THE WEEK.

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

THE WEEK.

I write this week under o painful sense of depression. There is a cloud of sadness hanging ovor and enveloping me that must, I am sure—fight against it as I may — exercise an influence over my pen as it places these lines on paper. Dj you ask, why this mournful introduction to my weekly letter? I reply: — The Council is over. No more until next year shall we hear the mellifluous tones of the Provincial Secretary, as, metaphorically speaking, he pats some doublful member on tbe back; no more shall we listen to his viruleut attacks uponone who.heknows, although not absolutely against him, can never be with himj no more shall we hear the member for tbe Upper Buller chaffing the Provincial Treasurer about bis surgical skill as displayed in dissecting the body of a sparrow, or his ability to ascertain the prominent features in tbe character* of his colleagues by simply passing bis hand over their heads} no more shall we be delighted with the eloquent sueecbes aod logical arguments of the PateaReefton representative; no more will the terse and unpretending, yet elegant, remarks of the member for Waimea West fall on our thirsting ears; no more will Cobden's representative deliver his lay sermons to an admiring, but sometimes weary audience — it really is astonishing how long sermons always pall on tbe ear; no more will the member for Waimea South, who was expected to do battle with Nelson's premier, lie down »t his feet, and substitute a feeble whine for the vigorous bark that so many hoped to hear; no more will the chosen of Charleston occupy an hour or two per night in saying what might be said in as many minutes. I could go on with any amount of "no mores," but I am broken boarted and rnhappy wben I remember that all these rich treats that have been gratituously placed before me for the last four weeks have come to bo end. I shall endeavor, though the effort may be a pnioful one, to survive the losp, and I trust tbat I may succeed to such an extent that at the next meeting of tbe Council I may again be there to hear, Io some of the principal towns of tbe colony there is published a periodical trade report wbich contains a deal of information exceedingly useful to those who are engaged in business. Such a publication bus not yet made its appearance in Nelson, but I think the time has arrived when it might do so, although not exactly in tne same form, because in Nelsou there exists a branch of trade wbich is almost new, and consequently when my maiket report appears it will be under a new title, j say, for instance: — " Politico-Coramer- ! cial." In it will be recorded the ever- [ varying prices paid to members of the i Council for tbeir services, aod the annual summary will be something in I tbis style: — "The dullness tbat haß prevailed in tbis maiket for many years past has, we are bappy to be able to report, displayed symptoms of giving place to greater activity, and prices are advancing. As provincial politics are to be regarded as a purely local industry, it affords us considerable pleasure to notice so marked an improvement, and we hope, ere long, to be able to quote Provincial prioes as being on a par with those to be obtained in the colonial market. A few quotations will suffice to show how remunerative is tbe trade, the more so tbat we give a comparative statement of the prices as they were aod as they are. Two instances will suffice for the purpose we have in view:— ltem: Members residing over 30 miles from Nelson—ln 1874. £35 per session; in 1875, £45. It ia not improbable tbat if the market is properly woiked there may be a still further advance before Provincial politicians are expunged from our report. — Item: Members residing in Nelson; 1855, 1856, 1857, and soon up to 1875, Nil. The financial year 1875-76 has opened with brighter prospects, and we nr* now able to quote tbis article at £20. We are not ut present prepared to predict a further rise, but shall scarcely be overstepping the mark in stating that a consummation so greatly to be desired, does not lie outside the realms of " Hope land." The above is but, a 6anrple of the information that will be contained in the publication I propose to issue, but if I enlarge upon it any more I fear the proprietors of the Mail will be charging rae for an advertisement, and as I am not yet sufficiently assured of the success of my speculation, I shall refrain from giving any further extracts. It must be very pleasant for a Provincial Treasurer to be able to come down to tbe Council with tbe statement tbat tbe year opens with an " unfettered balance." But, however well it may sound, it is likely to lead to unexpected results of a somewhat disagreeable nature. For instance. Suppose the Superintendent had been the only member of the Executive to address the Council in its late session, and the statement had gone forth uncontradicted that the revenue displnyed a slight decline, I doubt whether we should have witnessed the spasmodic grabbing at the oontenls of the Treasury chest which we have seen in some of our Provincial Councillors, who, probably, feeling assured that they were about to pass out of existence in a year or two, thought that the>y mitiht make the best of their opportunity and do that wbich was never deemed ne^tssary before— make their constituents pay

through the nose for the benefits conferred upon tbem by their legislators But unfortunately Mr O'Conor appeared on «he scene and be said — " Gentlem-m, our revenue is increasing, and we have an 'unfettered balance' at the Bank, pray let me congratulate you, as I hope you will me, upon so satisfactory a state of affairs." Wel), under the circumstances, what could a ProvincialCouncil, coring posed, as it is, of members who are but human, and consequently bave a liking for the "bawbeeß," do but appropriate some of tbe " balance " to their own use? It was only natural, but at the same time Mr O'Conor, who is a shrewu man in his way, Bhould take care not to lead w e Councillors into temptation. I must apologise for having to say so much about Mr O'Conor, but he has been so continuously before the public of late that these frequent allusions to him may surely be considered pardonable, la looking over tbe Council reports I find that he has been reimbursed for the fine inflicted upon bim and the costs incurred in a late Supreme Court case. After bearing what be had to say the other night I am quite willing to believe that be was acting in his official capacity when he broke the law, and, as we hnve responsible government just now, it is but fair to admit that the responsibility is mutual. Tbe Government is responsible to the people, and they, on the other hand, are responsible for the misdeeds of their servants. Looking at it from this point of view the Council were bound to band over to Mr O'Conor the £210 asked for. But then, Mr O'Conor, whom 1 have no intention of insulting by accusing him of hyper-sensitiveness, must have feit somewhat abashed ub he heard member after member rise and assert their opinions that he had acted "injudiciously," "without discretion," and "like a lunatic," but, notwithstanding this, that they were disposed to vote the amount. It must have occurred to him that, although be took tbe offices of Provincial Secretary and Treasurer at a low rate, he has been an exceedingly dear officer, seeing that at one fell stroke he lost the province £210. He should ponder over this, and, as M'Gregor said, be more careful for the future. I see that the Council bavo refused to sanction a small sum for giving a fitting reception to the Governor on the occasion of his approaching visit. I regret this, in the first place because it is wrong, and in the next because it will lower us in the estimation of our neighbors. The expenditure need not have been very large, and about £100 would have amply sufficed for all that was required. The Conncil lately voted an additional £10 a piece to six of its members coming from a distauce, and twenty unexpected pounds each to three membetß resident in the town. The i £120 thus swallowed up would have been quite sufficient to entertain the Govornor, and tbe province, while in no way injured, would have been placed io a far more creditable position. But then if bis Excellency is to be regarded as of no higher importance than a village constable {vide Mr Shephard 's speech) of couree there is no necessity to show bim either hospitality or respect. After all, he is only the Queen's representative. F.