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Temuka Leader, Issue 263, 29 May 1880, Page 2

Another session of Parliament commenced as Wellington yesterday. Many members have already left to resume their duties, and others will soon follow. Members all over the colony, except in South Can* terbury, have addressed their constituents on the leading topics of the day, and waited for iostrm-ti ms ns to their future conduct. The Member tor Geraldine excuses himself for not meeting the electors. Few in Temuka, at least, ever expected he would do so. The way lie has treated them since the beginning of last session calls for severe reprobation. It is now an established procedure that representatives shall give an account of their stewardship to the electors, and to receive thanks, and perhaps advice and warning. Our member seems to set his constituents ac defiance, and- he adds to his arrogance by asserting that he is a firm supporter of Mr Hall. We can excuse Mr Wakefield’s sympathy with his kinsman, but that is no reason why he should continue to represent an electorate antagonistic to a Halj Government. The address, or letter, or whatever he calls it, appearing in the Ti. maru Herald, is a direct insult to his constituents. Such remarks as, “ I like them for their sensible manner of administering public business—the Royal Commission business particularly.’’ Has not he caus e to like tli'mi, hut to bless them also,in these hard times ? He is pleased with the way Mr Hall and his colleagues have devoted themselves to their thankless task. Thankless, forsocth ! Were they not thankful to get their claws into the Egyptian fleshpots 1 Was it not the height of their ambition to get large salaries ? Shame !- Thank them for their greedy, grasping sc! fishness 1 The electors ha' o no cause to do bo. Mr Wakefield approves of Mr H.dl’s policy. Of course ha does. Note one rema’-k. The railways are giving 25 per cent over working expense's, yet with tin’s fine profit the Ministry s:op making fresh lines. Why, any business man would, with half that profit, extend hi H business. We thought the railways were not psying. We must be wrong. Then, their genuine endeavors to get nd of superfluities—such as the honorarium,land the L2OO a-year to the members of the Upper House. Common sense, industry, and fair dealing is the code of laws that a politician should , cany in his trowsers pocket, says Mr Wakefield 1 Well, we credited our member with being possessed of the first, although he at times really leads us to believe he is not largely endowed with that qualification ; as to the two last, however, he is a stranger, and we fear he never will possess them* It is really refreshing to read of such devotion. If Mr Hall does not provide a fat billet foi this devoted young man, he deserves to be posted through the colony for his ingratitude. “ Mr Hall consulted me, and told me his mind.” Wasn’t he good 1 “ How could I be expected to think of my constituents under the circumstances 9 How could I think of my friend, Sir George, after that 1 The naughty boy would not tell me a bit of his mind. It would have been a long time before 1 got a billet from him. Mr EoUeston, too—l was in doubt of my friends being safe to be trusted, but Mr Rolleston joined the happy band : that settled the point. He knows the difference between roaming over the country at the public’s expense, and digging in the swamp. I kuow he is honest, whatever the others are, so I resolved to hang up my hat. The Property Tax I didn’t approve of, but I wasn’t going to lose my last chance by voting against it. I could not afford to retire to Bellamy’s, so I sat and covered my head with my hat till it had passed the House. It brought out the perspiration, but the crisis passed away. 1 soon came to think it u good tax, and absolutely necessaiy. See the Herald. Now I am so puzzled '

