OUR WELLINGTON LETTER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4103, 4 May 1892, Page 2

OUR WELLINGTON LETTER.

(From Our Own (hrmpowteni)

Wellington, Monday. The Great Liberal Party are exceedingly jubilant over the result of the Premier's meeting at Feilding. A yote of ebnfidence iH the Government carried in the very heart of. the enemy's country is certainly something to boast about. The chief organ of the party desoribes the meeting as " A Great Liberal Triumph," and insinuates that the Opposition has been dealt a death blow iu this district. We shall seel for after all a mooting in Feilding proves nothing, Feilding is but a very small part of the constituency that returns Mr Mao-, arthur to Parliament; the bulk of the electors are soattered far and wide, and are not easily drawn from their homes to attend meetings.. But when occasion needs it they will no doubt as of yore be quite ready ; to support the side they have always steadfastly .upheld. The bulk of the electors present at the meeting were net the genuine small farmers, pastoralisis, or bush settlers at all, but were mainly the residents of the township of Feilding, and consequently no true opinion was elicited on the Government'sLandSsttlementPolioy at all. The Government have apparently scored, but it would bo as well that theydo not lean on the rod of confidence held out to them by the Feilding people lest it break and pierce their side, .No doubt Mr Ballance, flusbod with the heat of viotory, will offer himself to the Feilding electorate. There is no hope in Wangauui; and but a poor chance in Wellington, and there is a strong opinion here that with this idea in view Mr Ballance valiantly stormed the enemy's position so long and ably defended by Mr Macartlmr, The Minister for Public Works has of course "his foot upon bis native heath" at Hokitika, and that he should have had an enthusiastic meeting was a foregone conclusion, The burly Richard is an adept in the art of " bluffing," and he very neatly put his Hokitika adherents off the truck m his remarks wjth reference to the half million loan, whioh he inadvertently blurted out in his Palraerslon North spoeob. There is more in his statement about the Government negotiating a little overdraft for half a million than would appear from the vehement repudiations and explanations that have appeared in the Government organs, Something happened or Mr Seddon, " inebriated with the exuberance of his own verbosity" 'would not havo made the laptut lingnat he did at Palmerston, Since that time he has of oourso been carefully instructed to be more discreet. Some enterprising Opposition member of m enquiring turn of mind will want to know more about this later on. In the meantime we must accept Ministers assurance that a" mare's nest" has been discovered;

Mr Mackenzie has also, it appears, "struck a patch" at Gore, another stronghold of the enemy, Surely after all these viotories it only behoves the Minister for Justice logo and do likewise. The constituency of Napier would offer a fair field for Mr Reeve's enterprise. With all these assurances of confidence and support Ministers should meet Parliament with a light heart in June, in spite of the threatened defection of the Auckland members.

Everything is aow being prepared for (he session. The portfolios of each Minister are stuffed with new measures, old statutes are being patched up, and much material is being provided for a good long " talkee talkee " in the event of the dissolution, about which we have heard so muoh lately, not coming off. The foundations of that part of the Parliament Buildings which accommodates our hoaiy bended House of Peers, are being renewed. It is, of course, important that this solid branch of the legisla* tare should receive sufficient support for their portly persons—it would never do for the Upper House to collapse. The Government, with singu • lar magnanimity, have apparently recognised this, hence these little attentions to the foundations of the buildings. New uniforms for the Parliamentary messengers have all been ordered, Bellamy's is laying id a goodly store of refreshments, liquid and solid, and the mace has received a fresh ooating of gilt. That Lord Glasgow should barken to the voice of reason and oreate a fine batch of liberal peers is the only desideratum wanting to firs the hearts of the Government mth a great joy, Altuough the opening of Parliament is fixed for the 28rd June it is expected, if Lord Glasgow arrives in time, that the House will meet,,, a week earlier. Of course. His Excellency bus to becoaohed a little before commencing business, and that may be a matter of some time when a strong-minded and deoided Conservative man like our now Governor ia concerned. I am told by a gentleman newlyarrived from England and who had the pleasure of meeting Lord Glasgow quite recently that His Excellency is a man of considerable strength of character and knows admirably how to continue the mviter in modo with the foriiter in rt, In other words, though a man of extremely urbane manners he is not likely to be swayed by any considerations when he is convinced that, his views are the right ones, in order to secure anephemeral popularity, Yet another retirement from the Public Service I This time the victim selected for sacrifice is Mr H. 8. 'McKdlar, Secretary for Custorna. Mr McKellar's case is'a hard one, he has no\ yet reaohed the maximum age of retirement imposed by this Govern-, ment on civil servants, namely sixty years, his physioal and mental capacities are as unimpaired as ever, yet the fiat has gone, forth that he must go. Mr MpKellar, of course, retires on pension, but to a man of his temperament enforced idleness- is not palatable, especially as he'has always shown such capaoity for heavy work, and the Customs is a branch of the Public Service where the Departmental work has always been exceptionally arduous. Mr McKellar has served the State for forty' years, having entered the service while a mere youth, he has perfomie| eptne good work in his time, h'u re-organi-zation of the Customs Department being' particularly noteworthy;' '-•

