North Otago Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 1880.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2463, 16 April 1880, Page 2

North Otago Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 1880.

Mr VV. 11. Colbeok, commonly oalled Captain Colbeok, is member for Marsden, an electoral district in the North Island. This gentleman, though a painstaking cultivator of numerous broad acres, would probably bo quite unknown outside his own parish, even to ferreting journalists, were it not that, having bocome a member of Parliament, he associated himself with the Judas Isoariot quartetto, whose votes last session ruined the party they had been elected to support and established in power the one they had been returned to oppose. For their magnanimously moral behaviour in this matter, the names of Messrs Reader Wood, Colbeok, Hurbt and Swanson will be Exalted o'or their leas abhorred compeers, To fester in the' infamy of years, And yet, whon wo come to consider ovoryI thing calmly in a spirit of charity, and to |-casfc about us for circumstances to justify or palliate the conduot of these political i galled jades, wo may find that, though not so good as they might be, they are no worse than those who placed them in their parliamentary positions. If a man has nn ungainly figuro, wo need not expect his reflection in the mirror to bear tho semblance of an Apollo or an Adonis ; and if tho people of nn electorate are a contemptible, ignobly selfish lot of creatures, wo should not expect thoir chosen representative in Parliament to bo better than those who call him into political being. At, least, whon we find i that a community has no sense of public rectitude, and is in tho lowest degreo selfish, wo can, to aomo oxtont, understand how its representative may act so aB to mako himself an object of obloquy. We should, thorefore, when wo see a politician behave in a particularly egregi1 ous manner, consider before covering him with condemnation whether it is just to do so, whether he imy not bo a perfectly honest representative, — that is, a faithful refleotor of ; the views of his admirable constituents. The man may be acting according to his light, and according to his light should ho bo judged in all charity. A Hottentot may do villainously vile things, but it would be manifestly unjust to judge him by tho same standards we should apply in 1 judging the conduct of a Christian English . gentleman. So it is quite unfair to expect from the representative of a debased constituency the same exhibitions of honorable mindedness which wo naturally enough look for in the man who represents J a community of high-minded men. Reasoning in this way, and estimating according to the facts before us the characteristics of tho people of Marsden, wo cannot in equity blame Mr CoLrEOK for anything ho has done or may hereafter do in Parliament. Mr Oolbsok has latoly been addressing hh constituents at various placos throughout the electorate. Tho other evening ho harangued the good folks of a placo named Kamo. It is just possible that tho dwellers in Kamo are persons of British birth or dosoont, but we should hardly think so. We should not be surprised to learn that Kamo is a small colony or settlement of Laplanders or African Bushmen, or some savage people not yet imbued with British idea* of political morality ; or of women consisting entirely of representatives of that portion of the sex who value men only according to their worth in money or their matter of fact achievements. At all ovents tho rustics, or villagers, or citizens of Kamo are evidently a people who would not givo a quid for anything less than a quo. The other evening they gave thoir well choson representative a vote of confidence not on account of his private worth, his great eloquence as a public speakor, his integrity as a politician ; nor on account of anything in heaven or earth save and except Mr Colbeok's solemn asieveration that ho would " see the Wangaroi raUway completed to Deep Greek as soon na possible. " Mr Colbeok, of oourse, pledged his word to sco this great work accomplished, and thereupon, but not till then, ho received a vote stating that the people of Kamo placed implicit confidence in him as their representative in Parliament. It would, we fear, be a prostitution of language to apply fine English terms of scorn and contempt to elootors capable of acting as those of Kamo have done, or to a person who manifests so little respect for himself, so little regard for public opinion, so little consideration for the reputation of the Parliament of which he is a member as Mr Colbeok. Such poor creatures deserve to be treated with infinite pity for their lamentablo inability to see themselves as others see them — that is, they doiorvo to be bo troatnd by thoir considerate follow colonists ; but if Parliament has any regard for its own good name, if the Government do not wish to bo branded as strong oncouragers of the vilest log-rolling, Parliament and the Government will see that tho requests made for the prosecution of public works by a person liko Mr Colbeok, who buys a vote of confidence with a pledge to soo a certain job completed, aro treated with the disdainful indifference which, coming from such a quarter, they merit. It is perhaps too muoh, though, to expect this attitude to be taken up by a Government which itself came into power through pledges of a doubtful oharaoter given to Mr Colbeok and hit three friends. To a man like the member for Marsden, for conduct such as he has lately been guilty of at Kamo, Mr Hall and hit colleagues j would be less likely" to offer opposition than to iay, " Well done, thou good and faithful disciple, enter thou into the joy of our souls. For the Bake oi thy past and prospective support thou ihalt verily he rewarded with the completion of the Wangarei rail way." Therefore to Parliament and to publio opinion must we look for the condemnation of suoh deapioablo doing*, and the frustration of the designs of persons like Mr Oolbeok and his constituent* at K*mo.

