LOBBY GOSSIP.

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 46, 30 July 1881, Page 514

LOBBY GOSSIP.

— At present no one in the House can tell how Swanson will vote. Whichever way he goes he will take Hurst with him. — Trimble's oration is termed his "last dying speech and testimony," but not swanlike in grace. — Moorhouse still continues to be very un« well, and will not be able to attend in his place in the House for some days. —During the debate on Friday afternoon "Goosy Gibbs," as he is called, talked the House down to twelve Members, when Harris had the bell rung for Members to roll up. — Hurst, it is said, has not yet made up his mind. He states that he wants to hear the remarks of the various speakers, but he is looked upon as a safe thing for the Government. — The New Zealand Times, by attempting to coerce Hutchison to vote for the Government will help very materially to assist those who desire the next session of Parliament to be held in Christchurch. —The Native Minister is indignant at the Maori Members, and complain that they have treated him with base ingratitude. The Maori Members consider that the boot is on the other leg, and have in effect replied to him, ".Thank you for nothing." . —The announcements in the papers that a requisition has been sent to Richard Holbbs to

contest the Bay of Islands seat with John Lundon, has created some amusement. Hobbs is going to stand agaiust all-comers, and the present Member also means to endeavour to keep Hobbs out at all events. — 'Hall has largely increased the pension list during the past year. He gives a party _ to-night. — The Dunedin printers say they will give a block vote against Dick, the Radical and Covenanter, at the next election. — The Avcather has been fearful for a Ion" time. It has resembled the time when Paul was shipwrecked, "neither sun nor stars for many days appeared, and no small tempest laid upon us."' — On Tuesday night, a little before midnight Tole was sitting on the Treasury bench by the side of Atkinson, the Treasurer being the only Minister present. Shrimski, always full of fun, hangs out a placard on the benches, "to let," to the amusement of those who beheld it. — Old Fox's report as a Royal Commissioner is out. I told your readers before that the old charlatan had done nothing. He had over 260,000 acres of land to get Crown-granted for the natives, and all that he has done, or recommended doing, has been the proposal to issue Crown grants for 5,073 acres. Of this amount Hone Piahama, the partner alleged of Parris, has got one block of 1,834 acres, and another of 434 acres. — Every Member has a division-card, and very few cards show the same results. Having seen a great many of these reckonings on both sides, I will give you what in sporting phrase is called "the tip." The Opposition will either lose or win by one vote in a full House, but a tie may take place, and everyone knows that O' Rorke will follow the Constitutional precedent and vote for the statu quo ante. — The usual absurd rumours are abundant, and a great many people look like the embodiments of mystery itself, and will draw you into dark corners of the lobby to let you see their correct list of the new Government. It is an amusing fact that nearly all the Members who construct these probable Governments invariably leave out their own names, but are careful to explain that they are quite content on party pressure to sacrifice themselves on the official altar of their country. — The Government refused to give the Opposition a pair for Finn, who Avas absent at Gisborne, on the ground that they had a telegram from him to justify their refusal. Upon that Finn Avired the Opposition Avhip an urgent telegram to the effect that the statement of the GoA'ernment in regard to his vote Avas false and scandalous, and that lie meant to stand by and vote Avifh his party, and that a pair having been refused him, he Avould be compelled to make a personal sacrifice to be present in the Honse, and Avould reach Wellington on Sunday. — Bunny's vote Avas a matter of some contest. He had gone to Wairarapa, and on his return being made known the Government party managed to get first to the railway-station, and succeeded in "bagging" him. Men say here, in regard to Sutton, that he has killed himself bj' his attack upon Ormond. No one can account for his action, as it is Avell knoAvn in the House that the party Avith Avhom he is now leagued intend to drop him at the end of the session. — When Joe Farjeon Avas in NeAV Zealand he Avas in the habit of travelling about a great deal. Whenever he came to a A'illage where there Avas a neAvspaper published, he invariably Avent in and set a few sticks of copy. In the next issue of the paper an announcement Avould appear that the celebrated Mr Farjeon, the author of " Griff," had paid the settlement a visit, that he had made a long or short stay, that he AA'as looking well, and Avas collecting materials for some neAV novel or something of the sort. lam reminded of the anecdote by seeing Teddy Wakefield's Avork in the New Zealand Times again this morning, Avhere, having the chance of a free advertisement, he must needs advertise "Teddy Wakefield." He cannot write a Press message Avithout so doing. He evidently knows no other person Avill do so. — Mr Whitaker has f orced his Banking Bill through the Council, and the clause I object to is the one that provides that if anyone Avrites the name of "John Abbott" on a' bank note, John Abbott is liable to a fine of five pounds for every note in circulation, unless he can prove, to the satisfaction of the Court, that he did not Avrite it ; and in order that John Abbott may have no doubt on this matter I send you the clause as passed — " 14. If, after the issue of a bank note, any person pays aAA r ay, puts in circulation, demands payment of, or deposits in any bank such bank note on Avhich is Avritten, printed, or stamped, or marked, his name, or any number, device, printing, or Avriting of any kind, relative to such person, or his trade, or business, or affairs, he shall be liable to any penalty not exceeding fiA r e pounds, recoverable in a summary A\ r ay." Thus, if any person Avrote "John Abbott, accomodation agent, Auckland," on every note he got, John Abbott Avould soon be in a bad way. The only Avay to alter the laAV Avill be for all men to Avrite on all bank notes "Frederick Whitaker, solicitor, Auckland." — Considerable excitement was manifested in the lobbies by the rumour that McLean, Avho is connected Avith the Union Steamship Co., has Avorked the oracle in regard to the steamer going South, in which Driver and Pyke intended reaching Wellington. Inspection of the time-table gave colour to the rumour. The Opposition managers having made inquiry, Avere satisfied there would be at least one independent steamer leaving Lyttelton to secure the attendance of these members. At the same time, it Avas considered quite on the cards that the steamer Albion, Avhich in the ordinary course should call at Gisborne, and by which Finn Avould be a passenger, might either by accident or design "be compelled by stress of Aveather "to giA r e that port the "go by." Arrangements Avere accordingly made to have information by urgent telegram of the arrival, or non-arrival, of the Albion at Gisborne at her proper time, and instructions were . meantime sent to prominent supporters of the party at Napier to arrange for the despatch of a small steamer from that port to Gisborne, if necessary, thus enabling Finn to get to Napier, and thence overland to Wellington. Ho av ever, the steamer called when this became knoAvn.

