POLITICAL NEWS AND NOTES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 117, 25 August 1910, Page 3

POLITICAL NEWS AND NOTES

By Telegraph—Own Correspondent. Wellington, Tuesday Night. The chairmanship of committees gave •us a scene this afternoon with sundry characteristics. Chiefly, there were two what I may call character sketches. One j was Sir W. -Steward in the role of the patriot, who always bows with self-abne-gation to his party. His services have been not only consistent but great, greater, really, than anyone else's, but if everybody else is always rewarded and he is left out invariably in the cold, what i matter! He is a patriot, and he will take it standing up with thankfulness. He concluded by leaving himself in the ■hands of his party, and his proposer and seconder. If they elected him he could not help it, but the party did not close its hands on Sir William, and another act, of self-abnegation was added to the list. The other character sketch was Mr. »Taylor, leader of a party of one, a rei former of the reformers. He would go- [ vera by caucus. He is getting up a party outside. That party will give him a caucus; that caucus will be a body to his spirit. Behold, it sending forth angels, archangels, cherubim, creatures of perfection and beauty taking post as messengers, whips, .ministers, speakers and chairmen of committees, legislative councillors, and other 'responsible persons. After that the House made haste to elect Mr. Colvin. iXothing could exceed the nice' things that the Opposition man said of his candidate, Mr. Fraser, unless it was the vehement repudiation of all party motives, and nothing could match the latter except the fact that the whole division was an exact positive mathematical party division. The rest of the day passed among the clouds of loan and criticism. It was a patchwork of many contradictory colors, but the complete counterpane will be oradual engagement and tapering off. In that clearly iboth sides are insistent.