The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-09-08
SOME JOVIAL STATESMEN.
wen OF Brains and Humor Who Have
caused the World to Laugh.

| wen OF Brains and Humor Who Have
Caused the World to Laugh.
Every once in awhile the dreary but
necessary routine of legislation is cleo
trlhed or convulsed by the genius or wit
of some hitherto unknown lawmaker.
single Speech" Hamilton's fame filed
England because of the only Grafton he
ever delivered in parliament.
When Tom Corwin in the imaginary
role OF Mexican welcomed the Yam
KEGS with bloody hands to hospitable
| graves he was much talked about, and
Proctor Knott, although distinguished
as congressman and governor of Ken
lucky, Is best known to the American
people as the man who delivered speech
| On the subject of Duluth, "the Zenith
City of the Unsalted Seas"
Ben Buffers ''shoof1y" retort to Cox
and his defense of the back pay bill are
well remembered, and now comes an
English nobleman's son to join.the list
of those who have furnished the world
with food for laughter. His courtesy
title Is Lord Elcho. He is the son of the
Earl Of Wemyss. He sits in the house
or commons, and he talked humorously
the other day regarding the bill to pro-
vide for the payment of members. "Sev-
eral times" says the Pail Mall Budget,
''he had TO wait for full minute until
the house recovered from its laughter. :"
Here is the closing part of his address:
Twas struck the other day with the admira-
bic foresight and prudence of a new member
of the house. the honorable member for North
Wexford w n jnnl tad hat
should be paid quarterly in advance. hope
we shall receive the same pleasant and accept
able form Of payment. / should also like to
ask whether we are to be rewarded independ-
emily of the qualities of our services or whether
the legislator must prove himself worthy of his
hire, and If SO, by what test his merits are to
be measured. Is it to be by the number Of di-
visions he has attended? In that case our par
liamentary life will be one slow progress
through the division lobby. Or is it to be by
the length and number of our speeches? In
that case, sir, your task will be most in
vldious one, and we who are DESTROYS of MAX
ing speeches and earning our salaries shall
look upon the mover of the closure in the light
of highway robber who gags US before he
rObs us OF our hard earned pay
There Is another argument in favor of the
motion. The first lord of the treasury is COM
planning of the arrears of public business and
would recommend him to put the vote for
the salaries of members as the last vote of sup
| ply. think it will be found that honorable
members will be considerably less anxious tc
reduce other peoples salaries if thereby they
| are delaying the voting of their own. Now
| sir, what am trying TO mako out is that in
| giving this motion we should not deal with it
| in q niggardly and half hearted spirit Let US
| be generous to ourselves as well as Just to
| other people. 1 have listened with great in
| terest to the list of salaries read out by the
! honorable member. He read out that one
| country gave &10O a year; not a cheer answered
| him. He read out the name of another
| country which gave $500 year; hardly q
| cheer greeted him. But when ne said that
| America gave 81 900 the honorable member
| for Wick. sitting below him, gave hearty
| cheer.
! A member who seeks parliamentary election
| has TO make many sacrifices. He sacrifices his
| time, his money and he often sacrifices his
| health; and perhaps it may be said as being
| true of some CT them, they often sacrifice their
| dearest principles and most cherished convic-
| lions. 1t seems to me therefore that they are
| justly entitled to some pecuniary compensa-
t ton for the sacrifices they make-some whole
| some antidote for those boluses which they are
! reluctantly compelled to swallow by their con-
! stituents. / sincerely hope that we shall pre-
| sent the demand Of the members in q form
| which will enable those honorable members
/ who have struggled to obtain q seat, who have
| won the battle and grasped the prize, to look
| forward in their declining years hopefully for
| themselves and their families to future which
| should be removed from all danger of want OF
| indulgence or necessity, and to be made com.
fortably off. The honorable member will &C.
! quit me of having met his motion in a grudg-
| ing or njggardly spirit. can only express my
I profound regret that, having spoken as / have
/ done, am compelled to vote against the PRO
| posal of the honorable member