Wanganui Herald. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1885. POLITICAL COALITIONS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XX, Issue 5746, 16 October 1885, Page 2

Wanganui Herald. ( PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1885. POLITICAL COALITIONS.

Mb F. J, Moss, the rather loquacious member for Parnell, not content with the opportunities of Parliament and the pages of Hansard to get at the ear of the electors, has written a letter to the Auckland Star, in which he refers to what he terms "the paralysis that reduced the Assembly to impotence in face of the grave depression under which a very large portion of the colony is suffering," He asks :, — " Can there "be two opinions as to the cause ? Does it not lie ready at hand in the evil system of coalitions by which New Zealand has been governed for some years? Is good government possible so long as men of the most opposite political views and sympathies form coalitions to occupy the Ministerial Benches, and combinations to make up the sides which are miscalled parties? Coalitions are exceptional in other countries, and are always looked on with aversion. In New Zealand they have

come to be regarded as the only means of government in the present, while papers and people alike speak of them as the only possible arrangement for the future." In reply to this we think there are more than two opinions, as most of the members have pet ideas of their own, and are stiff-necked enough to stick tenaciously to them, in spite of all argument or attempted persuasion. Members of the type of the writer of the letter under notice are too "independent " to be led ; they will recognise no leadership but their own, and will accept no proposals save those emanating from their own fertile brains. Such men will not coalesce even ; they are utterly unmanageable, and the consequence is, government by party is almost impossible. But we have no other system to • replace it with, and the consequence is we are reduced to this extremity, and obliged to carry on the work in the face of difficulties which at times seem insurmountable. When Mr Moss talks |of coalitions we presume he really j means compromises and concessions. If so there is nothing strange in that : it would be far stranger if it were not so. No two men agree on every point, and one of the chief elements of Government by party is the readiness of each member of that party to sink any small difference of opinion he may have on any particular subject, and to loyally support the measures it brings forward. When his opinions and those of the party are diametrically opposed on some really important subject, then a member is justified in withdrawing from the party ranks until a better agreement exists. Instead of this, however, inexperienced and hot-headed members rush straight off into opposition, and ere long find their mistake, and, if wise, get back into their proper place without delay. Men who beJong ' to neither party are seldom much good ; they either have no stability of political mind and purpose, or what is worse, they are trying to make their market, | and get the biggest possible price i for their allegiance. These latter have generally so exalted a notion of their own worth that there are few transactions, owing to the very different estimate formed of the same article by parties most concerned. If a man is able, consistent, and reliable, he is sure to be asked to take a portfolio sooner or later, as such men are scarce. But where, as is usually the ca&e with office hunters, he is greedy, vain, and utterly unreliable, no matter what his other qualifications may be, no party wants him in office. Take the member for Selwyn as an instance ; he has talents of the highest order, but the most accomplished feminine coquette or jilt could not be less dependable j his smiles and favor are given first to one party and then to another, and so he goes on session after session oscillating between the Government and their opponents, ever ready to alight on the Treasury Benches, but never asked to take the coveted seat there no matter how often it may be vacart. Mr Moss attributes all our troubles political to the abolition of Provincialism and the introduction of large loans for public works expenditure. Perhaps Mr Moss forgets or never knew the state of Auckland prior to the abolition ho deplores and the introduction of English capital. Those who do remember those days of gloomy depression in the Province of Auckland will hardly endorse the member for Parnell's regrets for their disappearance under the genial rays of progress and prosperity which emerged from behind the provincial cloud when the sun of Sir Julius Yogel first rose into view in 1870-71. No part of New Zealand benefited more than Auckland by the good effects of that policy. As for the provincial form of government being a good system of local government, we happen to know better by actual experience. It was better for the chief town of each province, out it starved the outlying districts, and kept back settlement and progress. Take this coast as an instance, and contrast the roads and bridges of to-day with what they would have been had we remained under His Honor the Superintendent, and his trusty henchman, the Provincial Secretary. Were there not howls from every outlying district throughout the colony at the centralism of the Provinces 1 Mr Moss counsels the people " to insist on "the re-establishment of sound and independent local government (Mr Moss means Provincial Government) capable of delivering the General Assembly from local demands, and from' the confusion and corruption such local demands produce." By all means let this be done if possible ; but it is not possible, and Mr Moss should I know it. Was there no log-rolling done in the Provincial Councils : is there none being done at County Council, Highway Board, and Municipal Council meetinga throughout the i colony 1 We think there is, and that there'is likely to be until the millenium arrives, and all men are beyond the influence of personal advantage in their public capacities. With Mr Moss, we too sigh for that glad time when all shall be for the State and none for Party, but until that happy moment arrives we must be content to work with the machinery at hand, and to get the best i results from it. Wiih his high aspiraj tions for a purer type of patriotism we i are with him, and hope he will, in his own person, set his degenerate brother members a bright and elevating example of abnegation and disinterested advocacy of all measures on their intrinsic merits apart from party ties, which seem specially repugnant and galling to his sensitive nature.

