SKETCHES IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 37, 16 September 1867, Page 3

SKETCHES IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

No. 2. FIRST IMPRESSIONS AND RECOLLECTIONS OF A STRANGER IN THE GALLERY. THE HON. E. W. STAFFORD, The head of the New Zealand Government and leader of the House of Representatives is a great economist in most things. His proposed economy in public expenditure placed him at the head of the Ministry of mutes that succeeded the Weld Cabinet. The economical use of his physical powers is the first thing that a stranger in the gallery would be sure to notice. His usual position in the House is either a reclining one, or horizontally stretched at full length on the cushioned bench. That easy position has several advantages of which the economy of the physical powers is not the greatest. The horizontal position enables the Premier to listen attentively to any important speech that will furnish materials for a x'eply, and it will also enable him to sleep if necessary to recruit his energies during the time that the talking bores of the House are giving a misty, hasty expression, in a rambling sort of way, to every trifling idea that may be small enough to enter their little minds, and the great self-love of the small fry is not wounded by an unusual attitude showing want of attention to speeches not deserving of notice from the head of the Government.

When Mr Stafford assumes the perpendicular to address the House, his attitude is easy and natural, no affectation or ungraceful action offends the eye of the observer. The voice is clear, and the articulation of each word distinct, and there is no excess of passion or of feeling to cloud the intellect of the speaker, nor to act powerfully upon the feelings of the House. Speeches addressed by the intellect to the intellect may act less powerfully on some minds at the time of delivery, but the effect is always more permanent and reproductive in its results. Mr Stafford appears to have no great difficulty in making concessions to the opinions or the feelings of others in matters of detail and of minor importance, but he always appears to deem any slight organic change in the Constitution of sufficient importance to call forth all his oratorical powers. His advocacy of vote by ballot for municipal elections is a case in point. His clear head and love of economy saves him from the prodigal and unneccessary waste of his political capital in trying to swim against an adverse current of public opinion. This economical management was plainly shown in his speech in reply on the Local Government Bill which he knew that no effort of his could save from defeat, so instead of defending the Bill he set himself to perform the more profitable task of damaging the political reputation of Messrs Vogel and D. Bell, two active opponents of the government, convicting them both of inconsistency in their opposition to the Bill. The exposure might have but little influence on the minds of old members, but it could not fail to impress young members in the House as well as Strangers in the Gallery with some want of confidence in the political honesty or consistency of those gentlemen. Mr Stafford’s great fault as a leader of the House is that the tone of his voice when answering a question or replying to the speech of a thick-headed member is often more offensive and galling to the self-love and vanity of the party replied to than the actual words used. Words may injure and weaken an opponent, but a contemptuous tone only irritates, annoys and makes him a martyr who receives the sympathy of fellow-sufferers, whose “ fellow-feeling makes them wondrous kind.” There is no

injury that men will not sooner forgive and forget than to* be treated with marked contempt. Therefore it would not be a matter of surprise if from this cause alone several members may be severely suffering from manysecret wounds of this kind carelessly inflicted by Mr Stafford, who may some day be made to feel the effects of his conduct, whenever a suitable occasion will offer for revenging the private injury under the plea of promoting the public interests. MR VOGEL. The leader of the Opposition, is in several respects a remarkable man. His personal apappearance is sufficiently striking to arrest the eye of a stranger in the gallery. If he sat for his portrait, most painters would feel inclined to flatter him, unless like another great statesman he would tell the flatterer to paint him as he is or paint him not at all. He is of short stature, short neck, and of a dark Jewish cast of countenance; he has a broad massive brow, half concealed by a luxuriant covering of hair that many might envy. When he rises to address the House, he leaves his seat and advances to the foot of the table where he deposits the notes of his intended speech which appears to be prepared with a considerable amount of labour. He also appears to be slightly dull of hearing, and nis articulation of many words is so very imperfect, that it is with the greatest difficulty that he can be at all understood in the Stranger’s Gallery, perhaps partly in consequence of the partition in front of the gallery repelling sound that ought to be permitted to reach the public ear, and partly because he directs his voice to the reporter’s gallery. He appears to be ambitious of leaving nis mark on the financial history of the colony, therefore he constitutes himself a watchful sentinel over Mr Fitzherberts financial policy, whenever an opportunity presents itself to give his own peculiar views of the easy way in which a Treasurer may perform his functions. Mr Vogel’s speeches are usually of enormous length, and they would doubtless be much more effective if condensed into smaller compass, but he appears to be deficient in the power of either contracting his speech or analyzing a subject to any great extent. He will sometimes speak by the hour,'stringing a number of comments together without appearing to make much progress towards enunciating any general principle on which opinions may be based, Speakers of his class if possessed of a .good fluent delivery are generally popular where the audience is not very discriminating.