PARLIANENTARY GOSSIP.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 189, 9 August 1879, Page 2

PARLIANENTARY GOSSIP.

(From our own Correspondent.) Considering the absolute certainty there is that a large number of the members of the House of Representatives will, in case of a dissolution, lose their seats, and the place they knew will know them no more, it must be admitted that the majority of the House have accepted the inevitable with a very good grace, and appear disposed to put on a good face under the adverse circumstances which fortune has brought them. Many rumors have been flying about, as is usual when a Ministerial crisis has come to pass, but none appear to be trustworthy. Some affirmed that sufficient pressure had been brought to bear upon the Premier to induce him to withdraw, and to hand over the leadership of the so-called Liberal party to Mr Macaudrew or Mr Montgomery. Others still believe that a sufficient number of Sir G. Grey's former supporters, who went over to the Opposition at the last division, will return again to their allegiance and enable him to carry on with a small majority. The probabilities are strong against either of these opinions proving correct. Apart from the risk of losing their seats, and the question of expense which the necessity of seeking re-election will put them to, there are many and valid reasons why members should regard this as a most inopportune time for a dissolution. But he who for the time being rules the destiny of this country , like Gallio, cares for none of these things. What concerns him chiefly is the question whether a sufficient number of supporters will be returned to the next Parliament to enable himself and his colleagues to keep in power. He apparently believes fully that such will be the case, neither does the fact that the member who of all others is most conspicuous as an ultra-Liberal, namely Mr Saunders, will have none of him, appear to shake his confidence in the gullibility of the public. In my last letter, not having the Premier's speech before me, I wrote 15,000 as the number of adult males whose names are not upon the electoral roll. On looking at the report of the speech I see that the number stated by Sir G. Grey is 65,000. Now on looking over the census returns I find that the number of adult males in the whole colony is in rouud numbers 116,000, and of these 65,000 are on the electoral roll, subtracting the less from the greater only 51,000 remains, and from that number have to be taken some 14,000 diggers and others who possess miner's rights but are not on the electoral roll, although they return members to Parliament. Then again there are men in prison, in lunatic asylums, and recipients of charity, to the number of about 4,000, who would not be admitted to vote even if manhood suffrage prevailed. Neither would the men in the Armed Constabulary. In addition to these there are a large number who might be on the roll if they chose, but don't take the trouble to register. It is clear, therefore, that the number of those who, being of full age, are excluded by the Act now in force from the electoral roll does not amount to one-half the number stated with such passionate vehemence by Sir George Grey. Poor fellows! I wonder how many of them would take the trouble to walk a mile in order to obtain this inestimable privilege. The majority of them have probably the same view of their country's politics as the man in the song — For Tory or Whig they don't care a fig, The one is as bad as the other. But if the number were 65,000, and if it were as great a hardship to have no vote as Sir G. Grey would wish it to be believed, whose fault is it that this state of things has not been remedied? The Legislative Council returnedthe Electoral Bill of last session to the House of Representatives in exactly the same form as it was introduced into that House, they merely rejected the clause introduced into it when in Committee by Mr Sheehan giving the Maoris a dual vote, and the Premier, in a pet apparently because he could not have everything his own way to the smallest detail, withdrew the Bill, and thus continued for another year, if not indefinitely, this monstrous tyranny, injustice, and cruelty as he would fain make it appear to be. Proceedings in the House of Representatives have been tolerably lively of late, and compliments more or less pointed have been flying about. m Mr McLean sugaested on Tuesday that air G. Grey was not always " clothed in his right mind." The honorable member seemed to think he had hit upon a rather happy phrase, and applied it to another member in the course of the evening. Tennyson tells of the Lady Godiva ridding forth •« clothed on with chastity," but Mr McLean's expression seems to be a mixing up of " clothed " and "in his right mind." Mr Joyce took umbrage and remarked that most lunatics had lucid intervals but idiots never, and proceeded to make it clear that he meant his observation to apply to Mr McLean. Mr Manders too, a chosen vessel, gave a certain

liveliness to the debate by announcing " Thi3 is a great co-co-cou country Mr Speaker, and I will take a pick and a (hie) shovel and help to make it (hie)." This distinguished supporter of the Government was then unceremoniously hauled down by the tails of his coat, by Mr Saunders on one side and Mr Vincent Pyke on the other; and these two gentlemen proceeded to seat their substantial forms upon the ample skirts of that habiliment, and so effectually restrained the honorable meraber's eloquence. In the Council yesterday Mr Waterhonse moved in the matter of the Thames- Waikato Railway, that the action of the Government was a violation of both the letter and the spirit c 2 the law, which motion wa3 carried on the voices. The Lords are now dealiDg with the Loan Bill, and will probably pass it, though there is a stroug feeling amongst them that it is quite unconstitutional for a Ministry which does not possess the confidence of Parliament to bring forward so important a measure. On looking carefully through the list of members who are about to return to their constituents, I have marked off thirty whose prospect of taking sweet counsel together within these walis next se«3ion is not a hopeful one. No doubt I shall find myself mistaken in some, and others whom I have put down as safe may fail, but of the eightyeight members one third at least will, in all | probability, give place to other men, some better some worse. There seems small prospect of the prorogation taking place to-mor-row, and Saturday is now generally spoken of as the more likely day. It is equally likely that the session may linger on till Monday or Tuesday. Wellington, August 7th, 1879.