Parliament

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 316, 29 March 1928, Page 1

Parliament

POLE-STAR OF LOCAL HAMPDENS TOAST TO GOVERNMENT (THE SUN’S Special Representative) TAURANGA, Wednesday. “Parliament is a glorious institution. It contains within its portals exemplars of political eloquence as reported in Hansard, which was a modern exemplification of Whittier’s lines—‘What might have been.'” THUS Mr. H. O. Cooney, chairman of Te Puke Town Board, in proposing the toast of “The Government” at the official luncheon following the opening of the East Coast Main Trunk Railway yesterday afternoon. “Parliament,” he added, “was the pole-star of all politicians who aimed t* follow in the paths of the mighty. They grasped at mortal sovereignty and attained Bellamy’s.” It was the mecca of local politicians, he continued. Few of them were able to make the pilgrimage, and those who did regarded themselves as prophets ever after. Its portals were open to all ranks and creeds, rich and poor alike. The non-payment of ship money was not a condition precedent to the election of their village Hampdens. Limited franchise, pocket boroughs and political patronage had long since; been abandoned. “This,” he added, “has nothing to do with party fund's.” (Laughter.) This magnificent institution they owed to the mother parliament of England, which he thought they were justly entitled to refer to as their mother-in-law. However, it was constituted with greater freedom than in the Old Land. Here they had no Irish Channel and there were no Border Lands. . The three great races of the British Isles mingled in che New Zealand Parliament. This he considered was a condescension on the part of Patrick, moral uplift for John, and pecuniary advantage to Sandy. “This country,” concluded Mr. Cooney, “will soon teem with a virile democracy, who will look back with affection and pride to the achievements of those men of days gone by as faithfully recorded by the Press, which, as they knew, never made a mistake.”