The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5244, 14 January 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 1878.

A full report of the Hon. Mr. Reynolds’ post-sussional address to his contitaents at Port Chalmers is to hand. Perhaps it would be more proper to terra it a farewell speech than anything else, for he told his hearers that he had resolved to tender his resignation as member of the House of Representatives, and was now only waiting till such time as- his constituents could find a suitable successor. Mr. Reynolds, however, has no desire to quit the political world altogether, for he states that it is not unlikely that he shall write to the Government, asking them to use their influence to place him in the Legislative Council. On this we will let Mia Reynolds ■ speak for himself. He says i—“ I do not think that will be asking too much after twenty-four years’ service as a representative. I do not think it is to ask anything unreasonable. Well, you may say what is the difforeuce batween being a member of the House of Representatives and a member of the Legislative Council? I may tell you, that so : far as my feelings are concerned, I should prefer being a representative to being a member of the Legislative Council; but at the same time the duties in the Legislative Council are much easier, and I could manage to be absent for the first fortnight or three weeks of the session, seeing there is so little for the Council during that period, and also when a vote of want of confidence came forward in the House of Representatives, or a question of privilege or disqualification, I could leave the business and take a run home for two or three weeks.” If Mr. Reynolds was remarkable for his denunciations of the practice of wasting the time - of the House in discussing breaches of privilege, he was equally remarkable for the time he himself wasted in denouncing the practice. When he rose to speak he never threw oil upon the troubled waters. Members were, at the best, never very clear on the intricate questions of privilege; but Mr. Reynolds often rendered confusion worse confounded by his want of tact, and not knowing when to hold his tongue. He was meddlesome almost in every case where it was perfectly plain that the matter would most surely be fought out. He was never concise in his speeches; he has not the gift of expressing his thoughts in a few words ; and were each of the eighty-eight members of the House of Representatives as long-winded as the hon. member for Port Chalmers, ahd took as active a part in debate, wo are afraid that , the sessions of the General Assembly would extend beyond five or six months in the year. In this matter of obstruction it is curious to observe that each particular member throws the blame on the shoulders of his fellow-legis-latbrs. If the onus of obstruction could be fairly calculated and allotted to each of our representatives, it would be found that Mr. Reynolds' would be allotted a full eighty-eighth share. Last session he was more prosy and obstructive than previously, but wo trust this latter quality has reached the full stage of development. If ho has the good or ill fortune to appear as one of the “ Lords,” his prosiness will not matter much—it will be in keeping with the surroundings. We think we have alluded sufficiently to Mr. Reynolds’ failings. He has many claims to have his services to the public recognised. For twentyfive years ho has been a representative of the people, and during that time it must, ho said that he has faithfully and conscientiously endeavored to do his duty alike to the colony and his constituents. No one can accuse him of ever having been a place-hunter for the emoluments of office. If ho has blundered, he has never wilfully erred. We,trust that the state of affairs in this colony has not come to such a pass that mere smartness is considered more worthy of reward than political integrity. Though we entirely disapprove of the action taken by Mr. Reynolds during the latter end of the past session, we have much pleasure in expressing our opinion that his claims to bo called 50 tlie Upper House are quite equal to those of the gentlemen who of late years have been called to that branch of the Legislature. Mr. Reynolds Ims strong claims to the recognition of the Guey Ministry. Ho says he held the key of the position during the time Major . Atkinson’s vote of no confidence was hanging over the heads of tho Ministry. This 1 is only partly true, for despite the vote and influence of Mr.' Reynolds, had the Government not snatched a vote at a time when it was known that three members of the Opposition wore absent from the Chamber, the Geey Ministry would have been placed in a • minority, and Sir Ghoiioe would have had an opportunity of doing that which lid hiid'rrioro than once threatened,; 'namely, sticking to office in the face' of ai hostile vote. having been carried by the representatives of tlie people. Mr. Reynolds somewhat overrates his own importance on that occasion; bnt| nevertheless we think ho was of; great service to the party with which ho had recently allied himself, and is fairly entitled to some recognition from the Ministry. Wo do not wish it to bo inferred that in our opinion

a particular vote given to a Ministry should be a reason for political preferment. If Mr. Reynolds wore called to the Upper House not the slightest imputation would be thrown upon the Gkev Ministry for making the necessary recommendation to his Excellency the Governor. It would be regarded as a graceful recognition of past services, and not as a reward for political support. He has certainly far more claims to tho honor than Mr. Wilson, a gentleman who was altogether unknown outside Hawke’s Bay until the Ministry recommended him to a seat in the Legislative Council. It is. to the tried veteran in politics that the door of the Legislative Council should be thrown open. It is no doubt desirable that property should be represented there in a larger measure than in the Lower Chamber ; but political experience and a character for uprightness are of more importance in a public man than the fact of his being possessed of broad acres or bank shares. Mr. Reynolds is liberal in his views, and it is only by the addition to the Legislative Council of men with liberal ideas that we can hope to secure anything like harmony between the two branches of the Legislature.