PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1717, 23 November 1887, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

[F»OH ODB OWN OOBBEBJOKDSSI.J

Wellington, November 22,

A NO CONFIDENCE BUBPJBIBE. As I informed yoo io a short telegram this afternoon, Sir Julius Yogel sprung a aarprlee by Informing the House, that he h»d a few resolution to mabmit reipeoting the tariff thia sesaioD, aud asking Major Atkinson when he proposed to set op a committee of Ways and Meana bo that the resolution* might be brought on. Major Atkinson immediately aaid he would : propose to eet a Committee of Ways and Means at onoe. He would accept the I resolutions as a motion of no confidence and ask the Houße to adjourn at onoe m aoooi dance with the usual ouatom. Upon tnia there waa a deal of talk, and charges and counter charges of waate of time were hurled aoross the floor of the Houae. The Opposition party seem to be very much aanoyed at Sir Julius Vogel'a action, and to them the intimation made by their leader oame with as mnoh surprise as to members of the opposite side of the House. After an hour's talk Sir J. Yogel aaid that, at the request of come of his friends, he would withdraw the intimation he had made that he had certain resolution! to move on a oertain subject, Major Atkinson immediately brought down the applause of the House by refusing to acoept such a withdrawal, and threatened that he would "fix" Sir J. Yogel and his friends by getting one of his own supporters to move at half- past aeveu to night that " m the opinion of thia House it is not desirable to raa>'e any change m the tariff thia session. The Speaker, however, ruled that if there was any adjournment it must be till to-morrow, aud tae question being put, resulted as follows :— For the adjournment 60, agalnßt 32; The Houae immediately adjourned till half-paßt two to-morrow. Thus, with all the talk about waste of time whloh the Minister of Eduoation declared coat the country £400 every day the House sits, we have a whole day wasted for no earthly reason, though from a party point of view 'Major Atkinson's taotica ware mach admired, and Sir J. Vogel's as greatly condemned. The discussion was rather warm while It lasted, and there were one or two exciting soenea, For instance, Mr Fisher charged Sir J. Yogel with wasting the time of the House all laßt week, and Sir J. Yogel immediately asked that the words be taken down, considering them offensive to himself. The question was put to the Houue to decide, but it was not pressed to a division. Mr Seddon thereupon declared against Government for making any reference to the event of last week, and said if they thought fit to do that they ahould do their duty to Parliament and purge It of what had been said of it m the country only a few days ago. Major /itkinaon interjected, "What was that," assuming ignoranoe of the withering Boom of the hon. gentleman Gentle Dick replied, " Read the Auckland » Sell" of tb e 16ih » This, of coarse, referred to the •• Bell's" ohargea against the Speaker, and taere was an omiaoaß silence upon Mr Seddrn's remark. It seemed thai after all thare was to be a trial of strength on the question of Protection, but I fear the resuit after, probably, a deal of talk will be nil. Such an uufonunate ending to ihose who desire to Bee some enoouragemeut given to local industries will be enUrel> attributable to the preoipitaie aotion of Sir J, V.-gel, who hae m a most reprehensible manner, taken HCtion without vhe oonsent of his purty. The Opposition will, probably, meet ionight or to-morrow morning to consider how, they may best meet Major Atkinson's ohallenge. They may possible take the initiative and table an address to the motion, embody iDg an expression of opinion that It is neoessary to deal with the question of the tariff at onoe. On the other hand there is j oat a suspicion that the whole proceeding is pare of a deep laid scheme on the part of the Opposition, and that Majjr Atkinson has really ov^r-re»ched himself, and played into the hands of those members of the Opposition who have Private Bills on the' Order Paper. It will be remembered that Major Atkinson on the last sitting day gave notice to move to-day that Government business, take precedence on Wednesday. By the obstruction this afternoon, Major Atkinson waß nnable to move that resolution and aa the debate on the tariff cannot proceed to-movrow, the notloe not yet having been tabled o£ the resolution to be moved on the subject, it foJlws that private members wlllhaveto-morrowand Thursday for their Bills m the ordinary courae. Of oouree If the Opposition table any resolution that Government felt feel it impossible to acoept but as of no-confidence the Houbo woul I again adjourn till next day and no business would be done until the question was settled, but if Sir J. Yogel is working m the interest of private members he will take care that no motion la tabled by the Opposition. ?RiBF MENTION, Among notices thia afternoon were the following : -Mr Macarthur to ask Government what steps they will take with a view to doter future Miniotera exoeeding the votea of the Houae as was done by the Hon J. Billance, aud to rts-assert the power of control over the public pursa possessed by the popular branch of theLagislature; Mr Joyce to ask Government if tho Government intend to curtail the strength of the Permanent Artillery or the whole force and to reduce the capitation. In the Legislative Council to-day Sir F. Whitake^ brought up a report on the reform of the Legislative Council. It agrees m tha main with the proposals of j Government bs shadowed iorth m tho Financial Statement. Mr Ward will tomorrow aik the Minister for Defeno^ if he has any objection to there being issued under Section .14 of the Volunteer Aot of 1883, an order In Oouncll for embodying la th« Volunteer regulations— (l) Compulsory retirement of all offioers unless for good and sufficient reason on their attaining tho age of sixty years ; (2) appi oval of the Commander- in-Chief, so long aa they ara not repugnant Jo the Aot and regulations no win force, of theStanding Orders, of any re^imant of oavalry, artillery brigade, naval artillery, or battalion of nfl.a j (3) permitting any battalion of I'ifljs to work upon the regimental ayotem if they ahould elect to d<» ao.