PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATIVES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 234, 1 October 1881, Page 4

PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATIVES.

(Auckland <; Btar.") Oce of the numerous dangers to which democrseiea sre liable lies in the choice of fheir Parliamentary representatives. The easy opportunity ie availed nf too often by siroa^-lunged saperf] -ioli y, mischievous fluHity of diteoars^, an 3 a v-rlefy of other ebowy qualities which ftppa-il to the eye and ear of iue " free and iodepen Jeat " frlecior with n force ntferly out of proportion to their merits. Th j n>ore rao-ieas characteristics of g?nuin? worth and fitness have but little change, and saiiy retreat before tha Tor-if--roa3 tiiu of the poiiueU areas, relinquishing with regret all thought of I'ihios p-^rfc in tha council* of t-=e rta;ioi-s. To this ruia jhere always will he iOxtua'Ae exceptions, ie.] lou-J, cr>».f3?, a-o-i vul ;nr ms.Moerity, such as the "oran j- headed monster " lo^-'-s, is biu'jjiiy <nwp j reu to bo me. small es'ent liy hcnk-ty s.ad upris»htß«9a, combine.! witlj cultured ap;iiu -e. May thsrs nevc:r bo wamicg the ten ri,'b«e->n3 who suffice to save the State. To the fcsk of describing the Utter a 1 1 « t- ! p? more la do-ail ?7s no?/ address ourselves. In the jM^nbr-r of ParliaisenS ons looks first of fill for knowledge of tffairs, f.miiisfiiy with politics. He maat unoer&UnJ the court-a o/ etre-nfs in the hi-Sory of the people, one of whose repreßi?a'3tive6 ho i?, &nJ bave s respect^bia acqaainlacca with (be principles on wi.-icn th-afi country has bees governed acd on which h ought to be siovt-rcerf. Politics cannot be learned in idle h-ilf.hours,or picked up in chreda and patches froca the gcseip o( bar-parioura sad club-roDcn?. Pot-house babble ani tha bcl.-t.hu of Government fcre poles srarf. To b-: o poliiiciau o f respec'a-iilitj — let sion? a kt-M&m&t — there must be laborious study, painstaking application, %iJe rea i.ig in hisicry, CErtful coa»psrisoa of the systems obtaiuing iu various countries. The legislator requires s special t-RiD-icg fquslly as cjuch rs the lawyer, the pbyeichr, and the ship aasiier. The owneiß of a sbip woul-j be coneidere tit Buhjectß for Bediam if they entrusted their property to the care of an i^noraoi landoian. Acd wh»t invalid in his fieDaea would consent to be treated by oce utterly int-xporiesced in the cure of c*iß:-BBcB ? From the mariner who would concoct a ressrl, society demendß b certificate of competency ; from the medical man commencing to practise, a diploma; bat from ihs aspirant to political honours no credentials at all ke to his fitness for the position are asked for. Any ignoramus wish bresa enough, rn&y hope to back and bevy, Bnd drench with his quuckeries, th9 body po'itic j or, to change the figure, may 1 a?<- some expectation of hoidin* the helm cf tb^ ehip of stst?. Our youn caeo naiyljt, whiu rent s« vantage, give eom? pcrtioa cf the leisure which amusement nov? claims entirely, to bc-qaifi-g inforiEßtioa on poHtk-ul questions, lo tracing the prowlh of what is termsd tLe British Constitution ; to deJeriTiir.ior» ths reebGoa for the prosperity of canoes, sod the csoeea which have led to their downfall. The time besiowed on such mailers— which, tuongh usually eossidfcted ucattrectve and ery-sg fiucf, c-m be surrounded with an engrossing interest — will have been wisely exiesdsd. The benefit must be evident in '.he iegishtioc of yesrs to come. Another, and perhaps the most important of all the qualific£tiocß to be looked for in (he M-mber of Parliament is integrity. la tie present aiate of public morality this is the last thisp expected. We sre following too closely the example set in she United Siaiee, whera "politician" is almost anonymous with *' sharper " and " scoundrel." Bocesty of purpceo is an mccnveDi^nt eupsrjfluity. Storey iacependence and the courage of otiiaiov.B ate impedimenta whioh nsust he itlt behind io the r.iC: for political iifl-jttce. The first consideration ig self ; then posfsibiy comee Bome eolicitu'-'e snd regard for the coosti'upr.?7 represented ; the bonum publicum, the good of the State at laig-, u reckcte; ke?. The order cf things i? f k elly inverted. If merabsTS t:re made cireuasp?c{ ix-H kept \v, fear by anyihicg, it is cot by the morsl eeose, cr by i.ny i-egard for the country's destiny ; but by the thou»bt that tlcy vii.l ebcrdy h&va to tr.es; their constiJueut?, titsd tbst tv;e general election looojs ia thd cear diaiance These tre (he corrective agencies which asurp the place of a corjscience. Conscience, forsooth, has ioa^ ceeaad lo bs £>n elewent io politics. It seema to have taken a long farewell of all legiß!ative!prcecßs;B. if it enters no more into the cosailuTion of individual members, h can Bctrcely be expected to be possesEed by the Slate. Whoever maintains (hat the State ought io hava a conscience, and that public actions should evidecea eoa-e respect for it, will be set down hb ohl fashioned and behind the timee, Espedieacy and prestige are the modern ideas which have driven it out. One iteca ol political morality, according to so:: e, is consistency ; but the estimation of thi* mutter is hedge^ about *i{h se?erbl diflßcuJties. The mere factor changing one's mind is no sign of obliquity ; it implies not onfrequently raaturer thought, and a juater view of thiuge. But when such a ch&nge is sudden ; when it is clearly made for a purpose, for eoiao seifiih end ; or wbea thera ia aa abaadomenfc ol principles fortaerly eh<-ri&bed, Bad there is good sreasoe for euspicion. Ills noi the ect of ao hencas man to throw over fixad priceipSes on tha iepulse of the uiorjeut. Ir ha fiaris oe caaioa to change them, the process is usually a slo«r, otren a piinful oce. Mr Gladstone h^s eomftiajes been charged with irjccii&istercy, b^ocuss he be^.an life as b Tory, aid is now an advanced Liberal. But tun charge as conveying a moral stigma ia polnticss ia his c*3? since the change of vie^3 r,-aa Vtr} gradoaily broa^^t about, estoatiicj;, »% it did, cvzx ioD^: jears 01 riper though; and «iiicr kbowittge ; sa..i cleehis.^ more tht-a one &Hu his JGtb.-esta, But to £el the ojij: ; .iy so ctu-prehoDd tha ditjticoaou htte icvoiveU would be a hopeieee task, la addition to the virtues of integrity bb3 ft lo)l^ ififormed mind, one is g*4

