NOTES FROM THE GALLERY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 121, 26 May 1869, Page 2

NOTES FROM THE GALLERY.

[by an observer.] [Our correspondent has made such pointed allusion to a letter -which appeared in the Colonise on Friday last, that we think it advisable to publish it for the benefit of those of our subscribers who do not see that paper. "To the Editor of The Colonist. Sir.— Can you inform your readers whether the gentleman, who is said to take notes from the gallery for the Evening Mail, has been operated upon by Dr. Carr? I think, sir, it must be so; for he generally appears to be in a trance, and I have been informed that the poor fellow frequently imagines himself to be, not a bucking horse, as some of the subjects did, but a specimen of the long -feared breed — in plain English — a donkey, A Voice from the Floor."] If any little girls ever read my notes, I am afraid they will exclaim when they see me next, "Oh, you dreadful story! you said you weren't goiDg to write any more of that rubbish, and yet here you are at it again." Well, I plead guilty to a certain amount of inconsistency, but I couldn't help going into the gallery again; I seemed to be drawn there by some irresistible power, — mesmeric we'll call it, — and once there I thought I must jot down a few more notes, because I know the members like to hear what I have to say about, them . I forget where I left off in my last, but I am going to begin this time with the vote for the Provincial Council. Mr. Parker, you know, moved that there should be a Select Committee elected by ballot to decide the knotty point of how - much the members were to get. Well, by some strange accident it was found that all the members elected were from the country, and not one from the town. Many people were sorry for this, but I was very glad, because the Committee now consisted of all the economists in the Council, and so they had an opportunity of showing that they were quite unselfish in cutting down the salaries, and that they were quite ready to dock their own pay as well as everybody else's. On the next day they brought up their report, and then there was a row and no mistake, because it was found that they had raised their own pay, — no, that's a nasty word, honorarium is better — yes, they had increased their own honorarium from £4 to £5 a week! And didn't the Provincial Solicitor get angry? He said the Committee had been packed, and some of the Committee said it hadn't, but that it was quite accidental, and altogether there was a regular hullaballoo; but they got their £5 though, and I don't see why they shouldu't, — there was a lot cut off other people's salaries, and as the Councillors had done this, why shouldn't they reap the benefit as well as anybody else? I said the other day that I msant to go into the Council, and one of the first things I shall do when I get there will be to vote myself a good round sum; else, what's the use of being a Councillor ? When they had dove this they adjourned until the next Monday, and sure enough there I was again and a jolly bit of fun we had. Mr. Donne and Mr. Luckie had a great fight, the former said something about some printing jobs, and then the latter got up and said it was very sneaking of Mr Donne to make such rude remarks, and that he didn't care about it himself because his own withers were quite unwrung, and then Mr. Donne jumped up again and said it was very improper for M Luckie to talk about his withers in such society, and he wanted to know whether Mr. Luckie was a Parliament man or a newspaper man, because if he was a Parliament man he had no business to talk about printing, and if he was a newspaper man he had no business in the Council, and Mr. Luckie didn't seem to know which he,, was, so he sat quiet and didn't say a word. After this there was a talk about giving a lot of land to the Institutes and Mr. Luckie said it was no good to give them a thousand acres each, because the rent would be only threepence an acre and everybody knew that 1000 threepences were only £10, and then we had •• Siramonds on Literature" and he said he didn't thiuk the money was spent at the libraries in a proper manner and the books that were bought were not the best ones for the education of *'the rising generation of our youth," and altogether it *was a very improving evening. Another evening there was a 'great fuss about am unfortunate scabby sheep that somebody had shut up in a barn, and everybody who got up to speak began by saying they didn't know anything about it except Mr. Sirnmonds, who knew all about scab, and Mr. Donne believed he didn't •know as much as he pretended about it, but thought he knew more about timber than seab — I wonder what he

