PEARLS AND PARLIAMENT

Free Lance, Volume V, Issue 218, 3 September 1904, Page 16

PEARLS AND PARLIAMENT

BELLAMY'S was well conducted, and it was absui d for any one to suppose that free dunks were given — Mr. Colvm. ♦ * * I believe the North Island Main Trunk Railway is going on quite fast enough; it is coming to a howling wilderness, as I have stated before, or sixty or seventy miles extent, and it would take ten years' traffic to pay for grease for the wheels for one trip. — Mr. Symes. ♦ * * If the Government authorise the \ines applied for by their own party, and not those of tlhe Opposition, the latter will have reason to complain; while if they authorise those applied for by the Opposition the Government members will kick over the traces ; and if they authorise the lot there will be no money to make them. — Mr. Mander. ♦ * * Let me tell members who have been urging the requirements of their particular districts that if they do send in written, applications they will find the result very unsatisfactory — something like pap, a food for babes and sucklings. — W. Eraser. ♦ ♦ * I should be almost prepared to forego the railway in my district if I saw one Minister standing out against his chief when he knew the right honourable gentleman was wrong. — Mr. Berries. • • • I unhesitatingly assert that the pre-sent-system of constructing railways — it cannot be termed a policy — is_ the most incompetent, the most unbusinesslike, the most discreditable, and the most wasteful it is possible to conceive. — Mr. Alison. • ♦ ♦ A remnant of the people of Ashburton. still possessed a taste for liquor, and they would get it by hook or by crook ; and, while some got it in twogallon kegs of beer, others obtained quantities of grog. — Mr. McLachlan. * ♦ ♦ One little girl whom he saw at a quarter past nine at night — and it was a very wet night, too — told him that her age was under ten ; and another little girl who wa® selling papers in the street a few weeks ago was between eight and nine years of age. The statute law of England provided that children should not trade at all under twelve. — Mr. Ell. • • • Master-Gunner Richardson was a most valuable artillery officer — the most valuable the colony had ever had. Instead of being worth the salary that was paid to him, which was, he believed, about £300 a year, £1000 a year would be only a moderate salary to pay him if the splendid services he rendered were taken into consideration. — Mr. Field. * * * If the Government wished to take some effective means to prevent quacks from advertising in undisguised language and in a most objectionable way — let them proceed under the Police Offences Act, and, if that means wa.s not effective, let them ask tihe House to consider what would be an effective check to the evil. — Mr. Remington. * * * A certain gentleman, who had been in charge of the Government Veterinary Department, had run amuck among the cattle in Hawke's Bay, and in some cases destroyed twelve out of sixteen, thirteen out of fourteen, and pretty well destroyed wholes herds. — Mr. Wilford. • • * In regard to the increased bulk of "Hansard," the explanation was an easy one. The Premier was a reformer, and it was necessary for a man who introduced reforms to say things over and over again before honourable members opposite could grasp them. — Mr. Wilford. The Right Hon. Mr. Seddon said he was sick and tired of correspondence. He received and had to deal with correspondence before he got out of bed 1 in the morning, and he continued to receive and deal with it till he went to bed at night. Now-anJays everybody seemed to think they had nothing to do but write letters, and that Government had nothing to do but answer them. ♦ • • I met a man once when travelling down the Ongarne Valley, and he said,

"I am going to clear out of this." He had a gun, and had been out to shoot pheasants, and he said irooiically, "I have been travelling about here for thiee weeks. I met a rabbit the other day, and the labbit was crying. I asked what was the matter, and it said, 'I have eighty-five thousand acres of this to feed on, and somebody has introduced! another rabbit, and now we shaJl both be starved.' " That is the kind of country the railway is going through. — Mr. Lawry.

