FIFTY YEARS AGO

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 90, 12 October 1929, Page 17

FIFTY YEARS AGO

POLITICAL WRANGLES

STJR G. GREY'S THREAT

"AT HIS CHARIOT WHEELS"

Commenting editorially on what it describes as'"the gravity of the financial position,?'the "Evening Post" of 10th October, 1879, said: "Briefly, the career of • the Grey Government ,during their two years of office may be summed up as follows:—"When they came into office in. 1877 they found a handsome surplus in the Treasury, and a million sterling of the last loan still available to be operated upon. Such was the legacy left to them by their predecessors, the Atkinson Government, who during their three years of office only borrowed £1,300,000, of which, as we have said, when they resigned they left £1,000,000 for the use of their successors: The -Grey Ministry came into power under -these highly circumstances. They promised vast retrenchment in the public expenditure, and a general lightening of the public burdens. How they have fulfilled the first promise is 'sufficiently shown by the .undeniable fact that the expenditure in every department has increased, although'the revenue has seriously diminished. The late Grey-Macandrew Ministry not only inherited a large surplus, and a; million of unexpended loan, but they aIBO borrowed two millions and a half during their two years of official life. •., All these large sums they have 'spent,, much of it, we fear, utterly thrown away-and wasted. But that is not aIL They have not been content with spending all this money, but have managed to get rid of so much more that there is at the present time the enormous deficiency of £912,000 —nearly'; a million sterling of deficit to make up... ..■;.-■.'■ '•'.'' "FRIENDS OF THE GOVERNOR." ■ In the House of. Representatives last . night, reported the '' Evening Post,'' Sir George Grey rose and began one of his eloquent and pathetic: speeches. He said that he, at any rate, was an independent member, ajid to, prove it, he showed .he had voluntarily retired from : the position of Leader of the great Liberal Party. He said he would drag those men. who pretended to be. Liberals, but who wore not, like slaves at his chariot . wheels. (Loud applause and prolonged laughter.) He held that the present Gpvernment were the friends of the Governor, and they should insist on His Ex-. icellency removing "those friends of his from office." He considered that the .Hon. Mr. Hall was the personal representative of the Governor in the House. ("Oh!.»•? and laughter.) And he held that the' Governor should not have received ! Mr. Hall's.resignation as a'member of the Legislative Council without taking' . the advice of the late Government.' He also condemned the Governor for having • called: the Hon. Mr. Whitaker to the Upper House at such a time as this." In >. his opinion, the present Government did not represent the country, but tho "great landed aristocracy of ;New Zea- .;: land," and it was the duty of the •House to,see that they did not occupy the Treasury benches for one moment longer. (Laughter and applause.) The • House should insist that tho Government should leave the Treasury benches at. once, and if they could not be got lid of in any other way the Governor shpnld.be petitioned to dismiss .them. "SOLD HBS MASTER." A short but - sharp. passage-at-arma .took place in.the House of Bepresentatives last night between Mr. George M'Lean and Mr. Ballance. The former gentleman in .the course of his speech referred to Mr. Ballariee as "a man . who had sold, his master for thirty pieces of silver," and accused him of having written an article in a Wellington evening paper in which Sir George Grey was spoken of as. a "coward." Mr. Ballance indignantly denied this, and said tho statement wag a falsehood. The Speaker drew attention to the fact-that such an expression was unparliamentary, and Mr. Ballance withdrew it, and Mr. M'Lean also retracted the statement that Mr. Ballance had. written the article, but expressed the conviction that he had dictated it. Mr. Ballance denied the truth of even that, and .tie matter dropped. . The Hon. Colonel Brett is well knonni' as a foolish old gentleman who is always making silly speeches in the Legislative Council. Yesterday, on the adjournment of the' Council until Friday being moved by Colonel Whitmore, it was opposed by Mr. Waterhbuse on the ground that members would have nothirig to occupy their time but loitering about tho streets. On this the • sapient Colonel Brett promptly arose -'and moved as an amendment V That the adjournment should be till Tuesday." He was not afraid, he said, of being compelled to loiter in the streets, as his hon. friend suggested. No. He intended to go into the country to escape the stinks and smells of this abominable city. He intended to renovate his health, and should press his amendment to a division. Would it be indiscreet to suggest' to Colonel Brett that he might find-a suitable atmosphere and possibly congenial companionship in the southern portion of "this abominable city"— say at.Mount View. (It should be explained that; the mental hospital was 1 at Mount.View in those days.)

A passage-at-arma, in which something ; uiore. substantial than verbal abuse was exchanged, took place in the lobbies of the House of Representatives last night. A certain member taunted another with ■ 'breaking his hustings pledges, on which ' Noj 2 replied that he was astounded ;at the impudence of No. I—a wretched ' little grocer like him, indeed!—venturing to address him, one of the distinguished^ family of ——, and that if he , dared to repeat his impertinence he would knock his head off. Member No. 1 promptly, made a defiant rejoinder, on , which No. ,2 proceeded to fulfil his ; threat to th ye extent at least of punch- ' ing No. i's head, knocking his hat down over his eyes, and then snatch,'ing it off and tossing it into a pail of water. At this stage, some other legis- ■' lators : interposed, and bloodshed was providentially averted.