IN THE LOBBY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 991, 10 July 1883, Page 2

IN THE LOBBY.

[from our parliamentary correspondent.] Wellington, To-day. Mr McDonald, the newly elected member for Bruce, took the oath and his seat in the House immediately after the Speaker had read prayers last evening. He was introduced by Mr Macandrew and Mr Driver, the latter of whom had to limp to the table with the aid of a couple of walking sticks. After subscribing his name to the oath, the new member, whose great stature has already made him conspicuous among his fellows, took a seat in a distant corner, and manifested considerable interest in the proceedings of the evening. No small degree of curiosity was evinced as to the aide he intended to support, and an opportunity was soon afforded by means of a party division on the second reading of Sir George Grey’s Constitution Amendment Bill (No. 2) of ascertaining in which direction his inclination went. Mr McDonald had been reported to have been returned o i the Opp sition ticket, and consequently many were surprised to sea him walk into the Government lobby. However, “ there’s many a slip ’twixt the cup and the lip,” and Mr McDonald ran a very narrow escape of not having his vote recorded at all, for on issuing from the lobby instead of marching with the body of the others to the tellers, he turned off at a tangent and sought his seat. Here he sat in the most unconscious manner possible, but it soon transpired that he had neglected to give his vote, and just as the tellers were on the point of closing their lists he was induced to return and “ pass the Rubicon.”

It is thought that the current week will determine the length of the session. Mr Montgomery’s motion relative to the question of the .central inode of Government, comes on for debate to-night, and I understand that the Government supporters have agreed not to debate the question at all, on the ground that it will be useless to do so under existing Dircumstances. The talk will therefore be left to the Opposition side. The report of the Joint Committee of Standing Orders on the North Island Native Land Settlement Empowering Bill stands first on the Order Paper for consideration this afternoon. It is certain to provoke considerable debate. Great consternation has been excited among Government members by a demand made by the Post last night that before the Bill goes any further the House should be placed in possession of the names of all the shareholders of the company.

Mr M. W. Green sat at the table with the air of a martyr while his Eight Hours’ Bill was being mauled to pieces in Committee. The Native Minister promptly moved that the Chairman do leave the chair. After much discussion this amendment was put to the vote, which resulted in iitie, the votes numbering 31 on either Hamlin, the Chairman of gave his casting vote in favor of tIW further consideration of the measure, a a decision which was greeted with much cheering by the advocates of the Bill. Mr Holmes mentioned that a tie took place in the voting last year, the votes being 23 on either side, when Mr Hamlin gave his casting vote in an opposite direction. Mr Driver moved to report progress, which of course meant the shelving of the Bill. Thereupon the discussion dragged on with a fresh impetus, many members urging the Committee to accept the Bill because it could neither do any harm nor any good. The ultimate decision of the Committee is recorded elsewhere.