MINISTERIAL SKETCHES.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 88, 14 August 1878, Page 3

MINISTERIAL SKETCHES.

THE NATIVK MINISTER. | •JJTli© clever correspondent of the "Lytteltoh Times " has contributed the following clever sketches to the paper he represents :— The Hon. John Sheelmn belongs to that class of Ministers who may be cullbd m the title of the popular play, " Our. Boys. " He is only tbirty-threo years ot age, ;\irhieli is also the ago of the 'Attorney-General, Mr Stout. Mr Sheehan was born m Auckland and educated under Mr O'Sullivan, now the Inspector of Schools. There he early displayed "a. taste for literary pursuits, Having, when btily eight years old, written a short essay on the Irish m America. In 1862 he entered on his articles with the late Mr Merriraan, at one time a member of the Assembly of Auckland, and finished them under the late Mr Wynn, having thus had the advantage : of studying under two of the ifioit: einitienii lawyers-^ in Auckland, if not m the Colony. He passed with credit m 1867 before Judge Moore, taking with characteristic audacity as his motto "serriena ad: legem" — sergeant-afc-law. : HeVaß out m the Waikato war, - and hadtwelve months' faotivo sernco . m the fii'sb Auckland Cavalry Volunteers, of which, he was^ made paymaster 1 when the i Hon." Thomas Russeil was Native and Defence Minister. While serving his articles he built up the Auckland Catholic Institute, ' which under his anspices "became a most flourishing institution. He established within it a dramatio club, wliicli gave amateur performances and provided no less than £1400, with which ground was bought, nnd a building erected for the instituto. Ho .modelled t^e conduct of .tho.. institute, on May's Pariiatnentary-^prabticev 'and the 1 officers m charge only held office while they had 'a majority of -^cjtos of S:the members. To show how the twig was eariy bent, there is a . good- story: toloU The Administrative Committee had sperib 7s lid. for candlesticks without the money for the samo being duly voted. The opposition moved a vote of " no confidence," and some members being absent on the other: side, Mr Sheohan, .who belonged to "tlie ministerial side, spoke against time for four hours; secured an adjournment, and at tho next meeting defeated fche motion. He was thus early m -training for- parliamentary practice. >In 1869 he entered into '-real political struggles, being manager and 'secretary for Mr John Williamson's - Committee;- when he con-~ tested the Suporintendenoy with Mr Gilh"e3, who was victorious. He afterwardß entered the Provincial Council ,m tlae interests; of the beaton party, and 1 was re? turned at the head bl the poll but of eleven candidates-ifpr" five^ s^ts.. second session m tlie ■ Cbuhcil Mr Sheeliah; organised an;. Opposition, and, soon gave to Mr Gillies an Executive 7 chosen entirely from the sido of his opponents, becoming himself Provincial Treasurer and Goldfields Secretary. Here he. displayed a capacity for business Bimilar to ; that •which he has ; •inoe shown 1 m ■•-.' Parliament. He reduced the period of the Council's sitting from between three and four months to one month. While there, he frequently measured swords "with many of Colonial' reputation, such as Mr Carleton, and Mr Reader Wood, and othei-a who had long sat m the Assembly. The Parliament, and prominently among thorn Mr Swanson, were anxious to get him a seat m tho Hoaso, and when Mr Farnall resigned for Kodnoy, Mr Sheehan yras elected for thab district, m 1872, and Btill represents it. He seconded the Address m Beply;ahd with reference :to the growth of the Colony as shown by the fact that a : native born colonist was for the '.first time returned to the House, compared himself to a voice crying, m the •wilderness, as : tho herald of - many more > yet to come.- : In 1878, r Mr Sheehan wa3 returned to look after certain Native interestsi f before., a Royal Commission appointed to sit at Hawke's Bay to investigate certain charges respecting alleged fraudulent land dealings, and was successful m many In 1874 Mr. Sheohan again took office as Provincial Treasurer: and Secretary when M> John Williamson was iSuperintendent, and after his death. he formed one of a party who waited on -Sir George Grey at the. EAwau and invited him to; become a candidate for the Superintendency, and also for the seat for City West. After Sir George Grey's Unopposed election to botJi these positions, Mr Sheehan again took oißoe as Provincial Socretarj, which office ho held till April, 1875, when he went to Napier. In the Council, he always displayed that ready debating: power . which Jaas marked .i'Jiis. career m the House. He was the principal organiser of the party which, after a long strugglo, succeeded m placing and maintaining m office the present Premier and hi? colleagues. As a> debater : he, has, few;, equals in -the House ; as Nativo Minister he aided Sir George Grey m accomplishing the . work which has been done, m Waitara and at Hikurangi, and which, :dt these^places, succeeded in^establishing' a mostcomplete ; personal friendship with all the leading people of the party. By his efforts were obtained 'tho rights to survey the Waitbtara and Waimate^plains,: that jflalei of which during \the present year will bring about a million of money into the Colonial Treasury. He pacified the contending tribes at Maketu, and made them friends, securing at tho same time the quiet progress of :a Native Lands Court, which had twico before been stopped by'Jike contentions.- All sides of tho 1 House look on Mr Sheehan as a politician of ; great promise, who, may, if he will, achioye fpr^luinself a still higherj position^ "Jt ought to added that whilo r »- youth Mr'; Sheehan was a; " War Cbrrespondent" for the "New Zealander,''. whibh circumstance first attracted " Mr John Williamson's notice to him, and led ultimately to his -entrance into political life. " - -'V THE ATTOENBy-GEKBBAi. The Hon. Robert Stout was born m 18-15 at lierwick,; m theShetlandilsles/where his.: father was a merchant and landed proprietor. He was educated first at an infant school kept by Miss Leston, /now Mrs Skene, a teacher near Newton An Auckland; sttb--sequently ho went to lhb parish schools m tho north of Scotland.: It was taught by an accomplished classical and mathematical scholar. Al the agoj. of thirteen young Stout p.osaed his examination as . a public teacher with honourable mention, and began teacher m the parish school, oantinuing it for five years, and ftitruig that time -h© passed extra examinations m Latin, French, and mathematics with credit. In this time he learned land surveying both m practice and m; theory. When 18 years; of age he lef t hojiie f or New Zealand, and tlier^ being no m the sur.vey department, he was engaged %as? seßond master iv tbi ■ Dunedin Granjmar School. He obtained a good reputation as a sound teacher. •, He organised the Otago Sohoolmasters' Association, and founded branches indifferent parts of the province, and this association has since bccckiho the Educational Institute of Qtttgo,''of whicH?:Mr Stout ia now | President. He has. given much attention to i . educational t questioriijaud has > read; papers oil ;^National: Educhtion, anct on fch© queer ion '^Oaniitawb be m Secular Schools?" In 1867 he began jthe study, of law, and" Ka& airtacißd m 1868; He w«i a eonatuht contuibuior to the "New Zealand Magazine," and has delivered .numerous ectttrßS on: social and historical subjects;. He: was _ Provincial; Secretary m two Kx-. J pbutiveß ; in' Otngo, and was a member. of th» Kaiabow lisecutive : of Reid^ Browrii aad

Lumsden. He was ele(;fced for the General Assembly m 1875, for Caversham, nnd for Dunedin at the general election of 1876, and became Attorney-General m March, 1878. Mr Stout is a philosophical radical of a pronounced type, and is a supporter of tho local option doctrine, and a staunch teeto- - taller.