ENTHUSIASTIC SCOTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 126, 30 May 1887, Page 5

ENTHUSIASTIC SCOTS.

''Scenoa" at the Burns Banquet.

(BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Dunedin, this day. The Burns Statue banquet on Tuesday night was almost a fiasco through the exuberance of some of those present. The first disturbing note was struck by Mr Sligo, who, in proposing " The Parliament of New Zealand," said the people had expected little from it, and they had got^ it. With one thing the people of Kow Zealand were greatly disappointed and annoyed—that was, that tho House had not seen its way to roduce the number of its own members. (Cheers.) Ho hoped they would vindicate in time the character which their Parliament had possessed in the past, and by electing better members do away with the disgraceful log-rolling to which they had in a large degree been subjected. This sentiment was received with loud cheers, and brought to his feet Mr Downie Stewart with a vigorous protest. He said he knew well that it was looked upon as a popular thing to speak ill of tho moinbei'3 of Parliament; but its character was the character of the colony. The members were chosen by themselves, and if they chose to send men there who did not represent them, the remedy was to oust them. The matter of the number of members was open to great controvei-sy, and he believed that in the welfare of tho colony it would not be wise to 'reduce the number. The few thousand pounds which it was supposed would be saved ,in that way would be swallowed in time and in expenditure in another direction. The manner in which Mr Sligo had referred to the House was no doubt popular at present, but if he had more intimate knowledge of the working of the House he would no doubt modify° his opinions. Sir George Grey made an eloquent speech in proposing the toast of the evening. When Mr Bruce was speaking someone at the lower end of the hotel table made several objectionable remarks ; in fact, Mr Bruce threatened to sit down. After Mr Hatch had finished speaking, a somewhat excited elderly Scotchman, who evidently thought the meeting was a political one, wanted Mr Hatch's opinion on Burns as a poet. On the toast list was the Mayor and Corporation of Dunedin, and Mr FerS.is, after proposing their health, coupled r. Heslop^s name with the toast. Dr. Heslop replied, and had hardly eat down before Cr. Crammond jumped up and called on Cr. Fish to reply for the Council. Cr. Fish took advantage of the opening afforded him, and was proceeding to compare the. poet Burns to " the City Council on the gas question, when a gentleman sitting close to him appealed to the Chairman as to whether Cr. Fish was in order. A very disorderly soene followed, but eventually Cr. Fish sat down. Of the remaining toasts, the least said the better, and when " Auld Lang Syno " was sung there were hardly twenty persons in the hall. MiFish's conduct in introducing municipal politics is generally censured, but the " Times" '.' elates" liim too severely, seeing he wag aofc the only offender. A ratepayer offers to give fifty guineas to the 'Free Library if Mr Fish is willing to submit his conduct to the test of the public outside of his pocket borough of .tho South Ward.