The Wanganui Chronicle, AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 1891.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11919, 20 January 1894, Page 2

The Wanganui Chronicle, AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 1891.

The Now Zealand Legislature may not be what it was in the Sixties— bnt it has not fallen to the low levol of that of the Mother Colony of Now South Wales. Anything more discreditable in tho proceedings of a Parliamentary body than tho "scone" described in a fn»v linos in our yesterday's ciVegrams from Sydnoy we do not rememhor to liavo read. Mr Copeland, tho Minislor for Lands, was "on his logrs," addressing the House, when a Mr liindlo rose to a point of order, and asked the Sn9nltor whothor it was competent for a membor to address the House while in a state of iutoxica- ] tiou ? According to tho roport a most discreditable acouo followed. Mr Copeland throatenod t,o " wring that scoundrel's neck," and had to be forcibly prevented from crossing tho floor ts attack Mr Hindle. Tho galleries wero cleared, and the Minister was ordered from the Chamber, which, however, immediately adjourned. Subsequent proceedings uro thus described:— "After tho Houso tidjourned, Mr Copeland loitered about waiting for Mr Hindlo, who wisely departed by tho back entrance. The scene was an extremely painful .mo. Hero was a Ministor of the Crown dressed in a short white duck coat, without vest, hatless, collar and tie awry, sUnding in front of the main ontrauco of the Hoiuo, with a laughing and jeering crowd standing near, some of tho members of it occasionally remarking to tho polico, 1 Lock him up. If he wore a poor man vou would do so.' Sir G. Dibbs and Mr Sutton vainly endeavourod to got Copoland within the precincts of the House, but a general movement of the crowd hustled the whole party into the House." A later telegram informs us that " the Hon. Henry Copeland, Minister for Landa, has resigned his portfolio, and that the Cabinet has accepted his resignation." It is charitablo to suppose that Mr Copeland was " drunk " when he behaved as ho did, and his subsequent enforced resignation and the discredit that has fallen upon the Government on account of his conduct aro tho just consequences of ap- 1 pointing a drunken blackguard to a prominent position in the Cabinet.

The verdict of the Lyttelton Times— the leading Government organ in the South Island— is that the Volunteer system of this colony is " a sham— a costly sham." " The man who compose the Volunteer force, that most important part of the system," observes our contemporary, "are not lacking in the qualities which go to make soldiers— the fact that, under enormous disadvantages and dißencouragements, many of them still stick to tho colours, proves that. They are, however, disorganised, practically unarmed, and discontented. The two chief defects of the Now Zealand Volucleoi force, the want of arms und the want of organisation, are of long standing. Teu yoars ago and more tho mombei's of tho forco complained that thoir arms — Sniders — wore obsolete. They havo tho same weapons still, now not only obsolete but worn out. A promise has been made that tho Snidor shall bo replaced by another obsolete, thought far superior weapon, the Uartini-Henry ; and it is understood that orders have been given for a consignment of the latter, not nearly adequato to the requirements of the force." On the subject of organisation and pigeon holed reports,the same paper says : " Many reports, it may be roiKarkod,bave boen made by eminent authorities upon tho subject, but all have shared the Fame fate — have bnon presonted and nGvor hoard of a?ain. The Hon. Captain Kussol, when Minister for Defence, obtained one of theso documents ; and in an able address, wherein lia emphasised tho necessity for concentrating the dofensivo power of the colony at certain points, nnd for an improvement in discipline, he submitted a scheme to Parliament for a 'partially paid ' force. Ho went out of office, and his proposal, which was not received •nth gonoral favour, was not carried into effect. Tho Hon. B. J. Seddon, who now assumed the portfolio of Defence, was, it may be presumed.so impressed with the unsatisfactory condition of the force, and with the necessity for its reorganisation, that he sent to England for an officer from the Imperial service to undertake the task. The arrival cf Colonel Fox a couple of years ago was the result. The high hopes raised by his advent were Beriously damped by the delay in the rnception of his report, and utterly oxtin> guished by its practical rejection, 'lhnre is no nocd to ontftr into details of tho griovances of tho Volunteers. Ono has but to comparo a parade of th<j remnants of tho corps which are loft iu Christchurch, such as was witnessed the otlior nipht, with onoof the First Canterbury Battalion of eight years ago, to realiso how uttarly matters connected with volunteering have ' gone wrong ' hero. It is tho same throughput the colony. Surely there is something very much amiss. Should the adoption of an efficient scheme of defence be delayed much longer, we shall, it is safe to predict, lose the services of the majority of the men who still remain in the force." Stronger condemnation of Mr Seddon's neglect of the Volunteers and of tho question of defence generally could hardly have been ponnid by an Opposition organ of tlie most pronounced typo. Perhaps now that his own journalistic friondH fool that they cannot keep silcuco any longer, the Minister for Dofonco will n>ake uomoattomptto provo that his office ij not a Binecure nor hiu title as>ham.