The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1893. THE END OF THE SESSION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1147, 11 September 1883, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1893. THE END OF THE SESSION.

The Session of 1883 was brought to a close last Saturday. It was milk and watery enough in the beginning, but it died very hard the concluding week, being devoted principally to the '■ dirty linen' business, and Major Atkinson had had enough to do to defend his private character. He was charged with political corruption wholesale, and he had all his work cut out for him in defending himself. He got out of the Dargaville charges very well. The Committee exonerated him, but still there are some who are not altogether satisfied that there was nothing in the charges preferred against him. The principal charge which Mr Dargaville made against Major Atkinson was that he was a tool of the Bank of New Zealand and he that favored that institution more than he ought. In substantiation, of this it was shown that a sum of L 225,000 had been lodged with the bank, that it was illegal to lodge it there, and that Government had passed a bill to make trie investment legal. Another thing that leaked out was that the Colonial Treasurer could not produce the agreement with the Bank. Ho was asked for it frequently but he excused himself by saying that it had been lost. Men have been convicted on less direct evidence than this, but Major Atkinson had paid the expenses of his judges wives to Wellington, and had conferred many favors besides on them, and it would be ingratitude on their part to bring him in guilty. Mr Dargaville, however, still adhered to his chaiges, and. issued a challenge to the Ministry to declare his seat vacant so as to let his constituents decide the question. The Controller-General was the next to have ' a wire in' at the gallant Major. The second day of the session he complained that the Treasurer had spent money for which he had no authority, but that blew over quietly. About a week ago he complained the second time. The New Plymouth Harbor Board wanted a railway made but they had only LIB,OOO to make it with, and finding that sum insufficient they handed it over to the Government with the view that it would be supplemented, and that the Government would make the railway. The LIB,OOO was placed to the credit ot the Minister tor Public Works, and as this was an illegal proceeding the ControllerGeneral called the attention of Parliament to it, and pointed out that it was thus placed beyond his control. The gallant major had his work to do again, but the matter was referred to the Public 'Accounts Committee, of which three of the Ministers are members, and of course a verdict favorable to the Government was again brought in. Next day, however, the Ministers

overslept themselves ; the Committee met again, rescinded the previous re - port, and bioetght up one which was tantamount to a censure of the Go - vernment. The Major was wrath, and in the course of the debate Mr Buchanan said that Major Atkinson had ben accused of being the slave and tool of a particular institution. The proceedings which followed savored very much of the report of the Piekffick Club. The words were taken down, Mr Buchanan was ordered to withdraw from the House, and the utmost confusion prevailed. After a long parley Mr Buchanan was recalled ; he expressed his regret at having said anvthicg derogatory to the dignity of the House, he was pardoned, and the Speaker made a speech complimenting Mr Buchanan on the gentlemanly way he had conducted himself while in Parliament, In fact, everything was managed in Pickwickian fashion. Sir George Grey had a parting shot at the Treasurer on Saturday, but he weathered 1 it well, and remained master of the situation. We are not turprised at seeing the gallant Major frequently in trouble. He is the rudest and least polite man that ever held the position of leader of a Legislative Assembly. In looking over the pages ©f Hansard, such ejaculations as ' shut up,''sit down,' are to be seen creditel to Major Atkinson as having been addressed by him to Mr Fish and' others while addressing the House. It is bad enough to find a private member interrupting speakers in this way, but, when it is done by the Leader of the House it is simply disgraceful. Major Atkinson is no credit to the House, neither is the Premier, although they are both experienced and clev«r. If this pair could be shelved any how it would be a happy day for New Zealand, The remaining Ministers are men of honor and integrity, and if they could be released from the'influence ot the Premier and Treasurer, we feel confident it would be easy for them to gain . the confidence of the country. Mr Rolleston is a splendid man, ho is favorable to land nationalisation ; Mr Bryce is the best Native Minister New Zealand; ever saw, and Mr Johnston has made a good Minister of Public Works. What Mr Conolly is we are not prepared to say, further than that we believe it would be easy to get him to agree to anything for the sake of his billet. Messrs Whi taker and Atkinson are mere political thimble riggers, who maintain their position by corrupting members with borrowed money, and the sooner, they arc ousted from office the better. ♦ ~- TIMARU HIGH SCHOOL. ' The Timaru High School Board of Governors is a body that ought to transact its business in a dignified and decorous manner, It is the chief educational seminary in Sotith Canterbury ; it is there the rising generation of the ' upper crust' is being taught, and its Board of Governors ought to maintain its dignity.; But thit august body appear not to reilise that decorous conduct is incumbent upon them. They wrangle and quarrel when they meet in a manner that would reflect credit on that southern Borough Council, the Mayor of which threw one of the councillors under the table for giving him a lie. That.such a state of things should exist is a disgrace. It is shameful that a body such as the one under review should descend to the level of the proverbial bear garden. But better things could not well be expected so leng as the Rev W. Gillies holds a seat on the Boar:!. That gentleman must have his bump of combativeness developed to its fullest extent or e\Sb he must be as fond of a ' shindy' as the Irishman who used to thrash his friends for friend ship's sake. When he was a member of the South Canterbury Board of Education its meetings were just as stormy as those of the High School Board are at present. He obstructed business, spoke against time, and did everything he could to make matters uncomfortable whenever he d'd not get his own way. He wrj always picking links in anything any one else did, he was throwing obstacles in the way of business with points of law, and disagreeing with everyone on everything. The superior capabilities of the Rev George Barclay appeared to awaken all his energies, and no matter what that gentleman proposed Mr Gillies was sure to oppose it. During the first year, the Board of Education found a difficulty in regulating justly the teachers' salaries", and the man who appeared to have the most comprehensive idea of what was wanted was the Rev Mr Bnrclay, who formulated a scheme based on attendance. The Rev Mr Gillies opposed this scheme with a pertinacity characteristic of him and j made its passage through the Board a [

stormy one*. He was the cause of all the disagn-eabluiess of the Education Board then, and he is the cause of the unseemly charactar of the meetings of the High School Board now. A. month or two ago there was a dispute br«» twecn thi' Rector and oneof the teachers. The Rector was most overbearing, the teacher humility itself. A great many of the members appeared desirous of giving the teacher fair play, they seemed to think that he had been ' sat upon,' but the Rev Mr Gillies would give him no quarter. The other day the father of one of the scholars complained that his son had received forty I blows of a cane from the Rector, that the boy was unable to use his hand for a fortnight, and that he had to go under the care of, a doctor. Many of the im-inhcrs thought the matter ought to be inquired into, but the rev champion of the Rector would not hear of it. It is very easy to understand why the Rev ■Mr Gillies champioas the cause of the Rector. Both are pugnacious, arro-

gant, and obstinate,' a fellow feeling' makes them wondrous kind to each other, and hence the reason that the Rector has an uncompromising champion on the Board of Governors. Education would not suffer much by someone else being appointed to the scat of ihe Rev Mr Gillies occupies, and if there were someone in the room of the Rector who would exhibit less

arrogance and overbearing pomposity, the scholars would have a better chance of acquiring a knowledge of gentlemanly behaviour. 'The tone,' as the late Chairman of the Board of, Education —who was a gentleman whatover else he was—used to say, would be improved by the change, and we' feel confident that few would be the tears that the coming about of such an event would cause to flow.