Tun smallest and sweetest measure now before Parliament- is the little Bill to raise the payment of members to XilOO per annum in the Lower House, and to X2OO per annum in the Upper House. It would be as well now to drop the old word " honorarium," as somewhat mis leading, In former times " honorarium" was voted to cover the expenses of legis lators in Wellington during session time, Now the payment is a wage—a living wage, all the year round, to Parliamen tarians, The Upper and Lower Houses arc now open to working men, and it is necessary that a livelihood should be secured to them. They drop their tools when they become representatives, and cease to earn wages; therefore wages have to be provided for them by the State which employs tlism. The only <|iic.sliuii is its to llicniiiouiil of wages which they ought to receive, A skilled parliamentary lmnd'craftsmim would he well worth five hundred, or even a thousand pounds a year; but experts of this kind are rare in our Legis lature. There is far too much unskilled labour employed in making our laws, and this is one reason why they arc made so badly, and need mending year by year. The unskilled parliamentary labour is dear at any price—but there it is, and at least a living wage has to be paid for it. Hitherto live pounds a week has been considered a fair remunera tion for such work; bul now, in order to keep pace with the times, the wage is to be raised to six pounds a week. Shall wo get bettor worl;, or more of it, at the increased rate of payment ? We believe tluil Hie tendency will be in the opposite direction I In the p. r'vjncntary workshops, the Premier is the employer, and the mem bers the hiiirds, Wc : do not blame the hands forgetting higher wagcs-il would be contrary to labour usages for them to do otherwise. 