Cartoon of drunk MP, 1856

Cartoon of drunk MP, 1856

Astute observers of Parliament were found inside the House as well as outside. In the 1850s and 1860s, Member of Parliament Alfred Domett captured the foibles and habits of his fellow parliamentarians, preserving them in a small sketchbook. His 1856 drawing shows one of his colleagues, flanked by two burly police officers, staggering home the worse for wear.

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Mike O'Brien

Posted: 07 Aug 2019

My great grandfather Laughlin O'Brien was a member of New Zealand's first parliament. He lived at 21 St. Georges Bay Road, Parnell. He quit part way through his term and there is nothing I can find on the internet to indicate what happened. No by-election, no comment in the Auckland newspaper, nothing. Perhaps the truth is in the cartoon above!