The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1875.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 134, 5 June 1875, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, JUNE 5 , 1875.

A discussion arose in the Provincial Council yesterday upon the question of voting a small sum towards defraying the expenses of entertaining his Excellency the Governor upon the occasion of his first officialvisit to Nelson. ."It was argued that as he receives' a large, salary, which is supposed to include all his travelling expenses, from the colonial revenue, the province should not be called upon to incur any expenditure in paying those outward signs of respect to him which have been displayed elsewhere. "We entirely disagree with the views of those who thus expressed themselves, but it is too late now to offer any objection, and we must bo\jr to their decision. _>ut there were certain remarks made by one of the members, Mr Shephard, which we cannot allow to pass unnoticed. He said that while he held the Queen in the deepest reverence, he was not prepared to show respect to her representative when appearing in the form of the Governor of one of England's most important colonies, indeed, he would just as soon think of bowing down before and worshipping a policeman, who was quite as much her Majesty's representative as the Governor. We are not now going to point out the fallacy of j Mr Shephard's argument, or the abI surdity of the comparison he has | instituted between the Governor and a policeman — they are only too apparent, and will be clear' to even the dullest intellect — but this we do say, that in making such a speech as that which fell from his lips yesterday afternoon Mr Shephard did that of which he should be thoroughly ashamed. View it as we may, such an expression of opinion was utterly inexcusable. In a Justice of the Peace it was most unbecoming ; to a member of the Colonial Parliament it was disgraceful ; coming from a gentleman of some standing in the place, whose conduct and opinions are calculated to influence others, it was deserving of the gravest censure. And Mr Shephard is all of these. There are some men, even in the Provincial Council, who may say whatever they please and nobody takes any notice of their utterances, but Mr Shephard is not yet one of them. On the contrary, he has hitherto been looked up to as occupying a somewhat prominent position among our local politicians, but if he delivers himself of any more such speeches as that which escaped from his lips yesterday, he will sink lower and lower in the public estimation until he disappears altogether below the political horizon. We have received several surprises during the late session, but none has been greater than that which we experienced upon hearing such words coming from such a man as Mr Shephard. We had hoped that he was above such vulgar claptrap. But he has greatly disappointed ua.