From the Poverty Bay Standard.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume VI, Issue 549, 19 December 1877, Page 3

From the Poverty Bay Standard.

We had proposed to ourselves to criticise the address of Captain Morris Which" he „deHvered'in.the Masonic Hall on Monday evening, but ar'e-persual of it convinces ua that it is one which will not admit of criticism.. It was at the best a very common place speech by a very common place man. We have no doubt Captain Morris is Avell-mean-ing ; but then there is nothing in the gentleman. Too much of the husk and too little kernel. <- If Captain Moras traded in tea and' sugar we have no doubt he would" give good weight; but if his tea and sugar Avere of no better quality than his politics, his customers '■■ would have -to go somowhere else for these commodities. Captain Morris is exactly what he appoars to be: There is no material in him either raw or manufactured for a politician. His- constituents have nothing to fear andnothihg to hope from him: he is simply a, political . non-entity.. Even as a Government Whip he was bad at his Avork ; for a majority of two or three his want of tact and attention to his duties was the cause of shutting-'out'the Atkinson Ministry-, and opening the Government doors for Sir George Grey and his party-to enter..' . : - ' When there is a new Parliament, Captain Morris Avill not be found ; among the favored elect. He Avill have to content himself in living upon the memory of the past ; and when years, in then- course, have rolled by,

he will have to tell to those, around him how onco he was. a member of the General Assembly ; but he will, possibly forget 1 to men- : tion how if was he did not remain one. Captaiii Morris got into Parliament by a " fluke,? ' but flukes do not of ten hapjien twice^in succession. He- will be- able to boast, and this in all truth, that at the^ close of ; the sessibmhe went before one section of his constituents like a man, and received from thefrn an expression pf, their confidence in him-.. This it was that puzzled us on Monday evening-. Everyone went with the determination — if we may be allowed the expression — of hauling Captain Morris over the coals, and they left the Hall after ratifying his acts in. the < Assembly, by a show of hands. We can only account for it upon the kindliness of feeling which is so characteristic, of British human nature. When a man 'enters our sitting-room, or our office, we are not uncivil to him because we do not like him for having served us shabbily. We ask him.to take a seat ; and when he leaves we give him: a polite good morning. So when Captain Morris Avas received by the electors on Monday, we listened .to what he had to say; and although he offered the poorest excuses in. the feeblest language, we did' not care that a stranger in our midst should be rudely received, or permitted to -depart with invectives ringing in his ears. We do not suppose Captain Moms has anythiny very heavy lying on his conscience with- respect to the' manner he has dealt with the people of Poverty Bay. He doubtless acted according to the light that was within him ; but then his light was a very poor one indeed, not sufficient to throw a shadow before or behind him. We probably could find, representatives of quite as mediocre powers as Captain Morris, although we should have to go very far afield to look for them ; but then, like our Representative, of what use are they when found ? When Captain Morris, in his address, said the present Ministers held the two million and a-half loan as a " bunch of carrots" to tempt their followers, he spoke the languageof the costermonger. Now Captain Morris is not a costermonger. He should therefore eschew vulgarities, especially when in the presence of an intelligent audience. We are not at enmity with our member. We should like him better if he would be generous and resign his trust, that we might be allowed to place it in abler hands ; but we do not suppose he will do this ; and indeed in our time and day men are not looked upon to make sacrifice for their country's good. It is something to be able to write " Member of Parliament" after our names. It is more to draw a yearly honorarium when it always comes at such a convenient period. It is not bad to be a " whip," because something good generally goes before or follow the appointment. It is quite possible that Captain Morns may be useful to us yet. Let us hope so, even when we do not expect it. If, however, we are to seek assistance for the improvement of our Harbour and a due recognition of our claims for the district, we must look out for some higher help, than Captain Morris is likly to be able to give us, even were he ever so willing.