Lieut. Wilfred Powell, the newly appointed Eughsh Consul for the South Sea Isiands, who arrived with his wife and family per Aoraugi, will have charge of all the Islands, with head-quarters at Samoa. He is proceeding thither by the Janet Nicol. Be H3 instructed to endeavor to cultivate friendly relations with German and American authorities and citizens of the island. He is entmsed with iargt- and confidential powera by the Governuu nt, and will travel much among the Inlands, and report at length to the Imperial authorities on all matters affecting the present condition and future prospects of the Islands. Lieutenant Powell is the author of " Wanderings in a Wild Country j or. Three Years among the Cannibals of New Britain/ having been on that station for a nnmber of years and made a survey for the Admiralty of the coasta of New Britain, and haviog been a long time connected with the Foreign Office,

At Napier the case Sawkina V, \]Fj£tiJss&s| was withdrawn by leave of the ConTi^n'tiwp application of the plaintiff. .' " '-,"." _" '/^^l I he entertainment in aid of the Arasn6UoJ Church Organ Fund comes ofi in tHe-AVa^i moho -choolroom this evening, when;\is4'| Waneu will read Charles Dickens^ CJtosistNf mas Carol. v / '- '] '<:t f i he Anniversary Tea Meeting of St. Johi»«!> Suuday School will be held in theschool-r6a<n>f at the upper end of Campbell Street rteiup Glasgow Street, this evening, when , thfer^ , will in addition to the usual social attracting!, of bohea and cakes, be a saored concert -$$. which several well-known local "amateur?? will assist. Tea will be on the table at 6.3o' p.m. ~ '.-■<. The first cheque which Charles. L. Web-n ster and Co. will pay as royalty^titjon^j General Grant's ' ' Personal Memoirs" will be; j for a larger amount than any publisher has-, hitherto given an author at one time, - The. largest sum ever paid an author up tp,tlie> present time waa £20,000, or about 100,000 ■ dollars,, the amount Lord Macaulay received for hia "History of England," The- profits, given to Mra Grant for the first edition of her husband's work will be from 180,000* dollars to 200,000 dollars, and the publishers believe sho will receive from it in all abbutf 500 000 dollars.— New V oik World. ' : ' 'I he Hawkes Bay Guineas for ISB7 have' attracted t-eventy six nominations 1 , the ' New Said Company nominating n.O Jtess' than 34 colts and fillies, among which is a fait* brother to Nordetifeldt and a sister to-Martini-Heury. From Wanganui Mr VV, T»* Oweu nominates a br. f, by Somuu — Fame and a b. f, by Fathom — Rosebud, Mr f.'W/ Harrison's cli. f. by Natnior — Mode.'ty, Mr D. Scott's Armadilla by Armouier — • "ornelia, ' Dr Connolly's eh. c, by Governor — Nita, M»'"; ( >, Campion's r. c. by As mcurer — Discretion, , ana Mr F; J. Bryce's eh. i. by Natator— j, Candouri A strange story which Maxwc-H confided,' to the San Francisco detectives, presumably as an indication of the line of defence he in-, tends to take up, has been wired over, • and received with universal incredulity. H is to the effect that Preller wished to wipe himself out, and permitted Maxwell to join, him in putting a corpse in the box, which" persons would think his own. Preller's English relations indignantly deny that he hal any possible or conceivable motive for such a dang rous course of conduct He was well off, healthy, and without the faintest eceentrici'y or insanity in his character. From all accounts a more jovial creature of the genus commercial traveller it would be difficilt to m> et, The deceased's brother goes to New York to attend the trial. The following account of a remarkable dream appears in a recent issue of " Knowledge," Mr Proctor's popular scientific publication :—: — "I subjoin an extract from a letter, received on Monday last, from a son of mine who is in command of the fastest s.s. in JSew Zealand waters, merely premising that the ' poor N ' referred to was a j ounger brother of his, who was washed overboard in mid-Atlantic, and the ' poor p ' <i quadroon, who returned with me from the \* est Indies in the eventful year IS4B, and who mused him aud all his b others ai'ri sibterf-, except tde e'dt-st, but died lus January twelv. month : — 'Js'ow, my dear father, I atij going to tell you an astound' ing fact. On the date poor N was drowned I saw him" struggling in the water on the port-side of a steamer in a stormy sej, when all at o<ce he disappeared, and directly after, in my dream, I saw poor P bitting at the foot of my bed. She s:iid, ' .Not you ' and vanished, I woke up, went on deck, and told the chief officer of it, and, on my return below, I made auotc of it; in an almanac. Since then 1 have worked it out, and it tallies to the moment of the sad occurrence.' (I having given him, in a letter to which the above was his answer, the latitude aud longitude, with local time of it)."