LOBBY GOSSIP.

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 43, 9 July 1881, Page 474

LOBBY GOSSIP.

I hear there are going to he more unexpected changes in Waikato journalistic affairs. Poor Moorhouse is so much hetter that he is expected to leave Taupo, for Napier, this week. Stevens is supposed to guide the politics of the Christcharch Press. In times past he had somthing to do with providing funds for its maintenance. The friends of Henry Anderson, a Wellington journalist, tell me that he is again locked up for lunacy. This comes of a Scotchman substituting colonial beer for whisky. During the present session, Stevens has heen pressing on the attention of the Government and members of the Upper House, the claims of Wakefield to a portfolio. Now Stephens is a money lender, and he used to be a bill broker. It is great fun to see men racing to catch the Speaker's eye. Shrimski, by dint of longpractice, has become nearly perfect in this wise. He shows the " push " of his race and his life. Many people went down to see the Hinetnoa return, this morning, in the desire to see the members fumigated, and to enquire whether they had been vaccinated or not. Lundon relates that he took Te Wheoro on a hill-top, in Dunedin, to show him the panoramic view of the city ; when the chieftain said the prospect was like gazing on the outlines of a handsome woman. The professional liars in the Empire City have been amusing themselves in telegraphing an alleged fracas between Grey and O'Rorke, the best version of which is in the Christchurch Press. The men have no fear of the fate of Ananias overtaking them. — There is had and heated Wood in the family of Kolleston and Hall. That is the main reason why Covenanter Dick went to Dunedin. He thought prayer would help to heal the breach in the Ministerial camp, and he had a conviction that its influence would be more powerful in a community where Scotchmen and whisky abounded. The wickedly-disposed politicians are speculating as to whether Pollen's pension was mortgaged to the bank. It was a matter of Ministerial regret that not more than four Ministers were on the Public Accounts Committee, and, as Hall remarked, if they had filled up the native portfolios, and put the native holders thereon, they could have framed and carried any report they pleased. When Sir George Grey rises m the House to give a notice of motion, his phraseology is singularly different to that of other men. He invariably says, ' ; I have the honour to give notice." Other men simply say, " I give notice," or " On Wednesday or Thursday next, I give notice." The small difference in the phraseology shows the difference in the culture. Dr Walter Buller dedicated his mercantile visit to the North to a goodly purpose. He not only scoured a block of land at Maotu, he says, for Paddy McCaughan, but converted him to the true Protestant faith. He thinks the Irishman proved a willing convert, being already "half seas over." Those men of missionary descent never, it appears, lose their proselytising tendencies. ;. There was & goodly gathering at Walter Johnston's on Thursday night ; the house adjourning to let members attend. About 200 were preseut, and, as our garrulous and bibulous M.H.R. observed, the champagne flowed like water. Mr W. J. is the most valuable adherent the Ministry have obtained since they came into office. So hard pushed was the Post reporter to obtain the names of the men who attended the caucus on Saturday last, after waiting four hours spent in fruitless enquiries, that he oifered a bribe of one shilling per name for the names of the members present, sagely thinking that to be all their names wore worth. Collins, the memher for Nelson suhurhs, although an old politician, is not much of a financier although he presumes on his knowledge of finance. Thus, on Tuesday evening he, commenting on the sad results of the continuation of the Grey party in power, showed that he did not know the amount of tho last loan, calling the five a four million loan. There are some interesting inventions in the letters patent applied for during 1880. Thus, Lester, of Wellington, applies for a patent, an invention for extinguishing candles. Watkins, of Dunedin, has discovered how to make food from wheat. Chas. Pemberton of Ashley, has discovered that candles can be made out of tallow, while Wanganui swells the list of bene- ' factors to the species, by the discovery, of a resident, how to make a butter chum. # One of the funniest things of the session is Moss draggingup the claims of Farnall again. Everybody thought Parnall had, long ere this, gone to the Whau, and those who did not think that he had been fairly treated, hoped he had died or gone mad. Now that Moss has moved for all the papers on the subject, everybody wonders where they are to be laid when they are found. Everybody down here votes Farnall a d— d nuisance with his Kati-kati claim. He had better try anel get some money out of Vesey Stewart.

Wallis on Wednesday afternoon made a first-rate speech on Hare's Representation System, the best delivered in the House on the subject since WhitaJcer's in 1878. Many people were led to wonder if he were as well vtrsed in the intricacies of the Athanasian creed as in the details of Hare's System.

