WELLINGTON NOTES.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8745, 17 March 1894, Page 7

WELLINGTON NOTES.

March 16. The Premier, it appears, proposes to continue his invasion of the North, even to the Bay of Islands, and to come face to face with the dusky followers of young Hone Heke, the new Native member of the far North, and unless that very modern and up-to-date young man has varied his opinions on the land question very considerably since last session his attitude toward the reforms foreshadowed by the Premier can hardly be friendly, and Hone Heke's vote will be of value.

There was voted last session a sum of £6000 or thereabouts for necessary alterations to Parliament buildings, it being understood that better ventilation, which is very necessary, should be a first consideration. This is being provided, but members certainly never contemplated some of the imSrovements that are being carried out by irection of the Premier, who, I gather, i's personally responsible for a defacement of the plantation and shrubbery which made so excellent a setting for the "House," that amounts to positive vandalism. The Bhady, if sombre, pines and graceful willows, planted in the old time by the early political fathers, have fallen before the axe Of the co-operative labourer of to-day and the place is now almost as desolate as a newly-made railway cutting. Hitherto the kindly trees made grateful shade about the place and softened the Bomewhat pretentious architecture of the wooden structure, but now ie is to be brought into full view and is to be approached by a grand carriage drive and made generally to demean itself with awagger and ostentation, a most unbecoming thing -in a democratic institution, and all this expenditure upon mere display is being incurred while within the same enclosure the noblest library of this hemisphere is liable to swift and certain destruction from fire through being housed in a wooden wing of a wooden Parliamentary building.