Tha new Secretary for Customs js Mr W, T, Glasgow, formerly ppllep* tor at Wellington, and lately, during Mr absence on ieare in Europe, he has acted as Secretary vith.cQnspiouous ability. Mi' Glasgow ig an epedinglv ableoicer'and is speoially distinguished as an up, right, honourable and high minded man. Theappoiritßoont of Mr Glasgow tp the vaoanoy oansed by Mr

McKellar'a retireuient is muoh liked by the Service wherein he is yery popular. / Our new Comm&ndant,LieutenanU Colonel Fox, arrived in Wellington to-day and lakes up the duties of his position almost immediately, (Job. nel Fox is an officer of considerable, distinction in the Imperial forcefr where he is well known as an anthoritylon artillery. I am informed that the Commandant will very shortly make a complete and thorough inspection of all the volunteer corpa in the Colony with a view to reducing the volunteer strength where it is found that tho standard of efficiency is not up to the mark. "Conntry corps had therefore better smarten up in orderto .pass, muster under-Lieutenant Colonel Fox's searching inspection;, and for the matter of that, there are -' many toWncofps to whom this will apply also. ■ ■ A considerable controversy liasbeetl raging in the Wellington papertf lately over the fact that a certain clergyman of the Church of England has seen fit to make some rather ; dispar* aging remarks inroferenoe to the revival mission of the Bev. Mr Grubb, Mr Grubb, who is a Ohuroh of Eng« landolergyman of considerable oratorical ability.and a most earnest and, powerful preacher, has lately beujt conducting a crusade through the Australasian Colonics in order, to arouse the somewhat slumbering faith of the adherents of the Anglioan Churoh;' He has everywhere been received by the Bishops and okgy with marked attention and cordial welcome, but in Wellington the churoh let him severely alone and by the instruction of the Primate he has been denied the privilege of officiating in any of the churches under their oohtrol. Mr Grubb's services at the Opera House attracted thousands of people and no doubt he did a vast amount of good. Here, however, the olergy regarded liitn as a dissenter, and refused to countenance him in any way, and finally after his departure a certain na'rrow-minded incumbent of one of our leading, churches saw fit to abuse him in the mostunmeasured terms to the great indignation of his congregation and of all right-minded adherents of the Church; It is such potty-mindedness as this that is making the hold of the ■■ ohuroh upon thn people looser and looser every day. In every other community where Mr Grubb has forth he was supported heartily by the clergy, but the Wellington olergy in their superiority held frigidly aloof. Truly religion serves aea cloak for much unoharitableness, and- the intolerance displayed on this oeoasion savours strongly of jealousy. The announcement of the' retirement of Mr Hogg, M.li.R., from the editorial chair of the Star, has caußed much surprise in Wellington, and in the absence of a confirmation of the report is generally doubted. The weather since i' last wrote has been simply atrocious, and the success of the Wellington Racing Club's Autumn Meeting was con- - siderably marred so far as the attendance was conoerned in conse* quence, Excellent racing, however, took place, end somo of the best fields that have ever faced the starter in Wellington came up to the post, Racing, however, will never be a success in Wellington, when people have to travel nino miles by train and walk at least another before they can i get on to the course. The Hutt Park : Railway Company .should certainfr , complete their line to the course if they ever hope to reap good profits.

There has been no lack of amusement during the past week, The clever MyraKemblo Company con* eluded their season oa Friday with the excruciatingly funny" Jane," and Mr Snazelle, the celebrated monologue entertainer, opened at the Opera House on Saturday. It is likely (bat Mr Snazelle may visit Masterton, if so, you may look forward to a treat. Mr Snazelle is possessed of a magnificent baritone voioe and liis songs both serious and comio are really gems, He bag also considerable histrlonio abilitieSi and bis recitations and stories are very entertaining, Thg beautiful scenes exhibited by meanß of two most powerful lanterns are alone worth tin money charged for admission. The Orchestral dooiety gave another ofY , their pleasing concerts of cbamiifijl mußioattbeDresdenPianoCompany'j room 3 on Thursday at whioh two new singers made their debut before a Wol. lington audience. I refer lo Madame Goldenstent and Mr Besley. Madame Goldenstent posacssas a finely trained and flexible mezzo-soprano voioe of considerable compass, and Mrßosley, who is to reside permanently among us, has been endowed with a very sweet and sympathetic tenor voioe, Mr Walter Bentiey's Boheuie of a stock company for the Colony with their head quarters at the Wellington Opera House is an admirable one, and should meet with erery support, l)irst rate actors are frequently pre. rented from coming to the Colony owing, to the heavy travelling exi penses, but with a good stationary company there should lie mora • inducement, and much that is now spent in travelling could bo spent ia mounting the plays produced, It is ■' to be hoped that the shareholders of the' Opera house at thoir meeting to-morrownight will give a carefuW"' consideration to Mr Bentiey's idedi*and if possible put it into shape at once, : RosMOa,