PARLIAMENTARY.

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 49, 20 August 1881, Page 570

PARLIAMENTARY.

LOBBY GOSSIP. BY JVLEuTRIC TFLEGRAPH. (FROM OUK OWN CORRESPONDENT.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. — Maxwell had a row with Hall the beginning of last July. He did not approve of or sanction the ten per cent, continued reduction. — They tell me Jim Crow Richmond made out Hall's Public Works Statement, and that in gratitude therefor ho is to lie called to the Upper House. — Hurst affirmed, and very truly, that the natives were British subjects. " They are not," quoted Jones, and then arose the consideration how Jones, a Welshman himself, became a British subject. — Men are enquiring here if the disfranchising the province of Auckland by the new representative Bill is a part of the compact John Hall entered into with the Northern four. — Dr Wallis describes the Wellington Post as "an enterprising journal, without conscience, patriotism, or purpose other than gain," and some people say rightly so. — There will be an attempt made during the passing of the estimates to cut down or do away with the Commissioners of Waste Land Boards, it being considered that their functions are nominal and their duties ml. — There are some peeps into politics written in the Time* by " Ignotnp," which have been rend with a certain eagerness. Their authorship has puzzled many people. They are written, however, by Jim Crow Bichinond. — On Monday night old Dick delivered a long homily in theHouseon the liberalty of the Scotch. He assured Northern members that it was the characteristic of the Scotch to deny themselves of that which they were entitled in order to benefit their friends. — By a petition presented to the House this day from A. J. Kenner, late telegraphist in New Zealand but discharged by John Hall for taking part in the telegraphic strike, it appenrs that the New Zealand Go-, vernment pursued the strikers by name throughout the Australasian colonies. — The Post heads its telegram about the Christc'mrch row, " The Society Paper Nuisance." The Wellington people have no society pax>er, and yet they hnvo a Press nuisance in their midst. Dr Wallis calls the PnM man " Dirty Dick," though why he should do so God knows. — Some of the Auckland members think the Government should have been told how to frame their Representation Bill on the principle that if you pay a man to drive your horses and you find that you can drive them better than he, you ought to put him oft: the driving sent and drive yourself. — There Avas no happier and prouder couple in Wellington than the good-hearted little Shrimski and his wife after the Pensions Bill had been' read a third time, and passed. " And has the Billed really passed ?" asked Mrs S. of a friend when the question was under discussion in the House. — Hall's argument against increased northern representation is worthy of consideration. "We have," said the lender of the " swell mob," Chinese in the south who are not represented in Parliament, and you have Maoris in the north, why should one|be represented and not the other ? He denied having said so, but we heard him, though the statement will be excised from Hansard. — It is stated to-day that "Ignotus" is Dan Pollen, and that Ballance is going against the Times for libel, but Ballance has let the story die out. The article says Whitmore placed Ballance under arrest. What matter though he did ; was not Whitmore placed under arrest, and did not Bryce want a whole corps to be placed under arrest because a Maori was thought to have prigged his lunch. — Brodie and Wilkinson yesterday waited on the Premier for several things. *HaH wanted to know if Brodie could raise £8000, and, failing in an answer, Brodie asked Wilkinson. Both members of the deputation said "No." When Hnll was asked if could supply a hundred spinsters to the people of Grabauistown he also answered " No." Whereupon the deputation were consoled about their poverty. — Man a' people assert the Public Accounts Committee hns found, though they don't say so, that Fitzherbert, Gisborne, nnd Pollen have fraudulently Obtained by wny of pension from the Colonial Revenue some £7,500, and lest the Crown should be deemed liable to repudiation through having given a warrant for the payment of the pensions through mistake, special legislation will be introduced to mnke these pensions legal. — The Post is deeply concerned about the depression which exists in Wellington, and has come to the conclusion that it can only be purified by fire. To this end it advocates the establishment of a Government Fire Insurance Company in the colony. When fireruisinsr was a legitimate mode of employment in some of the New Zealand towns some years since the English shareholders were made to help to rebuild the cities. The Po»t woi'ild put the Government in their place. — There is a late insurance agent Ayalking about here like Saul breathing out threateninge nnd slaughter against Luckie in particular and the Insurance Department generally. He writes to the newspnpers, buttonholes citizens, and gets public meetings called to denounce Luckio and all his works like the devil. I took the trouble to hunt up the causes of all this f ulinination and threatenings, nnd found Luckie had been almost culpable in his kindness in condoning the off euces of the officer. — Seddon gave notice to the Opposition that he would not support them any longer because they refused to remain and hear him talk against time on Brett's Flogging Bill on Fridny morning. Brett's Bill was a little worse than Weston's, as it empowered a justice of the Pence to order a ninn to have fifty lasbes, whereupon I hear that Seddon in revenge will vote with Atkinson for the colony to fake over and complete the New Plymouth Harbour Works. — Who said that Levistan Avas the first foreigner in our Parliament? I did not. And then the mail quotes Lahuiau. Bah! there are many others. How Lahman came into the Council, however, is worth knowing. When a Governor went to the West Coast some years since he called a man to the Council, and his choice lingered between Guinness and Lahman, I have been told, and so the two went down on the beach and spun a half-crown to see who should be an Honourable for life with the possession of £200 a year. — A Avell-known Wellington man, two or three clays since, was talking to a leading railway official about rnakiug up trains on the Wellington line so as to avoid accident and disaster.and the interest that Richardson, late Minister for Public Works, felt and displayed about the subject. The railway man remarked, "I am a inechnnicnl engineer, and I know better how to do this work than Richardson." " The public may not think so," was the mild response. "Damn the public," said the irate civil servant, " what do we care for the public." — Brodie says he has come to Wellington to form a branch of the Thames Young Men's Christian and Whisky-drinking Association, and he has brought the Mayor of Grahainstown with him to act as aide do camp, and to aid in imposing on the credulity of the Southern people the virtue of the mission. Brodie is well liked down here, being known as the most successful beggar haunting Wellington. Old Whitaker .tella Atkinson to look sharp after the Government spoons when Brodie is about. — We get some funny things on the order paper occasionally. Pitt asks the Government if they will, during the present session, bring in a bill for " for the prevention of smuggling and increase of revenue." Wakefield, who should know better, speaks of the Ashburton County Council as w/iom, and says further that " eight piles already attempted to be driven," and that " machinery has broken -in the attempt to draw the broken piles." The schoolmaster wants to pay the House a visit. If men only resembled Johnny Martin and held their tongues they "vould do better. — The Railway Construction Bill i<* erroneously called an act to get rid of Crown lands, and a bill to increase the profits of promoters of companies and

