them. The member for Nelson City got up and ranted, about " bunkum : and spurious sympathy " for miners, and said Nelson would lose £2,500 per annum by the reduction; Westland, £2,100; Auckland, £2337.; and Otago, £4236. Now, what Mr. O'Conor told'Ene member for the Grey Valley may be sai4 of "the member for the Dunstan it he holds his "tongue on this subject, "he does not represent hia constituents," and that he had better hot again face them. Mr. Gillies (Waikouaiti) spoke like a man on the subject, emitting no uncertain sound -said the tax was a class one —it mattered not whether it were little or-much: it was unjust, and should therefore be repealed. Mr. White of Hokitika, told the-Premier , it was'not states to .tax any 'particular'industry, ~and : that although-Auck-land could not meet current goldfields ex» pen'diture unless this impost were :continue'd,r the Assembly had' no right to look at "this "subject," or ' any other," : inar-local point of view. The question will again be brought before the' House most prob* ably oii Wednesday next:— * Star,'