THE WEEK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 10, 12 January 1878, Page 2

THE WEEK.

We used to talk a great deal during the late session about the way in which our members were going on, and the state of muddle into which New Zealand politics were drifting, and many men even went ao far as to express .their opinion that it would be a benefit to the colony if tlie Constitution were hung up for a while, and the direction of our affairs placed in the hands of a Dictator with supreme authority. Pei haps this was going a little too far, but at one time there certainly was an excuse for any quantity of rash talk that might be uttered. If, however, any consolation is to be derived from thei fact that our neighbors are worse than ourselves we have this source of comfort upon which to draw, for New Zealand was never in so hopeless a mess as is Victoiia at the present moment. Civil officers and Police Magistrates all dismissed, and things generally in a state of chaos. That, just at this time, may be quoted as the result of constitutional government in Victoria. Not that it would prove a very objectionable state of things to everybody without a single exception. For instance there are two or three ladies and gentlemen who have recently passed through the Court in Nelson on their way to gaol who would not afc all mind if ali the magistrates in the colony were dismissed We pride ourselves, and very justly so, on the system of education that has been in vogue in Nelson for the last tweuty years and more, under which none need have grown up in ignorance. I hope that the writers of the two letters which I am about to quote were not pupils at our Government schools. Addressed to the chairman of a certain Road Board in this provincial district, these delightful anonymous epistles ran as follows :— (No 1) Sir, it is my duty to call yower tension to the shamef ull way the dayman and his son have been douing the work, thay have been three months in bowing the four chains of Watterfcablen. thay won't earn six shillings a day Not three of them. thay come to work between 9 and 10 and then the way thay work is shamef ull. there is much dissatisfied abouta it. certinly it coulls for a investigation; the dayman is a disgrace, he his.— (No 2) Sir, I Bag to mforme you the dayman as been Groben goss for- — and . he don noth else this Month, the laber is wurth 12 shillings but this ia Not all if you Grob the goss for one I fale to see why you shoud Not dow ifc for all.—The foregoing are verbatim copies Being anonymous they did not trouble the Board much, I believe, beyond causing the members to shake their sides with laughter. After last week's experience I have arrived at the conclusion that the position of M.H.R. is not one that is to be so very much coveted after all. If it were only the fact of having to address your constituents in a country district, that would be enough to deter one from seeking the honor. Let me state in a few words what this post sessional address involves You advertise that you will hold a meeting, say in a country schoolroom. Having passed through the same ordeal before, you know what is required of you, so on your way to the place of meeting you iuvt sta portion of your hardly earned honorarium at the village store in fche purchase of a pound of candles, armed vvith which you proceed to the room. To some extent yon find that preparations have been made for you, as on the table at which the chairman is to take up his position are two broken candlesticks, which by a judicious conversion of books into props may be coaxed into preserving an upright position. Herein you place two of your candles, breathing at the time a silent prayer that they won't tumble down for at least an hour, lest they should disturb the current of your thoughts. The other four you stand in a tin chandelier, which you happily espy at the far end of the room. You light the lofc, and your illumination is complete. Now about a chairman. On your way in you have passed a score or so of men standing on the road, with each of whom you have exchanged salutations in the politest manner possible, for you know full well that any little omission in this respect might possibly cost you a vote at the next election, jou ask first one and then another to occupy t_he pljair, apd after much persua-siop-^fdi* njodesty is fclje most prominent feature in the character of sounfcry settlers— youare ultimatelyflnccessful. You tbe n return to the room, followed by all those— perhaps three or four—who have finished thtir pipes, including the chairman elect, who in the ordinary form is voted into his temporary office. He informs those present that their representative is about "to render an account of bis stewardship," and trusts that they will SMJ{P }f} m a patient hearing. Then you begin, and fp? the first ten minutes are subjected to slight inigpf wpiqns f occasioned by

the march into the room of one individual after auother at irregular intervals, regulated to a great extent by the quantity of tobacco his pipe holds, the time at wbich it was lighted, or the number of minutes occupied m smoking it out.. At last all is quiet, and then you begin to long for some sound besides that ofjyour own voice. AJ u hear v hear" would set you up for the rest of the evening, but even a hiss or an otherwise expressed sign of disapproval would be better than that painful silence which dispirits and takes all the pluck out of you. An hour of this is quite as much, as the most. long suffering of speakers can stand, and with-. a feelings of unspeakable relief that for another year^ no such trial is again in store for you, you sit down and feel that however severe may be your cross-examination, however--unin-telligible the questions you are expected to answer, they will be far preferable. to. the dreary task of addressing an unsympathetic audience. The excitement of a five months' session appears to me to be dearly purchased at the price of such an hour of torture, and so, Gentlemen of the electoral district of Blank who have so kindly requested me to represent you in the next Parliament, I feel compelled to decline your well meant invitation. So much depends upon the way in which you look at a thing. I was at oue of the Levy concerts the other night and noticed a young couple sitting in front of me in rapt attention as Signor Rosnati sung in his most effective style "Non c ver." When he finished, the audience were almost spellbound, and there was a moment's pause before the inevitable and tremendous applause sounded forth from floor and gallery. Angelina drew a long breath, and turning to her companion said— " Oh 1 Edwin, what heavenly sounds I Can you imagine anything approaching nearer to the divine? Has he not an angelic voice?" Replied Edwin: " I tell you what it is Angelina, that man would be invaluable on a sheep run at mustering time. With a voice of that peculiar quality I should think he could make himself heard from one spur to another, even though the valley between was a mile wide. He'd hardly want a dog." It was a pained look that came over Angelina's countenance as the discovery forced itself upon her that between her and her Edwin there was one bond of sympathy less than she had hoped.