"ROME AND HER RATS."

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7179, 3 June 1885, Page 3

"ROME AND HER RATS."

(FROM OUR HASTINGS CORRESPONDENT.) June 2, 1885. If proof were wanting of the sound judgment of the electors who sent Captain Eussell into the House of Representatives it would be found in his address last Saturday. Devoid alike of personality, claptrap, and oratorical flourish, it waa a practical political review addressed to the common sense of a business community. Our member is evidently no believer in the artificial measures by which the rapid inflation of a colony is made the precursor of as rapid a collapse. His arguments are addressed to the reason rather than to the passions, prejudices, or self-interest of his hearers, and he is therefore always sure of what lawyers call " the ear of the Court." If I may be allowed the image, I regard him as a Parliamentary pendulum ; not that he " goes from side to side," but that he represents the steadying and regulating principle so necessary in a Parliamentary clock, which containing so many " wheels within wheels," is apt to go a great deal too fast, and the " tide " of which is out of all proportion to its size. Those of my readers who remember the state of mind to which Dickens represents "Mr Boffin" reduced by "Silas Wegg's" reading of "the confounding enormities of the Romans " in the " Decline and fall off the Roman Empire," will understand my feelings as I listened to the captain's exposure of the "District Railways Swindle." It is bad enough that we are abont to load ourselves with a debt of £7.000,000. It is disastrous that " of that enormous expenditure none of it, with but few exceptions such as he had noticed, could be regarded as likely to be rb munerative to the colony," but it is infamous that from £700,000 to £1,000,000 should be coolly " appropriated" (to use a euphemism) in a way which simply amounts to obtaining money under false pretences. This is but one of the many jobs which only require to be folly understood to be condemned by all honest men, and it suggests the obvious moral that it would be better to borrow less and to tax the colony less, and to take care that the public money ia spent for the benefit of the colony and not absorbed by private speculators (I italicise the "s" lest the wicked printer omit it) and public companies. It cannot be too often repeated that the attempted job in question is only one of many ; scores have preceded it, and still more will follow until either the general tone of the House can be improved or some preeaure from without shall make it apparent to those members who are " too clever by half " that even in Parliamentary matters "honesty ia the best policy." The first step towards the disinfection of the House would be the abolition of the " honorarium," which is bad in every way. It is a waste of the taxpayers' money, and it attracts to the House an inferior class of men anxious to V bear the bag and" — I refrain from completing the quotation. Of course I shall be met with the plea that without the honorarium impecunious but talented patriots would be unable to enter the House. The answer would seem to be that the same qualities which are necessary for success in business are equally necessary for Parliamentary work, and that in the majority of cases if a man have not energy and business capabilities which will enable him to get into the House, it is a pretty sure sign that he ought not to be there. The few exceptions to this rule could be provided for by public subscription, by which a constituency could send to the House a poor man of exceptional talent, aa is sometimes done in England, and this would be a cheaper, safer, and more equitable plan than the indiscriminate holding out of a bait to greedy senators. It iB evident, however, that these latter have too strong a hankering after the "fleshpots of Egypt" to part with them in a hurry. Therefore I would suggest an ad interim .check upon the " aurl sacra fames? which is the mainspring of action with so many "honorable members" — let vigilance committees be established in all our principal towns. By this term Ido not mean the American institution for the summary hanging of all notorious scoundrels. Humanity and policy forbid ! New Zealand could ill afford such

a drain on her population. My proposition ia thafc honest men of all Bhades of political opinion should band together and keep a sharp look out for all Parliamentary jobs, with a view to excluding the perpetrators thereof from the next Parliament, so that we should not be swindled twice by the same men. Each committee would meet from time to time and consider the various bills presented to the House, and if any seemed suspicious a vote should be taken — "Job "or" No Job." If a majority of say two-thirds decided in the affirmative, copies of their resolution should i be forwarded to the head committee al Wellington, there to be recorded, and , if it were found that two-thirds of these i committees had decided that a bill came i within the obnoxious category theii [ presentment should be published ' in the papers as a warning tc ; all to whom it might concern, I and the names of members disregarding that warning and supporting tho biL r thould be recorded in a "Black List,' I to be published in the papers, immei diately after the passing of the bill, and j also at the next election, in order thai . all honest men might vote against thoßc J members. This plan would have the

double advantage of induoing the publio to take an intelligent interest in current legislation, and would aot as a deterrent from the hole-and-corner legislation which is the scandal and bane of the colony. I would here guard myself against the implication of wishing for the establishment of tbe political " caucuses " which are doing so much evil at Home. The committees in question would by their very constitution be precluded from interfering with honest members in any legitimate line of action, however extreme or even mistaken, their efforts being directed to the prevention of those iniquities " gross_ as a mountain, open, palpable," which popular apathy has hitherto tolerated in a democratic colony, but whioh if perpetrated by a despot would cost him his crown. 1 throw out the suggestion for discussion and criticism. There may be difficulties in the way of its adoption, but I think none of them would be found to be insuperable. If those who are better versed in New Zealand politics than I am can show by unanswerable arguments that the schemo is impracticable, I shall humbly but sorrowfully acquiesce in their decision, but shall still hope that they will not let tho matter drop without in their turn trying to devise ; some remedy for au evil which strikes at the very root of our prosperity as a colony. The rats are in the Parliamentary granary gnawing the public corn. Let the taxpayers take heart of grace and exclaim with Menenius, " Rome and her rata aro at the point of battle : The one side must have balo ! "