to find in tbe candidate for Parliament tary honours aa intelligence above the ordinary. Democracies are supposed to favor mediocrity ; the popular perception is too dull to appreciate rightly the more powerful claims of tha man of talent and genius. He has too many crotchets; he is apt to stand obstinately by any opinions he may have formed for himself; he is not so subservient as a man with less brains might be. The electors of Westminster soon get tired of John Stuart Mill, and the greatest political economist of the day was rejected for a commonplace bookseller of respectability. Eloquence and an agreeable style of speaking sro gifis extremely nseful to a Member of Parliament ; but ihey era too often confoursdad with the much more common /acuity, \]z., what is called the " gifi of th& gab." Fluency is often a great sosre, more espeoißliy when combined with poverty of ide&a and eteriiiiv of intellect. This not uccoramoa union fcft-3 turned ParHaraeue into a mere t-ilking-shop, to the despair of all B enaib!^ people, who still kase some sort of belief that, whatever speech may be, silence is certaialy yoldoo. If W8 a( jd to our list of qualifies tioos capacity for work and urbanity of manner, we think we hava made it tolerably complete ; without doubt it will bo difficult to find Jbeai &!! embodied in any single soliaitor of tha people's suffra^eF. If we sre go lucky as {0 jaeet with boceety v?e ahei! vsry likely find it associated with duliaees ; intelligence with perversion of the morel sense ; ability to opesk with sballowneaa and a email mind ; honesty, industry, and ability with a rout-b, repellaiit exterior. If it it ehouli so happen thai a compound of all the virtues we have been describing were ambitious of a s-nnt in our legislative hills, ia all probability at the close 0! the eleciioa his name would be found at the bottom of the p;ll.