PEEPS INTO POLITICS.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 152, 10 August 1881, Page 2

PEEPS INTO POLITICS.

Mb. Hat.lV Colleagues. Tarred: with the same brush as Mr Hall is William Rolleston, for he, too. has been m constant pa;£ m subordinate portions m the Civil Service. He held an appointment m Canterbury ,m ; conn<|ction with the education system seven tejen years ago, and from thence c^nao to : Wellington to assume the, position of ' Native Umier-Secretary. It-was- probably then' he imbibed those principles _which permit him 'now to aeqme*ce> /in' the; [grinding system which' 'Mr Hall, Juflicts! da' tbe Civil Service. Accepting, the belief 'of his friends, that a higbe^ destiny awaitjed himV fee sought the Suffrages of the electors of Canterbury about the year 18^8, and btlcairie' Superinrendant of that pi]ovince~ defeating tbe hitherto- -in-vincible William Sefton Mparehouse. Superinton<!ant he remained till the abolition of the provinces, and from" then until his accession to office he received no Government salary, spending bis lime m dilettante farming. I say at once that Mr Rollsstoril " •bbncgt T>ill "• Rqlleston," is an unmistpkeable failure? * Like Mr Bowen and others who coald be oaraejd, much was expected ; of tiira,.but disaprjoirifment only resulted. Strangers going into the House, looking at that firm, well set head, would" expect to^find a determined, steadiness of purpose, not etsily to be, conquered. But -wbut do we find? That Mr Kollr ston, ia common ,vi»h the rest oP the Ministry, lets things drift arid drifc tiU they get into the "state they are at present. Born of a family of professors. Mr Rolleston is a gentleman and a scholar, conscientious and bard wo'k-j ing over bis. office duties ; a.xjpijaL.TTn-der-Secretary,, an invaluable second in' command ; but as the he>d of a department there is apparent that absolute difiefcney in-constructive ability .which is poing to be the 'emise of the downfall of the Ministry, and the jobbery of which some of hi* colleagues aresp shamelessly guilty, does not occur m Lis department But why should politics so disorganize a man's morals, .a s, to permit him to sit by and tacitly concur m s"ueh'"3'graut job ii ; as riittstf ttiake-bim .blush t« think: be is practically. an accessory to tbe.rn .?. , t Crafty old. Fred Wh : t;iker", a veiy vet rnninpMliiic*, keeps iv the background. Defeated m hiV election by a. most commou pace young lawyer, who.ie whole wits are not half a Whitaker's,and whose success was merely the gutter of the bern of Sir Greorse.Gr.-jy's mantle to wtiich.be clun?, Mr Whitaker acrptod office through, a seat m the ; Up.^.r ;. H ouio, of wh'ch he had bean a member some thirty years before. Bat he" does bis work there well, and is m. some respects a;tower nf s- rength to the Government A. roaster of tatties, he is missed ia the Lower Kouse. There he was a " Merlin, who Knew the range of^all their evts," but iimOMg 'the dear easy-going old'genfleman of the other .Chamber heh'«s his q^n way without much trouble. If be wants to get a 'Bill passed, it passes j bitt if he wnuts to appear to want.. to- get a Bill pqsse'l wh'fh the' Government for their own reasons .want dropped, how subtly does be instil tbe poison that ac'a as he wishes- it. -A Boun^,.Ja«y« ?l - ! a,Be.nsi>le fri:in, an acitte poiiticianj yethe is why t is noVirfriefally^knoNvn -a'rarik; "Rarticit. ana—whii-pcr.'ft softlv-J^t^o. ; pi';cu a terrible' thorn in'tKe side of the Mimst-y, when his way "towards reform w no| theirs. -. ■..'<■<,■. ■/:■■ ''■■'/! '»T.-:i :-' ; ,^V r Mr.- Walter Jwhnstonis. another ofiont yonng^ politicians, -yrho has • al w.a ; ys "bpf n eknecfod! toy. "make- :bis ; jn;irk.??; =: He seldom spoke .jlbirt Hke Jack's pHvcot m a similar cise^ he acquired the of fhinlnnff a sreat. de.il.' TfiVnttW -no his :<>*■ Mr. JoTan'sfon-ta'takela leading pi»" t ; he b«s Wi«iUd too long, if waiting \< !h? only r caii3e of his ; ncVPt Ijavin-» given si<rpß.pf-poliUcal vigor b^fQr^,J Pit, be no| inherent liizi'nes.'.' T. _as_ a Wellin^on cit ; 7Pn. was" very "wli'ul'io s"ee"rT r m"enoset| Minister.' Tot)*" We^liajitori town ever hid my poVt-fin Govcnmmtj for, men.' like B.rye;e and T^Manc*? .h.9(T.op-i noting intprcsts. T wonder, if Johnston ■ iss'^tnrned ' nut l oF office, how; mnnv v« ars *}i}Qf ftc anotheij rfi«l Wellington man will be m povvpr v A little while asroßuitedinihad t^6Hn"^ib^ra iK theMiinisfry^nhristcbn'-ch 'anil.vAnck-i lnn-1 have, for'many.t years^HKdifajr m«T^ power. i - .Qi'-iro^iMn.. Diqki.we-.pfg^lsry |frt'« j Gno^i little nojrs : i3^nr_y > - i ho<>V^a'-e slwnysi dull andumttrafiive' Mr D^kisn-vh?-, mindr.fj.-an/l .fl u ?'.-i ■ X ? . n ?ver.- -;WO.cks on the S:ibba*-n'. and never attends t; meetfriss'wheri he' "don't choose."" "He wnsj eJec'-efr hy t he; -Bfble.-'Jn-scbpojF.. p?Tty ; ; but since he became a'Minister be sremsi to havo forgotten* he ma'ter^ Re is sub.-, i ct neither for praise rib'r Vlisprare, and ; only furnishes' lfood'for -■woriderm>nt bow> he ever reached so .ex^vltod a position. It; is an index to the weakness i f of.tbe Mm's- i try "why he, the harmless, necessary . cat," shoulflheithe Government re.presen- j tative of the powerful district of Ota«j;o. ' Next under review comes the gallant; .Miijo>, tbe bniyirianin theHoPse nttn* present time with au r exhans'.ive know- ; Irdge of colonial flonnce; 1 the orlymon! m the HoHse capable of making a lucid j Ministerial stntemenrk He d<i^es his ; facts honVe'with vveir-selected Vords and \ nnhesitating delivery. » sFh ere i$ nqirois- \ t:ikin«r bis meaning. , ( .Splen>Md eng^n^s j for Working 1 - bnt wkat a pitiable 1 - ma- j chine k« drives Like hi* Of\lle^ues. i4 he^ is essehtiallv a b'inn^erer, . ta'jiiug narfow j views of politics, incapable^ of cpn^Trucf- ; ing a. policy: Can aDyo^e greater juggling than )»|s proposals^ow. j \Swbsidies from the Consolidated „Tv, a " : tnnst cease. But all Was!? Land's of the Crown shall y*v rates'out Consolidated Fund, whick,to; our Treasurer seems a very different thing. But more of this on ; another, occasion^ it , ia_ imfr the iadiv Waal J vrnb 'ia under discusaiaa

