THE NEW MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 6, 7 January 1880, Page 5

THE NEW MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT.

[Ifropi thcff f Press/ .Correspondent.] , Now tbat the seoond. session of 1879 and the first otic' of the ifi J e^ !J_*i_rli_kment has come to an end, you will have no mofe [thrilling speeches anil eJxciti'ng telegrams l W" lajr before the public. But it may be possible to sustain tbe feverish interest df your readers k little longer if I send you a short description of the new material thnt wa's this year introduced into our House ot Representatives.

It may seem strange to commence a notice of tbe new. members with such an old veteran, both iv Provincial and Colofiinl' politics as t*he Hofn. John Hal.. Yet for this session he is one of tbe new members, and being one he is undoubtedly entitled to hei»d ibe list, [Tbe sketch of the Hon John Hall we have already published.]

Perhaps the [next new member who should claim 'our notice Is' another old publio servainl/ Mr y ßead&r Wood. And; if tba choice were left to the ladies' or strangers' galleries, it is quite posaible that he would be choaen first, as his speeches- wo til 1 be fjr more diverting than Mr Hall's. He stands about six feet higb, /with no great weight of body, and a 'iarfce proportion; of "legs r and wings." His head is high and narrow, with an irregular forehead aud prominent, shaggy eyebrows. He looks to be approaching sixty years of age ; has a rather/wiry beard and a large Roman ■. nose. In a political sepse only he has the appearance of a gentleman who has seen better days ; and after discharging the onerous duties of Colonial Treasurer, fh^"ttgfrra;mifMmetnß of member of the Houee nrb evidently uot sufficiently exciting to rouse a his energies, so tliat %fe' } ik not' Ye'markahle for ieal in. the discharge of his present duties. When be fir^'^ftdred'the; house, nearly twenty years ago, he was just as fluent as he is nbw. But Tfreti bis manner was quite clefioal ; whereas it is now quite 1 t'h-B'tftrical. He speaks very little, anti. though that little is always to t c point it is also amusing. He looks down with almost ' equal contempt on both parties in the present House, and is ally indifferent to praise or blame. v

The next in importance, and the first really hew member, is Mr Albert Pitt, #hohks- taken 1 Mr Curtis's place for the City of Nelson. He is hot equal fio his predecessor as a neat, plausible, successful speaker, but he surpasses him ,as a most at'entive scrutineer of all the business that comes before the House, and naturally possesses that impartial judicial mind which Mr Curtis could olways bo successfully as.ume. He can express himself clearly in good voice and ih good English upon any subject, and never talks for the mere purpose of figuring in " Hansard;" Although a lawyer, he is transparently houest, and nevtr descends to special pleading. He looks about forty yenrs of age, has an open, frank face, and nolhing in the House has ever ruffled his temper, and that is saying a good deal.

The tall, white-beaded member for Dunedin comes next. He looks aB if he had never said an idle word in his life. He speaks but seldom, ahd never long, but is, always listened tn. Though solemn and ponderous, there is a slight ' under-current of humor, and just a little indication that he originally came frora the North. The listener also feels that he, believes what he is saying. He locfks Very carefiilly belore he follows tbe preaent Government in anything,, but he would certainly put oh a, dust coat if he ever had to go into, the same lobby as Sir George Grey. The "whips "on both sides keep as c'ear of- him aa if be were a bomb-shell abeut to explbde,'and no one ever tells him how he had better vote, or which lobby to go into. I don't mean that there is anything choleric or explosive ''about him, but he looks as if be would not value unasked fpr advice.

Not far fron Mr Dick Bits another member of the same build, and almost the same age, but, witb a much less serious countenance, Colonel Trimble. He speaks a little too often, and makes it his mission to correct Sir George Grey's misrepresentations, which would give any member an active life. His speaking is faultless enough, but rarely .goes beyond that, and his bright in-

telligfe'nt"febe leads you to expect a little more variety than you get. His beßt days were spent in England and Ireland, and like dbctet other men under Such circumstances, he cannot reYain from taking 'hi-fl hetfrerfc^to his old -hunting grounds oftener than they are willing to go.

I must next come to the tWo new representatives for Wellington. And it is quite a matter of opinioo wbich of them should rank first, as different judges would be sure to place them differently. For a tea meeting, or even an agricultural dinner, I should choose Mr Hutchison, but for a Legislative Assembly I prefer his much younger and much less imaginative colleague, Mr Levin. Neither of them aw bores,; but Mr Levin thinks twice befbrb W speaks once, and then he never says a word too much. He has a hea-it Effective ' &a r y' ttt saying what is neoessary for his oase, but has bardly spoken enough to gain confidence at hie ■work, and probably for that reason never yentu.es to diverge Sin -the slightest degree from the direct object be has in band.

