THE WEEK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 199, 22 August 1874, Page 2

THE WEEK.

It seems now to be pretty clear that Mr Vogel can do as he likes in the House of Representatives. Every one who takes an interest in colonial politics must have been surprised at the termination of the recent debate, both with regard to its suddenness, and the result of the division. From Mr Fitzherbert an eloquent and damaging speech was looked for, but not even a quiver of a leaf was beard from that sturdy old " blue gum." We looked for a slashing reply to ail the attacks that had been made upon him from the Premier, but he spoke not, and all must be disappointed at not hearing what he had to say. The bell seems to have been rung in a hurry, and, after all the tall talking, the real question at issue does not appear to have gone to a division, the votes being taken only ou the " previous question." The whole thing has an unsatisfactory aspect, except perhaps to the Government, who with a majority of 47 to 22 on such a question must feel that they have the ball at their feet. In what direction will it be sent by the next kick? Supporters of provincialism in the Middle Island must begin to quake and tremble for the safety of their favorite institutions, for we may depend upon it that a large amount of .discontented ability in tbe North will bo on the look out for an onslaught upon the South. The Auckland and Wellington members will adopt the theory that what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, and, smarting under defeat, they will be only too anxious to retaliate upon the southern provinces, through whose instrumentality they are to be deprived of the local forms of Government to which they profess so great an attachment. And, from this island, their/ ranks will be swelled by many who ac/ discontented with the existing state/of things. Already we hear from Westland and Southland that the cop-plete abolition of provincialism is taken up as a popular cry, and resolutions in favor of it have been "unanimously" i and "enthusiastically" carried at public meetings. Then, even from Otago and Canterbury, one or two allies may be expected, notably among them being Mr Stafford, who certainly will lose no opportunity of assisting to establish \a | strong central form of Governm__rt, and, as for Nelson, I doubt very much whether she is so enamoured of provincialism as fo exert herself to save it from destruction. Indeed, if there were a probability of the question; cropping up next session, I should notf at all wonder to fiod the constituency^ issuing instructions to tbeir representatives to do all in their power to bring about a change iu the existing state of things. It would be rather remarkable if a radical reform of our constitution were brooght about by a fit of temper on the part of the Premier, for, to judge from the various speeches that were made, there seems to be little room for doubt that, although the idea had been working in his mind for some time, it was ultimately brought to a j head by Mr Fitzherbert's attack upon the Forests Bill. What Mr Stafford's cool calculating judgment failed to effect seems likely to be accomplished by the, hot and hasty determination of the/ irritable Mr Vogel. A queer game ft that of politics. / And I don't think that our Nelson members play it very skilfully. Is it not lamentable, is it not humiliating, is it not aggravating to see the occassional paragraphs that appear in the Wellington papers in which it goes forth to the Colony that the Nelson representatives are "a house divided against itself?" They quarrel now- andtthey quarrel then, and they seem to quarrel whenever they get a chance. They have not even the decency, or the regard for the province whose welfare ought to be their first care, to conceal their differences of opinion, but rather they seem to delight in proclaiming to the colony that Nolson may be kicked,jind Nelson may be trodden "upon, and Nelson's/ interests may be disregarded, for there/ is no one to take her part. Instead of a mass of concrete, they appear to be a little heap of pebbles, each of the two biggest of which is possessed with an insane desire to throw itself at the other. And members from the other provinces look on and laugh, and Mr Vogel doesn't laugh out loud, because it would not be policy to do so, but he simply ignores üb. and possibly thinks to himself «« I once told those Nelson people they were the reverse of Vise men, and they seemed to agree with me; I am now more then ever convinced that I was right in the estimation Iy had formed of them, for anything mor/ suicidal tban the conduct of their representatives I never saw. Io their particular case however, the ordinary verdict of '• Temporary insanity " will scarcely describe their condition. I fear we shall have to substitute 'permanent' lor ' temporary.' " Cannot those who have read what has appeared in the Wellington papers easily imagine Mr Vogel thinking aloud something in this style. The Good Templars have had a fruitful theme for discourses placed before them within the last few days. The greatest interest has been taken in the murder case recently tried before the Supreme Court, for at one time Newman Boseley and his wife were highly respected aod regarded as hard working, industrious settlers. In an evil hour tbey opened a public house, and from that time the eomnsenceuieufc of their misery datea. They could not resist the *..•'■-■''.- -. ■ '.'-.• ■--" - ! ■---■■■ ■■-■ • '.-.-■,'■ "'■ •

temptation to drink, and gradually the once happy couple fell lower and lower in the scale of humanity and morality until they at last reached the lowest point attainable. The wife has met with a sudden and terrible death, and the husband is a prisoner, it may be Baid, for life, found guilty of slaying her who was once b_is cherished compauion. The wretched, dissipated, quarrelsome life they led was uo secret. It was known to every one who was in the habit of passing their house, and still no attempt was made by the poper authorities to prevent a license being granted to them. The jury who convicted the unhappy man could not refrain from commenting upon this, fot we find them expressing their opinion in these words:— "The authorities knowing the life that the prisoner and his wife were leading, should have refused him a license to soil drink." ! F !