POLITICAL NOTES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2692, 31 July 1894, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

Our local members, we are pleased to say, are not dummies in the House; neither are they too loquacious. They seem, according to their speeches in Hansard, just to have spoken when they had something to say, and kept mute when there was no occasion for talk from them. Mr Maslio, jya b, we believe, the first of our meml prs to bring the Speaker down on his head, but not for any great crime. He was speaking on the Gaming Bill and referred principally to a previous speaker, Mr Morrison, of Caversham. Mr Maslin closed his speech thus;— There is one thing 1 can congratulate the honorable gentleman upon, and that is having the courage of his opinions, and unbounded egotism. Of course the Speaker then came down on Mr Maslin thus : Mr Speaker: I think-that expression is quite u called-for, and it had better not be used in tbs House in reference to one of its members. Mr Maslin’s apology, however, did not much improve his summing up of Mr Mprrison : Mr Maslin; Well, Sir, I will withdraw jt. Hut I must sfl-y that humility, when rating his own abilities, |s put ope of the characteristics of that honorable gentleman, y n making the Government to abolish the excessive auty 011 B^ee P shears ; Mr Maslin asked how . came about, then, that cutters' scissors —the scissbW Us6d by cutters for tailoring establishmens —were admitted free, when they were really much the same as sheep-shears. Mr Stddon said he would, make inquiry as to why there was this distinction, and he would let the honourable gentleman know the result of that enquiry. The following is the New Zealand Times’ description of Mr Flatmau on the Land for Settlement Bill: — Mr Flatman follows on the same side, making the first important speech. An old colonist, somewhat rough of speech, with a high admiration for all old settlers who •• too’*' their coats off, air»” a»d for the Canterbury « JW hadl had them here gentlemen, on TOttr «,.*!Js bridges wouldn t be asking for now ; they would have all been made jo ago. ’ " They have got their name up,” have these Canterbury men, and "you can’t rub ein < ut, sir, you can’t.” " Sec what they’ve done in Cheviot, sir.” lie dilates on the success of (hat experiment, he gloats over it, lie reflects tlu sentiments of the Canterbury agriculturist about it, he rends from a letter of a settlor of Cheviot; Immensely pleased he is, that settler, he has sub-let part of his holding. There are cries of “ Oh ! Oh ! ” Sub-let it at a price, sir, which pays the rent of tho whole. A soft voice says “ sweating,” and a gleeful laugh runs round the bantering House. Ti e Canterbury man wout be put o(T Ho shakes his lists in their faces. " Sweating,” lie cries out. A Cankrbury farmer if ho docs his work always sweats. Ihat’s how ho makes his land pay. " How many acres has this man ?” som >■ quo asks about the Cheviot settler.

“ I shall get to that directly, if you won’t be in such a hurry and then we have the rest of the history of the settler. He finds himself with 120 acres, a woolshed and homestead, and some other things. “We should all like a bargain like that,” adds Mr Flatman persuasively. Then we have his climax, ’‘there are many such bargains waiting for you on these Canterbury estates.” The Bill may have to be amended in places, but it will have to give us those bargains.”