the welfare of railway contractors. It is wretchedly and stupidly drawn ; it gives companies power to make bye-laws, but not to enforce them ; it makes the com* panics draw Crown lands by lot, but provides no machinery for drawing 1 . Weston, Travers, the AttorneyGeneral, and other lawyers have drafted it with scores of snch ludicrous results ns I have mentioned above. It reminds one of the Law Practitioners' Bill prescribing an examination of candidates in " good fame and reputation. — Poor William Sefton Moorhouse will hardly see again the light of the sun or moon, his friends fear* He is sick almost unto death. Not only was he our first railway builder in New Zealand, but he sketched out nearly all the Public Works scheme, for Yogel laughed at and derided the proposal before he adopted it. After its adoption, however, Yogel had the manliness to give Moorhouse a letter for publication, acknowledging his indebtedness to his friend's sagacity. This letter Moorhouse has never thought fit as yet to publish. The time seems opportune to remember its existance. — It is not often that the Maori stands forward as a social reformer. He has, however, done so at Gisborne. He hns tenants there who will not pay their rent. Taking advantage of the law, the landlord has distrained for his rent, however levied on the Bank of New Zealand. He holds a title a bill of sale. Of course the bill of sale is valueless against the claim for rent; hence old Whitaker has brought a Bill before the legislature to abolish the preferential claims of landlords. I narrate this circumstance in order to givo credit to whom credit is due. Until I heard all the details I was supposed to give the old man credit .for once for good intentions.