THE WEEK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 295, 6 November 1875, Page 2

THE WEEK.

The eating and drinking, and speaking, and frantic applause, and terrific cheering that have been exciting the people down south during the last week or so are all over now, and Sir George Grey and his followers will pass * through Nelson to-raorrow, on their way home, where it appears they will be required to go through the lionising process once more. Great things were expected of this southern expedition, but in what has it all resulted ? Get out of hearing of the "terrific cheering," blow the froth off the speeches, and calmly review the gist of what was said, and what is to be extracted from it ? Absolutely nothing but what is already written in the pages of Hansard. No new ideas; no shadowing forth of something that shall take the place of the condemned—l think I may say of the executed—Provincial form of Government ; nothing but a whine over' that which has passed away. There was a fine opening for Sir George, but hitherto he has neglected to avail himself of it. People are tired of Provincialism, but they look with distrust and suspicion upon that which has been promised to them in its stead. If the ex-Governor, the present leader of tho Opposition, the fine old English gentleman who, at the call of duty, has sacrificed his personal comfort, has foregone his predilections for a solitary hte, has actually suffered in pocket in order that he might advance, the interests of a colony in whose history he must always occupy a prominent positioa—if he had made up his mind to act upon the unmistalieable wish of tbe people that the present institutions should cease, and had devoted his intellect and energies to calling forth out of the haze in which our future appears at present to be enveloped that indefinable something for which there is a decided yearning, he might have made himselt the idol of the people, who at the present moment are sadly wanting a leader. Once let Sir George Grey admit that to plead the cause of Provincialism is utterly hopeless, and he will be a power in the state. His manner, his bearing, his antecedents, and his utter unselfishness in the action he is at present taking, are all in his favor, but he must make up his mind to cut the rope with which the millstone of Provincialism is tied round hia neck. But he has as yet made no new propol sitions ; he has told us of nothing that he is prepared to do except to oppose ' abolition." It is rumored that some definite line of policy is to be laid before the country by the Opposition, but have we not heard this over and over again? Ever since Sir George first appeared on the scene has it not been constantly held out to us that he had a trump card up his sleeve, which he was prepared to play at the fitting moment. But as yet that time has not arrived, and very goon it will be too late, and Sir George Grey will have lost his opportunity. ' Honorable Legislative Councillors, look out ! A nominated Upper House does not find favor with the people of New Zealand. This is nothing new, for the opinion has been gaining ground for a long time that representative Government cannot be carried out to its M extent so Jong as the Ministry

has unlimited power to deluge the Council with its nominees whenever it may think it This feeling has cropped up only at intervals, and so long as the honorable Councillors kept quiet, and did not push themselves forward too much, they were allowed to exist without being troubled, beyond having to listen to an occasional growl. But now the head of that venerable body has come to the front as its accuser; Sir John Richardson, the Speaker of the Legislative, Council, has condemned the constitution of the House over which he presides, and has told the public that its existence in its present form is utterly incongruous with responsible government. Now is your chance. Sir John ! Sir George Grey has set you a noble example. He has sacrificed much for what he deems the good of his country. The same course is open to you. Ton believe in responsible government, and yet you are the representative of the very body which you assert prevents its being carried out in its entirety. How do you reconcile your opinions with your present position? If you are not prepared to resign the Speakership, you have, if the telegraph has not belied you, placed yourselt m a very awkward fix, from which there is but one door of escape.

Agricultural Shows in Nelson are not completely successful, but there is no reason why they should not be so. Nothing is wanting but n determination on the part of the farming population to make them a success. I was at Richmond the other day and overheard a remark that went a long way to accounc for the miserable paucity of the exhibits. « Well, if I'd a' known there wasn't going to be auy better cows here than them, bothered if I wouldn't a' brought one or two o' mine." My good man, youjshould not have allowed your modesty to stand in your way like that. You have some cows which, I presume, you believe to be at least moderately good, or you would not go to the expense of feeding them. Then why not show them? If they took a prize you and your missis would have felt not a little proud as you chatted over the events of the day at supper that night; if they did not, you would have had the opportunity of comparing them with those which in the estimation of the judges were their superiors, and I shouldn't be a bit surprised if you and the old woman made up your minds before you went to bed to look about you and see if you could not secure some animals that at the next show should take the shine out of those that had beaten you on that occasion. A little of this spirit of emulation is sadly wanting in the residents in the Waimeas, but if the Agricultural Association will continue their labors, notwithstanding the poor support they met with on Wednesday, they will" yet succeed in arousing it.

One of the advantages of attending these gatherings is that you meet a lot of people, and are able to exchange ideas with individuals with whom, but for such an opportunity, you probably would never have entered into conversation upon matters connected with the farm. A remarkable instance of this came under my notice on Wednesday. Half a dozen men aought shelter from the pouring rain in the long room of the hotel, when a conversation to the following effect took place : — Mr Town: Well, there wasn't much of a show of cattle to. day. — - Mr Country : No, I must confess I am much disappointed in the numbers^— Mr Town : I didn't think much of the. bulls. There was one of them pretty fair, but another not far from him was a regular brute.— Mr Conntry: Indeed, to which do you allude? Could you describe him ; ?~-Mr: Town : He was so and so (describing him),— Mr Country : Oh, did you not like him ? He appeared to me to be moderately good. Mr Town: Why,. l ,. thought him Ja perfect buffalo. — Mr Country : "Well' you surprise me. The similarity pever occurred to me, but I will take another look at him when I return to .the ground." Now, I cannot say which of : thetwo was, the better judge of the points of a bull, but the gentleman who was f unable to discover the likeness between a buffalo and the animal referred , to was its owner* a fact of which the outspoken critic was, of course, in complete ignorance at the time: There is nothing like a free and unfettered exchange of ideas. A newspaper advertisement attracted my attention the other day. A tradesman required the. assistance of a boy of 16 years of age, who was to be able to read and write. Was it necessary to attach such a proviso in a portion of the colony which has prided itself for twenty years upon the facilities it has supplied for the education of the rising generation? Is there a Nelson bred boy of sixteen years of age who cannot read or write ? If so, his father and mother ought to be thoroughly ashamed, not so much of their son as of themselves for having permitted him to grow up ia g U ch disgraceful ignorance. But I hope it was needless to specify such a condition. J<\