ECHOES FROM THE HOUSE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 6611, 26 June 1882, Page 3

ECHOES FROM THE HOUSE.

What a pity the three or four gentlemen who aspire to the position of leader of the Opposition did not hold their peace after the delivery of the Financial Statement on the 15th instant. Had the proper course been followed, the House would have adjourned almost immediately after the Hon. the Colonial Treaeurer sat down, and last week we should have had an intelligent debate on the financial position of the country and the proposal? of the Government. Nothing of the kind has taken place, however, and the only member who has attempted to enter on the subject at any length is Mr Dargaville, the representative of Auckland West, who made bis first appearance in the House this session. There does not appear to be any desire on the part of the Opposition, however, to make a combined attack on Major Atkinson’s figures ; but perhaps something may be done after the Christchurch trip. There was some curiosity on the part of many hon. members and the occupants of the galleries to hear Mr Dargaville ou Friday night, quite apart from the sensational rumors that were afloat as to a vote of want of confidence. In Auckland he has for some time time past been regarded as a rising public man, and, though ho has had very little to say in the House this session, his remarks have always been well delivered, and to the point. On Friday night he spoke well, and gave every promise of becoming an excellent debater. The difficulties that have hitherto stood in the way of the selection of a real leader of the Opposition are as great now as ever they were. The “ official ” account of the caucus held on Saturday states that Mr Montgomery was elected leader, with the consent ard support of Mr Macandrew ; but this does not mean much when it is known that out of the twenty members present, eight voted for Sir George Grey. It is greatly to be deplored that the ranks of these gentlemen who oppose the Government contain so many incongruous e'emeats. A real Opposition would tend to make the work of the House go on much more smoothly, for then we might expect the best men to have the first say in important matters, and a lot of idle twaddle from political nobodies would not be tolerated by either side. At present the three half-organised bands which oppose the Ministry and hate each other carry on a sort of desultory warfare, productive of no good, and involving a considerable waste of valuable time. It is currently reported that a split has occurred in the friendly relations that have hitherto existed between Mr James Macandrew and Mr J. W. Thomson, in consequence of the member for Port Chalmers having handed the member for Olutha a note, begging him to sit down at a moment when that gentleman was about to thoroughly expose the fallacies upon which the Financial Statement was based. “ Jamie lo’ed him weel,” but the prospect of a financial aernion of two hours’ duration was too much for him, and ho committed the indiscretion which has lost him a friend. An extraordinary rumour was prevalent last night, and in order to set at rest a natural feeling of anxiety that prevails, it may be well to state at once that there is not the slightest particle of truth in the report that at a late caucaa the position of leader of the Opposition had been offered to Mr J. C. Brown, and that Sir George Grey had promised to enrol himself under the banner of the hon. member for Tuapeka. The whole thing mu?t have been a wicked invention of the enemy. The terms of Mr J. 0, Brown’s present engagement are that ho is to roar “hear, hear,” whenever the Knight of Kawau opens his mouth, and be has no intention of leaving such a congenial occupation for the higher and more arduous duties of leadership. “ Kind captain, I’ve important information,” is just the song for an enterprising special correspondent to sing to his employer ; but there are different ways of getting information, just as there are journalists and journalists. A few days ago, when an Opposition caucus was about to be held, it was discovered that two promising young persons connected with newspapers published in distant cities had the next room all to themselves. As the dividing wall consisted of laths, canvas, and plaster—materials which offer very little obstruction to the passage of sound—those two young men were requested to retire to those portions of the building open to “ strangers,” and not to intrude in the lobbies or Oommittee-rooms again. It may have been remarked that certain members of the Legislative Council are never seen in the gallery that has been set apart for their use in the House of Representatives. Their absence, however, must not be held to imply contempt for the deliberations of the people’s representatives. The explanation lies in the fact that in the “ Lords ” are several gentlemen who are not particularly robust, and who are of opinion that the vitiated air breathed by those who frequent the galleries in the Lower House would kill them in a very few months. Thoj are wise in their generation, and stay away, missing the intellectual treats that are open to them, but preserving their health.

