The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 1883.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4561, 17 August 1883, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 1883.

A sense of shame—perhaps mingled with honorable feeling—is possessed by at least six members of the Upper Legislative Chamber. The chosen of the various Ministers of the Colony, comprising chiefly, worn-out or rejected politicians, friends of the Cabinets which have from time to time held sway in New Zealand, and a collection of useless nonenities, permeated, perhaps, by the weak leaven of a few useful men, may correctly be said to form the conclave which sit about a dozen hours a week in the Legislative Council, and draw the same honorarium as a reward for their exertions, as that paid to the members of the useful and executive chamber. The injustice of this system when looked at from a business point of view is simply monstrous. That a small fe^ggr of almost useless persons, whose good fortune it has been to be pitchforked into their political positions, should draw the same remuneration from the public purse for their paltry services, as the elected representatives of the people w lso make the country's laws, and ask those worthies to pass them, is simply.a wrong and injustice which is so palpable that it stems superfluous to do more than call attention to it. The Hon. C. J. Pharaayn,—-a man by no means inclined to neglect the accumulation of filthy lucre in every legitimate manner — has endeavoured to pass a resolution -abolishing payment of members, of the Council, but in perpetuation of,the character which I that august body has long been entitled to--they threw out his proposal by 14 to 0, and left the single-hearted members as follows: Messrs Dignan, Holmes, Martin, Peacock, Pharazyn, and Williamson. As was justly said the system has the effect of creating a lot of pensioner politicians, and not only does the colony pay several thousand pounds a year for having

done what it could get more efficiently

performed by, patriotic and high-soiiled colonists, but it encourages and places power in the hands of a Ministry with any corrupt notions, to reward its tools and creatures by snugly placing them in positions of pay and power, and enables such a ministry to place those useful articles where they may be further utiU ised. Such " honorables" as Col. Brett violently opposed the motion ; he said he was a poor man, and the proposal was circulated to deprive him of his rights— he did not state exactly what those rights were. So long as the chamber is tenanted by such useless individuals as this member undoubtedly is, and by people who make their legislative positions a means of income only, so long will the present state of things exist. We have very little hope that any strong move in this direction will be made during the present session, but it is a question that should be taken firmly in hand at the next election, if no remedy of the evil we speak of is brought about before that time, and the people should vigorously demand a reform of the Legislative Council.