A NEWLY ELECTED MEMBER ON PARLIAMENTARY DUTIES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 114, 16 May 1877, Page 4

A NEWLY ELECTED MEMBER ON PARLIAMENTARY DUTIES.

Dr Wallie, who was recently elected for Aucklaud City We6t, in returning thanks at the declaration of the pull, epoke as follows:— Whether I fulfil or disappoint your hopes is a matter which lies undisclosed in the future. New and untried in the position you have placed me, I ought aot now to begin to boast. I ought to Observe tbe old and familiar proverb, "Let him that girdeth on his harness

not boast himself, as he that putteth it off." I bave already expressed to you not only the motives which induced met to seek your suffrages, but tbe principles which shall guide me in my public conduct. I have often told you I shall follow Sir George Grey in the advocacy! of .Jocal.or self-government,, and many dtber matters of freedom and progress.: I regard Sir George Grey as the best and fittest man to be the leader of the Auckland section. (Cheers.) I have heard, especially during Tthe election and since, that I am naturally too independent, or as it is called in this oountry, too " pig-headed " to follow any man whatever, nay it bas been brought before me in a very forcible way that I am so quarrelsome, and so fond, of rows snd shindies tbat if ever I get into the kingdom of heaven I shall be. turned out of it within a week (Laughter.) I will tell you tbe position which 1 think a follower ehotild occupy witb regard to his leader. I regard politics ss a kind of civil war. In this world we must all fight or carry on war of some kind or other. "Peace," it is said " is the dream of the wise, war the history of men." War, whether military or political, is the history of men. Now, thqre ere two kinds of oivil war — one in which we fire bullets out of guns, but in this kind of civil war we fire thoughts tbat breathe and words that bum. (Applause.) In the ordinary kind of war we shed blood, in this kind of war we shed thoughts from our brains, and instead of taking men's lives wa try to save their lives and protect their properties. Tbat politics should be carried on with success it is absolutely necessary that there should be a leader, organisation, and combination. I do not think tbat any man ought to enter the Legislature in order tbat he might air his own views or fancies, or exhibit either his peculiarities or his idiosyncrasies; because in order to secure by every possible method the general welfare of the country or constituency, the representatives must accept tbe conditions under which success is possible. Of course, before tbe election my opponents said— excuse me for mentioning it — tbat I was too good, or too saintly to accept these conditions. Ido not think they will say that after the election is over. (A laugh.) The truth ie lam neither the one nor the other. Ido not think it is a fact that there is anything that can prevent me from becoming conscientiously one of the joints id tbe tail of Sir George Grey. It is certainly a more honorable office to be the head than a joint of the tail, but even in the economy of nature the joints have a ?ery important duty to perform. Political parties, like serpents, are steered by the movements of the joints of their tails. Now I think, therefore, tbat there is nothing whatever to prevent my following, as far as my conscience will allow me, the lead of so eminent a man as Sir George Grey, (Cheers.) This election has happily been characterised by the. complete absence of personality, so far as I am concerned. There has been no introduction of ecclesiastical matters in the. contest. I have heard nothing of that kind, though from the position I occupy I might have heard something of that sort. I think the electors shewed their good sense by not bringing into politics matters which ar© far above them. [Religion is the wine of life. One man may prefer to drink his wine out of a glass of one colour, and another out of a glass of a different colour; but the man who quarrels about the colour of his glass j should remember the words of the poet : —

"Your glass may bo purple, and mine may be blue, But while they are filled from the same bright'bowi, The fool; that would quarrel o'er difference of hue, Deserves not the comfort they shed o'er the soul." I am glad there has been an absence of personality. I return thanks to the gentlemen who voted for me, and to those who did not vote for me. I am proud of thia connection, and will try to act so tbat you. shall nofc be ashamed of ifc, I have been representing politics as a kind of civil war, and you, by your votes, have appointed me to serve in this civil war. I therefore go to Wellington as your conscript, as your raw recruit. Being so, I must have some time for drill and for exercise before I can hope to be of any service in the field. (Cheers). I hope, therefore, you will give mo some time, and if, after a sufficient interval, I do not turn out to be a useful veteran to the electors, I will as early as possible give back co the electors the power which they have entrusted fco me.