The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1884. PERSONNEL OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 32, 5 January 1884, Page 2

The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1884. PERSONNEL OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

The position of a member of the House of Representatives is one that every good colonist looks up to with respect; but, unfortunately, there are some “ representatives of the people ” who have not the capacity to command the entire admiration of men of common-sense. Some few years ago, when gentlemen such as Messrs. Hall, Ormond, Reader Wood, Wakefield, and Eox graced the floor of the House, the debates were of a lively, instructive, and eloquent character j but now—or rather since the last Electoral Act came in force—there has been a deplorable falling off in the mental calibre, as well as appearance, of the honorarium recipients. It needed but a few hours spent in the House during last session for any person of comprehension to arrive at the conclusion that the personnel of the “ people’s representatives ” is not such as to impress a visitor to the “ bear-garden ” with the dignified appearance of the occupants of the benches, or to suggest the idea that all the political wisdom of this Colony is centred within the walls of the Parliament buildings. No, an interested spectator, while coarse attacks and vulgar retaliations were being banded about among the orators of the period, could not but come to the conclusion that the taste of the “ free and independent electors ” during the struggle for place and pay was not of a very refined character. Unfortunately, during the last election there were too many candidates who had a far greater appreciation of the “ almighty dollar ” than a worthy desire to fill the honorable position of members of the House of Representatives in a creditable manner, —in fact, a superabundance of assurance, combined with a desire to make a living by pocketing the public money, had more to do with bringing some men forward to seek the suffrages of the electors than had an honorable and praiseworthy ambition to serve well their fellow-colonists in the great political arena. It cannot, of course, be expected that, in a young colony like this, every representative of the people would be found to possess the qualifications of a gentleman and

orator; nevertheless, it is reasonable to suppose that the great ma. jority of the successful candidates for the position of members of the House of Representatives would prove to be men of some little social and political influences. There There is no doubt that the emoluments derivable from the position of member of the House have been the great loadstone that has drawn Some men into public life, and the professional politician—the man who could find no other means of making a good livelihood—has been afforded the opportunity of revelling in style at the expense of the public. Assuredly, every laborer is worthy of his hire, and, no doubt, there are some good men who could not afford to give their really valuable services to the public without some little “ consideration still, the objectionable feature of the system of payment of members is the opportunity afforded to a political charlatan to fill a position he is totally unfitted for. The remedial work of sweeping out the rubbish rests, of course, with the electors, and it must be the desire of every really good colonist to see such an assemblage in the House as cannot but reflect credit on the choice of the people > therefore, it is to be hoped that great care will be observed at the next elections to select gentlemen capable of giving satisfaction to those who may unite to secure for them a seat in the House of Representatives.