WELLINGTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2907, 25 May 1888, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

(From Our Own Correspondent).

SIGNS OF A BREEZE.

It was not difficult to detect in the House on Tuesday afternoon the prevalence of that indescribable atmosphere of expectancy and unrest which presages a political breeze. The House filled rapidly, after prayers, and members shot anticipatory not to say anxious glauces at one another. As will be seen by my letter of Wednesday, the portents were duly fulfilled. SIR GEORGE GREY.

For the first time this session the

Knight of Kawau was in his place. Valiant and strong he looked, and a not altogether grieved expression appeared on his aged but astute face when the stormy (political) winds did blow. He spoke once or twice during

the day, and his voice had lost nothing of its old charm. Moreover he kept in the background all that bathetic pathos in which he too frequently indulges. MR VINCENT PYKE. was also in his Beat once more, quite recovered let us hope, from that late ailment which has been variously described as appopletio seizure and sto-mach-ache. - SYDENHAM TAYLOR ON APPENDAGES. Mr Taylor, at au early stage, cast the glamor of radiant festivity upon the proceedings by enquiring whether, in the present depressed state of the colony, the Government deemed the expenditure of £BOO, for the purpose of supplying members with gold appendages to their watch chains justifiable. This was Mr Taylor's felicitous manner of referring to the gold railway passes supplied to our lawgivers by a strictly economical but indulgent Government. The truth is Government exhibits considerable forethought by supplying these decorations noio. At a later period there will not in all

probability be £3OO in the Colony. Ministers are, it is said, of opinion that this special £3OO has been well laid out, and when the news reaches home it will do much to restore confidence in our finances, as people will naturally argue that a country which gives gold passes to dead-heads must be in a flourishing condition, The Loan Bill Row. I have already described this fracas. The wrangle continued most of Tuesday afternoon and it cannot be denied that the Opposition had the Premier in a very tight place indeed. Sir Harry Atkinson is a marvellously cute politician and what he does not know in the way of political device is worth 110 man's while loarning, but it was only too evident, if

only from his uuwonted humility, that lie was coraered. The iudisoreet Attorney General, who is certainly old enough to knOw better, must have been heartily anathemized by his colleagues in tho Lower House. The Premier took up an undignified and altogether untenable position by denying that Sir Ft Whisker had said that if the Loan Bill were not passed, nothing would remain for the country but.to file its deokation of insolvency, The evidence that these words were actually used was overwhelming, and the Opposition scored a big point by the Premier's faltering denial. < .

NAVAL AND MILITARY SETTLERS' LAND BILL. In-the evening Mr Fulton, armed with a large red book and voluminous papers, commenced to address a handful of members on the above subject. Quoting from Hansard, ha made an incidental allusion to Sir George Grey, and it was pleasing to perceive that gentleman fix Mr Fulton with a watchful and wary eye, waiting, perchance for a slip on the part of the speaker. The House extended a large toleration to Mr Fulton's ui]eyentfi}l sermon, Sydenham Taylor oheeving him 011 his weary way with ail occasional hear! hear! Sir George Grey, Messrs Hobbs, Moss, Hamlin, Thompson, Lawry, and Major Lawry Jackson all spoke strongly in favor of extending a liberal cqnsideratiqi) to the claims of old soldiers; Sir George pointing out that lie had himself known some 50 or 60 who had died without ever attaining their rights, and that the majority of the surviving claimants were men far advanced in life. The Hon. Fergus, replying sympathetically, thought the measure ho proposed introducing would afford satisfaction on both sides of the House. He pointed out that were Sir George Grey's argument followed to its logical conclusion, all men who enlisted ii) the British and afterwards came tq New Zealand would bo entitled to land, To which, as commentary, I woulij fidil, that

most undoubtedly aH men who at the expiry of their time oame from India to New Zealand during the years '66—'6B were distinctly promised land, This I know of ray own personal knowledge, and the assertion can be easily proved by reference to the Government archives in Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras, DISTRICT RAILWAYS PURCHASING ACTS. The second reading of this Bill was moved by the Hon. Mr Hislop, a mild maunered man who succeeds in casting an impenetrable veil of gloom round all subjects that lie touches. This debate, such as it was, like the previous one, languished, and died away on the Colonial Secretary expressing his willingness to adjourn it uutil Friday, which \yas done accordingly.

THE ELECTORAL IJILIi Was the next oi) the order paper, and this Mr Hislqp proposed to adjourn also, several members having, so he said, complained tljat sufljcient time had not bean given them to master the details. Mr Guiiiess liereupon urged the Colonial Secretary to go on with the Bill, and at tins stage it became evident that the Premier was absent from the sitting, and that the Opposition had not got all the fun they desired out of the Government. Ifr Downie Stewart, with emphatic, manner, and (for him) strident' Ypice, twitted the Government with tlieip reluctance to go on \yith the real business of the country. Several utterly unimportant measures had

been brought on, but the important measures were not forthcoming. Then Bir John Hall, as ironical as his

nervousness would permit him to be, i in* his turn twitted the Opposition with that afternoon again walking out of the House, and so preventing a discussion on the new rules of procedure. Whereon Seddon danced into the arena with: " Sir, for the third and last time, I congratulate the Hon. Member for Selwyn upon acting as wet nurse to the Government. Here Mr Walker manifested an inclination to join the fray, but on receiving an expressive wink from Seddon, temporarily subsided. The Opposition, Mr Seddon declared, desired to let the Government down gently. The new rules were not required, the Opposition wished to get on with the business, but the Government had 110 business to go on with. As to the new rules, there had been only two cases in the Colony in whioh the infliction of a small fine had been necessary to enforce the ruling of the Chair. The closure was an insult to the people of New Zealand. Members had been assembled a fortnight, and desired only that Government would bring down , its measures, " and what," said Mr , Seddon, striking the attitude heroic, "what are we treated to?" "The

codlin moth," replied a faint and far off voice. The Government, pursued Mr Seddon, had no" constructability,''

110 originality, There was an exodus, a cry from one end of the land to the other for legislation to counteract that exodus, and the Government stood by indifferently—it, and its Codlin moth.

The Phenomenon.

Conscious of my severe eye upon

him, had kept quipt as lie could, but now arose and condoled with tlie Government upon suffering from the unemployed difficulty. Mr Eeeves further declared that he was one of

tho" Gentlemen" (!) who had asked .the Colonial Secretary to defer the Electoral Bill—and everyone looked pleased to discover a fact not previously suspected, viz., that the Phenomenon was one of those genthmn. Mr Eeeves hesitating for a crushing epithet, finally hurled the phrase "Decapitated Ministers," and sat down, laughing consumedly at his own funniosity. The Great Hi Ham.

To him succeeded Mr Dunedin Allen, the gentleman who succeeds in putting more big I's and large ME's into a sentence than any Czar of Russia of whom history has any record. Mr Allen's astounding prolixity and pomposity oarued him the laughter of both sides of the House, and he presently, sat down, .pouting and covered with roseate confusion as with a mantle.

Oun George.

Was then put up to defend his colleagues, who cowered like late-weaned lambs under the shelter of the fold. George was inclined to be/sarcastic and spoke of that period of recent history when the Phenomenon was in his perambulator. Several other members spoke, and tho debate rapidly degenerated into the usual personalities, At 9.40 the House adjourned, and so ended the most important day of this session. I perceive I have given you nothing but Parliamentary news, but my excuse must be that no other news is stirring. I may mention, however, that the weather is dull and intensely cold.