ESSENCE OF HANSARD.

West Coast Times, Issue 3890, 26 September 1881, Page 2

ESSENCE OF HANSARD.

THE REASON WHY.

The Premier irritated by the taunts of SirWeorgo -rey, was moved to speak in high praise of the electors of Lee.-. ton, whom the Northern Knight once calleJ "bumpkins." Mr Hall is reported to have spoken, in a debate on a motion for adjournment by Mr Eeeves during the stonewall era, as follows : — " The honorable gentleman said that but for the influence of the large landowners the Selwyn District would not have returned me. Sir, any one who knows that constituency must know that such a statement is supremely ridiculous. If there is in New Zealand a community of substantial, independent farmers, a high-spirited, politically-intelligent set of men, it is the ©lectors of the elwyn District. Their insight in political matters enables them to see through and through the vaguo declamation of the honorable member for the Thames, and the honorable member's frothy vapourings have no more chance of going down with the electors of the Selwyn than the mo >n has of being made of cream cheese."

Have the men of Selwyn sufficient intelligence to appreciate the Premier's compliments at what they are worth ? The fact of their returning Mr Hall is sufficient to show Mr Hall that his beloved bumpkins are " a high spirited, politically intelligent set of men." THE FUTURE. Sir George Grey is reported to have spoken as follows, in one of those speeches which the Conservatives affect to misunderstand :—

" YesteHay this ai^gunaent was used to me : that it is sufficient for us to legislate for the present. I was told, in point of fact, that I was travelling out of ray line of duty — and we were all told so — in attempting to legislate for the time to come. But, I ask, what is the future ? The very instant that I have spoken the word the future comes and the future begins ; the vary instant that we have made a Law the future comes and the future begun ; and that future is to spread for ever. From the moment a bad and oppressive law is made, from that moment opression begins — hardly visible at first, oppressing the poor, but not afflicting the many— -its effects hardly visible, but the circle over which its influence spreads gradually increasing until millions are encircled. I say it is for us to legislate so that the thing spoken of by Caiiyle shall not affect this country in any period of its history. That we can very well do. Poverty is, as he says, blessed ; but it is intolerable that mil ions should be placed in a position of indigence. It is our duty not to legisiate for the present but for the future. It is legislation for the present that has brought the country into its present state. It is men legislating for themselves."