— VV.A. In his report, Mr C. D. M'lntosh, the judge in the band congest, statea that some of the "test" {-elections were exceedingly difficult, but they varied very much. The easiest, from a time standpoint, contained eight movements, seven of which were in common time, while the winner (Les Hugue uots) is credited with 18 He thii.ks it is evident that Levy, the great coruet player, did not visit the colony in vaiu, as th s instrument was splendidly played. The euphonium, however, was very much in the background ; in nearly eveiy instance it wa Iplayed more like a French horn. With one exception there was great lack of power. The drums were very creditably represented ; the reading test, however, proved a great, .stumbling block to some who treated it in two very different ways — No. 1, very conscientous, never beating unless certain, thus hesitating all the time ; N •. 2 ignoring dots and dashes, and religiously keeping time to the close. Mr MTntosh cousfders that Oamavn carried off the palm for slide trombone playing, Invercargill for euphoniums and E. fl.it soprano cornets Auckland ior basses, and Dunedin for clari- - nets He expressed regret that the bands were unable to hear each other play He considers that all the bauds have proved themselves to be good timists, and fairly well in tune ; want of expression has bten the weak point. He points out. however, that this has a very broad application, in a young colony like ours ; time alone will provide the remedy. The solo playing was a feature ot the contest not anticipated, and was leally excellent. Ihe sight-reading test was very successfully taken, and was a very strong proof of the general efficiency to which the Volunteer bands have attained al over the colony. It was evident that a good deal of cramming hael taken place, but this was inevitable under the circumstances. Mr M'lnto&h concludes his report by saying that now it; has been clearly proved that a band contest may be both a musical and financial huccess, the bands will have every encouragement to prepare more fully for what will draw upon us in the near future, viz,, an annual conte&t. Playgoers in "Wangauui have had a long rest from dramatic performances, and are wearying for a renewal of acquaintance with the legitimate drama. They will therefore be glad to notice by an advertisement in another column that an old and well-known Wanganui favorite is about appearing before them again with a new and well-selected stock ot plays, We allude to Miss Lizzie Lawrence who has lately, with her huibaud (Mr Rede), started a Comeay Company, and been favorably received in each place herself and company have appeared Miss Lawrence is a most intelligent, pleasing actress, capable of sustaining the highest parts in her profession, and we are glad to see her at the head of a good company, as we feel sure her efforts to please even the most critical will be eminently suece^sfu 1 . Her husband is a painstaking capable actor of considerable ability : indeed, in some parts, he is far above tho average, his " Party by the name of Johnson," for instance, being a capital representation of a very difficult character to pourtray without falling into the common error of making a villain on the stage, a complete reversal of whyt we find off it. The other members of Miss Lawrence's capable company are Misses Norns, Lena Robins >n, Messrs billon, Primer, Shields, and Herbert Mason. The Company appear for the first time on Saturday evening, when they will play Broughton's clever drama, "Ruth's Romance," of which the press elsewhere has spoken very highly. The rest of the pro« gramme will consist of some good musical and terpsichorean items and a laughable farce entitled "Chopsticks aud Npikins." We hopo Miss Lawrence and her company will be greeted with a full house, as they are well entitled to ask the public to favor them with their patronage, in return for which a very pleasant- evening is proffered.

