HOW LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS ARE MADE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5208, 7 November 1883, Page 3

HOW LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS ARE MADE.

(PATEA MAIL.)

Rather a queer story of the way a recent appointment to the Legislative Council was made, has come out, through the occurrence of a little domestic quarrel. For the sake of the uninitiated in the mysteries of political wire-pulling, we give a resvmb of the transaction. During the last Parliament, M. A. de B. Brandon, member for the Wellington County electorate, was the father of the House, having sat twenty- one years, and always given the party now in power a consistent support. At last general election he decided to retire, and it was generally believed that he would be called to the Legislative Council The first session, however, came and went, but he was not called, and it was well known he was very sore on the subject. During the recess, Mr Edward Shaw, late District Judge in Wellington, and formerly on the West Coast, joined Mr Brandon's legal firm, which became Brandon, Shaw, and Brandon. Then shortly before last session Mr Weston resigned his seat for Inangahua, and Mr Wakefield came forward. What followed is told by the Auckland Star : The Government were very anxious to keep Mr Wakefield out, and Major Atkinson personally waited on Mr Shaw at the firm's office, and asked him to stand for Inangahua. Mr Shaw replied : " How can you ask me to stand in your interest after the way you have treated my partner, Mr Brandon ?" Major Atkinson replied : "Oh that will be all right. There will be no difficulty about that. Ultimately Mr Shaw agreed ts consult his partner, and Major Atkinson promised to find £100 or two towards expenses. Mr Shaw did consult Mr Brandon, and became a candidate. Mr Beetham, the Government whip, handed him, it is said, £100 towards expenses, and a similar sum was also afterwards sent him. While the election was on it became whispered that if Mr Shaw got in Mr Brandon w«uld be called to the Council, and that Mr Brandon would pay Mr Shaw's expenses. This was denied, but Mr Shaw got in, and almost immediately after Mr Brandon was called to the Couucil. It seems the costs of the election amounted to some £700 or £800 over the amount contributed by the Ministerial party, and this was paid out of the firm's account. Other partnership differences, however, have since arisen between Mr Brandon, jun, and Mr Shaw, the result of which has been a grand row about the whole affair and a dissolution of partnership ; and one or two lawsuits, it is rumored, are likely to follow. Thus, the whole story has come out, to the great amusement of the beople in Wellington, and the colony generally.

The Auckland Herald states that Mr Mitchelson, the new Minister for Public Works, served an apprenticeship as a carpenter. The Normal School at Thordon (says the N.Z. Times), as at present organised, seems to be too expensive to last. Strong remarks as to the need of a change were made at yesterday's meeting of the Education Board. The discussion arose incidentally, in connection with a building question. The chairman said the Normal School as a training institution for teachers had become a great scandal. If they were not able to give a training to all the teachers under the Board.then'this school should be abolished. He wanted such a training school as would be within the reach of all their t achers ; not a lecturing institution costing £2000 a year, the absolute money expenditure being over £1500 at present. The work done was not commensurate with so large an outlay, for there were only seventeen pupils, and amongst these only one male, being taught in the Normal School. The secretary said this proportion of the sexes had given rise to another name for the school. (A laugh). The chairman said they might convert it from a college, as it was now, into a training school of a more practical kind, and on a lower scale.