“THE NEPHEW OF MY UNCLE.”

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5374, 18 June 1878, Page 3

“THE NEPHEW OF MY UNCLE.”

(From the Canterbury Press, 11th inst.)

It is impossible to congratulate the constituency of Hokitika upon the method by which a portion of the electors propose to fill up the vacancy caused by the retirement of Mr. Button. The facts are briefly these. A deputation of electors waited in the first place upon two prominent Hokitika citizens, asking them to stand for election, but both of these declined the honor. Hereupon some one, who is described by the local morning journals as “ a gentleman in town,” telegraphed to Sir George Grey, aslung him if ha would suggest the name of some one of influence, who would be likely to represent the constituency creditably. To this the following reply was received: —“ My nephew, Seymour Thorne George, would be glad to represent your district if you sent him a requisition asking him to do so. He was with me when I visited your district in Febrbary last.—G. Grey.” A further telegram was received from the honorable member for Totara, Mr. Gisborne, who was good enough to give his advice gratis in the following telegram ; “ Seymour Thome George would stand on requisition. He has very good: qualifications, is young, intelligent, and well educated. He is a nephew of Sir George Grey.” A telegram to-day informs ns that a requisition has been presented to Mr. George, which he has been graciously pleased to accept, and that in due coarse he will address the free and independent electors. Mr. G. G. Fitzgerald, who until recently was Eesident Magistrate for Hokitika District, has also announced himself as.a candidate. There was further some talk of getting up a requisition to Mr. Button to allow himself again to be placed in nomination.

The circumstance of a large and mixed electorate being made a pocket constituency of Sir George Grey is so very singular that it cannot be passed over without remark At present we have no knowledge of the number or weight in the community of those who have signed the requisition to Mr. George, but it must he understood that it is only to the electors who have promised to support him that tho following remarks refer. For the supporters of a Government to apply to its head to recommend them a candidate is an unusual course in the colony, but still’ it is not one at which, in the absence of local candidates, any great surprise need be felt, or from which it could be argued that the electors offered themselves for sale. But when the leader condescendingly recommends a man who is utterly unknown and inexperienced in colonial politics, and when certain electors, on the strength of that recommendation, request the person thus commended to stand for election, although they are absolutely in ignorance of his qualifications, the matter has gone further, and we . do not hesitate to say that they have greatly abused their electoral privilege. A requisition may be assumed to pledge those who sign it to support the requisitioned, and therefore it is fair to say that those electors have bound themselves to vote for a man of whom they know really nothing, except that he is a nephew of Sir George Grey, and that Mi 4 . Gisborne has said he is young, intelligent, and well-educated. The member for Totara could not have said less —and he may be presumed to have said all he could say—i! he had put his commendations in a negative form, and said that Mr. George was nither dotard, dullard, nor dunce. Moreover, after the sorry figure which the member for Totara has cut during his political life, it may be supposed that his views of the intelligence necessary to make a good member are of the most eccentric order. Tho fabulous animal between tho two bundles of hay was g perfect model of sapience compared to him. It may bo presumed that that poor beastie had good grounds for anticipating the reward of abstinence when he got to stable. The member for Totara managed'to miss the feed on the way, tho reward at the end of the journey, and even the comfortable and much desired stable itself. Indeed, the very manner in which Mr. Gisborne speaks of the proposed candidate shows what a particularly low standard of merit he sets up as qualifying a man for a representative. With the exception of laying claim to juvenility and relationship to the Premier, he might have said tho same things of himself without being accused of self-laudation. In a word, ho could not decently have said less for Mr. George, and, presumably, ho could not truthfully have said more. The candidate will no doubt appreciate tho patronage which the member for Totara has been pleased to bestow upon him. With respect to Mr. George a real recommendations, if be has any, wo aro quite as much iu the dark as tho Hokitika requisitionists. He may bo a sucking Dycurgus, but if so he has not shown any premonitory symptoms, or his friends would doubtless have noticed them. He is probably a harmless young fellow whose notions of politics and people are a reflection of his astute uncle’s, and who will rely upon bis uncle’s advice as long as Providence shall spare the old gentleman to advise. If Sir George Grey were not quite sure of tho nephew in this respect, it is certain that ho would never have mentioned him to tho Hokitika electors. By tho Premier the subservience of the Hokitika constituency, if they elect his nominee, will of course be regarded as a tribute to himself, and possibly it may find its reward in tho next Appropriation Act. By Mr. George, if he had a spark of independence of character, the mode in which the requisition has been extracted, the very hesitating language of his political sponsors, and tho indecency of his uncle’s proceeding would bo treated as almost an insult. To the colony the transaction irill appear somewhat in this light Certain supporters of the Premier, failing a local candidate, ask tho leader of their party to name some one suitable for election to Parliament. No higher trust could be placed in a politician, no more artless exhibition of confidence given. But this leader, instead of conscientiously discharging that trust and selecting for recommendation some ono likely to servo the constituency, abuses tho simple reliance of his supporters, and nominates a young fellow who is utterly without, experience, or other recommendation, except that ho is tho nominator's own nephew. A more grossly indelicate proceeding has seldom been witnessed in New Zealand politics. A more deplorable instance

of blind servility bn the pai-t of the electors than has been afforded by those who signed the requisition to Mr. Seymour George can never occur. We are surprised that the unfortunate illustration should now come from Hokitika. The West Coast constituencies have at times shown themselves lacking in discrimination as regards tho class of representatives they sent to Parliament. But they have none of them before laid themselves open to the charge of truckling. If anything, too much independence, and inability to attach themselves to a party, have boon their characteristics. We hope that when election day comes Hokitika will vindicate its good name by resenting the very marked slight which tho Premier has thought fit to put upon the constituency.