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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 172, 19 August 1878, Page 2

In an inquisitive moment the other evening, (says the Chronicle) Mr VVoolcock asked for a return of the amount of members' honorarium lying unclaimed in the treasury. Mr VVoolcock, when he asked the question, had the idea in his head, we believe, that some Saturday afternoon members should go "Yankee grab" for the pool, or that the sum so credited should be handed to the hardworking gentlemen in the reporters' gallery, as a salve for the tortures they had inflicted upon them during many weary nights of debate. But, alas for the rarity of members' chanty, not a penny piece was left to be disputed over—not eveu Mr Woolcock's two hundred. Rewi has written to the Taranaki Herald stating that he has heard that Mr Fox condemns what Sir George Grey and Mr Sheehan said at Waitara, and him for coming there. He intimates that whilst other Native Ministers have failed to plant the tree of peace, Grey, Sheehan, and he succeeded in doing so at Waitara in June last ; and that the tree is already bearing fruit, which he wishes both races to come and partake of in March. He says he is angered at Mr Fox saying he (liewi) wants to drive a bargain about his land and money, and tells, his followers to help Sir G. Grey and Mr Sheehan in their work. He says he did not ask for Waitara in the thoughts that Europeans have. He said give me back the soil, that we (Grey, Sheehan, and I) may plant the tree of peace upon it for both races. Let the pakehu remain, The "Wellington correspondent of the Auckland Star telegraphs :— An amusing story is going the round of the lobbies. It is said that Mr Ballance in the old days of war on the West Coast was a private in the Wanganui Cavalry, and for some offence was put in the guard-room by Colonel Gorton, who little dreamed he was then punishing the future Colonial Treasurer. The result is that Mr Ballance lately decided to abolish Gorton, and cut down the Branding Department. The Aucklaud Star of the 12th instant says : — The weather during the past few weeks has been, as we all know, unparalleled for bitter cold and sustained rain. The working classes of the commuuity have suffered severely, out-door labour of nearly all kinds being brought to a standstill for the time being. Ou the sea coast, near Mauakau Heads, hundreds of seagulls have been found lying dead on the beach. This shows the severity of the weather at sea. Undur the heading "Ballance's beer's bier," a correspondent of the Auckland Star signing himself " A Working Man " writes as follows:— Sin,— -Is is true that we are to be charged extra for our beer, owing to Mr Ballance's new tax? If so, I fear that we, who live in the lower line of life will not be able to give up our " sugar " in order to gain a " pint." Ifc seems, though, that the publie's loss will be a private gain, if all be true that's heard. Witness this: — 'Twas said by Ballance in his speech, " The beer-tax none will grudge it." And spite of brewers not one foot from His Budget will ho budge it. " Three half-pence on a gallon is Not much to any man; The publicaus can stand it if The Auckland public can." The brewers, howsoever, view This new tax a3 an ill, And 25 per cent stick on, To balance Ballance's Bill. Should publicans their price advance, The working men will fear That Ballance'a beer tax has brought Their barrel to its beir.

The Wellington Chronicle says:— "The drfeain of Sir George Grey's later days has hcSH ti6listtiainate&, and 1 the tftity ou tsa and | sugar has fc&frl Minced. 3d per Ib. on tea, find a i otf saga*, wotrfd have leffc the head 6f the iioiise it large margin for beer ; but \vAti iV$ \fhdo\ri worthy of his position the Colonial TrcdSiitet frftlaneed it, by imposing aii extra three half'-pe'ftOe *m ' Colonial.' Mi' iTox wos seen smiling and ftet'tonsly to clap his hand*!; n* if in thanksgiving* when the three-half pence ttas taxed on beer, while be wsis Heard to mi'itter, "n'iitht- k fnl, mafce it ftl." The London correspondent a* live Christj chui'cii I'H'sti writes r— £our AgcflMJenewil! in this country dfie.l ttot let tfte grass gT»w uuder his feet — nor under Msjiien either,.uißi much criticism having been bestowed! ou his recent statements concerning the psf»f stid future o? new 'Zealand, he lias replied in an article whien" appears hi No. 15 of a small weekly ftfaffcaflne called "Social Notes," which depends 1 to sflmfe' extent on suet? tolbiitary contributions as that of &Y Jiflfas Vogsl, Half of his paper is devoted to a do'fw>de?atiotf} of the advantages of colonial life in geiJfetal'y and this contains a gre.it many smart criticisms upon life at home and abroad. I [e then applies hte argument to New Zealand in particular, which he declares oft'ers the most ''simple flnd obvious scheme of existence" we can imagine. He throws in a word of caution against the wholesale emigration of poor professional men ; but it is exactly those people who find living in England to be a constant and almost hopeless struggle, and want to get abroad to some place where they may be free from a good deal of the social Restraint which is imposed on them in England. The Curisiebureh Press is severe in its criticisms of the Electoral Bill. It concludes an article on the subject as follows;— Amidst the maze of different qualifications, one looks in vain for a simple principle on which everyone who, by the possession of either some property, however small, or a guarantee for his beiug a hona-fide. colonist through residence for a reasonable period, would possess the right to a vote. It would seem that both the miners and Maori special qualifications are to be retained. These involve points and considerations that may, with advantage, be separately dealt with." Of so much of the Bill as treats of the common electoral f i anchise, wo have no hesitation in saying that it is, without exception, the grossest imposition that has ever, iu the name of Liberalism, been palmed off upon a people, and that its only merit, lies in certain improvements in the electors:! machinery to which we shall refer later. \t evidence were wanted of the spirit in which the whoie measure has been conceived, it may be found in the 21st clause, which "expressly declares" that no one possessing more than one qualification in the game electoral district, shall have any more votes than he would have if he possessed ou one qualification, liverybody knows, or ought to know, that such is present state of the law, that it has never been otherwise, and tliat no one has ever sought to change it. There would be just as much sense in introducing into a Bill to legalise marriage with a deceased wife's sister, a clause '• expressly declaring" that a man should not marry a sacond wife during the lifetime of the first. The clause is merely a feeble attempt to cover, by mere words, the disgrace that the Government incur by repudiating the policy publicly announced by their chief. It is paying but a poor compliment to the public intelligence to suppose that so transparent and silly an artifice could be successful. There is a class of young geutlemen writes the '-Loafer in the Street" getting every day more common iu this country, it comes out from England without much capital, and goes round the country lookiug at it and staying with friends. A gentleman of the squatting interest, who resides up North, and who has a good many of these visitors, has a style of his own when be wants to get rid of them. When the younggentleman has, iu his opinion, remained long enough, the squatter orders his visitors horse to be saddled and tied up opposite to the door. Then he makes use of the following remark— " Well, Limejnice, I hope you've had a pleasant stay. Won't you come in and have a nip before you start ? ' His has never failed yet, though he has been favond with some really good stickers too.