VICTORIAN LETTER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5504, 16 November 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

VICTORIAN LETTER.

(PROM ODR OWN CORKESI'ONDEMT.) MlttßotmSE, (lecober SO.

The two topics of most general inter st since my last have been the holding of the conference between representatives of >h°. two Houses over the Reform Bill, aud the lengthy debate over tiir John O'Sliaimassy's Amending Education Act. The latter has occupied the chief piace iu public interest, as the conference proceedings are not open to the P.-ess, and no l ody expects anything to come, of the conclave. Professedly, the head of the Government is anxious to settle the question pe iceably, and deep scribes now assert that the question has been narrowed down to what constitutes as Appropriation Bill. It is doubtful if the question was ever wider than that. The Appropriation Bills which have previously been rejected have been so solely on the ground of their containing extraordinary items in no way distinguishable from "tacks," and whenever the ordinary expenditure of G.v.'eeumeut b s been delayed through the ref sal of the Upper House to " pass," uuder compulsion, r, e most conservative sinners of that Hou-e have not ventured to contend for that absolute veto iu financial matters' which would be imulied in claiming the power to reject appropriations for ordinary purposes. The real contention of the present leaders of the Lower House is for the power to include iu the annual Appropriation Bill whatever amounts they may deem necessary in the interests of tho people—that is, of the dominant political party in the Lower House. If any decent compromise comes of this conference, then I shall consider that in the matter of " definition" Aquinas Abelard, or Denis Scotus were fools to Graham Berry aud Sir Chart s Sladen. You have heard, of course, of our idiotic verb "Btonewall." To stonewall is our beat contribution to stardard Eiglishwhen we wi h to iudicate that the ordinary rules <f argument fail to prove effective against opponents, aud that nothing remains but to fight out Parliamentary debates on technicalities ; anything, in short, that will prevent the Ministry of the day from carrying on the business of the country. How effective that policy may become in party warfare was demonstrated when the present reigning party ousted by its means the McCulloch Government. They successfully prevented the transaction of business, and then went to the country with the cry that the McCulloch Government was a '■ Do-Nothing Miuistry." Now, the trouble with the Berry Ministry is that one of. the most shining stonewallers, David Gaunson to wit, has deserted the Berry party, and is using with Atlantean vigor the tactics he ieduced to a science when it was found imperative iu the interests of the " people " to oust the McCulloch Government. David, it is said, was disappointed in not getting a portfolio, or Agent-Generalship, or something, when the " people's" cause triumphed ; and when to this was added the unpardonable sin of curtailing his snug little practice as earwigger in the Lands Department (valued by acquaintances at £lO a day) he found that the " people " could not auy longer tolerate the Berry Ministry, and he therefore went, as he himself expresses it, into "dead opposition." The term is unfortunate, for if ever an Opposition member was lively, David is that man. At a minute's notice he will dish you up " Coke upon Lyttleton" or " Hallam" or " May." He is a solicitor by profession. He rises at about midnight to a point of order. He proved himself, during the "stonewall" debate of 1877, to be equal to a seven hours' speech against time, and all attempts at curbing his eloquence were strongly denounced by his (now) opponents as a dangerous tampering with the liberty of speech accorded from time immemorial to members of Parliament. But his old fellow insurgents now find his late speeches intolerable, and last week the Minister of .Mines furiously announced that a continued course of thi3 " obstruction" would so far exasperate him as to necessitate " putting him out of the House."

