THE POLITICAL WOMAM.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 244, 3 October 1872, Page 4

THE POLITICAL WOMAM.

A State with a hermaphroditic form of Government, if even it could exist for a generation, is by nature doomed to extinction ; it may, however, be worth while to consider what kind of being a woman would become who should take an active part in the election of a representative. As an energetic member of the committee, she would have to fight the battle, foot by foot, with her opponents of either sex ; she could not always sit at home and restrict herself to the use of a voting paper, because she would tacitly admit her unfitness for political life, with all its hard work and turmoil of speech making : she would be like a foreigner giving a vote from a distance, without a knowledge of the necessary qualities for success in Parliament. It would be necessary for her to be thoroughly prepared for the fray, breeched instead of petticoated, with a voice hoarse from shouting, with her hair cropped close to her head, with her deltoid muscles developed at the expense of her bust, prepared with syllogisms instead of smiles, and more ready to plant a blow than to shed a tear. She hurries from her husbandless, childless hearth to make a speech on the hustings ; with hard biceps and harder elbows she forces her way through the election mob : her powerful intellect fully appreciates all the ribald jests and obscene gestures of the British " rough ;" she knows the art of conciliating rude natures, and can exchange " chaff " with a foul-mouthed costermonger ; or, if necessary, she can defend herself and blacken the eye of a drunken bargee. She has learned all the catechism of politics, and when she mounts the platform she can glibly recite to the world according to the side she has chosen. Experience has taught her the value of invectives, and she denounces her opponent with a choice selection of the strongest epithets ! at first she speaks loud in a tone of contentment and self-satis-faction; she ends by losing her temper and brawling at the top of her voice. The crowd, never very indulgent, has no mind to respect a sex which makes no claim and has forfeited all right to forbearance. The hardened lines, of her face are battered with apples, brick-bats and rotten eggs— the recognized weapons of political warfare. Perhaps the very place where she stands is the mark of storming party, and after enjoying the glory of an encounter with a prize fighter (it may be of her own sex), she is at last brought to the ground by superior skill and strength. Then probably she retires to her home ; but I, for one, had rather not follow her thither, or into that House of the Parliament of which she is destined one day to become an ornament.

A recent " Australasian " thus speaks of the Boston Jubilee: — The building which has been specially erected for this " Peaca Jubilee," as it is to be called, will seat 100,000 persons, and there will be 20,000 vocalists. It is said that the back end of the Coliseum, for a couple of hundred feet, is to be built in a cylindrical form, and headed in at both ends with elephant skins, so as to form a big bass drum, which will be beaten by steam tip hammers, capable of striking 15-ton blows. A Connecticut man is working up a fife, out of a log 30 feet long, to be blown by nitro-glycerine. Two rolling mills are engaged upon a great triangle, which is to be operated upon by pile drivers. There will be a bass violin of 65 horse-power, 300 log horns, and 70 siege guns; and the dome of the building will form the mouth of ii large trombone, the wind for which i? to be furnished by George Francis Train and Mrs. Victoria Woodhall. The mouth capacity of the chorus — mostly Germans — is estimated at 736 cubic feet. But we cannot vouch for the perfect accuracy of the»Q eta.tem.ents. and calculations,

qnire a philosopher to unravel its mysteries- . What is wanted is a plain Bill, that anyone will understand with less verbiage, and definite fit all its parts that no Land B;ard can twist to serve a purpose —expunging from it such absurd expressions as, "If the Board see fit" &c.— Contrary to the opinion entertained, that the motion 'in regard to water supply for goldfields would be shelved by the action taken by son»e goldfields members, who seem to be by party action rather than in the of their constituents, the debate on Mr Macandrew's motion was again resumed this afternoon on Mr Sheehan's amendment, -which Mr Macandrew had accepted. The motion of Mr Macandrew was to the effect— ♦•That a sum of £100,000, be placed at the disposal of the Otago Provincial Council out of the Immigration and Public Works Loan, to develop mining industry by supplying water on the-goldfielde." -The. Premier said the motion was one with the first part of •which the Government could not agree. The motion was opposed to the spirit of the resolution upon which, by a majority of 40 to 37, the Government had been placed in office, viz., that tha Government should have uncontrolled power over the expenditure under the Immigration and Public Works Loan; and yet they were asked to hand over the uncontrolled disposal of £106,000 to the Province of Otago. Mr Mervyn then moved the previous question, which, however, was not seconded, and suggested that a Minister of Mines should be appointed. Poor Mr Mervyn ! there is little chance of 'his getting that billet. I fancy the constituents of Mount Ida will know a thing or two before he takes his seat again after another election as their representative, and the sequel of the debate will show the delusion his constituents have been laboring under. Mr Bathgate supported the motion as a matter of simple justice. Messrs M'Glashan and Harrison recommended its withdrawal,- so. that

it might be brought up in another shape. ~^34r Sheehan then proposed his amendment as follows: — "In the opinion of this House the sum provided by loan for water supply on goldfields (excepting the sum of L 50,000 to be held in reserve for new goldfields), should be allocated amongst the goldproducing Provinces and the County of Westland, upon the basis of mining population ; and that the sums so allocated should be handed to the chief local authorities for expenditure upon waterworks, to be approved by the General Government, and upon such conditions as will, insure that the money shall be expended only on approved works." Several speakers moved adjournments. One division was called for, resulting in ayes, 4 ; noes, 37, Mr O'Conor speaking against time. The dinner hour thus arrived before the, amendment was disposed of. The attempt to shelve the question did not answer, as somehow it was managed to bring the discussion on again this afternoon. It was determined by the supporters of the amendment not to give an opportunity of burking it by abstaining from speaking, and Mr, Sheehan only slightly touched on the question when again bringing it before the House. The Premier, Mr Stafford, opposed the .amendment, and a division was at once taken ; for the amendment, 23 ; against, 29. I append a list of the Otago votes, that it may be seen who have really the interests of the goldfields at heart : — FOX AMENDMENT. AGAINST. Bathgate .. Bell Bradshaw Brown Macandrew Calder M'Glashan Hallenstein Reynolds Sir D. Monro Shepherd Murray Steward Reid Tairoa , Thomson j Tolmie (paired) I , ABSENT. Mervyn I Webster M'Gillivray | The goldfields members— Messrs Brown, Hallenstein, and Mervyn— are strong partizans of Mr Stafford, and evidently would rather sacrifice the interests of the goldfields than vote against their chief ; the latter, altheaghahsentwhen the vote was tat en, moved the previous question onMrMacanclrew'amotion. What excuse these gentlemen can give to their constituents for so acting is unknown, as neither of them gave any reason in the House. In conclusion, I may state that, of all the members from Otago, Mr Mervyn makes himself conspicuous by his absence from the House.