JOTTINGS from WELLINGTON

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4848, 11 October 1894, Page 2

JOTTINGS from WELLINGTON

(By Our Own Correspondent,) •- Tuesday. The cbse of the sessiin. Eow Ministers overwork themselves-and'mm-bers.—lll-digested legislation. A suggested remedy,' Gleanings' from the galleries. The pilules of politics. Bellamy's as it teas, and as it is. The session still drags its weary length along, and judging by tlio present rate of progress it will take till Christmas time to clear off the order paper the accumulated mass of bnsipess. Ministers have a strange way of doing business. They first of all purge tlio order, paper of a crowd of little Bills, and then they flood-the flonso with a deluge of new ones. There is a great deal of grumbling going on in consequence, as members want to get away to their homes, more especially those who live in the country and' engage in fanning pursuits. I have beard it suggested that Ministers should close np now in order to let members go home, and then call tho House together again early in the new year in order to clear oif the business. As a matter-of-fact I expect Ministers have very little idea of doing anythingof the kind, and they will take advantage of the fact that every one is sick oflegislatingfor the present and so l'Ußb through an exhausted and indifferent House such measures as they want passed this session. In well informed circles it is said that the session will close for a certainty, before the'end of tho present month. Everyono is looking pretty well knocked up. Even the Premier, despite his mighty jj/iysijiw, is showing the result of late sittings, extended night after night far into the small hours, and if lie does not take care his capacity for hard work will lay him low. Mr Ward is looking dreadfully seedy, and 111' Caduian is seldom able to come to the House, although, I hoar, he- is slowly mending.' Being a very delicate man, he has strict orders from his doctor to take the greatest care of himself. Mr Reoves looks more dyspeptic and bilious than ever, and his temper, not at any time of tho sweetest, waxes shorter and shorter every day as tho session lengthens. The burly Minister for Lands also looks anything but woll, and I should say that a good dose of the farm at Palmerston South will be required to pull liiin thoroughly round again. '

There is 110 doubt that Ministers attempt too much ill one session to tho detriment of their healths and to the detriment of the country, which suffers from the hastily conceived and ill-digesteil legislation which is year after year poured into Parliament, Would it not bo better to havo two short sessions every year ? One say in Juno, July, and August, and the other in January and February. Members are paid a sufficient honorarium now to enable them to devote more, time to their legislative duties and with more leisure, better work would result. If this is not feasible, and I admit it has its difficulties in a Colony ge'opraphically situated as this is, could not.the work left over from one session be carried forward en bloc to the first order paper of next ? No new business to bo taken until last year's had been disposed of, pressing measures and urgent business of courso excepted. Then in order that,the minds of members might bo thoroughly prepared to understand and deal with legislation brought down, would it not be better if the Bills were printed and, posted to each member some time before tho House met ? As things are at present measures are conceived in a hand to mouth fashion from day to day, and hurriedly rushed into the House and dealt with before half the members have had time to think out what the effect of the proposals will bo. Policy Hills at least should be ready long before the House meets. I have heard this talked about a good deal, amongst members with whom I have come into contact, and tliey wore all unanimous that tho circulation of policy Bills before the session commenced would greatly tend towards better legislation. •

The Temperance party aro in very bad odour now. By their action on Friday night and Saturday morning I hear that they havo effectually succeeded in stopping the further progress of the Licensing Bill for this session, The anti-temperance section aro highly indignant at tho turn matters have taken, and should it be attempted to force tho Bill through they threaten to 1 stonewall' every line in the measure. Under tho circumstances I do not suppose tho Premier will press the progress of tho Bill, although if ho does not do so there will bo trouble in some of the constituencies.

Everybody is wondering, and by everybody I mean thoso who go often to the galleries of the House to watch the progress of events, howitis that Mr Roderick McKenzio, tho member for Buller, is allowed so much latitude as he is. Helms persistently stonewalled tho Government measures all through, and last week at every second clause of the Native Land Court Bill, he moved to report progress. His opposition was so persistent and determined that at last the Premier himself, seeing that nothing would bo done as long as Mr McKenzie was in that captious frame of mind, moved himself that progress be reported, For some reason Mr McKenzie seems to escape the lash of the Premier's tongue for his misdoings. Is there somo power behind the throne we. know not of! Perhaps Mr "Rody" McKeuzie's influence on the "coast" is too potent to run the risk of making an enemy of him, No mattor what it is both the Premier, and the Chairman of Committees, Mr Guinness,(himselfa"West Coaster") are remarkably forbearing with the fractious Roderick.

