LOBBY GOSSIP.

Observer, Volume 3, Issue 53, 17 September 1881, Page 12

LOBBY GOSSIP.

— The Wellington morning Government organ, remarking on the Governor's absence, considers " tliere is little need for the presence of a Governor in the Colony at all." —It was too bad of Gibbs to tell Hall, when the Premier had been beaten by a majority of one, that lie hoped he would bow to the wishes of the majority of the House. — The "Wellington women avlio are getting revaccinated have the operation inside their knee in order to avoid showing disfigured arms at balls, etc. — Moss says the writings of "Ignotus" are a, joint society,' and the writers are instructed by Fitzgerald," and calls them Fitzgerald's Young New Zealand School. — When the Prisons vote was under discussion, "Bertie Saverna" said that he had not the honour of knowing the Dunodin gaoler, but hoped soon to possess that gratification. — Lundon wanted to know why the Resident Magistrate at Hokianga hand £300 a year only, and the Resident Magistrate at Gisborne £500. Rolleston said it was because there were so many lawyers in Gisborne. — Sir Arthur Gordon could have obviated all difficulty in going away if lie had taken a sheet of paper and written an appointment of a Deputy Governor before he went away. The question is, has he done this ? — On Monday evening Atkinson went over and sat by Ormoud, with the hope, the Pressmen said, of pumping out his views on the Property Tax, but the sucker was not long enough to reach the depths where waters of strife are stored. — -Hall's irritation about Sir G. Grey's asking for information about the hitch which had taken place in the Governor's going away, arose from the idea that the information lie appeared to possess had been obtained from Government House. — The Government have been likened unto a mercantile firm going into bankruptcy, selling off their chattels at an alarming sacriilce, in the hope of realising some of their assets before the crash comes. — When the Leasehold Qualification Bill came on for discussion and vole on Monday evening, after the second division was taken and the Government was beaten by one vote, Bertie Saverna got up and asked what the division was about and when told its nature offered consolation io Hall. — When the salary of the Sergeant-at,Arm s came up, some members wanted to reduce it from £200 to £150, but Seddon objected to the reduction for this reason. He considered he would be the first man who would be locked up by the Sergeant, and preferred that he should be a gentleman. — Since the time the newspaper men drove Smiler out of the Legislature we have had no such objectionable person in the House as the owner of the painted pig. If I were on an Auckland electoral roll with a full knowledge of what I was doing, I would give the first loafer I met at the street corner a vote to represent the people, rather than I would that waiter on Providence and spangles, W. J. Hurst. — After the exchange of compliments on Saturday morning between Pyke and Seddon, the member for the Dunstan was seen walking about in the lobbies with a club smaller than that of Hercules, vowing vickms wrath to come on Seddon. Rumour hath it that Sir Arth ur Gordon, on his return from Fiji will be transplanted to I New South Wales, the High Commissionership abolished, and the Islands in the Pacific annexed to New South Wales. ■ — Moss wanted old Dick to get some improved machinery for the prisoners in the Auckland Gaol to break road metal with, as he lately wanted to purchase some but was unable to do so on account of the high price charged per yard. Swauson said they had got machinery already which turned stones into slates ; when Moss told the House that Swanson got five hundred yards for nothing. Then Harris appealed to the Chairman to know if it was an order for the Auckland members at three o'clock in the morning to throw gravel and road metal at each other on the floor of the House. The proprietor of the painted pig told Harris that it was not three o'clock in the morning ; whereupon Harris told Hurst that he was not in the habit of taking anything that would prevent him seeing where the hands pointed on the clock at any hour of the night or day, and then he told the Chairman that he had better report progress, as he (Harris) was not responsible for what he did in Parliament after three o'clock in the morning. ■ — It is said that many of the Lords sent their brother Wood to Coventry until he paid Tip the £38 on his honorarium to Reeves. Wood posed as the injured man of honour throughout the whole transaction. In his evidence before the Committee, he said, " I should like to be permitted to say this is the first time I ever stood in a position where my integrity or proper sense of honour was brought into question. lam an old colonist. Many years I sat in the Provincial Council and received no honorarium, though entitled to it ; I was elected mayor twice and was twice elected to the Assembly ; I was not elected for any brilliancy, for being brilliant as an orator, or clever in any way, but simply on account of the thorough belief in my integrity ; I voted myself out of the Superintendency although a salary was attached. I leave myself in your hands,merely asking if you think these are the acts of a man who woidd do a thing of this sort. I shall submit to your verdict, wiiatever that may be. If you arrive at the conclusion that I sold my honorarium rightly

or wrongly, I shall immediately pay the money to Mr Beeves, but Ido not sec how you could.' I hope and believe the committee will arrive at. a different conclusion, for it is a rule of my life to owe no man anything, and while I think it hard to be suspected of selling an honorarium, to be suspected of repudiation would be far worse. — Wakefield, as is well known, is one of the most pleasing speakers in the Assembly. He does not speak often of late. Last session I don't think he spoke at all. When he does speak he likes applause or to tilt at Grey. Monday night was the debate on the Leaseholders' Bill. He got up"and stated that in previous years lie had felt the strong conviction that men should only have one vote. Since that period, however, the House had affirmed over and over again the principle that dual voting was expedient. To the decision, of the House lie bowed. If there was, however, one man in tho country more than another responsible for the existence of plural voting, it was Sir George Grey. In 1878 when his friend the honourable Member for Akaroa, Mr Montgomery, moved for the abolition of plural voting, Sir Q-eorge Grey who was then at the head of the Government opposed the motion, while he himself gave a cheerful support to it. And then he sat down, satisfied with having made a point.