The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5525, 11 December 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1878.

Infinite wisdom, as that human quality is represented by the honorable member for Mataura, Mr. Wood, is after all to be removed from tho House of Representatives and placed in tho Legislative Council. Ministers have announced it in their newspaper. Our contemporary, tho “Timaru Herald,” was right in the conclusion which wo noted yesterday, and probably knew also a reason for it. Mr. Wood, says tho “Herald,” is “par “ excellence tho boro of tho House. ‘ln- “ finite Wisdom ’ is tho name ho goes by, “ because though ho knows next to noth- “ ing about anything, he never by any “ chance misses an opportunity of ex- “ pressing his views on every possible “ subject, with an air of superlative “ learning and authority. As soon as ho

“rises, and he always rises at the most “ inopportune moment in every debate, “ the terrified members fly in all direc- “ tions, and stay away a good long time. “ They know for certain that whatever “ anybody else has said before him, Mr, “ Wood will say over again at least onco, “ and that, moreover, he will add a great “ many lengthy remarks of his own on ( 1 every conceivable subject except tho “one under discussion. Nothing stops “ him, or shames him, or disturbs him at “ all. Finance, law, education, points of “ order, taxation, native affairs, want of “ confidence—it is all the same to him. “ He does not want anybody to listen to “ him, ho does not want anybody to “ reply to, he does not want even to know “ the question. His infinite wisdom is “ all-sufficing. Just when a debate is “ growing interesting, and a fine passage “ of arras between tho leaders is on the “ tapis, up stands this dreadful man, “ calm, quiet, collected, shining all over “ with smug self-satisfaction; and slowly, “ slowly, inexorably lets himself run “ down. Coughing, ironical cheers, fran- “ tie cries of ‘question,’ are all thrown “ away upon him. Nothing short of an “ extinguisher such as Anderson the “ Wizard of the North used to hide him- “ self under, would stop his flow of so- “ lemn bosh; and even if that were “ popped over him bodily, it is doubtful “ whether ho would not go on talking till “ the messengers took it off again at the “ adjournment of tho House.”

If the “Herald’s” estimate of the now “Lord” be a true one, the punishment about to be inflicted on the Legislative Council by tho Premier is severe, and even, wo think, disproportionate altogether to tho offence committed in restoring the Electoral Bill to the form in which it was introduced by tho Ministry, and In resisting the giving dual voting power to Maoris who pay no taxes. Had Sir George Grey in the Conference between the Houses threatened the recalcitrant members of the Council with Mr Wood, as an alternative, their firmnes of purpose in regard to the Maori vote might have been shaken. Punishment without warning, and ex post facto, is certainly unconstitutional. It may also bo found to be illegal.

It is said that Mr, Wood has actually resigned his seat for Mataura. The Disqualification Act passed in the last session of the Assembly provides that “ no mem- “ her of the Legislative Council or House “ of Representatives shall, within twelve “ months after he ceases to be a member “ of the said Councilor House, be capable “of being appointed a civil servant; and “ if he bo so appointed he shall be subject “ to a penalty of fifty pounds a day for * ‘ every day he remains a civil servant. ” By the interpretation clausa of the same Act the following definition of the term “civil servant” is given :—“ ‘ Civil “ servant’ means any person in the Civil Service o£ the Colony, or any person (( holding any office, permanent or tern“porary, under or from or at the ap- “ pointment or nomination of the Crown “ or Governor of New Zealand by virtue “ of his office, or at or by the nomination “ or appointment of any officer of the “ Government of the Colony of New Zea- “ land by virtue of his office to which “ any salary is attached and paid out of “ money appropriated by Parliament.” Sir George Grey, in his scorn of the Legislative Council, says they are men who have “ pensions for life.” For a Government which set out with such a policy of economy—a policy that was to begin, but didn’t, with a reduction of their own salaries—Ministers must be allowed already to have made a liberal increase to the number of “pensioners.’’ Mr, MTood will be the sixth in a single year. It is certain that the members of the Legislative Council are paid, and that the money is voted by Parment; and it is certain that the office of Councillor is held by nomination of the Crown. Can the money voted and paid under the head “ expenses of members” be properly regarded as salary ? In “Wharton’s Law Dictionary” salary is defined as “ a recompense or consideration made to a person for his pains and industry in another person’s business. The ancients derive the word from sal, salt; the moat necessary thing to support human life being thus mentioned as a representative of all others.” Johnson says the meaning of salary Is “ stated hire, literally salt-money (as in “ not worth his salt.”)

WBBSTBBsaysthatsalary is “the recompense or consideration stipulated to be paid to a person for services, ” and that its synonym is “allowance.” If the “salt” money voted by Parliament annually for members of both Houses comes legally within tho meaning of the word “ salary,” as we venture to think it does, Mr. Wood will get into a difficulty by accepting a nomination to the Legislative Council until twelve months have elapsed after he has ceased to bo a member of tho House of Representatives. There can we assume be no doubt in the mind of any reasonable man as to the true character and object of this operation. Some Honorable Legislative Councillors, objecting, perhaps, to have infinite wisdom shot into their Chamber from another place, may be found enterprising enough to try the question which wo have raised. Our Timaru contemporary will join in our regret that Colonel Whitmoke has not “put down his foot” in defence of tho Legislative Council, of which ho has been so long a member, and of which ho is now tho official leader.