—the people do not like it, and I may have to turn round and vote with flail for its repeal again, but I will now be ready after this protest. I afterwards voted for the tax being a penny. I reiremh r the parable, strain at a gnat and swallow a camel, but the Bill was earned by an overwhelming majority, and so I was right. .If the peopl ? were to be punished, better finish them off at once than keep them lingering in torture. The land tax would only tiorture a few of my friends ; this tax will punish all—that is some satisfaction. Sir Geo ge Grey proposed to tax my friends sixpence per acre on their land. He he biowed ! What would my friend Studi.olme think if I had supported such a tux Now, m3 7 beloved and ever-to-be-remembered fellow electors, I must bid you good bye for the present. I go to the city of stinks and fumes and soda-waters, not knowing what mar befall me there ; but this I know, as I have learnt it by heart, ‘ Follow my leader.’ I shall keep my eye on him. When Ids eye twinkles it is a sign that some new plot is being hatched. When he pays this is fair and reasonable, then 1 know some job is about to be. pei petrated When he speaks of the fine land of the North I must get on my legs, and expatiate upon the necessity of making roads to prevent war, till my benefactor gels Ihe s : gn from friend Whittaker tin t all is right ; and now, gentlemen, I say fa retiree well Pray for me that my courage fail not. I assure you 'of my warmest sympathy, and if you want your PostOffice iitrproved, or a new Goun-flouse, please let me know through my faithful Julius, and it shall he got ; but I cannot promise you a railway* I must le.ru how my good friend Posthlewaite,or my frh-nd Wigley feels upon the subject ! If I recollect right Julius advised a small addition to your Court House, and your Post Office was quite good enough He thought we were in for retrenchment Isn’t he a softy 1 But he is true to our party, and I must tell Rollcston to remember ’him ; he is ready to sacrifice postoffice, court-house, and even the railway itself, if it will help us ; look how watchful he is, so that his friends shall not be taxed for a new bridge: these matters show his patriotism—l beg pardon,bis devotion. How shall we reward him ?—Make him a Commissioner? He ;is not ambitious. Now, gentlemen, adieu. (Aside) Haven’t I gulled them ? They want me to address them at Temuka, so they could pump me, but I wasn’t on. I had enough of them last election, and hid it not been for my Chiistchurch friends I would have been driven to feed with the wild pigs, or to mingle with the cockatoos, which would have been worse still.”

Speaking seriously, though, we are sorry to see such a promising young man as our member thus wreck his prospects. Instead of sticking to his principles,and supporting Sir George Grey, he flares up at him for not giving him a seat in his Cabinet at once. Now, we have the sad spectacle of this young man sitting in the House with his hac over his eyes, and allowing the most iniquitous Act that lias ever passed the House to become law. We are sorry for Mr Wakefield ; it is a pity that he is so circumstanced as to have |to stoop.for a 'situation. He has abilities, undoubtedly ; it is a pity he lias not the principles and courage to act according to the dictates of his coiisch ii' e. Pie must think the Geraldine electors are ignoramuses, and that it is a pocket-borough, or ho would not try to cram such rubbish down their throats ns appears in his letter, as ho styles it 1 Next election will show if it is a rotten borough he represents. We predict than this is the last time ho will insult the electors with such silly twaddle. Mr Studholme has not disappointed any on- ; he’s a dumb dog that never barks ; he simply sets himself up in the Ass< mbly to add to the number of votes when a division lakes place. The Gladstone electors deserve all they are getting : they did not make an effort to shake off the trammels of landocracy—let them take it. Regarding Mr Turnbull we have said enough. If a few of Sir George's friends invited him (which invitation, we believe, Mr Turnbull did not join in) we must say it was very bad taste of him to come to the meeting to air his eloquence, and to toll the people of Timaru how many of them he had kept from starving.

If Mr Wakefield’s letter was worthless, Mr Turnbull’s proceeding was worse, if worse could be In the former we must give Mr Wakefield credit for being outspoken So far as the party he will support is concerned, Mr Hall ! Mr Hall ! Mr Hall ! people can understand this ; but who will Mi Turnbull support ? Echo answers, Who ? This swinging on a gate, ready to go round with every passing breeze, ve must condemn in every public man. Better if he were a declared Conservative than play thus at hide-and-«eek with our Liberal leaders. However, the people of Timaru seem to be satisfied with tins sort of treatment, and it is not for us to complain. But we say tins—that the electors of South Canterbury, one and all, ought to set their foot upon this sort of treatment by their representatives The Conservative organs boast of the unity of their party, and it cannot be denied that Mr Hall lias a limited number of devoted followers who are like the member for Geraldine— ready to bend the knee at the uplifting of his little finger ! In this they are ahead of the Liberals, who are not '

servile followers of any leader ; but unless Mr Montgomery, Mr Andrews, and a few others none have the manliness to acknowledge the great achievements of their leader ; they fail in their duty We do not say choose Sir George Grey as leader ; nor do we think Sir George cares for it if the right man comes forward, but we say this, that it is ti e duty of every true Liberal to acknowledge the great work which Sir George has done, and to band themselves together to secure the reforms that he has initiated