WELLINGTON GOSSIP.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 197, 19 August 1880, Page 2

WELLINGTON GOSSIP.

[From a Correspondent.] My previous letter was dated prior to the long-looked-for Public Works Statement, which haß at last beeu delivered, and, as was expected, proved almost a mere repetition of the Railway Commissioners' report, the only real difference being that Mr Oliver recommended the niakiug of certain roads, whereas that was a subject the Commissioners did not dwell much upon. The Statement, has-been very roughly handled by the press throughout the colony, and no wonder at it; for a more feeble attempt at a Public Works Statement was never made, and that such a hollow affair should have been the result of so much preparation has occasioned the greatest surprise. The only congratulations Mr Oliver has received upon bis Statement were i

from Dr. Wallis, a bitter opponent of the present Government, who got up the oth r night and congratulated him and also the Railway Commissioners on their plain outspoken report. What his object could have been nobody seems to know. Poor Wellington is up in arms against both the Statement and the report, more especially the former. Their pet railway to Foxton is knocked on the headj and. for the first time for years no concessions of any importance are ttiade to them in the Public Works Statement, and the people here, don't seeiii tb be able to understand it. The rherribers hdve suddenly awoke and are advocating their claims most emphatically upon every occasion, and the press has also warmly taken the matter up. They cannot see why the Wellington-Foxton line (a hue that has scarcely been begun, and one that Would cost thousands of pounds to finish) should be stopped and such lines as the Akaroa to Little liiver, and Nelson to Bellgrove, both of which are all but finished, should be constructed. One cannot help smiling how the tables are turned to see how the poor Wellingtonians take the matter. Was it nokonly a few months ago that the press here used to laugh at other places, most notably Nelson, for presuming to cry ont because no works were being proceeded with in their districts ? But that was when Wellington was having any amount of public money spent in it. Now their turn has come and the residents of the Empire City have some idea what it is to be left out in the cold. I was about the lobbies the evening Mr Oliver made his Statement. There is an astonishing difference in and about the Souse upon an occasion of that sort compared with an ordinary business night. Long before the time for assembling you see members with anxious faces hurrying along the passages to take their seats, and little knots of them are to be found discussing the recommendations that are likely to be made. As the bell rings the House presents an unusual appearance. There is a full attendance everywhere, the ladies', Speaker's, and public galleries are crowded with eager listeners, whilst even the gallery set aside for the "Lords" presents a by no means deserted appearance Behind the Chair are to be seen officials from the various departments with rolls of documents and voluminous notes ready to assist the Minister of Public Works in his task. And for what does all this excitement prevail, and why does such a crowd assemble? Simply to hear Mr Oliver read matters appertaining to the public works of the colony (about which one-half of those assembled know nothing) for about forty minutes. That is what was heard both last year and this, and one would think that by this time people would have ceased to take such interest in it. Still the crowd congregates, and having heard all they can, they disperse and leave the buildings about as wise as when they entered, Judging from the appearance of the House there is really more interest apparently taken in the delivery of the Public Works Statement than there is over the Financial Statement. Having always heard the Fire Brigades and water supply of Wellington praised so much, I expected to see something extraordinary at the fire at Thorndon last Tuesday evening, hut was disappointed. I reached the scene of the fire as soon as anyone, and it was quite five minutes before any of the Brigades were on the spot, although there is a station about 100 yards from the fire. When they did arrive there appeared to be a great want of auything approaching to order amongst them, and it was some time before the hose was laid from the main to the burning buildings. When all was ready, and the man was standing, with the nozzle pointed and waiting for the water to be turned on, I thought I should see the fire extinguished immediately. The signal was given, but after waiting for some seconds it struck me very forcibly that the words of the "Ancient Mariner" being altered bo as to read " water water everywhere but not a drop for use," would be most applicable. Anyhow, water did ccme at last, and after waiting some time they did manage to set a dribble (I really cannot describe it belter.) At this stageJL .w-aa uufortunately uuabio to -otay'and watch the ""further proceedings of the Brigades, as owing to the delays that had taken place the fire had spread into such close proximity to my residence that I had to hurry off and secure my effects. But I had seen epough to convince me that the Wellington Brigades are not nearly so efficient as they are made out to be, nor is their water supply so good as it ought to be. I may mention that the only thing that prevented the fire from spreading and burning the greater part of Thorndon was the timely aid of the Brigade from H.M.S. Danae, who landed during the height of a Wellington north-wester, and, armed with axes, &c, quickly levelled to the ground fences, outbuildings, &c, and thus prevented what would otherwise have been a Berious conflagration. Parliament will probably be prorogued by the end of this or the beginning of next month at the latest. At any rate it will be the fault of some of these irrepressible members if it is not. The Premier has informed the House what measures the Government intend carrying, and what they have decided to drop. There are only some half dozen of the former, aid they, together with a portion of the Public Works Estimates, form the remainder of the programme for this session. The Premier has not been very wise as regards the Bills introduced this session, nor indeed as regards the manner in which he has brought his measures before the House. In the first place, be has brought forward several Bills which might well have stood over for next session ; and in the second place the way he one day brings forward some Bills for second reading or for Committee, as the case may be, and then allows them to descend lower and lower every day in the order paper instead of passing them at once, is most imprudent conduct on his part. The Times the other morning had a very warm article against such folly, and compared, most appropriately, these measures to so many will-o'-the-wisps, as they were continually jumping about the order paper. There is no doubt that the session would have been over by now had it not been for this muddling of Mr Hall's. The morning sittings are a success— it stands to reason they should be — members, in the morning, are fresh and willing and ready for work, whereas at night, tired out by perpetual late hours, there is a too great tendency to rush the work through on the part of those members who manage to keep awake. Some of the evening sittings are a perfect farce. I have often looked into the Chamber at the small hours of the morning when the House was in Committee upon some Bill, and the scene presented is a most ridiculous one. The Chairman will be standing up rushing the elauses of the Bill through, and there will be perhaps half-a---dozen members attending, or rather pretending to attend; the' remainder of them are bers lying about in all manner of curious positions sound asleep, in utter ignorance of what is going on. This is what occurß when the House sits till the early hours of the morning, and so I should imagine the sooner members resolve to abandon these unearthly hours and sit during the day, the better not only for the country but themselves. The Legislative Council having had the easy time of it they usually do at the early part of every session, during the time the members of the House of Representatives are engaged in squabbling, have begun to work. These morning sittings have seen the last of a number of BUIb in the Lower Housed and the consequence is that they, have all been sent in a body to the Council, and so our " Lords" have now a considerable order paper tp dis-

pose of, and have, therefore, to meet not only every afternoon but also on several evenings during the week, which is quite a novelty for them. Wellington, August 16.