AUSTRALIAN M.P.'S.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7650, 29 May 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

AUSTRALIAN M.P.'S.

[FROM OUR LONDON CORTIK?FONDEST.] I London, April 9. 1 The v. aro three members of tho British House of C'linmone who may be spoken of as Australians. They arc Dr. O'Doherty, late of Queensland ; Mr. Howard Spensley, formerly, though a long time ago, of Victoria ; and Mr. fienniker Ileaton, erst of New South Wales. Of these three, Dr. O'Doherty is very quiet, Mr. Howard Spensley is eccentric aud tolerably pushing, while Mr. llenniker Heaton is the incarnation of Dantoii's motto, " I'autlace, lamine, el tonjoun I'awliuui," Mr. Henniker lleaton's personality looms large before tho gaze, not only of the House of Commons, but of the entire British public. Ho told tie young man from the Pall Mall Gazette that Australians are the cleverest fellows on the face of the earth, and, as an Australian, he foela bound to prove to the satisfaction of all whom it may concern that the boast hold good in his own case. In politics, in the Press, in clubs and society, Mr. J. lienniker lieaton is a personage of almost omnipresent activity, so much ao th.it to tho journalist who watches daily evejit.-i from a colonial standpoint, he becomes what King Charles's head, was to Mr. Dick, namely, something that cannot be got rid of. Ho contrives to make his presence felt, perhaps in a way not always agreeable to the denizens of Club land, at the Cirlton, the H. Stephen's, and the Savage, and wo now hear that ho is contemplating obtaining admission to the Press Club, a modest institution, the annual subscription to which in only a couple of guineas. But a good many members of Parliament belong to it, and a rising politician liko the hon. member for Canterbury Suds it prudent to cultivate the acquaintance and society of the gentlemen of the Press. There aro wheels within wheels, and ho the whirled (world) goes round. How large a portion of tho London aud provincial Press will be devoted to trumpeting p&ane of Mr. Henniker Heaton when he—as no doubt he hopes to do— becomes hail fellow, well met ! with the outiru reporter's gallery, imagination fails to depict. Even as it is, he manages to pull the wirea that move the Pre 33 very adroitly, for scarcely a day passes without the familiar name of Canterbury's chosen one appearing, either at the end of a letter or the beginning of a leaded paragraph, making the British public cognisant of the fact that Mr. J. Henniker Heaton, M.P., is doing .something wonderful, has done something wonderful, or means to do something wonderful as s&-u as time, opportunity, and the fates allow. The hon. member's latest legislative meve has been to ask the House to accede to the principle of an international penny postage ; that is, the principle that a man ought to be able to send a letter from London" to the wi'ds of Kamchatka for the same money as be can send it from London to Brighton. Mr. Heaton, who was very excited about his resolution, had his field day last Tuosday week. He has not yet acquired the House of Commons style, which is simply that of having something to say, and saying it. Consequently, although bin speech reads very well in the Times, it was not an oratorical success in point of delivery, while the speech of the seconder ot the motion (Mr. Reid) was a painful exhibition of ineptitude. An amendment —embodying Mr. Arnold Foster's idea, which Mr. Uenniker Heaton had seized upon, and extended into an impossibility— was moved by Mr. Hutton, the President of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, suggesting the establishment of a penny postage for the British colonies. Mr. H. Fowler, the Secretary to the Treasury, : opposed the resolution on the ground of expense, and gave some interesting par-

tieulars, which were new to many of tho \ British public, as to tho cost of keeping up tho service of ocean liners. Ho said that the loss on our entire ocean postal iepice was already a thouuand a day, and, if an universal international penny post were established, the loss would be increased to nearly half a million a year. After some little discussion, Mr. Henniker Heaton's motion was negatived by a majority of more than two to one. Mr. Henniker Heaton, however, though defeated, attained what was no doubt his object-, namely, notoriety, and an exuuso for writing more letters to the daily papers. He has, however, had the prudence to drop tho " international" part of his scheme, and is now confining himself to attempting to procure a penny postage for the colonies, and he asserts that there is ground for believing that Lord Wolverton, the preaent Postmaster-General, is not adverse to the establishment of a cheap, slow postago to Australia in addition to the present quick one, the mails by the cheap service being sent ', sailing ships. Mr. Henniker Heaton is setting on foot an International Penny Postage League—we livo in an age of leagues--to which he claims to have secured the adhesion of 120 inombers. Mr. Howard Spenaeley has likewise been very active, but, possibly because he is an older man than the hon. member for Canterbury, and, therefore, not able to do quite so much work, he does not occupy so largo a space in the public oye. Mr. Howard Spensley's greati at coup has been the duction of a Bill into the House of Commons, which proposes to revive the "ancient constitutional" practice of paying members for their services in Parliament. The rate at which the hon. member for Central Finsbury fix-s tho remuneration of a legislator 13 £300 a year—a sum which at tho present time many a member of Parliament spenda on his horses alone; This -would entail a cost of about £70,000 a year, which amount Mr. Spcnaley proposes shall be raised, not out of the Imperial Exchequer, but from the local borough and couuty rates. Sir Gavau Duffy's ex - SolicitorGeneral also desires to obtain tho appointment of a commission to inquire into the payments made to members of tho Royal Family, and he haa given in hie adhesion to that mofct hopelos3 of " fade," woman's suffrage.