There is no denying the fact that the atmosphere in the galleries is simply poisonous, especially as the hour of midnight approaches. All sorts ot attempts have been made to improve the ventilation, but to no purpose, and those whose business compels them to remain have to do so with the knowledge that they are impairing their health perhaps permanently. Our legislators had better be careful. They know that the eyes of many of the fair sex are always upon them, but do they know that for weeks past a young and lovely creature has been taking notes of their utterances. In a snug corner of the Ladies’ Gallery an indefatigable pencil has been flying over reams of paper, “ taking” everyone, from Holmes to Sir George Grey, and who knows what the outcome may be ? One report was to the effect that the fair one was collecting materials for a poem on the new Parliament, and that a wellknown literary ' man from the South had undertaken its 'pub l ication. Wa shall fee. The presence'l a crowd of ladles in the gallery is generally encouraging to hon. members, hut it is occasionally embarrassing. The other night, when the Offences Against the Person Bill was under discussion, several members intended to “ come out strong” in their denunciation of the ruffians who maltreat women and children, but their tongues were tied in the presence of so many ladies, and their remarks hadto be kept down to the ordi-

nary commonplace level. Mr Holmes’ speech on this Bill would otherwise have been the “spiciest” of the session—something in the style of a Crown Prosecutor's add-ess to the jury in a criminal assault case —while Mr W. J. Steward would have thrown all his “ deceased wife's sister” orations entirely in the shade. Perhaps, after all, it was just as well the ladies were present. •Poor Sir George must have felt hint when the House so thoroughly acquiesced in his statement that ha was “ a man of mawki-h sentimentality,” The chorus of “ No, no” which the hon. member for Auckland Kast expected was not given, and Mr J. C-Brown, from sheer force of habit, was just on the point of calling out “ Hear, hear,” when a discreet friend stopped him. Anyone who objects to the flogging of a dirty ruffian v/ho assaults a child, ora brute who tries to kick tho life out of a woman, may fairly be described as a man of “ mawkish sentimentality.” Then, Sir George must not forget that however great his gift of oratory, aud however pure the motives which have prompted him, he has for the last eight years been talking about the wrongs of the wretched serfs whose unhappy lot it has been to come to thie country to be ground down by the tyrant landholders. Now, the majority of men don’t believe in the existence of the New Zealand serf and the tyrant landholder, and regard the Knight’s utterances on this subject as something wor»e than mawkish sentimentality. What a pity it seems that a giant intellect like that possessed by the hon. member for Parnell should be persistently kept in the very background of politic'. In all the changes that have taken place since Mr F. J. Moss first made his appearance in the House, he has never once been asked to accept a portfolio, and during the present sesiionifc has not even been thought worth while to offer him the position of leader of the Opposition. Yet Mr Moss has not forgotten to let everyone know that he h “ about,” and open to an engagement. Night after night he has risen in his corner with the air of a patriarch, and with a good-natured smile at the excusable dullness and inexperience of those by whom he finds himself surrounded, has he proceeded to set the House right on some point or other. He is possessed of that calm asiurance which can only come of an immense knowledge of all things, and when, at the first sound of his voice, members begin one by one to wander in the direction of Bellamy’s, lie looks at them more in sorrow than in anger, and “ takes it out ” of the unhappy few who remain to hear him. It is to be hoped that some Government will he able to do something for Mr Moss, if only for the sake of getting rid of him. So the “ Legislative spree ’’ is to take place, and next Friday many hon. members will start for Christchurch. Some years ago—after one of Sir Georgs Grey’s visits—there was rather a run on metaphor in the South. Sir George described Oamaru as “a beautiful young maiden rising from the tea,” and some one else referred to Christchurch as “ a sick duck sitting in the middle of a quaking bog.” This was certainly rather too rough on the City of the Plains, which is a very good city in its way, though there is coc much to see when one has “ dona ” the Cathedral, the educational buildings, the Botanical Gardens, and the beautiful Avon. The citizens of Christchurch, who know what they are about, have made up their minds to receive the members with marked attention, and there is no doubt the trip will be a remarkably jolly one. We join with Mr AUwright in the hope that our legislators will not “ make an exhibition of themselves.”