The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1871

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 14, 17 January 1871, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1871

The time id rapiiily approaching when till-* people of New Z- ahuid will be called upnii to perform their duty —on the present, occasion one of moi'rf than ordinary importance — in deciding wit li ■whom the yovernment of the country is to rest for the next, five years. There is every probability thsit iv the coining session questions which will affect the wliole future of New Zealand will crop up for discussion, and upon the manner in which they are dealt wish depends the prosperity or otherwise »>f the colony. It bc-lioves the electors then to be more than ordinarily careful in their selection of representatives, ami it is lo their iutenst to use every euileavor to obtain the very best men whose services they can command. Anyone who has been present when the Parliament has been sitting, and has had the opportunity of watching closely its proceedings must have observed in the House of Representatives certain members who showed uamistakeably that they were not the men to whom should be entrusted the framing of laws for a young and growing colony, and it must have occurred to him that a country which was satisfied to be represented by such men could not hope or expect to be otherwise than misgoverned. Without experience, or education even of the most rudimentary character, they have displayed most paiufully their inability to express their opinions, should they chance to have any, and indeed have frequently shown that they did not possess a single idea on any subject that was not connected with their owu particular locality. Excellent members of Eoad Boards, or any suck strictly local institutions, they might possibly make, but ask them to express au opinion on any question not immediately connected with their ordinary every-day life, and they have at once shown their utter unfitness to deal with such matters as are brought under the notice of a body upon which is entailed the duty of legislating for a large and rising community. Such men soon find their level, and sink into a little clique, which rapidly finds itself without the slightest iuflueuce iv the House, and indeed is seldom noticed excepting when their votes are sought after on the occasion of some division, the result of which is uncertain, and when Government, and Opposition whips are busily engaged in beating up the support rs of their respective sides. Theu a little judiciously administered flattery has the desired t-ff.-ct, the Aye or the No, as tlm case may be, is recorded, and the man who lias been sent to the House by a constituency ihut ought, to have known better sinks again into oblivion and is not heard of until p,uother occasion of a similar nature demands that he should once more be looked up and be coaxed into passing to the right or left of the Speaker's chair. Nor is he of service to his constituents on Committees, for he is usually overlooked iv their appointment, and his name is but seldom found on the lists that are posted up in the lobby. And yet that very man who sits there sileut and sullen, and soured by the neglect with which he is treated, ami of which he caunot but be cognizant, is frequently one who can talk to a certaiu class of his constituents iv a manner that captivates them, and leads them to suppose that in him they have secured a perfect treasure as a representative. He has a superficial knowledge of the politics of the country, aud has crammed his memory' with quotations from Hansard or extracts from the Blue Book. These he serves up at second-hand without regard to their appropriateness to the subject under discussion, and so imposes upon those who, from want of time or inclination to study such matters, are unable to discriminate between the duly qualified doctor aud the blatant quack. Iv all communities there are such men, and, unhappily, in all communities there are also to be found those who pin their faith to cnudidates of this description. We would have it uuderstood that we are not, in penning these lines, making personal allu-

sions to any particular individual, hut are referring gene.niily to a class of men that is to he found in the House, greatly to ihe detriment of those 1 -whom they represent; nor do we wish to invest our rernarkwith any p:irly spirit, for it is well known that men such as those we have spoken of are to be found on Im^^'nles of the House. Against thenj^epeople cannot Ih> too jealously on t.£rrr guarl. Let them choose men of known ability, men who have yiven evidence of possessing jiii interest in, aud a knowledge of, the affairs of the colony, men who are looked up to by their fellows, and who can exercise a beneficial influence iv the deliberations o! the legislatures* By so during the electors will prove themselves worthy of the privileges they enj"y, «n ! they may then look ferward to being governed in ?i rmnnei that will leilound to their credit, :iud ten<i to ili-ir pnispt-i itv.