THE WEEK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 285, 1 December 1877, Page 2

THE WE EK.

New Zealand certainly does produce some clever men. Of this, two instances are ready to hand. Sir George Grey gets into office against the wish of a majority of the House, retains ;office under the same unfavorable circumstances, and then gradually converts his minority into a majority, brings all sorts of charges against the preceding Treasurer, and finishes by adopting his tables and estimates. That's not a bad sis weeks' work. Iv the other instance the gentleman who must excite our admiration of his remarkable shrewdness is not at present in the colony, but he was here once as we all know well! In his position as Premier he was told by the House that he was not to go to England. He called a meeting of the Cabinet next day and induced them to order him to go. He went came back, received £6127 as salary and expenses, claimed £2750 more, was refused, sent in another claim for the amount with interest at 9 per cent, and 'got it. The same day one of the members tried to get a fewthousands placed upon the Estimates for a bridge in his district, when he was told that it was no use applying for it, a3, even if the sum was voted, the money would not be forthcoming. And yet I wouldn't mind betting a trifle that Sir Julius gets his three thousand.

Eor good fun, good humor, good temper, good feeling, and good speaking it would be difficult to beai yesterday's election. The fun was going on all day, and uone seemed to enjoy it more than the ladies who found themselves iv the novel position of being driven in placarded vehicles to the polling place; the good temper was exhibited in the defeated candidate's speech and his merry countenance as he returned his thanks to "the ladies who had so staunchly supported him, the good humor iv the kindly manner in which the opponents retired from the Council Chamber with the expressed intention of toasting each other, the good feeling in the complete absence of anything approaching to disagreeable and unwarrantable personalities, and the good speaking in the spirited address delivered to the electors by the unsuccessful candidate's brother, who was full of regret that the "sleepy-headed" Councillors of whese speaking powers he did not appear to entertain a very high opinion, seeing that he considered shem unequal to so- simple a feat in oratory as saying "bo" to a goose were not to be assisted in their deliberations' by a young and energetic man who had "plenty of self confidence." I heartily endorse Mr T. Harley's wish that we may have pleuty more elections in Nelson like that of yesterday.

It was a curious coincidence that there should appear in a newspaper here one evening a paragraph calling attention to the fact that Sir George Grey had completely ignored the resolutions passed at a public meeting held in Nelson a fortnight previously, and forwarded to him by the mail on the following day, aud that ifc should have occurred to him the next morning to telegraph to the Mayor an acknowledgment of their receipt. It suggested to my mind a probable scene in the Premier's room something to this effect-— (Enter a clerk with a telegram) " This has just arrived for you Sir." (Sir George opens the envelope and reads) " Nelson -Would suggest that you take some notice of resolutions passed here a fortnight since. Complaints made of your apparent neglect —A Friend." (He exclaims) " Confound those Nelson people They seem to think that they are entitled to as much consideration as my Auckland boys. It's rather late for the gratitude business, but I suppose it must be done." (To the clerk) « Wire to the Mayor of Nelson that I am very grateful to the people of Nelson for their resolutions, and awfully obliged to the Mayor for forwarding them." & Some people say that it is a nice thing to be a farmer; that there is something so free aud independent and healthy about the life you are your own master, you sow your seed,' aad if you display moderate care in tilling the soil, your eyes and heart are delighted by watching the growth of your crops from the time the tender little green blade shoots through the ground to the season of harvest when the tall yellow straw with its full head 1 of corn is ready for the sickle, or, as ifc would he more correct to say in those days of improved farm implements, for. the reapingmachine. This is all vory well in its way but if any who think thus will take a run through the VVaimeas as I did the other day aud take notice of the wretched hay crops, of the scrimpy sickly looking corn stalks through which a sharp terrier might chase a' mouse without fear of the vegetation interfering wjtb bis sport; if they will talk with the farmers, observe how serious are their countenances, and listen to their conversation as they speculate upon their prospects for the ensuing year with the knowledge that the long continued drought at the very time when rain is most wanted has reduced the number of bushels they will thresh to but a tithe of what they hoped for when they put the seed iutq^the grounds any, I sa y, will undertake all this they wjll return tq town sadder men than they left it, and will he forced to allow that the farmer's life is not more free from drawbacks than are other calliags. In 187G the farmers were terrible losers by a wet harvest; in 1877 they are are as great sufferers from a dry spring. If we who lire in town did but half realise what will be the result of the long continuance of hot scorching days and parching winds, the prospects of our agriculturists would form quite as frequent a topic of conversation amongst us as do the vagaries o,f our representatives iv Parliament. I wonder if it would be a profitable or a ruinous speculation to go round to the various schoolmasters in this education district and buy up their month's cheques at a low figure. That they would part with them at a discount I should think that there could be but littlp doubt after readiug the last item in the report published to-day of the Board's special meeting held yesterday :—" Bank balance on Nov. 30th, £47 9s lid, to meet cheques to the amount of .£6BB 5a Id." This brings up so many painful recollections of

the oft recurring state of my own banking account that I do not feel equal to pursuing the subject any further fco-day.