WELLINGTON NOTES.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8508, 30 June 1896, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

(FROM OUR OWN' CORRESPONDENT.)

THE LIBERAL DEMONSTRATION.

With a generosity that does them infinite credit the committee of the Seddon Presentation Committee kindly exhibited the elaborate work of art wbich was presented to him this evening m a shop window, so as to give the opportunity to Tories of gazing on and enjoying the work of art. Having somewhat of a turn for thlugs artistical, your correspondent took advantage of the favor and took stock of the magnificent tribute to the foremost Democrat) of this or any other country. The woodwork eurrounding the testimonial is elaborate and extensive. There is 100 much of it to put on an ordinary shelf : it cannot be hung up, and is perhaps more fitted for use as a throne m the future than anything else. The document it encloses must havo been very striking when new m its wealth of rods, greetis and blues, bub the colors have wilted owing to the long exposure, and the allegorical vegetables have a withered, faded look about them that suggests that the pigments used were nob " fast colors." The illustrious paragon's portrait is surmounted by the Royal Coat of Arms. Far be i. from me to carp at Mr Seddon's righb to annex anything, bub as a loyal subjeob, my impressions have, rightly or wrongly, always been that the Hon and the unicorn were the heraldic devices of Her Gracious Majesty alene. Bub we are always learning something new, and he may yeb astonish us some day by appearing with a crown and so»ptre as symbols of his appropriation of supreme power. The chronicles of his deeds are emblazjnfd m the highest style of Liberal gush iv the centre of the document. Around the n cord are ornamental designs flanked by scrolls beating the titles of tbe various statutes he claims to have passed for the benefit of the people. Commencing with the left-hand top corner is " Electoral Reform — Women," then *' Government Railway Ac," and afc the foot " Advances to Settlers Act." On the other side aro '* Mines and Coal Mines Act,'' " Native Innd Courb Ac*," and, tell it not m G.th, " Kumara Reserve, Education Act" — a record for any statesman to look on with pride. The first will bring to his mind thab awful day when the Upper House drove him frantic by passing ib after he thought he bad successfully throttled it ; the second will remind him of how much more satisfactory the railways were administered by the Commissioners he treated so scurvily ; the third, that i<* has been a means of losing over L 30,000 a year, which the general public have to pay for tho questionable benefit of a limited number of landholders. The Mines Aot haß had to be mended every year Blnce ib was passed, and is being tinkered ab again now. It provided for such inefficient Inspection thab we had a Brunner disaster, and the Amendment Act now before Parliament , has a clans© m ib to give first-class certificates to men who cannob pass their examinations. The Native Land Court Act had also to be radically altered last year, and as to the Kumara Reserve business. It Is obvious that if that retrograde collection of shanties gob a special endowment* for education, then every obher borough m the colony thab his not had equal privileges granted it oughb to rise m revolb. Coming to the oesthetio aspect of the device, the artist evidently leb his imagination loose and his pencil considerable freedom. The ornamentation depicts symbolic beaubies chiefly from thte vegetable world. Some doubt existed >»mong the crowd of spectators as to the identity of bhe floral wealth, bub the consensus of opinion was thao ib consisted of brocoll sprouts, beetroot, Yorkshire fog, briar roob pipes and the historic Levin State farm onion. There are bat three signatures to the testimonial, the first being a brick and tile maker, who is a very decent fellow m his way; the second, the chairman of the Ministerial organ, who has serious thoughts of seceding from the party because of bhe proposed Usury Act, and the third, an advanced woman who has been prominenb m sending round circulars with a view of raklug In L2OO bo pay the cost of the function, and has been appointed to a new and lucrative office recently. The date on this masterpiece is June 22nd, 1895, whioh fully accounts for its weather-beaten looks. Ib oughb to have been presented last year, bub the arrival fr-m London of an illustrious financier aboub that time caused the chez vous to be indefinitely postponed. Enough of that sad postponement ; lb would be nncharitable to refer to the blasted hopes of a thousand guineas promised, bnt, alas 1 never proffered. At the bottom of the parchmenb ihe word •' copyrighb " stands oub m bold Romanjletters, bidding defiance to envious Tories to produce a similar chef d' ozuvre. . The artist may conbenb himself. Not even the National Ass would attempb to steal the sheaf of Oats therein depicted. The ceremony of presentation ia going on as these lines are being written. The weather is wintry, but true Liberal** would face a blizzard when a free fred is m view. The contract price, a ball included, Is ls 7d per head, and on the«e figures a simple rulo of three som may be stated for the locil school children to wrestle with. "If m June, 1895, a Wardian banquet was worth a guinea, and In June, 1896, a Seddonian spread cost 19 pence, how many Liberals will be returned at the general election ¥' DIVERSE OPINIONS. Gr stands for Government paper, O for Opposition. Lyttelton Times (Gr) : "In the commercial aspect the doings of the Ward Association cast a dark blot npon the commercial morality of the colony." Christchurch Press (O) : " The country will not resb content with a packed jury such as that nominated by Mr Seddon." Oamaru Mail: "Mr Ward's speech was an oratorical avalanche which bore down before ib all the opposition obstacles to bhe progress of Liberalism. Those on the opposite benches were struck dumb by its ruthless invective and unanswerable facts which were hurled upon them In a continuous. stream. Though every Minister were driven oub of office, principles will remain which cannot** be removed." North Otago Times (O) : «* We question, if there is more than one man m New Zealand who could write up whab a judge of bhe Supreme Conrb has written down as a fraud." New Zealand Times (The Premier's paper) : "Mr Ward ein truly Bay that * all is lost bnt honor.' Indeed, the completness of bis loss is an increase of his honor." Resolution carried by the Presbytery of Clutha : " Thab this Presbytery, withoub imparting any political color to i's procedure, or involving itself m legal questions, desires to express its gratitude to Almighty God {os the expression of