now. Go and hear him debate, and you will know -what bitterness means, and you will also learo how bard cynical laughter hasjowet to make the veteran lea^e^ of the- Ofposition turn red with rape; ""T^.:-; ,.; -V> , The most p»werfs(l member of the present Ministry remains to be spoken of. ■ ■. /A. hiembeif more silent th&n Mr. Johnston, a member whose policy has never beeai irapeached,^hose co-operation is ; Always to'be- relied: on, and whose per- •. rson'al following is large, individually, ;.th:«n that of any of his colleagues. B»t, you say, the last portfolio which is now morelban anything. elseJielpißa.th£_Gfoverrment to tide over their difficultiesO|),'th'f obsequiousness ofthemaay «spi- " rants," whosF voles; white th~S~ w ~faeant chair"- beckons ;hem pn,:are-safe, while tlio-se who mi'htitakCoflFenc.r-afr an ill are, .while" the /seatTifr eSfpty, PAfetoo. Yes, yon lesislatof'sf^r^Htll does not place your -intelligence so high .l?lH that a posstbje pronretiqmvtqvthe Cabinet will rnle jrou_still. " •S^ch is the Ministry; :, .with no broad views, with no clennect policy^ framing itself sm the ! ;wind; :blQyf.s-.'it a 4 b(»ut, bopirg r thit i'jstnbilitr of purpose "may achieve sfaliiliry'of f sy Wse£ men of bi'h puYpOse' and' honesty submit t» the dictates of the narrow intellect of Mr. >W>.ul 't : -:;.r ;i ; : : :;; ; 5 ::; f ;;::^ " Tlie fiAnTiest havinj power «po'fa iii&'bierji&rt And tlie liisfe^^P^sSil^keiiib^tHeirWjti."---laNOTOS.