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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 283, 29 November 1877, Page 2

A correspondent writing from Wellington to a contemporary says j^One of the oldest features iv connection with Parliament is the introduction of Harbour Bills. A whole shoal appeared last session; they were all rejected kat year, yet they come up again now. It is all a pleasant piece of fiction. Every M.H.R. in whose district is a hamlet situated on the coast, immediately looks on it as a godsend to himself. He brings in a Harbour Bill, to curry favor with his constituents. A bill is drawn up— his name is attached to it— which will endow that harbor with 20,000 or 50,000 acres. As there are about 100 of these bills, the members agree not to obstruct each other's bills; they go jo for wholesale logrolling. The M.H.R. makes a long speech, which is duly reported to the constituents; the bill passes the Lower House and is duly transmitted to the other Chamber. The introducer of the bill knows it will not get through, and so do all his fellow-members; in fact, they would not let it pass the Lower House, but that they expect it would be rejected in the Upper. It is all a pleasant little scheme wherewith to beguile constituents. The M.H.R. goes home and talks of the other House as a collection of Conservative money-grubbing old gentlemen. It is a capital dodge. Next year he will play the same little game. He knows perfectly will his bill will not pass both Houses, but it will get him votes at the next election. The Hon. Col. Brett has given notice that io the Legislative Council he will move, "That n the opinion of this Council, it .3 desirable that the Government should, during the recess, devote attention to the reorganisation of the' yalunteer system of the colony, haying 'regard tq the expediency of combining efficiency with economy, and to the necessity of gradually replacing, within a short time, the arm 3of almost obsolete pattern by arms which late observation has proved to be so very material in aid of defensive operations." The Oamaru people have had aome newbaths constructed lately, and the local paper notices the fact that a gentleman from Dunedin enjoyed the luxury of a swim in _-fc|em tfye other day. Que aontetopqrary relates how on emerging from the bath he walked across the newly-laid asphalte pavement around its margin, and in doing so found the tar attaching itself very uncomfortably to the soles of his feet. Sitting down thoughtlessly to remove this undesirable coating of his understandings only made matters wopje, £q lp dismay he fouud that there was' a mutual attachment between himself and the asphalte. ' What was worse the tar wouldn't come off, and dressing SRdPr tfte circunisfanccs waa out of the question, A friend oame to the rescue with — happy thought-a few pieces of loose wool, which, applied to the tar, as a matter of course, adhered, and gave him a somewhat remarkable appearance, and thus be-tarred and be-woolled the swimmer donned his clothing and retired, but will, it is believed, before bathing in a like place again, be careful to see that he has a spot to land upon of less strongly adhesirp qualMo... Auyonfe-(says the Wellington correspondeut of the it. li. Telegraph) who watches the legislation of the country will see how valuable is that non-elective Upper Chamber, which having no constituents to court, is not afraid to say "No." The Legislative Council is composed chiefly of wealthy men —i.e., of men who are shrewd and and have a good sound knowledge of fiuiahce, '_£ what the country can afford to spend, and what it cannot. A London correspondent says that some scandal has been created in commercial and social circles by the report that a partner in j one of the wealthiest private banks iv Loudon ' has ruined himself, nofc by racing or by ex- j

fcravaganfc Imng, but by Stock Exchance speculations. Half a million is mentioned as fche amount of differences he has had to pay, besides a balance due to his broker. _J he New York Times remarks, in the middle of a solemn leading article on the engagement between the Shah and the Huascar, thafc " war will nofc seriously affecfc the prosperity of Peru while it is in progress The productions of that country consist chiefly in volcanoes, earthquakes, and revolutions. The export trade in these staples is so trifling that it will nofc be appreciably injured by war." . J