CLOSE OF THE SESSION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1723, 23 December 1887, Page 2

CLOSE OF THE SESSION.

(F»OM OUR OOKEESPONDBNT.) Wellington, Deoember 23. The final ocene m the first session of the tenth Parliament took place this morning at about quarter to five, when the House concluded all the business on the Order Paper, and finally adjourned. It was known early In the evening that Government had derided to pooh through all they had to do at all hazards, If they had to alt till ten o'clock to-day, to enable the Speaker and northern members to get home for Ohrlitmas, and they carried oat their intention to the letter, for, with the exoeptlon of the Westport and Greymouth Harbor Bills, which at the last moment it was doolded to dispense with, everything wbb pushed through, hurriedly to be sure, bat etill through, and ouch important matter as the Naval Defence Bill, Supplementary Estimates, and Appropriation Bills were rashed over m a most dangerous fashion. At last, about half past three, all work that Government had aat themselves was done and panned on to the Lords, who heroically eat up for the purpose, and carried out their deliberative funotlon m a very few moments by ratifying everything that bad been done by the Commons. Theace came one of the amaalng features of the proceedings, the Speaker and Clerk of the House having to proceed to Government House to wake op his Excellency In order t~> get the necessnry signatures to the various Bills passed, and daring the Interval which elapsed over this business members had a high old time to themselves m the Chamber by holding a mock Parliament, m which Mr Reeves filled the onerous position of Speaker and Mr McGregor Sergeant-at-Arms, the mace being a huge ahiileUgh brought oat from England by Mr J, C. Brown. Toe few who remained to see the end were treated to some capital fan, reparte and practical joking being the order of the day, and the arrest of Mr Carroll, who was removed from the Chamber for using unparliamentary language, but was allowed to return after being clarified at Bellamy's. At half past four the Speaker returned and deaoram being restored he intimated the Bills to which the gubernatorial asseu t had been given . Everyone expootod that the House would be called to the Chamber to hoar the prorogation by Commissioners, and a feeling of disappointment was experienced when the Premier intimated that it had been deolded to ptorogue Parliament by pro* olamation whloh would be delivered on Tuea-lfiy next at 33) Th~B3 present did not appear to relish this sudden termination of the proceedings, and by way of showing who had seen Parliament through, a division vras taken no the formal motion for adjournment when it was seen that were 32 members present. The proceedings terminated at a quarter to five, wh°q members deperaed, looking washed ou- >nd sad, m the grey morning light, «)(• to-day the baildlDga. are deserted and deiu*! la tb,e e^r?^ an JIWwSW