Our Public Men.

Fair Play, Volume I, Issue 20, 17 March 1894, Page 8

Our Public Men.

PHKENOLOGICALLY AND PHYSIOGNOMICALLY DELINEATED.

[By Professor R. White, President of the Wellington Phrenological Association .]

(Under this heading we propose in the first instance to give delineations of the characters of the members of the new House of Representatives. The subjects arc unknown to the delineator.)

No. 25. —Hon. AV. P. REBATES (member for Christchurch). This gentleman has a very wellcot, well-defined countenance, and the first impression formed in the miud of the character reader, on viewing it, is that of great energy and intellectual capacity. He has a promiuent chin, well formed mouth, and a good Roman nose, indicating warmth of affection, personal taste, and individuality of character. The eyes are well formed and prominent, showing considerable ability as a speaker. He ought to be able to express himself clearly, forcibly, and copiously, in fact should be a good debater. He has keen and correct powers of observation. The literary faculties are large, giving him a good memory for facts, figures, and ideas. Naturally he has splendid capacity for accumulating knowledge. The reasoning faculties are well developed, making the frontal lobe very broad and fairly high. He is a keen and logical reasoner, and possesses superior mental powers, which are embellished by a good deal of ideality. The leading traits of his character are CLEARNESS of THOUGHT, FERTILITY of IMAGINATION, and ACUTE penetration. Strong will power and ambition are characteristic of him. Taken all round, he has a first-class intellectual head, and should have considerable influence in the House of Representatives.

No. 26. —Mr. SAMUEL CARNELL (member for Napier.)

This gentleman has large motive and mental temperaments imparting to him physical energy and cerebral activity. He has a well defined countenance; tho chin, nose and eyes are strikingly developed. He has keen and accurate powers of observation, and would go thoroughly into details. He has a military aspect, discipline and authority are stamped upon his countenance. He has a firm, positive almost aggressive disposition, pride of character and self-importance are leading traits.

He never forgets that he is Samuel Carnell, M.H.R. To prevent the possibility of this no doubt ho will take a number of photographs and enlargements of himself. He has good tastes,

' considerable ideality, and plenty of the gentlemen about him. If he only had £ IO,OOO a year he would be the personification of a New Zealand aristocrat. Naturally he can have but very little sympathy or appreciation for the present democratic Go- ' vernment of this country. His true sphere is in the English Army as a commissioned officer, whsre the best of his nature and his special ability would have free scope. But in this com-mon-place land he is altogether out of his element. No doubt as a legislator he will be a great supporter of Colonel Fox’s report and advocate for extension of our natural defences ; otherwise there is very little of the politician in him.

No. 27— Me. W. W. TANNER (member for Avon.) Mr. Tanner has a fair combination of the three temperaments and a well balanced organisation. The perceptive faculties are large enabling him to learn a good deal from observation and personal experience. He has fair powers of judgement and reason' ing capacity, but he is wanting in the l'terary. faculties. As a speaker he would display more common sense and good judgment than rhetorical embellishment. He possesses a constructive cast of mind, and an agree* able disposition. He has well developed features, the nose being a prominent Roman one, the eyes fairly large and the face full enough without giving the impression of being “ cheeky.” Steadiness and conscientiousness are leading traits of his character. He has an open, progressive mind, with good practical ability; the Sentimental, Artistic and refining elements of his nature are not well developed. But he will make the best use of his time and his abilities such as they are. This gentleman will hardly make himself conspicuous as a keen debater or obnoxious as an obstreperous stonewaller of the Government or any party. His natural desire is to run along the lines of the least resistence, but at the same time to perform useful progressive public work. He will be a good practical member of the House of Representatives.