OUR COMMONS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1061, 13 September 1879, Page 2

OUR COMMONS.

i The Hon. J. W. Thomson-, who lias again been chosen to represent the Clutha, lias safc in Parliament for many years, but has not gained anything like a Colonial reputation, though he is well known in Otago. He is a poliiician-of only moderate ability, and his presence in the Ministry has caused no small amount of surprise, and some comment. ITo first became known to those beyond Otago by the fact I that when the abolition of the Provinces was before the country, Mr. Thomson ' was chosen to preside over the deliberations of the convention held in Dunedin. He is a man of moderate ability, and endowed with a fair share of common sense, but he cannot be ranked as a statesman. As a private lance-corporal in a political army he would be a very useful man, but as an officer—and a commissioned one too—he is out of place. His presence in the Ministry is a source of weakness, and he is but a sorry substitute for Mi - . Stout, whose place in the Cabinet he was called upon to fill. We have every confidence in Mr. Thomson's integrity, and every respect for him personally, but we certainly think that his retirement from the Cabinet would be positive gain to the party of which he is a member. Mr. Thomson was for many years a member of the Otago Provincial Council, and had some share in the political struggles of days gone by. Mr. Seymour Thorne George has been returned to the House for the second time. For two sessions he represented Hokitika, and he has now been returned for Rodney, the constituency formerly represented by the Hon. J. Sheehan. Mr. .George is a young man, whose light is yet to be seen, for lie as yet has given no evidence of the possession of any great amount of ability. He is a nephew of Sir George Grey, to whose influence he doubtless owes the fact that he has succeeded in getting into Parliament, and it speaks volumes for the power and popularity of the Premier that he should have secured the election of such a young and unknown man. Mr. George is a thorouglily honorable man, and his presence in rue House is therefore attended by some amount of good. Mr. A. P. Seymour, who has again been returned for Wau'au, is another of those who have S3t in Pari lament for some time. Be is a politician of experience and ability, ihough not what may be termed a great siar in the political firmament. He was for some time Superintendent of the Province of large runs and scabby sheep, and may be fairly termed a good representative of these two great features in the small Province of Marlborough, for lie believes in broad acres and objects to the Sheep Act, because it a'"lis at the eradication of scab. He is

'.veil posted in Parliamentary practice, was Inst session elected Chairman of Committees. Mr. J. B. Fisiii'.i;, the new ropre.-sonta iive for the Buller, is mikmnvn in us. f,, r Though he may have a local roputati.. n his fame lias not yet spread far and \ v j,( ' From what we can loam he is likely to prove a useful member. Tf sn, V>. House and tho Buller will he u'ai tiers i, v his election in preference to Dr. Htn n '. the old member. Mr. Thomas Mason*. Hie elected „f t j Hurt. is an unknoun man. bin. jitdj;., from reports received, his presence in i; ," House is no' likely to add in intelligence of the popular Chamber. ,- t lead to the promulgation of any very ntw ideas. We fear he will be bur a p substiruie for the powerful and lentiif,) ■•-Mr William Fiizherben. who. if uv ;uv nor out in our calculations, was fur years or more honored with the eonlidutee of the Hutt electors. Mr. "NY. A. MrititAV. who lias ,v,r,n' n been honored wiih the conlidence of t} ;c . r>r»ce electors, is not a brilliant poliiieairi He is a man of many small —very sui:ill._ ideas. He is one of those who seek acquire knowledge, oven though j !s acquisition makes them not one whit tho wiser. He is essentially an inquisitive member, and it may safely be said t]i a; 110 member of Parliament has during an? session asked so many questions of ■ :-ivial nature, or moved for so man? returns that lie has not the capacity;', understand, as has Mr. Murray. Jie: 5 one of the wavering class, and can scarce;? be relied upon to support any party fairly, t hough in triuh it must be said he adhere! much better to iSir (ioorgo Grey's pars until last session than lie ever before w.i; known to do. lie makes pretensions d financial ability, but pretension is ti» only term that could bo applied to 113 arithmetical knowledge. He is am» who would not be happy unless * IU 'a! some particular hobby-horse to UL *° death ; but he generally managef. to astride the noble animal of h' -1 ? o,f n creation with •'•s face towards its t u P ;i "i is amazed to find that he makes hti!j progress, .iust now, his particular '"j 3o ; is the drainage of the Colony—a su'J which, like our friend Mr. Peter Aitchr he has very much 011 the brain. shrewdly suspect that it was in cons nuence of the coldness with which t;.; Ministry received his drainage sehenic-i scheme which, by the way, would 1:11;. an expenditure of millions to rend*: complete—that caused him to vote " ay t ' on the 110 confidence motion. The Hun;; and country are not likely to gain 11111 c: from the return of Mr. Murray, and th; b'ttlo they will gain will take the formg , theories and crude ideas both : and of secondary importance when ctta ! questions of policy have to be fuuji.; I out.. Mr. A. Saunders is another of tlu; politicians who have not done much a the past to entitle them to have the;: names on the list of famous?: even talented men who have occttpiii seats in the Now Zealand Parliament He possesses some amount of ability, bo: he is unfortunate in its practical application. He is a fair speaker, but hi; speeches, as a general rule, arc devoted t adverse criticism of proposed measureLike a great many more members of Parliament, lie is sniliciently clever to pull j policy to pieces, but does not possess th power to originate a policy; he cs: destroy, But he cannot create. Mr. J. Ll'N'iki'.s-, who has been chos.-: to represent Mongonui and tho Hay islands, is unknown in the Parliament tile Colony, 'Jioiigh he was for some ye.: a member of the Auckland Provim. Council. He is not a man celebrated;®, the possession of any great amount K abilitv, but in this respect he is no we; than his predecessors in the reprc ; : iation of tin; Mongonui and ]fer t Islands constituency, Messrs. M'Lce.l3; Williams. Neither of the trio evil.?, compared to Mr. Hugh Carletnn, r learned and highly respected, tliot;:: pondrous and exceedingly prosy, gent.man who represented that portion of northern Province for several years. Mr. J. B. "Whyte, the new member:: Waikato, tho constituency represented: rhe late House by Mr. I'. "Whitakcr.j another untried and comparatively known man. He is, however, a imt: some intelligence and ability, and -j probably prove a useful member. !e thing can be said in his favor : Hi highly respectable, and will not lowc:*/ general tone of the House, if he din.-::* succeed in elevating it. ■ Air. A. i>b R Bit an don has repress® the Wellington Country Districts^:® 111 anv years, and is now one of thu l members of the House. He is a lar.i® and was for a long time Provincial &&•* in Wellington ; but lie has failed toKJBB a name for himself. Ho is neither orator nor gifted with a very 'B| intellect. His principal occupation irujß House has hitherto been to pick otiti'JM defects in Bills that other member; failed to notice or did not deem oi. jH> importance. Little things please -S| minds, and Mr. Brandon is nevct-'^B 1 delighted than when he can find t-Bt trivial thing to air his small amm;i.' B eloquence upon. 111 this respect lV 11 8 be useful, but otherwise he has pro ; B himself an almost intolerable bore, »B when he gets up to speak, the ffeffß number of members adjourn to Rulta.B to find a solution there for the iutolera-B infliction heaped upon b.v '-K diminutive member for tho Welling® Country Districts. B