Political Paroxysms

Observer, Volume XVIII, Issue 1022, 30 July 1898, Page 10

Political Paroxysms

Tkk Peemiek : : It is not only the moneylenders that .we require legislation to apply to. There are in this country a few ■unscrupulous members of the legal profession whose charges are equally as bad as those of the usurers.

The Member for Wairarapa: In this House, air, in this House there are several flats. The Member for Patea: Hear, hear. Audible smile from those present.

'The electors of Auckland have fonnd that I am a necessity in Parliament, and I think the time is coming when you will find that you cannot do without me.' — Crowther.

George Fisher : We have in the Wellington City Council at present twelve men who, if pat to the population as a whole, would not be elected to represent them on ft parish vestry.

'Wealthy land owners, brewers, and hotel keepers wield an enormous influence in local politics, and it is highly undesirable to accentuate it by the plural voting Byatem.' — O'Regan on the. Municipal Franchise Reform Bill.

Mr J. Hutcheson : We have the fact now staring us in the face that there is a ' Blump ' in ' bikes,' for at an auctionmart in Wellington the other day hundreds of ' bikea ' were Bold for what they would fetch.

'Take the maritime law. That waß labour legislation, and what is it doing? These ia not a young man in the North on a steamer or a sailing-vessel who is fitting himself for the maritime profession, or to be the master of any vessel in the future of this country ' — Mr Monk.

Mr Fißher : In New Zealand we appear never to be satisfied with the thing we have.

•*• '\ .'. The Minister for Lands (replying to a question by Mr Herries as to Borne road works down his way) : It affords me very great pleasure to tell the honorable gentleman that he represents a portion of the colony where settlers do not want work. It appears to me they are either too indolent to work or so well off as not to need the work.

'The grand jury is great protection against what might be termed the despotic influence of the Government of the day.' —Hon. Mr Rigg.

E. Thompaon : It is all very well to say they (the electors under the Municipal Franchise Reform Bill) will have no voice in . raising a loan, but they will have a voice in electing members to the Borough Council, and those members will have the power to levy rates and spend them as they think proper, which comes to the same thing.

' Go to the big mills, or to any of the big industries in out-of the-way country parts, and you will find the workmen themselves evading the Truck Act.' — Mr Monk.

Mr Joyce: Tae greatest achievements attained throughout the colony in standard examinations had been in Ofcago and North Canterbury ; and why ? The members of the Boards of Education in these districts, in their wisdom, appointed Inspectors of the highest culture and qualifications, and paid them commensurate salaries. That is not the case with some other Boards.

'At one time almost the fate of a Ministry depended upon the Howick wharf.'— The Premier.

Hon. D. Grace : Scotchmen are everywhere predominant, and not even the ' heathen Chinee ' has a chance of making a living in Scotland againßt them.

The Hon. Rigg : If yon have a really good case you always try to have as many respectable and intelligent men on the jury as you can get If you have a bad case you immediately eliminate every respectable or intelligent man from the jury, and every man of honour, on the chance of reducing the jury to a state of bewilderment.

Captain Rusßell (referring to Mr Montgomery) said they could Know from the votiDg on the no-confidence motion that that honourable gentleman was not with the Opposition, at any rate. Mr Seddon : It is donbtful which party has got the most of the honourable gentleman.

Captain Baasell : I have no doabt the Opposition has, because the heart of a man is his most important organ, and the Opposition has his heart and his brain— the body, unfortunately, was found in the Government lobby.

1 We are fully fifty years behind the age in the municipal electoral franchise.'— George Fisher.

Mr Ward: There are more cyclists in Danedin, Christchnrch and Wellington than there are ratepayers.

Mr Monk: The Track Act has not secured for the people of New Zealand any privileges they did not have before.

'In respect to the passing of children attending State schools, it is a system of cram from top to bottom.'— The Premier.

Mr Crowther : The Premier, sir, shakes his head. He aces we are dropping down to some of hia dodges

Hon. Mr Bigg : The intelligence of the common jury is equal to thac of a Bpecial jury.

1 This colony appears to me to be made the testinggronnd for all the legislative experiments that can possibly be conceived by the mind of man.'— George Fisher.

Mr Duthie : We know that the class of men employed on these co-operative works are principally inferior workmen — the failures of life.

' No man can honestly say that there is auy particular class in this colony without admitting that he knows very little about our circumstances.'— Hon. Dr Grace.

Mr Houston : A Royal Commission sat daring the recess to inquire into the Austrian influx, bat, like all other Boyal Commissions, it simply was a waste of time and money.

'It is becoming thoroughly believed throughout the country that there is intentional evasion in answering questions affecting the true financial position of the colony.' — Capt. Russell.

Mr Mills: Whea people complain about minorities not being represented in this House I think it is really the fault of the minorities themselves that each is the case.

' There is at present a thirst in certain quarters for change, change, change, no matter whether it is for better or for worse, so long as there is a change.' — Hon. Downie Stewart.

Hon. Bowen : The very men who ought to lead and help petty jurors in their responsible duties are taken away to serve on the grand jury, and the petty jurors are bo far weakened.

' I have in my mind a case where a Maori borrowed £1. He was charged 12a 6d for interpretation, £1 12s 6d other charges, and 5s for something else. That £1 cost him £3. There is no doubt this usury demands attention.'— Premier Seddon.

The Hon. Bolt : Four-fifths of the class of men who used to be on the special jury list in England forty years ago would in tellectually be on a level — in fact they might be lower— certainly not higher, than the common juryman we have now in this colony.

' There is a rough sort of justice done by the electors of this country, and they return the representatives to Parliament that they aait, and that suit them and we shall do no good by altering or tinkering with the electoral lawa of the country.' — Wason on the Absolute Majority Bill.

Mr Hogg : The people of Canterbury every session come here with some argent want, involving a large sum of money. One time they are thirsting for railways, another time they are thirsting for coal, and no coal to be found ; and now they come telling as they are thirsting for water. They want a special deluge to themselves.

The Premier : Under the present system there is a good deal of log-rolling as regards the election of members of Education Boards

Mr Meredith : Very little. Mr Seddon : It might be so in Canterbury, but I know where it used to go on. For thirteen years I have been a member of a school committee— chairman of it.

An Hon. Member : That is where yon learned it.