THE NEW MEMBERS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4785, 24 July 1876, Page 2

THE NEW MEMBERS.

(sketches bt one of themselves.) No. I.—The Member fob Franklin. There rises now and again from a seat in the second row, just below the right gangway, a gentleman in whose face and person a marked struggle between juvenility and senility seems to be perpetually going on, without any apparent advantage on either side. During the first few weeks of the session he did not give way to loquacity, but he evidently now_ thinks that where so many, new members air their eloquence his wise words should have weight, and consequently he has been, within the last few days (in committee especially), heard frequently,if not to great advantage. Mr. H. H. Lusk is typical of a class in Auckland. A comparatively young gentleman who, because his father is an old and respected colonist, and he himself has been offered certain educational advantages, was for a long time looked upon as a heaven-bom genius with unlimited scope, one who could touch nothing without adorning it, and who only waited the opportunity to enter public life to show that he had in him the stuff of which statesmen are made. It is but just to Mr. Lusk to say that since his entrance on public life the circle of those who believed in him has got very much, smaller, and that he owes his presence in the House to his promise to support Sir George Grey, which caused that gentleman’s supporters to accept him as the best that could be got. Mr. Lusk, I believe, graduated at the Sydney University, and was called to the New South Wales Bar, subsequently being admitted to that of this colony. He has been for a long time a contributor to the Auckland Press, and was either singly, or in- conjunction with some other gentleman of a classical turn of mind, the author of a novel, the scene and action of which were laid in ■ either ancient Greece or ancient Italy. The work appeared iu a magazine published by the Daily Southern Cross proprietary, and was a somewhat vapid effort to pursue the style of magnificent fiction of which Lord Lytton’s “ Last Days of Pom peii ’’ stands the deserved and solitary master-

piece. I am not aware if the novel ever came to a conclusion; the magazine, which was in many respects a production, came to an end from a causa which could not he controlled : want of a population to support such a venture; but whether finished or not I am tolerably safe in saying that the novel may become one of the “ lost works ’ in the English language without giving cause for much regret. But if Mr. Lusk has not achieved fame as a writer of novels, he is at least well known as a contributor to daily literature in the shape of leading articles for an Auckland newspaper. And in this connection I may mention an anecdote which can do no one any harm. A writer for the first evening paper started in Auckland, who was talking to the proprietor, a most amiable and worthy gentleman now dead some years, said of certain leading articles that appeared from time to time that they were curious reading. J-hey exactly fill-*' a column, and manageddo make remarks about the subject which they pretended to treat without once exciting mteiest and without arriving at any conclusion. At the same time they were composed m fair English without containing anything that could offend anyone. The proprietor said ; “ They are Lusk’s, and the beauty of them is that they just fill a column and are perfectly ‘“•since that time Mr. Lusk has pursued the practice of his profession, and if he is not renowned for forensic eloquence, at least has managed to make his practice a profitable one without ever coming into angry coUis.on with judges, magistrates, or brother lawyers. At first his want of success in a few petty cases got him the sobriquet of but that has long since ceased to belong to bun of rifht. Ho has assisted in the winding-up of several gold-mining companies, .md it ia pleasing to know that his abilities m this direction have not been without substantial reW H*e was returned for the Auckland Provincial Council at the general provincial election at which the present Mr. Justice Gillies defeated the late Mr. John Williamson for the Superintendence after one of the closest and most exciting contests known in the province, not a little of the excitement being due to the spirited manner in which the contest was carried on at the Thames goldfield, an excitement which a number of high-souled electors (known popularly since, I think, as did their best to maintain. Mr. Gilhes was returned, and as he was supposed at the tune to have strong anti-provincial proclivities, the Nicholson Executive with which he surrounded himself was quickly displaced by a vote of want of confidence, and gave way to one of which Mr. Sheehan, M.H.R., and Mr. Lusk, and were the head and front as representing the advanced provincial party. At the next Supermtendental election Mr. Lusk came forward as a candidate for the office, and either at that time or just previously gave vent to very abolitionist tendencies. Indeed, Mr. Lusk has more than once displayed what to the common herd might seem very great inconsistencies; but as he has never any difficulty in proving to his own satisfaction that he is a model of consistency, it is plain that a good many others must be mistaken. That there may be some inconsistency about him is evident from the fact that the Auckland Evening Star has at intervals drawn parallels between himself and historical characters of rather diverse notoriety. At one time he has been compared to a political Judas Iscariot, at another time to Solon. It is hut fair to say that he merited neither comparison. He was defeated for the Superintendental election, but has been consoled by his return to the House of Representatives for the present Parliament, from the causes mentioned somewhere previously. It would be very unfair to deny to Mr. Lusk a good share of merit as a member, though that merit is rather of a negative than a positive character. In culture and in parliamentary manner he is far above gentlemen of the Rees, Stout, or Button type. _ He has none of the rather ignorantly offensive style of the first, his self-esteem is not so metaphysically demonstrative and airy as that of Mr, Stout, and he is not aggressively dogmatic in giving his law opinions on every point as is Mr Button. He speaks well-poised and wellconnected English, and should be easy to report, and when he has had time to prepare himself, can deliver a speech rather above the average, as ■witness bis utterance on the Bocal Option Bill. He baa a certain priggisbness of manner and delivery, which is far removed, however, from pertness, and ■is the priggishness rather of the man who believes in the profundity of his own information, of his research on any given subject, than of the gentleman who believes in himself, with or without information. Though, as I have said, he has of late talked more than was good for ms own reputation, yet he has not the painful and tireless loquacity of Mr. Stout, and, m short, will without doubt become that in the House which he has already become in the provincial public life of Auckland, a very respectahlemediocrity, one who, if he never come into the front rank, is never likely to commit political suicide by destroying such reputation as he may obtain. In fact, in this respect he is the antithesis of Mr. Stout, who has made a failure, inasmuch as he cannot see that an Assembly composed of for the most part plain business men, do not care for the hair-split-tings inseparable from debating society oratory, or the incessant special pleading of a lawyer arguing an appeal, and are impatient of the mental quibbling induced by a superficial study of metaphysics and social science. A curious proof of Mr. .Lusk’s character for political consistency is furnished by a recent incident. Someone of numerous correspondents telegraphed from here to the Herald that the member for Franklin was about, after all his pledges, to desert Sir George Grey and support the Government. A fnend writes to me to say that directly this news was published everyone said to everyone, “ Didn t 1 tell yon so.”