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Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 569, 12 February 1891, Page 2

Some of the opponents of the Government who smugly approved of the Legislative Council trick have shown a fine virtuous indignation over the amount of honorarium allowed for last session. Some of the members themselves waxed virtuously indignant, but strange it is that we have not yet heard of any of these virtuous people refusing to share in the plunder, or handing over their proportion (p some worthy object. We would meekly suggest that those who denounce the large allowance, and yet share in the gains, show an outrageous wickedness in comparison to those who openly advocated and supported the payment. The Opposition party are in sore straits for some peg to hang a quarrel upon when they try to make capital out of a matter in which their own connection is doubly bad. Writing in a general way of the party a contemporary stales 1—“ The Opposition leaders formed a Government jatierlf without a head) and they liked the

experiment so much (there is no accounting for the extremes ofhumaneccentricity) that they have become the Opposition under the same deplorable circumstances. Mr Bryce, Mr Rolieston, Captain Russell, Mr Scobie Mackenzie, Mr Macarthur—it is what musicians call a quintette. Mr Macarthur knows the most, Mr Scobie Mackenzie speaks the most, Mr Bryce is the most ingenious, Mr Rolieston the most terribly in earnest, and Captain Russell is the one most likely to lead the party and hold it together. As a debater he proved himself during a little passage at arms he had with the West Coast member about the police, and is really the best man on his side by far. If he does not lead the party next session, they will go to pieces.”