Mr Hutchison is just the reverse of this. He roams from Dan to Beerbheba with the most complete coolness and confidence, and can msike a very few ideas into quite a long' speech. I think upon tbe whole his manner as a speaker is the most telling and varied in the House, and hia voice is a pleasant one. He does not aim at bitting, or I fancy he oould do it. He is not a sound reasbner, and as he swears by Grey he has often to talk one way and believe another. There is, however, more apparent sinoerity in bis sympathy for the working mail than 'there ib in Grey's, and- he may therefore last longer.

The electors of tbe Buller distriot have changed their doctor for a lawyer, a yobbger maO, and ono With - at least enough talking power, in the person of Mr J, B. Fisher. He has a good command of laaguage, with .plenty of Voice "and unlimited confidence. He has made some Sensible suggestions, and once or twice scored a point against the Government, and I am not sure that he has not proved the most useful man in the Houae (o his Own party. -v He is quite the " gpeo-ia'l pleader," and sometimes even oallß the Chairman .. A 1 . Your Worship." ■ His manner and ,h1 s accent betra y an acquaintance with at least uou-pro-fessional society at some period of his life which may have been in boyhood or manhood.

Qne of the new members for Hokitika, Mr Reid, is said to be the editor of a paper. Though a very intelligent, pleasant, unaggressive looking man, he talks like one who lives all the year round in politics with a very suspicious party to uphold. His personal appearance is an exact index of his speeches, _ti-f, formal, aud slender. His language and voice are very goo I,* he is nev. r troublesome, and does not speak often or long enough to make the dry formality of his style much felt.

Mr Shephard, of the Waimea, belongs to the same class, bnt his build is of the opposite type. He looks nearly three score and ten years old, but so far from being worn down wibh his work, he is the fattest man in the House. His occupation, too, is essentially different from other editors, as whatever Government may be in power, he usually supports the Government one month and the Opposition the next month, which must make his task much less monotonous. He does not seem to enjoy the unlimited confidence ofany party, though he never joins in any personal attacks. He talks like a book, if you can imagine a book in which every third or fourth line is a long a-a-a-h; He is. a thoughtful member who never- trifles with the time or temper of the House, does not talk too much, and will not even return railing for railing. Mr William John Hurst, of Auckland City West, has been very unfortunate in his first entrance upon Parliamentary life, and has been actually sat upon by the Greyites in a manner that I never saw practised by any body of men before. He is an energetic, active, self-conscious, sociable man, ot good presence and uo mean ability, but he is howled down in the House as if he were some dangerous wild -beast. If he even ventures an ejaculation when

Sir! Oeorge Q-ffey is' speaking, Sir Gejorge will stop and tell him to mind his| own business. He is, in fact, . the peape-gpat for the sins of the four Auckland members who dared to think and act for themselves. Mr Reader W)od is beyond their reach. He feels the utmost contempt and indifference for all they can say to him, and he can hit; too hard- in return.' Mr Swan-son has a reputation for honesty and judgment that outweighs /that of ali his. wojuld-be aasailahtsjput together, and he, has, besides, some little bits of paper inj hia pocket-boofi^which: makes it veriy \ dangerous for Sonde of them to turn? their guns on tiiicu Mr Obib&jk keepsso huie^iand once showed them-that he pould bite more than he barked, 'Wii^ he has given them the impression thatthoy had better let sleeping dogs alone. Add, thus, the whole brunt of their disappointment and anger and revenge is centred on this sensitive flinchibg>, innocent victim. '„"

Something of- the same kind, but much le&s in-d^eb^'W'a'i-trid-i .or. wittf. th 6 hew member for ihe ''Grey Valley, 1 Mr Masters, who is a^ery nervd&s.r delicate-looking man. <VSThen the vote '" of no-cdnfidence ; in the - GH&y< ■ GroverH- i ment - was coming off,. ; this X anxious member was plied- with telegrams from a [multitude of his constituents, the sajd telegrams being manufactured in "Wellington with a view to -take tfhe greatest effect on the known condition ofj his nerves sfctt&y given hour. ; He 1 suffered intensely, but stood it all without wavering, and learned to appreciate thje men who had under-estimated his character. He speaks very little, and w&uld need a deal of practice to give hi|n confidence enough fbr a debater. (Mr Barron is hot a nervous main, ndr apparently a very anxious one. He is ion the watch for a ludicrous side of all that transpires ih the House, and ndw and then contributes a sorb of Pjmch article to the proceedings. He gijsres the idea of a member w;ho is supporting a party for whom he has not an atom of respect.

jNear him sits Mr Colbeck, who has mjide one very good speech, after an immense deal of provocation, in which he retaliated on his assailants with an effect that they had evidently not calculated on. .Nothing else has ever brought him out in the same style.

[To be continued.]