NOTES FROM THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 1956, 20 August 1891, Page 32

NOTES FROM THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT.

" A inapper-up of unconsldered trifles." — WinUr's Tale.

No. VII.

I'd make a very model of a modern Agent-general, I've information pastoral, commercial, and mineral ; I know the Knights of Labour, and can quote their

lohemes historical From Ironaand Smith to William Beeves in order

categorical. In short, when I'm appointed and reoeiving very

handiome pay, You'll iay a better Agent-general has never yet been cent away.

Such, if we can believe the lobbyists and the Opposition press, is the song the Hon. Mr Ballance daily hummeth to himself. Me Ballance, however, is silent, and refuses to be " drawn." Stout is to be Premier, says one; Seddon Leader of the House, sayß another ; but no man knoweth the truth thereof, and as time rolls on we shall see — well, we shall see what we shall see. Meantime the Opposition and their friends says the Government are driving tbe coloßy to the devil, and the Ministry and their friends say they are providing measures which will result in the salvation of the country I Such is the highly interesting, though somewhat puzzling, game of politics, as played in the Empire City in the year of grace eighteen hundred and ninety-one.

The oritical point of the game was entered upon on the evening of the sth of August, when the Hon. the Premier came down — " like a wolf on the fold" — with his Land and Income Tax Bill. No sooner had the Premier concluded bis speeoh and moved the second reading of his bill, than .the Oppositionists pounced upon it and prepared to tear it to pieces. First of all came the Leader of the Opposition with a good speech, then Mr Soobie Mackenzie with some choice language and a large number of rather illassorted figures, which the House found some difficulty in swallowing. Mr Bees, Sir George Grey's henchman, followed talking "19 to the dozen," and then the round rubicund faoe of tho chirpy Dr Newman smiled benignly on the House, after which, we listened to the words of wisdom that came slowly from the lips of sedate old Olutha Thomson, and the circua oratory of Mr Sydenham Taylor, who always succeeds in getting the House and the galleries to laugh at him. Thus ended the first lesson. On the following day the debate was continued by the Hon. G. F. Richardson and Californian Thistle Mackenzie who was in good form, and managed to put a spike in the Government's cannon. On Wednesday we have Sir John Hallclear, earnest, logical, and careful Sir John, with a speech bristling with points. The Minister of Justice must, needs follow such heavy artillery, and as he traverses the ground over which the debate has come he turns to read Soobie's figures and to slaughter one or two of the Oppositionists, but the latter withal look as if they were thinking, " Wa don't care a dump for Mr • Sooial Pest ' Reeves, or tbe carpet-bag politicians whom he drags at his chariot wheels. Then Mr Saunders makes a ludicrous mistake." He deprecates that hon. members should have descended so low as to introduoe swearing into the bill. "Who swore," asks one member. "The late Minister for Lands," replies Mr Sauriders, and being pressed still further, he added : "He said the Government were driving the country to the «[vil ! " whereat there is a great shout of Opposition laughter to the entire discomfiture of Mr" Saunders', for what the hop. member for Mataura had said waa tha t the Government were " taking the colony to & deficit ! " Mr Hutohison — the young Obadiah — who has been lying in' wait for Mr " S. P." Reeves, then seizes his opportunity. Mr Reeves has said that Adam Smith criticised adversely Pitt's income tax. Smith, young Mr Hutchy tells us, died "nine whole years before!" and there is another explosion of laughter as the Minister of Justice is knocked off his perch in one act by the member for Waitotara. Soon after all this the division bell rings. " Lock tbe door ! " " Ayes to the right ; noes to the left ! " comes from the voice under the Speaker's canopy. The tellers take their stand at the lobby doors ; members file out and then in again; the votes are counted. " Ayes 41, noes 16 " is the verdict, and as the result is made known loud Ministerial cheers rend the air. On Friday the bill stalks into committee, and, all things considered, gets on fairly we)l< On Tuesday we meet again. Members have had, a few days of calm, and the holy Sabbath has intervened ; but instead of a soothing influence, the interregnum only seems to have had the effect of ruffling up the feelings of honourable members, and of Government supporters in particular. It is afternoon, and the electric light is just waking up- to a cold incandescence. We are getting to a critical stage of the bill now, and hon. members are on the gui vive. A voice breaks through the conversation hum. It is Mr Shera, bedad ! in earnest tones claiming exemption for all improvements. The Premier procrastinates. He wants time — another year. The Knight of Kawau follows. He is thinking of the " unborn millions "—"" — " the little ones who will soon be here," et hoc genus omne— and in graud form he seems as he strives in his wily way to make an impression on the Government. But it is of no avail. Mr Saunders follows — melancholy-looking, croaking Mr Saunders, looking like Poe's raven, or as Moses might have looked after the accident to the tablets. "If we ruin the towns we do no harm," is the extraordinary text Mr Saunders opens with. The House laughs at him, but he wanders on, and as wo listen we think some politicians should be put oat by the night for putting cross babies to sleep ! Mr Fish — virtuous, calm, unimpassioned Mr Fish — goes "agin the amendment " which has been moved by Mr Shera ; and then we have Grey and Fish and Shera and Fisher, and Fisher and Shera and Fish and Grey— in short, as pretty a kettle of fish as one could wish to see — all struggling and fighting and quarrelling one with the other until supper time. Supper does not seem to improve Mr Fish. We don't know what he has had for supper, but we know it has not calmed him. In faot, he is very indignant and very violent. At length he apologises for bis violent language. To hear Mr Fish spontaneously apologising for his violent language is something to live for. The House simply roars with laughter, and once mere we have Fisher, and Shera, and Fish, and Grey, and thus the committee gets through its work ! The Opposition look oa amused. " There is something in the misfortunes of others," &c, &c, they seem to be thinking, and these little dissensions in the Ministerial sheepfold do not displease them. We go away moralising. These be our gods ! Shade of Thomas Carlyle ! We almost wish the sage of Craigenputtock were with us to-night. We should hear something good, no doubb. Carlyle once took Emerson through the slums of London, and even after that the large-hearted sanguine Emerson doubted the existence of a devil. Carlyle then took him to the House of Commons, and as they were about to take their departure he asked him—" Do you believe in a devil noo ? " Wo, too, have not believed in a devil. As we descend the narrow stairway through the foul atmosphere to-night our unbelief is somewhat shaken.