A LADY'S LETTER FROM WELLINGTON.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 7474, 25 July 1891, Page 2

A LADY'S LETTER FROM WELLINGTON.

Thursday, July 28. UfiAH ' | Having sent you such a very long letter in the beginning of the week, I had some thoughts of putting you on short commons for the reit of it ; but the claims of a variety of interesting mental memoranda are not to be ignored, and I must try, however briefly, to jot down some of this week's Parliamentary incidents. Tuesday afternoon and most of the evening were occupied by a very full and free discussion on that very convenient, but greatly misunderstood, misrepresented, and mismanaged institution " Bellamy's " ; and the rest o£ tho Parliamentary day (which ended at 1.85 a.m.) in the introduction and oritioism of the Land Bill. The Hon. the Minister of Lands came down prepared to speak to his measure immediately after dinner, but tho korero on the em'tint, interrupted by the dinner hour, was resumed with animation and continued with determination until nearly ten, spite of the protests of the Minister's friends, and the quite evident impatience of that gentleman himself to get to his task. Members were apparently in an exoitable mood, and quite resolved not to settle down to regular Parliamentary work until the vexed questions which had beon raised were definitely disposed of. Bellamy's, as you perhaps already know, although an institution designed to make Mombers thrive, is not itself in a thriving condition j so far from that, indeed, thitt soms honorable members on Tuesday night seemed to think it siok past recovery, and suggested that the best mode of curing ita ills would be to expedite its end. "Abolish it 1" cried some virtu-ously-indignant opponents, antagonistic without clearly knowing why. (The same cry was raised lost night, by the way, about a very different matter : " Abolish it !" thundered Sir George Grey, and the friends of the Legislative Counoil caught their breath at the vigorous applause the words exci'«i) But to return to Bellamy's. As I know that a good deal of misapprehension eiiots concerning it and its uses and abuses, let me briefly explain its position as brought out m tho course of Tuesday evening's instructive little discussion. An idea prevails that the work required from our reps, at this talking shop is of the lightest possible character, that, in fact, it more resembles diversion than anything else, and that the honorarium is a muniflcient remuneration for the work done. And truly it might bo said of some legwlators that they are very doar at the price. But to those who conscientiously perform them the duties are very arduous. It is quite a fallnoy to suppose, for instance, that thoy last only from Tuesday to Friday, the sitting-days ; or that they begin at 280 p.m., the hour at which the Assembly resumes its deliberations. As a matter of fact, all the membors who have any powor of useful work are put on Committees to consider and amend the various Bills introduced^c^&c, &c, their work thoreon requiring their presonce at the Parliamentary Bulidings on most days of the wook for several hours in tho forenoon, and after being so employed they are expected to keep up the proceedings until two or three in tho morning, mastering as they may thi details of the

numerous measures brought before them, and acquiring as thoy can the necessary speoittl information which will enable them to intelligently disucuss them. Then, if tho measures aro at all important— and each is more or loss »o — each speech has to be carefully followed in order to enable its defects to be pointed out or arguments met. This kind of thing, lasting over many weeks, is not eiactly child's ploy. The long hours are in themselves trying, apart from the mental strain involved. Of course we know that in large bodies of men there are always to be found some given to shirk their duties, but tins can scarcely be said to apply to the majority. Well, now, what has all this to do with Bellamy's ? my readers aro asking. Just this, granted that our representatives, the bulk of them, at least, are, during the session, so hardly worked, is it not right and proper that, within moderate limits, every provision should be made for their comfort and convenience during their term of duty ? There can, I think, be only one answer, and it was just to eoouro this comfort and convenience that Bellamy's was established, Wellington possesses not the most delightful climate in the world in winter-time, nor is it a oity possessing all the cheap and handy conveniences of the modern Babylon, for instance It would be somewhat hard that Membors, in the intervals of » dreary late debate on a dreary wintry night, should have to trudge to Lambton Quay overy time the inner man required refreshment! the waste of timo involved would alone be sufficient argument against moh a courie, while if adopted, the chancei would be that the weary legislator, having refreshed his spirit, would hie him home to bed instead of back to tho Legislative Hall. Well, hitherto "Bellamy's" has provided absolutely necessary to comfort, and perhaps occasionally a little more meals, plain of more elaborate, could be had at suitable hours, a bar enabled thoie accustomed to stimulants to " nip " occasionally and hot and cold bath» supplied perhaps the greatest want of all. (Don't misunderstand me here j I'm not writing of the " great unwashed," you know, and wouldn't dare be disrespectful either; but a hot bath is not only a great luxury but a great invigorator, is it not ?) I don't know how long Bellamy's hai been established, but it seems that in the course of the past ten years — during which the institution has been managed by a cumbrous committee of twenty-four, elected annually and chosen from both Chambers— a deficit his gradually arisen amounting to some £1,100. Half of this is said to have been •auged by tho fault or default of some distinguished gontlemen no longer handy of access, and the balance has run up since the year 1885, and was authoritatively stated on Tuesday night to be the result of past mismanagement and in no sense attributable either to the negligonoe or default of members generally. Considerable warmth was manifested by some of these that a false impression had gone abroad to the effect that members had been allowed to run up "scores," then pocket their honorariums and depart in peace,leaving their scores still unliquidated ; and one irate but ill-informed member wanted to know why Government had not stopped the amount out of tho " screws." " Spongers " was the name applied to these supposition defaulters, and some warm talk -was evoked by it. However, all's well that ends well. It was shown conclusively that there ore no "spongers" nowadays; every member pays for what ho eats and drinks (and more than the "taok" is worth, some of them said) ; and the House has decided to wipe off the liability of tho mismanaged past, and bettor oversight is promised for the future. * But, dear me, I shall have to leave off now, having talked nothing but "Bellamy's" (I givo you my 'word I havon't been there), and still so many subjects un:ouohed on. Well, they must wait. Yesterday was a private members' day, and the " Licensing Act Amendment Bill " occupied some little time; after whioh Mr Eees's daring measure, the " Legislative^ Appointmonta Cancellation Bill," was considered. Of this more anon. The Government take Wednesdays for Government businefs in f uturo ; then they also resume Thursdays, alas for tho poor Private Bills. I suppose we shall have a good debate on the Land Bill, which waa introduced by Minister MoEenzie in a quietly vigorous, earnest, and moderate speech. - Mr Bollcston followed in a thoughtful speech, and was Buoceeded by Mr Richardson, who, of course was inclined to be hypercritical. Good-bye for the present. Madge,