BARE-FACED AND BALDHEADED.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 65, 13 August 1879, Page 2

BARE-FACED AND BALDHEADED.

Those who are scoffers and unbelievers m the purity of motive and self-devotion of our legislators, must have enjoyed a nice gloat over the disgraceful scramble fop the Legislative loaves °and fishes which took place upon the pay-day. of the Session. Under ordinary- circum^ stances it is a somewhat dangerous experiment to allow any man the privilege of appraising his own worth, and the country has had to pay dearly for trusting to the modesty. of the "honorable" gentlemen of both Houses. Last year the sitting of Parliament was protracted slightly beyond its usual limit, and a special dive was made into the coffers of the -State to recoup the Fathers of our Country'for their extra labors, ; this year the Session occupied just sixteen days, and every Hon. and "dishonorable" claimed their full honorarium of £210. JJa, we must not say every o,ne. There were a few— but a very— who to thftir eternal honor took the side of Dr. Hodqkinson m his efforts' to obtain a reduction of the plunder. Sixteen days of valuable time wasted, not a single measure of legislation on the Statute Book, aud for this the people have to pay thirty thousand pounds m hard cash. But this is not all ! Tn another six week 5 !, the first Session of the Seventh Parliament of New Zealand will have commenced, and at its close — after at the most a sitting of two months —another £30.000 will haye to be disgorged. Looking to the cost to the country nnd the very barren results of tho past Session, w,e imagine that few will be found to assert thar. the " game was worth the candle." Woll^ perhaps the presentiment that such another chance should ne,'er occur again, had much to do with hon. members stubbornly holding out for their £13 odd per day; and we sincerely hope that the presentiment of such bare-f iced and privileged legislators, may be fully realised. From the sublime to the ridiculous is but a step, andit is refreshing to turn from tho sublimity of selfish-, ness just retailed, to the following absurdity, m connection with the debate, which appears m our contemporary, the Evening Post :■£■ A very amusing little incident occurred last, night, or rath«r about one o'clock this morning, m the House of Representatives. The question had just been put on, Miv : Hodgkineon's Amendment, that tho honorarium of member* be induced by the sum of -69000, ai.rl the doors'hftd been ordered to bo locked, when one ho.nomble member called the Chairman's attention to the fact that the Premier, who was m the House at the time the question was put, had afteiv wards retired without voting, one of the side doors having beeu left unlocked by mistake. The rule of the House was that if the hon. member heard the question put he must record his vote. The Chairman, was about to reply, when another hon. member called his attention to the fR«t t.hat the last speaker was out of order. He had no right to rise and address the chair when the doors were called. If he had any observations to mike he should make them sitting, and wifch;hifl hat on. Now, it so happened, that the.

member referred to had not his hat with him, so a friend behind him clapped a very rakish -looking Scotch cap on liis head, and the honorable gentleman, thus put m order, repeated his words. Several members immediately sprang up to give their version of the incident and there was a general scramble for hats. The laughter was general and lasted some minutes. After three or four members had spoken, the hon. member for Waikato, Mr. Whitalftr, started up to say a few words, but he was met with loud shouts of " hat ! hat !" He had no hat, and none was near, and for the moment he appeared about to give way, when a friend ■from behind stepped forward, and handed him a billycock of very juvenile shape. It was seized with avidity, and the hon. gentleman attempted to put it on, but it was much too small, and after several tries to settle it down, he had to be content with perching it on the top of his crown. The picture was so ludicrous that the laugh grew louder than ever, and had barely subsided when it burst or't with redoubled gusto on the hon. gentleman, forgetful of the obligation to sit down, proceeding to address the chair m his usual rather rollicking attitudo with his hands deep m his trousers pockets. It was some time before the House could •be restored to its accustomed gravity.