The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 1891. POLITICAL NOTES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2213, 11 June 1891, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 1891. POLITICAL NOTES.

The Hon. Mr Wigley baa gone to Wellington to insist upon his right to sit in the Legislative Council. He claims that he has not been absent from two sessions, because he bolds that the session in January last was no session at all. He also says that he had been prevented from attending it through illness, and on these grounds he claims that he has a right to sit. No doubt Mr Wigley wifi be reinstated in the same way as others were a few years ago. A couple of years ago Sir Frederick Whitaker, and Messrs Waterhouse, Pharazyn, and Olliver were disqualified in a similar way, but when the question was submitted to the Council, of course the old fogeys said it was S‘ all right,” and reinstated them. Mr Pharazyn was once disqualified by a decision of the Supreme Court, when he was convicted of corrupt practices at an election. He voted at two or three polling booths, and was fined £IOO and disqualified from sitting as a member Jof the Legislative Council for having done so, but he had friends, and they stood by him. They said he was wesk-minded and eccentric, and ought not to be held responsible for bis actions, and they reinstated him in his position as a lawmaker. He was so “ weak-minded and eccentric ” that he did not know that he was doing wrong when voting at two or three polling booths, but be was good enough to make laws. Is it any wonder that our laws are badly made? As for Mr Wigley, he certainly deserves no consideration. He never attended a whole session in his life, and seldom if ever took any interest in the business of the country, except in so far as it concerned his own or his friends’ interests, or to the extent necessary to entitle him to his honorarium. He would not be any loss at all to the Council, and we trust that before he is reinstated an inquiry will be made as to the length of time he sat in the Council during the years he has been member of it. The people of this district would be glad to see him disqualified as he has never attended to his duties. We hear he will not seek to be reinstated.

It is said that for several years past the Controller-General’s rsports* on finance have been suppressed by the Government, as the state o£ the finances were not satisfactory. It is said that for the last few years the Government was borrowing £288,000 a year, unknown to Parliament, and that it was by this means surpluses were made up. Pretty state of affairs this.

The Government intend to insist on a penny stamp being placed on passengers’ tickets, so as to make Shipping Companies contribute to the revenue. This is quite right. If a man pays £2 to another a penny stamp must be put upon the receipt, but if one pays £lO or £2O for a passage in a steamboat he gets no receipt: he only gets his ticket. It is only right these companies should pay like other people.

The Public Trustee has received three months’ leave of absence, because his health has broken down owing to the exposure of the mismanagement of his department by the Commission. It is supposed be will never again take up his position. It is nice to bo a public servant. When a private employer finds his servant has muddled his business he dismisses him forthwith, but a public servant, if he is high up in the service, gets so many months holiday on full pay. If he is in the lower grades he is dismissed unceremoniously. This is a funny world of ours.

Our villainous Government have added another heinous sin to their long list of criminality, according to the Christchurch Press, They have stolen from the Salvation Army the scheme for establishing labor bureaus. The Salvation Army submitted the scheme to the Ministry, aud now it is adopted as a Government scheme, and consequently the Press is down on them “like a thousand of bricks.” But eue word, Does the Press re.

member that the Stout-Vogel Ministry five years ago established and put into practice a somewhat similar scheme? And did not the Atkinsoniana destroy it ? The Press and its friends do not want any scheme for the benefit of the working man, and hence the trouble, but even if suggested by the Salvation Army it is fitter to place it under Q-overnment control than leave its management in the hands of a religions sect.

The correspondent of the Press says the Government cannot find any one in the legislative Council to move and second the address-in-reply, and that consequently Mr Buckley, the Attorney General, must move it himself leaving it to any one who may to second it. The Atkinson Ministry alleged that the reason they made such a large number of appointments to the Council was because they bad no supporters there. It is evident that the present ministry have no supporters there, and that it will be absolutely necessary for them to put a few members into the council to help them through with the business..