ifelhe'second competition for Mr Chavanue's llpek presented to the rifla volunteers, will Unae oft to-morrow. SteA-' telegram from Wellington informs us Spiat the Wanganui Garrison Band perform a jßpogramme o^ the BaoiuKkt-erve ou Siturd^y |itemoon, and L aye for home by the Huia ou Saturday at midnight. |||, A special meeting of the Waitotara County Jfouhcil was held yesterday to elect v mem- * Ber for the Hospital -District i<oar<i. 'ihere -.mete present, Crs Abbot, Perry, Corry. Iglobeitson (chair), and Ritchie, Cr Pea' "oslh elected as member, The Wangauui Igounty Council elected Cr Poison as its Relegate. jjfjjl Considerable amusement wls recently paused in the House of Commons by t<he Awkwardness of expression ol au hon, uu-in-jjjer entrusted with a petition, who rose Solemnly, and remarked, without any punc~\tuation :—": — " Mr Speaker, i beg to present »$, petition for the better protection of girla •jiad young women from the members of the Mea's Christian Association." v< An Auckland paper has the fo'lowing from j3);s loudon correspondent : — The tinned riieat trade continues frightfully depressed, \and there is a general opinion that things ?have not yet reached their worst. Th« ||)rices of coined ami compret-sed be<i have /tuither receded, the demand showing no feign f&i improvemeut. iho ionic brought 20'Jb 1 {and the Aoraugi 450 cases troni New Zealand, V Schoolmasters often complain that the irregularity of the attendance ot many_ children greatly nullifies their efforts. Bub thftorovvniug instance came under our notice .yesterday, when a girl who had not been present once during the twelve months presented herself at the annual examination, with a noto from her mother, asking the; huad■>masier to pa-»s the girl from the fourth to the fifth standard.- -.uawke's Bay Herald. I Messrs Drew and Hatrick, as a deputation rfrom the Chamber ot Commerce, waited on 'Mr Haukey tuis morning relative to getting ".a proper path mada trom the wickec at th« ;end oi the New Zealand Loan aud Mercantile Uffioes to the wharf. Mr Haukey agieed to have s,me btone brought in uud placed fcnere. Ihe funruition of -a pioper path there will prove a gieat boon to pedestrians, who r have at present iv wet weather, to jump "over pools and wado through muci to get to -"the wharf, « Captain Cummins has received a donation of £5 from Mr A. A. Brow lie agent for the .Royal Insurance Company. Ihe letter coveiiug the donation say& that it, i-s made under directions of the head office, aud that the '-Company have adopted this* course in consequence ot the Insurance Companies having ■•discontinued the yearly subscriptions. Thu letter concludes by expressing the high appreciation in which the company hoid the corps, auel their wish that it may long maintain its present state of efficiency. The "pension" system prevails iv this colony in a moderate degree, but in England it is rampant. Head the following :: — '• The death of Mr R. U. Mudge is announced. I his gentleman has been o, pensioner on the j nation for forty-two years. He was a clerk iv the Oine« ot W ouds and Forests, tor only fhtee y< ary, at the huge salary ot £550. He Was tht n pensioned <_ff in uoust quencu ot \* ill-health," and tur the lust foity-two ytaih h.ia beeu m the rtceipt ot £330 per annum, the total amount received by him up to the time of his death being somnwhat in excess of £14,000." At the 11 M. Couit t'.-day the business consisted ot the following cases : — J. L Stevensou v J. Whisker, c aim of ±3 15s (id. Judgment for plaintiff' with cost-. K. S. -/cDonnel v Keieti te Paku, <. ltiim of £5 .'6s 3d, ou a judgment summons ; order made for payment forthwith, in default 7 days iv the Tv anganm gaol. H. I. Jones v Lewis, claim of £5 9s ; judgment for plaintiff with costs, 11s, A case biought by Harry Williams against T Brogan, claiming £2 2a foi trespass by cattle, occupieu some time. The defendant paid into Couit the sum of 2s aud 3s costs. Mr Hutchison appeared tor the defendant, in whose favor judgment was given with costs, Qi. At the meeting of the Philosophical Institute Mr Holder "brought down the house:" Mr Colenso had just concluded his narration of Maori btories