The Timaru Herald. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1885.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 3280, 1 April 1885, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1885.

Opinions may differ as to the objects and functions of the Upper House, but the Government have jnade it quite clear by the latest batch of appointments that they regard it merely as a convenient means of pensioning off political followers. On no other principle can we explain the general character

[if the selection which haß just been made. Simple-minded people there are, who imagine that the Legislative Council Bhould form a kind of aristocracy of talent and influence, that Government, m filling up vacancies, should be guideS strictly by a desire to select the best men available — colonists whose names would carry weight with the country, and who might be trusted to bi'ing an access of wisdom to the deliberations of Parliament. The present Ministry, however, do not allow themselves to be troubled with any such considerations as these. If we may judge from their actions they care very little for personal fitness for the honor, so long as there is, as they think, some political end to be served, or some political parasite to be' rewarded, whose claims they dare iiofc overlook. It is a convenient means of rewarding political consistency on the part of their followers, and from the haste with which they proceeded to confer their rewards if looks almost as if they were afraid either the consistency or the power to reward it might not last very long. We do not say that all the uewlycreated Councillors are unfit for the position ; but m the one or two instances, m which men of undoubted ability and standing have been' chosen, it is evident that they have been chosen, not for these qualities, but to serve some political end. Take the case of Mr W. C, Walker, the Member- for .Ashburton, for example. Mr Walker is a gentleman of good social position, . whom everyone respects, and is "certainly not devoid of ability. Mr. Walker might, however, have remained a private country gentleman for ever and a day, and we venture to say the present Government would neverhave recognised his fitness for the Legislative Council if he had not'pi'oved himself extoremely useful m the Lower House. Mr "Walker, we have no doubt, detests the bother and worry of politics. He came forward however at a most critical time for tbe Government, won the Ashburton seat for them when Sir Julius himself could not wrest it from Mr Wason, and worked like a horse as " whip " for the party during the troublous times of last session. His services were undoubtedly valuable ; his reward- has been prompt and swift. In the serene atmosphere of the Upper House he will not have to reflect on the "bore "of canvassing electorates, save as an experience that is past ; and he will not have to be flitting about the House at all hours of the night, buttonholing, cajoling, wheedling, and arguing with obdurate members who will persist m looking at the question from every point of view but the right one. As for Mr Shrimski, it will probably take that gentleman some years before he recovers from the surprise of finding himself m the Upper House, although we -may be- sure it is by no means an unwelcome one, The late member for Oamaru has many good points. He is shrewd, intelligent, and one of the most industrious of members. For all that, he is-npt likely- to add very much to the dignity'of the Upper House. His chief virtue has undoubtedly been consistency —to himself. He was for some time whip to the Grey party, but when the new star appeared m the firmament he left the forces of the Knight of the Bath,' arid ranged himself under the banner of the Knight of St. Michael and St. George. As a " local " member Mr Shrimski was unsnrpassed; certainly no other representative ever succeeded m getting so much money expended m his district as the energetic little man from Oamaru got for his constituency. Fortunately the town is now pretty well covered with . palatial edifices built at the Government expense, so that there is not much room for many more ; otherwise it would be difficult to imagine what it would do now it has lost so invaluable a representative. Captain Morris, of Tauranga, was for years the whip .of the Atkinson party, but ratted at the last General Election. He was rewarded by a seat m the first Stout- Vogel Ministry, but enjoyed the honor for a period of barely 24 hom*s. It was not found expedient to include him ' m the second Ministry, but clearly he had to be provided for, m some manner. Consistency among your own followers must be regarded as a great virtue m politics, but it is questionable whether the want of consistency: on the part of a professed 'disciple of your opponents is not an even*; greater merit. In any case it must not be allowed to pass unrewarded, and so Captain Morris gets his seat m the Upper House, with its accompanying, douceur of two hundi'ed guineas per annum. Mr J. Shephard, the Member foiv Waimea, is a very old member of the Lower House. If venerable appearance were a leading qualification for the Council, he might be allowed to pass m without question, but with a Ministry m power who would limit the appointments to a certain number of years, so as to keep the Upper House always fresh and skittish, it is not so easy to fathom the reason of Mr Shephard's selection. Tears ago he was a Vogelite, but somehow or other his,services did not seem to be properly appreciated and so he became a Greyite. Last session he once more returned to his old love and no longer finds his affections unrequited. Mr Robert Pharaicyn, . of Wanganui, is best described by saying -he is the son of his father, the Hon. C. J. Pharazyn. The eccentric notions of the latter on the subject of voting twice at elections got him into some trouble, disqualifying him m fact for every public appointment, except his seat m the Council, which he continued to retain for some years. He resigned the other day, and it looks very much as if he did so on a compact that his son Robert should be appointed m his place. The new Councillor is a man of considerable ability, but is not particularly popular m his. district. Mr Swanson's appointi ment Is evidently made to please the Auckland people, with whom he is a great favorite. He is an unpolished, uneducated man, of considerable force of character, and occasionally of language to boot. He was defeated at the last election by Mr J. M. Dai'gaville. The latter would not have been successful but for a somewhat singular incident during the contest. The rival candidates met one day during the election. There was an exchange of epithets, and Mr Swanson struck his opponent with his stick. Mr Dargaville remained perfectly cool, did not I retaliate, and Mr Swanßon soon found that he had lost not only his temper but his election. We eball be eur-

prised if he does not stir up the Legis*; lative Councillors some of these days m a manner that will render certain, of the members m serious danger of apoplexy. Against the appointment of Mr Kenny, of Marlborough, nothing can . be said. He was for some time one of the most respected members of the Lower House, and it is a pity that a few more of the new councillors aye not of the same stamp. Finally we have Mr Taiaroa restored to the position m which he was originally placed by the Grey Ministry. He was unseated because ib was found, as a paid official of the Government, he was disqualified from holding the office. He is decidedly one of the best stamp of Maori members. We had almost forgotten Mr John Bathgate, ex-District Judge and Apostle of State Banks. Mr Batbgate can boast of having been a Minister, having held office m the Waterhouse Ministry m 1872-3, the Fox Ministry m 1873, and m the Yogel Ministry 1873-5. He has numerous " fads," but as far as antecedents go, is quite qualified for his new position. We suspect he owes his elevation partly to his old acquaintance with the Colonial Treasurer, but principally to the influence of bis bosom friend Mi* Macandrew, with tbe present Government. In regard to their appointments, the present Government bid fair to eclipse even the Grey Ministry for political favoritism and jobbery. We say this with the less hesitation, because we have not been slow to acknowledge their good points whenever these were apparent. We have given them credit for originality and fertility of resource, and for taking as far as possible a i broad colonial view of questions of the day. As regards one of the most important of their executive functions, namely, the filling of the higher offices of the State, they have shown themselves utterly unworthy of the trust reposed m them by the country. By filling the Legislative Council with time-servers and turn-coats, they will soon cause the " honor " to Btink m tbe nostrils of the ablest men whom the country would gladly welcome into its service. So too, the Government" that does not hesitate to put an ex-nightman on the Commission of the Peace, as has been done by the present Ministry, are not paying a very high compliment to gentlemen who have worthily occupied the Bench m the past, nor are they tendering the appointment attractive to those most fitted to adorn it m the future.