The Pomahaka. estate purchase enquiry report will, I am told, bo out ; this week. The result is of course a foregone conclusion—the Minister for Lands will be whitewashed for a complete certainity. I have heard it whispered that the enquiry has not altogether gone in favour of the Minister for Lands, although I hear nothing approaching corruption can be proved. 1 do not think most people seriously thought the Minister was guilty of anything worse than a want. of discretion and it would therefore have beeij . mpre satisfactory had the Minister submitted his case to a more impartial fribunal t])an a committee of Parliament, upon af least three-foui't'hs'of the members are usually Government, supportew.' Had an independent and mote open enquiiy been held, instead of the 5 present Star Chamber proceeding, ! think the • publio mind would have

been bettor patisfied, although thewj|f is no' reason toV'sunnose thing but 'tlie ■' right thihgidone as it is,'; .This enquiry lasted for neai'ly fivo weeks/anaS must have cost tho Colony' a/ sum in witnesses' expenses,"-fortiS great many Otago people have been-s|| brought. up to Wellington to givo",./ evidence, and amongst others. chief accuser, tlio redoubtable Scoji&ft Mackenzie; who, by the wayjisitillfl! in town, staying With hisbiother-iri-'<l! law, Mr H. D. Bell. - Altogether Inst week full of exciting political events, and the G overnmen t have to congral ulate themselves that they have escaped <■ as well as tliey have. My infoima- * tion regarding, the action of the j Council with reference to the Consols ] and the Advances to Settlers Bills ] proved very nearly correct, and if my predictions wero upset, it ceitainly was not my fault, foi who would have thought that -thosi fino criisted old Tories, the. Hon Mi Lean and the, Hon Mr Oliver wouldSa turn and rend their'own .party asH they did, Personally, I flmnot sony that these two Bills have accepted. At bo ho • gieat harm done in giving them a t, trial in their present form, as their wings have been very considerably clipped by the amendments which • - have been made. If the'Bill tiu'ns out on practical application to be 5; harmful, the country 'will speedily v;; become alive to the fact, and the Government will have the melancholy - satisfaction of knowing that they - have thus forged the engines for their own destruction, I hear that Sir Julius Vogel's ■ petition for remuneration as a loan " agent to tho Colony is not likely to come on for hearing this year. Mr ■ H; B. Vogol, I am informed, intends to leave for England very shortly,and no doubt lie will confer with his : father before taking any further steps towards having Sir Julius' claims . considered. . There appears to be ; a strong and growing feeling that "Bellamy's" should be closed, and I would not be in the leastsurprisedto hearthatnext session it willnotbe possible to obtain any refreshment in the precints of the House stronger than tea or coffee, There is no doubt that Bellamy's is sometimes a good deal abused, and it would be more in keeping with the .' dignity of the House if strong waters were not obtainable in the building, It cortflinly seems inconsistent to pass all sorts of restrictive measures for the control of the liquor traffic, while what is nothing more.nor less than i a public house, with no control it, is being run under tho same roof. • " Thedays when Bellamy's was of service have now passed, forfowof the members of either house regularlytako their meals within tlio Parliament Buildings. In the olden days, under the ancicn regime. Bellamy's was noted for the fact that it had the best cooked and served meals in tho Colony. Then a c/ie/waskept, a real cordon bleu, who catered for men who knew what a tasty dish was and would have it. In these democratic days your average politician knows what a'chop iB and that is about all. Bellamy's has, therefore, practically degenerated into a chop house with the right to sell liquor thrown in, and as members can get : their chops quite as good and much • cheaper at their lodgings, the neces- ■ sity for a kitchen no longer exists. The dining room could therefore bo . dispensed with without much venience,and the bar must be looked upon more in a luxury than a the "bar of the house" is without having another in Bellamy's^