J high toned morality that pervades tha decision of Mr Justice Williams In connection with the Colonial Bank liquidation case ; and rejoices m the good result- which are likely to follow such a decision m the interests of commercial morality" There is variety enongh there, bub hero is yeb another : O Joseph, m your smartness, We have nover much believed, Wonderous stories of your talent; We have doubtingly received. Tales about yonr strange ac ntenesa In hypothicating notes, We have taken with misgivings, Like Mackenzie took those oats. Since you bottled up those consols, For encouraging of thrift, It was difficult to follow Or to understand your drift. Satire's thrown away upon you, Banter don't with you agree, But toll us, now you've left us, Where is thab Treasury key 1 THE GERMAN SPHERE OF INFLUENCE is extending, and causing alarm among ' the British and native bom residents ' here. The German Syodlcate appears to be au all embracing sort of confederacy, for not only are Wichman and Sohmeiea taken into the Premierial bosom, bub • tho Seddon testimonial rackeb was run 1 by two individuals bearing the throattearing cognomen of Schooh, both being provided with comfortable incomes at tho expense of the State. All examinations m marine accidents, and they have been frequenb lately, have a Von Schoen on the Board of Nautical Assessors, although there are numerous English capbains who are available and are wroth at the consbanb patronage given to the foreigner. Even the wondrous edifice which contains the great Liberal testimonial was mann* ficbured by a German cablnebmaker. People are naturally wondering where this partiality for aliens is going to end, or whether there is a German warship on the way with German silver decorations 1 and a title for the over portfolioed bestower of patronage. On dit thab he Is, j on the strength of having been a mining advocate, considering whether he ooghb ' not to take the vacant judgeship, and being already Treasurer, whether ib would nob be m accordance with the eternal fitness of things, to become president of 1 the Bank of New Zealand. Ab ove time there were limitations to even a Premier, but the "strong pereonal.ty" whioh his followers admire has removed all barriers, 1 and as Jie h^s appropriated the Queen's ' coat of arms there c-iu be no obstacles to 1 bis grabbing such a trifle as a State bank | along with the Treaaurership.