TOWN EDITION. Evening Post. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1881. THE OLD AND NEW PARLIAMENTS.

Evening Post, Volume XXII, Issue 82, 5 October 1881, Page 2

TOWN EDITION. Evening Post. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1881. THE OLD AND NEW PARLIAMENTS.

Already there is abundant evidence that if the late Parliament elected in 1879 contained a larere proportion of new members, the Parliament about to be elected will have a still larger proportion of new accessions to its ranks. In the first place there are practi. cally eleven new seats to be filled, namely, the seven added by the Representation Act to the total number, and the four which by this Act are disfranchised, these latter being taken to increase the representation of other places. Here then we have eleven fresh openings to begin with, for new aspirants to political distinction. This, however, does not by any means exhaust the list, irrespective of those cases, which will not be few, in which the old members stand for re-election, and are defeated by new candidates. There is_ another direction in which, we observe with muoh regret, a wide space is being cleared for the entrance of new comers. An exceptionally large number of the older and more experienced politicians seem to be withdrawing from public life on this occasion, while others, whose legislative career commenced with the late Parliament, also announce their retirement to private lite. This list, which may not yet be complete, already includes Beveral prominent names, among whom we find two ex-Minis-ters, Mr. Gisborne and Mr. Bowen. It is a curious coincidence that both those exMinisters who are simultaneously retiring from the political aroua, originally entered it under almost identical circumstances, and those quite out of the common course Each was a member of the Civil Service, was called from that service to the Legislative Couacil in order that he might hold a Ministerial portfolio, and was subsequently elected and re-elected to the House ot Representatives. Each is among the most useful members of the Lower Mouse, Mr. Gisbosne especially, owing to his long and intimate acquaintance with the public affairs in the Colony as Colonial Undersecretary. Both are strict in their ob8 rvance of the proprieties of debate, and in their endeavour to maintain these unsullied. Unhappily there has been of late bo deplorable a downward tendency in thiß respect that those members who, whatever the provocation, ever strive to preserve the dignity and freedom of Parliament, can ill be spared from its number. Mr. Gisbornb, and Mr. Bowen also, set an excellent example to the younger and less experienced members in one important respect — they never speak unless they have something to say, and then what they say is always to the point, and so worth listening to. The Speights and Ssddons and Reeveses and Wallisks of the House might profitably observe and follow their example, although it may perhaps bo doubted whether a bPETQHT would ever develop into a Gisbobne or aWALLis into a Bowen. Still, if they were unable to speak so 6ensibly| they at least might do the next best thing — Bpeak aa seldom. Mr. Stevens, the mem-

ber for Cbristchurch^wiU also be a loss to tho new Parliament. Although natnrally reticent and never talking for talking' s sake, he has often displayed much shrewdness and good judgment in his financial criticisms. As chairman of the Public Accounts Committee he was entirely in hid element, and it will not be easy to find a more capable successor. He has always been looked on as a coming Minister, and probably it would not have been long before he attained that distinction had he continued to hold a seat in Parliament. Mr. Bbandon, the " father of the House," has also announced his retirement, and the place, which for twenty-one years haa been his, will in fnture know him no more. Mr. Jones, the member for Waitaki, and one of the many professional journalists who found seats in the late Parliament, has intimated his intention not to stand for re-election. Here are five more openings for new blood to be added to tho eleven already mentioned. To these are to be added happily only a single vacancy created by the hand of death, but that is one of no mean mark. It is hardly necessary to say that we refer to the late Mr. Moobhouse, the loss of whose clear and commanding intellect, high character, and personal influence at snch a crisis in our political history is deeply to be regretted. The vacant seat left by Mr. Mooehotjse's lamented death makes in all seventeen channels by which "'new blood" must necessarily be infused into the new Parliament, beside those which will be forcibly created by ousting the old members. It is probably not an exaggerated estimate that fully onehalf of the new Parliament will consist of men who did not hold a seat in the last one. The grave question which natural >y suggests itself is whether this is likely to prove an advantage or not. Theoretically, no doubt, "new blood" should be beneficial. Only that assumes the "blood" to be pure and of good quality. No one would anticipate much benefit from the introduction of bad blood into either a personal or a political body. Yet, unhappily, the new blood which has latterly found its way into the Parliamentary body corporate has been in t-'o many cases of a very inferior order. We have had Lundons, and SeddGns, and SptiOHTs, instead of Welds and StafFOBDB, and Vogels. Perhaps the only two really useful new members of the late Parliament were Mr. Levin and Mr. Weston, both of whom proved themselves valnable additions to the really practical and business-transacting capacity of the House. But " what are they among so many ?" It is through the increasing number of mere windbags— or as the Yankees bo expressively term them 4 " blatherskites " — in our Legislature that its character haa so rapidly and so grievously deteriorated. ISo longer does it hold the high position relatively to other Colonial Legislatures that it once occupied. To a veiy regrettable extent it -has fallen from its high estate, and in place of intelligent and logical debates we are deluged with the mere c% harebrained chatter of irresponsible frivolity," and (again to quote the late Lord Beaconsfield) with " the' utterances of sophistical rhetoricians inebriated with the exuberance of their own verbosity." Business haß been subordinated to babble. It is now in the power of the electors of New Zealand to check this downward course. That can only be done by returning to the new Parliament a different class ot men from those to whom we have referred. This coming election marks a crisis in our history, and it largely depends on the judicious choice made by the electors on the approaching polling day whether the future career of this colony will be one of stagnation, or even decadence, or of steady and increasing progress and prosperity.