The Marlborough Express. Published every evening. Friday, May 8, 1896.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXI, Issue 105, 8 May 1896, Page 2

The Marlborough Express. Published every evening. Friday, May 8, 1896.

At the Debating Society's the Sooial, m speaking to the hew zealamd toast, " The House of ParpatUiXAMrnt. liament," Mr T. L. Buiok, M.H.R., said the Parliament of New Zealand did not possess the bistorioal associations or traditions of its English prototype. Its preoinots had not been honored by the pieseooe of auoh men as Cromwell or Gladstone. Its councils had not been dignified by the eloquenoe, grand and beautiful, of John Bright, or by the majestic thunder of Bradlaagb. Bat it possessed a history and an eloquenoe of its own, beginning from the moment that Sir George Grey laid down the firßt principles of self-government under the silent shadow of the great mountain. He oould point to the eloquenoe of their grand old man, voicing the cause of the unborn millions ; to the sacrifices of Sir H. Atkinson and John Ballanoe; to the bitter, bitirg inveotire of Sir William Fox, to the powerful pleading of Sir Robert Stout. These were trophies of eloquenoe and aotion which would do honor to any Assembly m the world, and he counted it no small honor to belong to the New Zealand Parliament. He knew many people said that as soon as a man beoame a Member of Parliament he de~ generated, but for bis part he saw no reason why a man should not be as honest and conscientious m politios as m business. Therefore, persons who said that politicians were not as honest as most people, cast a very grave reflection upon the community m general, because no Parliament was so truly a reflex of the people as that m New Zealand, Seldom, indeed, had the dignity of the House been degraded by indecorous' conduot, and the Parliament was one of the soberest m the world. It seemed to him that the New Zealand Parliament was an honorable goal for any New Zealander — he was going to say for any woman m the Colony. So far the women were not suffered to sit m Parliament, but he would not be surprised if before long the present barriers to their so doing were swept away. Mr Buick concluded by reminding his hear* era that reform by Parliament was not a matter of a few days or weeks. Therefore he advised the people of New Zealand to be patient. Osman Diona, who is cause osiiiK digna. ing all the present trouble m the Soudan, was not originally a soldier of fortune, but the son of a Turkish trader, and started life m the slave trade. Bankruptcy converted him into a warrior, and he has sinoe nourished dreams of vengeance against the British, whose oruisers spoiled his trade and brought him to beggary. This took place m 1883, m which year be joined tbe r&okg pf (be

Vlohdi's followers, just after the massacre >f Hicks Pasha'B foroe. He soon beoame a )erso7ia grata to tho Mahdi, who made him Emir of the Eastern Soudan. Upon this appointment Osman lost no time m attacking Suakin, and kept up a warfare for years, during whioh he was regularly killed about onoe a month. It was he who out up Baker Pasha's force at £1 Teb, and, though subsequently defeated by General Graham, he was not dismayed. For seven years he oontinued to harass Suakin, end for a time he settled himself at Tokar ; but m 1890 he was driven out of the place by Turkish troops. 1 hereupon the Ehalifa dismissed him and Gent him to Adaramab, where he has since remained,