We have leceived a, neat souvenir of the lecent visit of the British footballer in the foim of a letter-card giving strap-shots of the big match, with a photographic group of the British Rugby representatives in the ceetie. It bears the name of Mr. R Brown, stationei, of Wellington, and ought to meet with a good sale. Mr. C. Gibson is now the proprietor of that well-known hotel, the Criterion, a.t Bulls. In a district that is rapidly advancing, and where good accommodation for travellers is indispensable, a modern, homelike, and wellkept hot-el is necessary. The Criterion in the hands of the present proprietor is just the kind of oasis the travel-tired business man from Wellington wants to find, and 1 he will get the best of things, both dry and moist, if he looks in on Mr. Gibson. The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States is an institution that hustles. Latest evidence of this is the publication and circulation of one of the most complete, concise, and comprehensive atlases we have seen. Besides really good maps of every country in the world, every State in the American Union has a separate map, and 1 even the smallest villages arle. shown. The volume is a handy-sized limp' book, and is an exceedingly valuable work of reference. Mr. Geo Robertson, of the Government Insuiance Department, continues to preach New Zealand 1 to the rank and file of Continental Europe in the cheerful strain which distinguishes, him. Another of the instuctive series of descriptive article® which he contributes to "LTndepen dance Beige" appiears in that journal of the 7th July, and forms a capital advertisement of the colony's growth and progress. Mr Robertson eschews controversial politics, but he brings home to the foreign mind our go-ahead story by quoting our statistics of imports, arid exports, bank deposits, and railway receipts.

Mel. B. Spuir will writ© a book on his tour in Australia and New Zealand. It will be worth many a smile. ■c- • * Rumoured that when "Tapu" goes to London the buffoonery of George Reid, which has much annoyed Australians, will be cast at Joseph Chamberlain. * * * "What instrument do you play upon ?" "The 'Daily Telegiaph.'" "What rot, that is not a musical instrument!" "Oh, yes, it is the Reid organ. — From "Fiddle Dee-Dee." * * * This is circulating — "Some of the 'show girls' on with Edwardes's London Gaiety Company are reported to receive £15 per week." To which everyone who knows cheese from clay says "Rot!" with gieat emphasis. From Miss May Chevalier comes au revoir to her New Zealand friends. Her husband, Mr. Hamilton, Stewart, and herself have left for London. Miss Chevayher, however, says that they will revisit the colonies at an early date. * * * Miss Nellie Stewart, who returns to the colonies at an early date, is said to be collecting quite an extensive repertoire of new plays, mostly, it is undeistood, of the powder and patch period. Amongst them will probably be found "Peg Woffington." George Dean, well beloved of Dixian«, writes from "Tassy" that Mrs. Dean and himself have just concluded a lengthened engagement with Mr. Bain. They have accepted an offer from Mr. Hairy Rickards to join his company at the Melbourne Opera House. * • • "Mdme. Sarah Bernhardt," writes Mrs. Tweedie, "is an extraordinary woman. A young artist of my acquaintance did some work for her at one time. He designed dresses, and painted the Egyptian, Assyrian, and other trimmings. She was always most grateful and generous. Money seemed valueless to her , she dived her_ hand into a bag of gold, and holding it out bid him take what would repay him for his trouble. He was a true artist, and his gifts appealed to her. 'More, more,' she often exclaimed. 'You have not reimbursed yourself sufficiently — you have only taken working pay and allowed nothing for your talent. It is the talent I wish to pay for. 5 And she did." "Genius is allied to madness.-" Would that Bernhardt's madness was epidemic.

Cuyler Hastings (says an Austiahan "weakly") is said to have accumulated considerable wealth since he came to Australia, and unkindly adds that ' he might devote a portion of it in. learning to act." # * * Paderewski always plays seated on a low, shabby, little chair, which was specially made for his opening concert about fourteen years ago. He was playing in. Pans at a great reception, and Messrs. Eiard did up the chan foi the occasion, but Paderewski would not use it in. its new glory of shining leather and varnish, and did 1 not play until it had been restoied to its former state. * * * At the London Gamck Theatie, in aid of a big charity, was to be dome at an enily date, according to last maal advices, W. S. Gilbert's "Hamlet" burlesque, entitled "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern." with Leo Trevoi , Captain Mai shall. Heniy Arthur Jones, the author himself, Sir Francis Burnand, J. M. Barne, George Bernard Shaw, Lady Colin Campbell, and Mis. Madeline 'Lucette Ryley in the principal parts. Surely a recoid cast'