meant. And then they cut a great lump off the Inspector's salary, and Mr. Simmonds said that as the Inspector was to live at Fox Hill, where there was a most salubrious climate, and as he would have to go over the Moutere hills, which was a beautiful ride, he oughtn't to have as much money as he used to have before; and he hoped nobody would speak about the salary who didn't understand scab. And everybody laughed at this strange request. On Thursday evening the proceedings were opened by Mr Burn who wanted to give £50 to a gentleman of the name of Lynch ; in order to strengthen his case he commenced by saying that he didn't thiuk the petitioner had any just claim, but still he should like to see him get what he asked for, this was a species of Lynch law that the Council did not approve of, so the poor fellow didn't get anything, and I am sure if ever he wants anything again he won't ask Mr Burn to advocate his cause, I kuow I wouldn't. And now a question of a very serious nature was brought forward by Mr G-ibbs He had been credibly informed that a system of secret fives was carried out amongst the police, and that all offences committed by that body were condoned by the payment of a small sum, and he now moved for a return of all the fines inflicted within the last sixteen months, and the offences for which such fines were imposed. This was the parturiunt monies part of the arrangement. With a gravity of couuteuauce befitting so solemn an occasion, the Provincial Secretary rose and laid the return on the table, stating that it would be seen that within the time specified no les3 than three fines had been inflicted for slight breaches of discipline. This was the ridiculus mus, and poor Me Gibbs was so discomfited on finding that the mare's nest he had discovered contained nothing but addled eggs, that he hardly knew what to say in reply, but only muttered something about it being very wrong of the Police to fine themselves, that they had no right to take such a liberty ; if it was absolutely essential to their peace of mind that they should occasionally be fined, why didn't they go to the Resident Magistrate like any other civilised being and get him to do it for them. It isn't often that I go into the gallery on Friday mornings, but I did last Friday, and as the Council was a little late in mustering, I went off into a sort of trance while waiting for them. As I sat in this state I heard a voice from the floor of the House apparently addressing me, and saying, "you poor fellow, imagine yourself a specimen of the long.eared breed — in plain English — a donkey." I immediately did as I was told, pricked up my great long ears and stood at attention. The reason that I listened so intently was that I fancied I recognised the voice, and that, if I was correct in my supposition, the sound of that voice being connected with the utterance of a "plain English" sentence was so novel and startling, that I could not but pay the utmost attention to so unusual an event. Besides, the voice was the voice of one who was ia pain, and I immediately began to fear that it proceeded from some one whom possibly I might have kicked in some of my playful gambols, and in this opinion I was strengthened by the tone of woe that there was in the voice, as though it was imploring me to stop. I was in hopes that something more might come of it, but I was disappointed — the owner of the voice •was evidently so satisfied with the withering sarcasm of his remark that he said no more — so I immediately roused myself from my trance and was as wide awake as ever. But unfortunately there was nothing more worth listening to. I went again on Friday night, but then there was harmony instead of discord, aad again on Monday night when there were rejoicings in the place of recriminations, The contrast was so strange. Once more did I get into my corner and that was last night. There was a little bit of a bobbery at first about increasing the numbers of the Executive, but Mr. Kelling put a stopper on that by saying that he had much rather there was no Executive at all. And then we had the interesting cas^ . of Donne versus : Press. Mr, Donne evidently considered that the reporters had no business, to be sitting anywhere near him and so he wanted to turn them, out of the place allotted to them. He said it was unparliamentary, I did'nt think he was.wiso in using this argument, because they are not always strictly parliamentary ia the Provincial Council

«nd it would be difficult to know where to draw the line as to who was to stay in, and who to be shut out. Mr Wastney didn't like the reporters, so he seconded the motion, but Mr Luekie opposed it aocl he was surprised at Mr Donne (no, the honorable member for the Grey) bringing it forward, because he didn't think that Mr Donne was reported so much as to have occasion to grumble at ;the representatives of the Press. And then Mr Parker said he didn't like to see the reporters where they were, he should like ■to see them in some place where they could take a nap occasionally, and sometimes smile at what was going on, which they couldn't do now without being guilty of a want of respect to the Council. (Here the reporters laughed — uucouth wretches!) And .then Mr. Parker said something, but I couldn't hear it very well in the gallery, and so I am not quite sure that I have a correct note of him, but it sounded like — he thought the reporters might be shut up dn the book-case, near the Provincial Solicitor. And so judgment was given for the plaintiff. And there was nothing par- ; ticular after this, so I came away. And I do hereby declare the Provincial Council prorogued — that is to say, as far as Mr. Observer has anything to say to it.