MONDAY, FEB. 5, 1883. PARLIAMENTARY VACANCIES.

Manawatu Times, Volume VIII, Issue 178, 5 February 1883, Page 2

MONDAY, FEB. 5, 1883. PARLIAMENTARY VACANCIES.

Two vacancies have occurred m the House cf Representatives by resignation. The first and more important of the two is that of Sir John Hall, M.H.R-- for Selwyn, who resigns owing: to continued weak health. Whether his retirement from public life on the present occasion is final, will probably depend upon circumstances. At the present time it is, we believ , Sir John Hall's intention to take a trip ho»ne, and stay there a few years ; should his health be sufficiently strong to stand the tax of public life on hip return, he may resume his old place amongst bur legislators. Politicians of all shades of opinion will hope so, as all at present agree m regretting his resignation.. Sir John Hall has now been before the country m various public offices a great number of years. When responsible government was established m t/,is c l<iny,*"he 8011-Sewele Ministr\ took office on May 7, 1856, but held the reins of power only for thirteen days, being ousted on May 20 by tbp Pox Ministry, of which Sir John Hall was Colonial Secretary. Referring to this fact we once heard Str William, m one of Ins most cut ting speeches against Mr (now Sir John) Hall, when the two gentle men were politically opposed, say he had " dandled the hon member m his political clothes," and he pro-

ceeded to liken Sir John's speech to the rattle of an alarum clock, saying hid first impression on hearing a cluck of that description was to lake off his slipper and shy it at it. He did not say. he felt, inclined to do Ie same thing to Mr Hall, but the House evidently thought so, for hon. i! embers roared with laughter. Sir John Hall's first experience of office was exactly as short as that of bis ■predecessor, for on the fourteenth Jay, viz., June 2, 1856, the Fox Ministry was ousted, and the first Stafford Ministry, m which were included the whole of the members of Ihe first Ministry except SirD. BeR, returned to power, and held office until 1861, when the second Fox Ministry; went m. Then followed the Domtt, Whitaker-Fox, Weld, and second Stafford Ministries, Sir John Hall's second experience m office being m the last ntmed, m which he held the positions of Post master General and Telegraph Commissioner from October, 1866, to February 1869, when he was sueo tied by Mr Staff o din those offices, the Ministry being ejected from office m 186§, and being succeeded bythe,'third Fox Ministry, which held office till ousted by the third | Stafford Ministry m 1872. This ministry lasted only a month, and was suoceeded by the Waterhouse Ministry m he same year (1872), Sir .John Hall taking- office as Colonial secretary, which he held until the Ministry was ousted by the fourth Fox Ministry m 1878. The C< otinuous Ministry then took office, and held it m the different forms of the first Yogel Ministry, the Pollen Ministry, the second Yogel Ministry, the A tkijnson Ministry, (m which Mr Hall held olfiVe a fortnight as member of the Executive Council), and the reconstituted Atkinson Ministry, until 1877, when they were beaten by the -Grey" party, which held office until October 1879, when the Hall Ministry assumed office, which they now hold under another leader, the party being m power although Sir John Hall has been compelled to retire from office by weak health, and Mr Whitaker is at the head of affairs. The above resime shovvs that Sir Hall has 'been repeatedly m office during the last twenty-seven years, and he puts off the harness with a reputation for integrity, straightforwardness, and hard work as a Minister equal to any New Zealand has ever had. Long may he live to enjoy the honors he has earned, and long may New Zealand be governed by men as worthy of position and office as he has proved himself to be ! The second resignation is that of Mr T. K.Weston,M.H.E.for Inangahua. Mr Weston went into politica.l life soon after he was " retrenched" from his district Judgeship m Westland, and as a comment upon his uprightness we may note that he was elected by the people over whom he had acted as judge, a fact which showed they respected him. He has proved a useful member since he held a seat m the House, very much more so than either Messrs E. Wakefield or R. Keevos. The former is altogether too much of a peacock m tho House to be of service to the oountry, while the latter is, from a colonial point of view, neither useful nor ornamental. Both resignation* are greatly to be regretted and such will be the opinion of every one who looks over the lines of violent par* tisanship.