Then David's " co-stonewaller," the hon. member for Bright n, arose in Achilla n wrath, and flunu his hat ou the floor of the House, "regardless" says the Argut, 'of damage to that article of apparel." " The Hon. the Minister of Mines," -hiekel be, "has more than once of late talked m iw-hii us out of the House. Let him put me out if he can." "The hon. member for Urigliton," replied the Minister, " must perceive a great distinction between the stonewal'ing res >rted to by the preseut Government when in opposition and the miserable obstruction of public affairs now resorted to by the two hon. m-in-bers opposite. We did it on great public ground.', and when the general election cune round, the 'people' Rent us bswk and into office." "We came back too," quietly remarked th* i (pposition member. I'he education debate was chiefly between Sir J. the advocate of the C itholic clergy, and W. 0. Smith, the Minister of Education. Sir John argued, in an elaborate speech of nearly three hours' duration, for a separate grant to the Roman Catholic denomination. History, sociology, and morality were appealed to in support of the Catholic claims. He argued that the Catnolic coußoience " prevented their acceptance of any system of education from which religion was excluded." The reply of the Minister on this occasion was definite, and discouraging to the Catholic party. He argued, amidst the " hear, hears" of an immense majority, thac the secular system adopted in this country, was acospted by the people, and that the Catholic cry was not the cry of the Catholic laity, who send their children in tens of thousands to the State Bchools, but was purely a clerical cry. He shewed, moreover, that the numbers qnoted by the hon. member, of children attending the clerical schools, were grossly exaggerated, and announced in no measured terms that whatever concessions might ultimately be made to the clamor of the clert»y would have to be made by some other Ministry than the one now in office. As I remarked in my last letter, the members of the present Ministry, whatever may be their blunders or incapacity, have never been charged, even by their enemies, with lack of ability in feeling after public opinion, and we may rest assured that for a lou>* time to come-the claims of the Catholic, or any other clergy, to the control of the schools, are utterly hopeless. The proposals of the Minister of Education for the reduction of teachers' salaries have not met with equal success. An amendment against the proposals was so cortain of success that the Ministry agreed to a, compromise last night (Tuesday), and the reduood scale gazetted in August is to bo rescinded. By the Victorian papers which reach yon this mail you will receive the particulars of a startling revival < f a phase of colonial life—bushranging, which we had begun to think was extinct. The shooting of two policemen last Sunday, at Mansfield, has suddenly aroused us to the knowledge that we are not yet rid of the old criminal class which rendered early colonising not only rough but dangerous to life. There are four of them in the gang, and they are all desperate scoundrels, who will not hesitate, to take any man's life rather than he captured. Energetic Bteps are being taken for their capture ; but from the proved disposition of the men, it is not expected that they will be run down without a desperate encounter. I was standing iu the bar parlor of a country public-house yesterday, reading a paper. Trie barman was an old. fray-haired mau ot about seventy. I wondered why he watched mi so intently. As soon as I laid down the paper he said " Melita is coming." I looked towards the door and said, " Well she cm come, I suppose J" " She's a dark 'un, my boy," he continued, "I'll lay you'll be slipped np." "I don't care," I ta'id, "whether she's dirk or fair,—l prefer a blonde myself; but you see I'm only just married, and don't care much about any woman but my wife at present" "Who's talking about women!" asked the old man in wrath "I thought perhaps your barmaid m- called Melita," says I. The old man walked away, and it dawned upon me that I was the recipient of a deep tip for the Melbourii- Cup. It's the same go where you may. If you look into a paper someone is sure to ask you whether»Chester can do it with that weight, or whether Savanaka hasn't a big »h 'W this time. Every hotel has a sweep, and every apprentice in the colony has "drawn" a d.<rlc horse and won't take double the price he paid. The usuil miraculous dresses are beinif made by Molbourne milliners; and a.ltng«ther it is anticipated that the forthcoming Cup race will utterly eclipse all previous gatherings. We make a public and Government holiday of it, and wait patiently for the usual paragraphs about gentlemen failing to " square up;" olerks missing and found in the Yarra ; and impecunious sporting men putting off the grocer, because " a fellow must make a splash Cup Day, you know 1" P.S.—Last night Sir C. Sladen, In the Upper House, and Graham Berry in the Lower announced the failure of the conference. No indiOfttion was given as to future proceedings.