Our report of the meeting held by the Town Council In it night is, through prosture on our spaco, reluctantly withhold from this issue. The sale of Messrs Fleming and Hedloy'n stook and proportcs will bo ooatjnuo.i today. The salo will ho resumed punctually at 12 o'clock. 'Jho horsed will be offered first, and the sale of the properties will probably oomo on about 2 6'olock. We have received from {ho publishers "A Guide to the Property Assessment Act, 1879," written by Charles M. Crombio, Wellington, and issued at one shilling. We are also in recoipt of a pamphlet on the " Audiphono," an invention that enables the deaf ' to hear thtough tlio modium of the teeth. The number of applications to register on the electoral roU of the district under the new Aols is not, so far, large, about 25 or so being all that have yet applied. It may be as well to remind readers that twelve months' residence iv the colony, with six months' in a particular district, confer tho right of voting for an election. It would also be as well for voters to remember that they cannot be registered after an election has begun. These matters should not be loft till the last moment. At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday there were loVeral onies of drunkenness by first offenders, and Richard Jenkins was charged with using abusive language at Duntroon while in a state of drunkenness, and fined 40s, or 10 days' imprisonment. James Dunn, of tho Australian Boardinghouse, was summoned by the Inspector of Nuisances for neglecting to keep clean his private yard. The Magistrate reprimanded tho defendant, and fin" 1 him 10*. Alfred John Yourtg, 4 years of ago, and Emma Jane Young, 2J years, wore charged with being neglected children, and were sent to the Industiial School, Dunedin, tho former for 10 years and tho latter for 11 years. Tho usual weokly meeting of St. Paul's Young Men's Association, was hold last night, when thoro was a good attendance. The subject of the evening was a lecture by Mr Brownleo on tho "Songs and Ballads of Scotland," illustrated. Mr Brownleo treated his subject in a masterly manner. Ho was listened to attentively, and was frequently applauded. Next Thursday evening thoro will be a debate on giving prize* in schools, Mr Macfarlane will affirm, and Mr Mollison deny the desirableness of such prizes. It is announced in another column that the Roy. S. G. Matthews will deliver a leeturo on Tennyson in the Tees street Hall on Monday evening. During his briof sojourn in Oamaru Mr Matthews has repeatedly given pleasure and afforded instruction to numorous audiences by tho 1 exhibition of sterling powort- of oratory and tho manifestation of large literary sympathies. His lecture on Tennyson should theroforo prove an 6nteitaining insti active disquisition on tho works of the Lnureato, who has done more to delight and elevate mankind than any other English poet of tho current con« tury. Wo understand that a gentleman in Oamaru who takes some interost in circulating reprinted letters and articles from tho North Otsgo Times on a echemo for tho formation of a Penny Relief Fund, haa had copies of tho sheet sont to the vaiious Masonio lodges throughout the colony. He informs us that he yesterday received a letter from tho Wonhipful Master of the Bedford Lodge, 464, Hawke's Bay. From the letter in question we are permitted to make tho following oxtraofc : "Yourpamphlet on 'National Penny Relief Fund' I have received, and I can assure you of my hearty ■uppoii, and I may also say of all my Masonio brethren in this district, at well as co-operation towards tho attainment of such a philanthropic end. The subjeot, how over, requires much thought before it o«n arrive at matuiity. I fancy that the olergy would be found to be able supporters and propagators of the soheme." Language like this should encourage the promoters, who have, we believe, endeavored with some success to enlist the «ympathiea of the colo» nial clergy men. It must be admitted that the scheme is still in a germinal state, but with the advice and co-operation of mon of sonso and benevolence, we feel confident that it will be worked into an admirablo agency for good. Tho Bruce Herald announces that the Tokomairiro Coursing Club has succeeded in scouring the services of Mr J. Conway as judge of the All-aged Stakes at the forthcoming meeting in connection with the Club. Mr Conway brings first-class testimonials from Victoii'a. The Herald hears of a considerablo number of entries, and deems that a very successful meeting ma/- be safely anticipated. Not long ago the English correspondent of the Auokland Star interviewed tho Right Honorable W. K. Gladstone, and had a long conversation with him on New Zealand. Mr Gladstono asked a great many questions about the colony, and prophesied a groat future for it. Tho only fear is," ho said, " that tho country will ovor-load itself with debt." The Star's correspondent replied that ho believed the pledges givon at tho inauguration of the last loan would be kept, and there would be no more borrowing for some years. A long conversation thon took place on newspapers, the oorrisspondent re. marking that in England largo towns liko Cheltenham woro without daily papers, while in New Zealand every little borough seemed to have at least two. Also, that tho tone of tho Colonial press appeared sounder than that of England. Mr Gladstone repliod that that might easily be the oase, as most of the journals in England appear to him to be more or less servile.