GOVERNMENT REVIEWED.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 47, 24 January 1884, Page 3

GOVERNMENT REVIEWED.

The Timaru Herald says :— " What sort of leadership has Parliament met with under Major Atkinson and his politics? Literally, no leadership at all. What sort of politics has he taught them 1 Big politics ? No— -miserable jobby intrigues and committee-room caucuses. Public questions, instead of being debated m the Hou«e for the information of the public, and tJecided on their merits, have been settled beforehand by. the whips, -compromised Wy private arrangement with the various local sections, or else postponed until the dying hours of the session, and then disposed of without discussion by sheer force of voting. The public money has been flagrantly employed to influence parties; the fteedoin of elec tious has been interfered with; and even the pure course of justice has been mingled with the muddy- current' of political chicane. The members them.selves speak of the whole business with diugust and shame ; and even the supporters of the Ministry do not spare them for their utter neglect of their duty towards the House. Their conduct can bo described and explained m i a single sentence. They have habitually and systematically subordined^U other considerations whatsoever ■ to the contemptible one of retaining office as long as possible." Many people m Manawatu will reg™* 1 to , beat that Mr J. W. Robinson, a well-known citizen of Wan«anui is dangerously ill, and, not expected to r»" cover. 'Mr Robinson has been confined to his bed for a fortnight, and appears to be rapidly sinking. Mr Robinaot; was formerly captain of the Wanjrapui Fire Brigade, and was a prominent Free Mason iiui uuu Eell».w, By telegraph we have news of hifi death. . : . ; - By yesterday's train Constable Coy 1 c took into Wanganui a prisoner— Reginald Nash —from; Bulls, who had been fined 60s, or 7 dayft' imprisonment at Bulls, for furious drivirijr. : Not having th'e- wherewithal to meet the fine he decided to accept the alternative, and will patronise Her M,ajeßty'a establishment on the hill for a week. .Nash ia now a barber m Marton, and was formerly a .resident of Palmerston. Messrs.. Stevens and Gorton have post* poned their annual wool sale till Thursday January 31sr. : The Wangaoui Herald finds that it was slightly, misinformed as to (he number of passengers by the special train to Foxton on Tuesday morningj as a' number got out at Aramoho and St Johu'a. The Natives will find m another column a notice from the. Oroua. County Council which will doubtless prove interesting to them. The Hon. John Bryce, accompanied by Captain Butler, his private secretary! left Wanganui by tr>»in yesterday afternoon, en rout to Wellington; . ; Bishop Mo ran, of Ossory, the 'newly>« appointed archbishop of Dunedin, ia an ecclesiastic of high standing m. Ireland. He is a man of great scholarly, attainments, and was formerly, privato secretary to the late Cardinal Cullen. Mr C. Graham, formerly town clerk of the City of Wellington, and now Official Assignee m: Bankruptcy for the Wellington Judicial District, arrived m Wanganui by the train from the South last night. Mr Graham will remain there for a few days upon -official business. The hearing of the application to die-* allow Mr- T. King's claim, m the estate of James King, whs adjourned to-day till Tuesday the 29th inst. It will be heard before Mr Haultain. It is stated that Mr izard, of Wellington, will appetf m aup« port of the application.- ' ■ The next sitting of the E M. Courtjwin be on Thursday, th?7th of February. It will be seen the loan proposals for Roberts' Line, have been rejected, and those for the Tiritea Line carried. We fear the rateqayers who opposed the vote for Roberts' Line have dune something they will have cause to regret. ; We understand that although the as* Aorangi came out as a Glasgow ship, being registered at the port where she wad built, yet it is intended that aa soon as she reaches Chri^tchurch she will be re^isteted there as a New Zealand ship, of the port of Lyttelton. On Monday Messsrs Stavena and Gor» ton will sell at the '. mo'iith of the Hangitikei river, the damaged car^o of cement of the steamer Napier, recently there. To-morrow ia the day of Mr Greenwood's professional visit to Paimerston, his consulting rooms being at Walkley's Commercial Hotel. Accesa to North Street is almost cut off by the recent floods, and the inhabitants look forward with apprehensions to a recurrence of the experiences of last win" ter, when locomotion was well nigh i'tn« possible. Their cases ia a very hard one, and should receive consideration at the hands of the Borough Council, . j Mr Rutherford took his departure by train laat night, en route for Wellington. There were a good many of bis friends on ' the platform to wish him bon voyage, | Through one of the horses shying at the train last evening, the NBpier coach nar<« rowlyjescaped a capsize. Jon en, the driver, was dragged off, but stuck to hia, reins manfully; A broken pole aud bar was all the damage done.