THE NEW ZEALAND PARLIAMENT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8833, 21 January 1907, Page 4

THE NEW ZEALAND PARLIAMENT.

POLITICIANS, PAST AND PRESENT. Mr Booth proposed " The Parliament of New Zealand." He said that no one could desire a more inspiring text for a political discourse. ' The New Zealand Parliament, he believed, had done as many things to excite criticism or adulation, according to the stand of view taken, as any Legislature of its age on earth. If he had been a politician, he would have dealt with superlatives in praise or blame, a© the case might be. As he was not a politician, however, he could not take full advantage of the opportunity. When Henry George, the author of " Progress and Poverty," was at the height cf his fame, he was banqueted by a distinguished gathering in New York. In proposing the author's health, the chairman said, "Gentlemen, I have the honour to propose the toast of ' Our Guest,' the greatest crank on earth. Perhaps," the chairman added, "you don't know what a crank is. I will tell you. It is an instrument for effecting revolutions." (Laughter.) The New Zealand Parliament \vas often accused of "crankiness 1 ," in view of ite tendency to experimentation and its disregard of and contempt for established political rules. There was no doubt that the New Zealand Parliament had at times taken courses which, in the opinion of its critics, were fairly certain to land the country in utter and irretrievable ruin, hut somehow the experiments had not failed as disastrously as the critics thought they should have failed. The country, as far as he was awarej had not been plunged into utter and irretrievable ruin, and if jithe ".crank" only succeeded in effecting a revolution that was harmless, or even j beneficial to the mass of the people, j the situation could be viewed at least I with equanimity ., and the country need j not worry very much on account of the j critic's warnings. There was a time j when he regarded politicians as a kind of superior beings, who occupied a plane a great deal higher than that of the average of poo* humanity. He was very young then, however. (Laughter.) Afterwards there was a reverse of opinion , and he came to doubt whether politicians were not actually below the average. There came another change, and he was now of opinion that politicians were very much like the-rest x Some, were pretty good, and some were pretty bad, and most of them were neither good nor bad. JSew Zealand's. little political world had produced a surprisingly large number iof great and good .men. It; would be invidious to mention names, but- -the name of Rolleston came almost, irresistibly to the lips. He would live long in the people's memories as the highest type of political probity; The name of Richard John Seddon also came up. He was a man in whom his bitterest enemies — or opponents, at any ratefound much to admire, and his colossal figure had made a lasting impress on the history of this colony. There were othere who had spent their . strength ungrudgingly in their country s service. People should speak well ot the living as well as of the dead. The members of the House of Representatives, at any rate, were men of the people's own choosing 1 . It was to be presumed that, in their integrity and ability they had been approved by the general consensus of opinion of the community. They weTe there by the people's will. The Executive for the time being was the cream of the party that -was numerically dominant. Whether individuals agreed with the Executive on every point or not did not matter very much: It was entitled to the people's respect and support. He was more than willing to believe that the public actions of the Executive were dictated by the highest motives, and that its single aim was to lead the country to a high- and noble destiny. He coupled with the toast the names of Mr Wigram and Mr Laurenson. (Applause.) .