Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price 1d. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1885. Rumoured Appointment to the Legislative Council.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XVIII, Issue 1683, 1 April 1885, Page 2

Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price Id. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1885. Rumoured Appointment to the Legislative Council.

It is rumoured that the Government intend to make some half dozen additional appointments to the Legislative Council. Thus there will be created six new peers for life, each drawing £2OO a year out of the public purse. As the constitution of the Legislative Council is to be altered next session, and the principle of limited tenure applied to ail appointments of members of that body made thereafter, it is dearly radically wrong for the Government to make any new appoint ments in the meantime. The present Government contains amongst its members, Mr Stout and Mr Ballance, who in the past were the exponents of an advanced liberal policy, and who used to advocate the abolition of the Legislative Council off the face of the earth. Now that these two gentlemen are basking in the sunshine of office, a very remarkable change has come over their political views. They have changed from ultra-Radicals into severe Conservatives, and now seek to uphold, intensify and perpetrate one of the very institutions which they formerly denounced. Day by day Mr Stout and Mr Ballance are showing either by their own actions or by the action of the Government whereof they are members, that their former professions of advanced liberalism were a hollow sham, and merely put f .rtli for the purpose of gulling the people into placing them in power. hat. object has now been seemed and Messrs Mi out and Baltance i.ave tu off the mask, and stand revealed in their true colors, i be names of Mr Lavnach and of Mr Robert Pharazyn are mentioned as being amongst those of the half dozen gentlemen to be called to the Upper House. In the case of Mr Laruach, it would simply be that of a Minister passing from the Lower to the Upper House. But why it should be proposed to call Mr Robert Pharazyn to “ the Lords,” it would be very difficult to give good and satisfactory reasons. Mr Robert Pharazyn possesses no good claim to have such an honor conferred upon him in virtue of either his personal ability, or services rendered to the public. He is a son of Mr C. J. Pharazyn, who lately resigned bis seat in the Council, after having made himself the laughing stock of Parliament and the country by the display of a series of antics and eccentricities, scarcely consistent with the assumption of his sanity. Mr Robert Pharazyn, bis son, some twenty years back, purchased 10,000 acres of splendid laud in the Waitotara block, (North of Wanganui) from the Provincial Government, at 10s an acre, and thus at a stroke laid the foundation of a large fortune. The block had been unjustly forced into the market by Dr Fealherston, Superintendent of Wellington, in order to spite the Wanganui people, who bad raised the cry of “ separation from Wellington.” Mr Robert Pharazyn was therefore enabled to obtain his magnificent estate for a mere fraction of its real value, and the land which originally cost 10s an acre, is now estimated to be worth £lO to £2O an acre. That is the way fortunes are »»«nde and people become *' Lords ” in . ; During a visit of Sir this cohmy '-nd. Mr Pharazyn William I ox to Lngm,.. , -ttikei was put up for the vacant Rang., seat and elected. Once in Parliament Mr Pharazyn turned upon his friend Dr Fealherston ; but a general election coming off soon thereafter, the influence ot the Wellington Superintendent turned him out. Then Mr Pharazyn went to live at Wanganui, but save that be was for a year elected its Mayor, he never rendered any further public service. Mr Pharazyn is of course on the side of the big landed interest, and used to be denounced as an nbsiruethe to progress hy Air Ballance, in his organ the \t ai ganni Herald. J here was vers pretty skirmishing in I hose day s when Ballance dubbed Pharazyn as “ Lord Dundreary,” and the latter replied by describing his assailant as ‘‘ Beales and “ the small travelling hawker ol pinchbeck watches and Brummagem j.-wellery.” But times have changed now and Ballance the erstwhile blatant Demagogue and “ howling Radical,” now bolds out the hand of amity and friendship to his former enemy. Seriously speaking, it appears to be monstrous that “ a Liberal Government ” should propose to call to the Legislative Council a man like Mr Robert Pharazyn, whose opinions are diametrically opposed to those which they profess, and who besides is one of the biggest land monopolists on the WeM Coast of this island. But “ there are wheels within wheels ” in regard to this proposed appointment. Mr Robert Pharazyn is a member of one of “ the reigning Wellington families ” who assume to possess the right to become “ Lords.” ilia father, the Mon C. J. Pharazyn, was until lately a 11 Lord,” but having resigned his seat in the Upper House, has appa. reutly made a bargain with the

Liberal ” Ministry to continue the succession to his sun. Certainly, strange things are sometimes done by a Liberal Ministry in a colony where the [>ower of the people is supposed to be supreme, and the bui ding up of a special ruling class impossible. The other names mentioned as those of possible new “ Lords ” are those of Mr C. C. Bower, Mr Launcelet Walker, John Bathgate, S. E.Shrimski, Captain Q-. B. Morris, Joseph Shephard, William Swanson, Captain C. W. A. T. Kenny, and H. K. Taiaroa. No personal objections can be taken to those gentlemen, but our contention is that with changespending in the constitution of the Legislative Council, no fresh appointments to that body should in the meantime be made.