in which the heroes wove men who rode "pon whalus, and Air Holder followed with a modern instance extrai tedfrom a religious magazine published about 30 years a^o This story narrated how a Webleyan minister rode on the back of a whale that lost his way in an estuary, and a barely peiceptible ripple cf laughter among the audience was converted into a roar by Mr Bolder stating that "The We&leyau Conference were very much exercised over the publication of tho. story." — H.B, Herald. At Dunedin on Wednesday a deputation oi the Trades and Labor Council met the members of the Seamen's Union, aud expressed au opinion that the Shipping Compai ie& evidently intended crushing unionism it they were succts=ful with the lumpers. L'he Seamen's Lnion \\ oulel come next. A resolution was passed, That the seamen view with alaun the position taken by the Shipping Compmy's iv refusing to arbitrate, and fcujjgest to them that they should allow th« dispute with the lumpers to go to arbitration. The Marton Fire Brigade aie busy practising for the Napier conipetition. Thenefforts will be directeel mainly in the dirtc t.ion of contesting in the engiue and ladder events. When the waterworks are completed, aud this should not be long now as fche pipes are being !aid down, the Brigade will soon have ample opportunity for ho&« and reel practice. With regard to tho new reel made for them by Mr McDuff they have decided to lend it to the Wanganui Brigade for a trial in order to test its speed. If the latter brigade find it more useful to them then their own the Marton men will lend it for the demonstration. Mr Jus' ice Hawkins had before him, at one of the recent assizes in England, a case in which a man was indicted for stealing a pony and trap and other ai tides two years ago. It appeared that the reason for the delay in the prosecution was that the prisoner had^ just completed two terms of nine months' imprisonment on similar chaiges^h'! having been in each case arrested immediately on leaving prison, aud put on his trial again. 'Ihe evident motive for this course of procedure was the desire of the police to secure for ihe man a longer term of imprisonment than he would probably have got had all the charges been included, ay they ought to have been, in the original prosecution, Sir Henry Hawkins severely condemned such practice, and declined to paes sentence on the prisoner. The Post replying to a letter from Mr Fisher says : — To every disinterested observer of the late session, it was perfectly evident that Mr Tisher was under the influ ence of an overweening egotiam, that he was consumed by au insatiable ambition aud puffed up by a most absurd vauity. His whole action was dictated by a deaire to get into office by hook or by crook, Of course, sensible men of all parties saw through and laughed at the little game. Some, more clever than Mr Fisher, used his foibles to mould him to their ends, and he proved a useful tool in the hands of certain astute wire pullers. As a matter of fact, all he said or did was prompted by a desire to attain office. Whether Mr Fisher considers this a private or unworthy motive we do not know. Actions which might in some instances be regarded as prompted by a laudable ambition, in others may really spring from very reprehensible motives. We regard Mi Fisher as having had a far keener eye to what he considered his own interests than he had to the good of the country, in what he said he did dur-og tho late session. It is, ot course, much easier for Mr Fisher to challenge piouf as to his motives, which necessarily cannot be given, than to try to reply to the plain charges we have made against him of deliberately misbt-ting aud misrepresent! • g facts, aud s^> attempting to mislead and deceive those whom he was addressing. Feels Yoono Agais — "My mother was afflicted with neuvalgia and a dul), heavy, inactive condition of the whole system,headache, nervous prostration, and was almost helpless, No physicians or medicines did ; her <*ny g.>od. Three months ago she began to use JU<>p Bitters, with such good effect that she seems and feels young again, although over seventy years old." — A JLadv XN R.1., U.S.A. Look up