— On Saturday, prominent members of the Government party converted the main lobby into a sort of Tattersalls, and were offering £5 to £1 that the Ministerial card would win, but upon being asked by supporters of the Opposition to put their money down, their zeal disappeared. — They say here, in Wellington, outside of Parliament, that Reader Wood will stand in Auckland again on the Grey ticket. His voting with Ormond being the step in this direction already taken. — When Harris, of theiV.Z. Times, published the pension list on Tuesday, ' it was suggested to him to adopt Ned Kelly's expedient and get a suit of armour forged to protect his life against the anger of the pensioners. — Andrews says the pastoral interest is so strong in Christchurch that they have turned the domain there into a sheep run, and that the people are excluded lest they may spoil the grass for the sheep. — Moss's speech on Friday night was one of the ablest discourses on local government we have had through the debate — plain, simple, "abounding in argument, and betraying not only an intimate acquaintance with Colonial history, but a ready and an exhaustive knowledge of a far more difficult subject, Colonial finance.. — Driver, Bastings, McCaughn and Co. want the Government to purchase the Waimea Plains Railway, as it has not paid the promoters yet a farthing. It is necessary that this should be known in Auckland, so that it can be understood how Driver has been backing and filling. George McLean was sent down by the Government to negotiate with Driver. — Bastings, Driver, McCaughan, and Cox have some grievance with the Government about the Waimate Plains railway. Having got £40,000 out of the Government to aid their line, they want more blood ; hence the reason why they are talked about voting against the Government. Under these conditions Hall sends down George McLean to square Driver, but I hear that after all Driver thinks he won't come up. And this is called representative government. | — If God or Satan, as the case may be, spared old Fox's life for an indefinite period, it is considered doubtful here which event would first take place — the dying out of the last descent . dant of the West Coast natives; or the settlement by Fox of the West Coast difficulty. At one period of his life in New Zealand he had some idea of going on the turf, and on one occasion ran a horse of his own in a race, the horse being called the Ancient Mariner. Had the Ancient Mariner only Avon the race, we should have been spared the expenditure of hundreds of thousands of pounds and the effusion of much blood. Of all the political charlatans I have ever met with in New Zealand, Sir William Fox bears the palm He could give Dr Thomas Guthrie Carr two bowers and the ace and beat him without moving an eyelid. — The Taranaki Harbour Board want to bluff Wright in his enquiry into their attairs. Wright being chairman of the committee appointed to enquire into the Harbour business, was bent on summonsing the chairman of the Board to come to Wellington, with the order to bring all the papers with him. Well, the man ought to have come forthwith, but thinking he said the steamer would not call, elected to come overland, and bringing no papers with him, left orders that they should come by the steamer which he did not expect to call. But the steamer did call, and as she was not expected, the papers were not sent. Saturday morning I meet the overland traveller in the lobby of the House enquiring for Kelly. An old man, uncut hair, hanging down his neck, wearing ill cut clothes belonging to a past generation, having a dazed look about the eyes like a bat has in daylight, and resembling Rip Van Winkle when he came out of his sleep, and yet I will back this old Taranaki man against the committee after all/