Reeves says there is a coal seam on fire on the West Coast of the other island, that has been on fire for many years. Three sessions running he asfced the Government to put it out. Hector says the coal is good for nothing. Hence the enquiry arises : How does it burn ? The special correspondent of the Lyttelton Thnes says it is 20 miles long and 3 wide. But, whether he means the coal or the fire, is uncertain. Owing to the discussion which took place at the Government caucus, on Saturday, the financial policy of the Government — the main purpose for which the caucus was convened — could not be agreed upon. On Sunday, however, after church, the Ministry evidently came to some kind of arrangement, as, on Monday morning, the Custom authorities gave the Wellington soft goods men a hint as to the alteration in the tariff that was likely to take place. Commenting on this fact, an Auckland member, whose knowledge of Scripture is quite equal to Colouel Trimble's, remarked, " From which fact it will be seen that the Government are no respecters of persons. In their last alteration they gave the whiskey and tobacco men a chance ; why should the soft goods men be left out in the cold." Old Whitaker has brought down another Bill, tinkering with the Ban7cing Act again. Half of it is about crossing cheques, and the other half is tafcen up with providing a means of punishment for men who deface banfc-notes. The cheefc of these banfcing corporations is something superb. The next thing they will want will be to make their paper inconvertible into sovereigns. In times past, legislators have made the defacing of coin an offence, and now the banks want to do the same thing with their paper. If a man tafees a banfc-note as a promise to pay, there can be no valid reason why he should not write his name upon it, advertise his business on its back, or put it into the fire if he lifces, the latter action, of course, meeting the Bank's approval. The plain cure for this nonsense if it is carried into effect is to refuse all paper money, and insist on having coin. The question has its idiotic side as well as its pretentious one. Why should the Ban?;s want theirnotes not to wear out ? The expense of printing ? In your next wee/c's conundrums propound this one with a five pound bonus, what ban7cs in the colony have more money afloat than they return ? A funny thing has happened at the Native Land Court at Taupo. Major Kemp, whom Bryce sought in vain to ruin and disgrace, told the court at Taupo that in a certain block of hind, he had no claim. Judge McDonald, however, took the rendering of the Native Lands Court Act as it ought to be taken, and determined to ascertain, not who were the claimants, but owners; and proved, to Kemp's astonishment, that he was an owner in a block to which he laid no claim, nor imagined that he had any right" When Fenton hears this departure from his old practice, he will, most likely, in anger, give up fiddling, and attend to his business.

Apropos to this anecdote, I -may as well relate another. When Fenton was down here through the whole of last session, he got complaining to Whitaker, senior, about Wellington, and what an intolerable place it was to live in. The Attorney-General looked at him in the manner peculiar to the man, and said, very quietly, "Why don't you tell the trxith, Tenton, and say you want to get back to Auckland to commence fiddling again?" And then Fenton left once more. In connection with his honour, it is said that when Sheehan was in office he appointed an interpreter to the Native Lands Court, against the appointment of whom the Chief Judge firmly and persistently remonstrated. He wanted another man appointed. The trnth came out, when Sheehan asked the cause of the objection, in this manner : " Why, my man is a good musicirn, and your;s doesn't know the difference between ' The Dead March' in 'Saul,' and 'God Save the Queen!" John has some aesthetic as well as other tastes, and so let the Judge have his way. Some years since I knew a remarkahly handsomo half-caste girl at New Plymouth. Major Parris thought her too handsome to be allowed to mingle among men, and Major Brown thought her nice enough to eat. Notwithstanding the admiration she provoked, she rigidly guarded her charms, and while little more than a girl married a descendant of one of the Jewish tribes. She is now the happy mother of a numerous anp healthy family, in whom the blending of races has produced a happy result. By the maternal side she has large landed claims on the West Coast, both from the Taranaki and Ngateruanue tribes. Being married to, an Israelite, she was not likely to allow her claims to lapse from want of advocacy. Thus, when old Reynard, as Royal Commissioner, held his court at Opunake, there my acquaintance was found putting in her claim. Sir Win. Fox is a lawyer, or professes to be one, which amounts to the same thing ; and you can judge of the astonishment he evoke.d in lay minds when he told the half-caste claimant, " Oh, you are married to a European ; I shall not allow your claims ; make him support you." There is a certain amount of petinacity in Maori blood, as well I know. Last week my claimant went to the House to see Sir William, and to enquire whether he had changed his mind about disinheriting the hero. Reynard was busy in the House over some local option matter — the Jacob's ladder he has chosen to use in his ascension to heaven. My lady went to Sir Williams's room, when the following colloquy took place: — Reynard : "What do you want here?" Claimant: "You might have had the decency to ask a lady to sit down before you enquired her business." Fox (to himself, but Imid enough for half-caste to hear): "Lady, eh?" Claimant : " Certainly. I have had no ancestors engaged in trade on my mother's side, and my father you well know." Reynard :" What do you want ?" Claimant: "I want my claims recognised, and my name put in the Crown grants you ore giving to Hone Pihaina and his reputed partner, Parris." Then the division bell rang. Reynard bolted, and the woman went down stairs and engaged the Maori members in speculation as to what qualifications Fox had for knighthood, which Major Te Wheoro ended by declaring his main qualification was found in his beard. As there are a good many halfcaste girls in the Auckland province, they better remember that, according to Fox, if they marry a European they forfeit their inherited Maori right.