The Cromwell Argus, AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. Cromwell: Tuesday, June 9, 1874.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 239, 9 June 1874, Page 4

The Cromwell Argus, AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. Cromwell: Tuesday, June 9, 1874.

The extract from the Daily Times (which we reproduce below,) in relation to the disgraceful scene which took place in the Provincial Council on Thursday night last, in connection with the matter of the Goldfields Secretaryship, is so well put, and represents so well what must be the opinion of every sensible man on the subject, that we make no apology for transcribing it at full length. The bon. member for Duneclin, Mr Pish, as we have since learned by private advices, was not guilty of fictions conduct to such an extent as is imputed. Having tested the feeling of the Council on the question two or three times, and perceiving that it was impossible to carry his point, he very properly succumbed ; and intimated his intention of withdrawing what must be a futile opposition, and of allowing the item to pass. And further, we believe he afterwards used every effort to induce Messrs Bkown and De Lautour to follow a like course, and withdraw their senseless and unmeaning opposition ; but without avail. The only real support accorded to Messrs Brows and De Lautour by Mr Fish and the others mentioned with him in the division list was when motions for the reduction of the item were varied by the bringing forward of a motion to report Mr Pish and the others certainly supported the latter motion several times, but to this no objection can be urged. If hon. members wish to delay the consideration of any motion, endeavouring to carry a motion to report progress is a fair and legitimate method of attaining their end. But the coarse taken by Messrs Brown and De Lautour is entirely inpxcusable. We have several times noticed (although hitherto without comment) the peculiar stand which the member for Mount Ida has adopted towards Mr Beid and those who support him ; but this last escapade displays in so glaring a manner the shrewish and vixenish feeling indulged in by Mr Ds Lautour, that we cannot pass it over in silence. The utterances of the Mount Ida Chronicle, —which have been so noticeable lately, and which are supposed to be a reflex of the opinions held by the hon. member for Mount Ida, —regarding the one gold-fields member Avho supported the Bkid Government, will now, we trust, be rated at their proper value. We reprint also an article on the same subject from the Guardian.

(Daily Times.) The use of Parliamentary forms, no one, we feel sure, undervalues ; and these forms, by permitting members of the Provincial Council to insist on the due discussion of every motion that comes before them, are a boon to representative institutions. Like every good thing, they can, however, be abused. Liberty can degenerate into license. The scene—we can hardly call it anything else—that was enacted in the Provincial Council last evening was such as is unparalleled in the history of representative assemblies. The vote which gave rise to this scene was a sum of £IOO for a Gold-fields Secretary. Against this vote Mr Fish declaimed, and threatened that he should use every means to prevent it being passed, even if he should keep the blouse to midnight. Accordingly, the reduction of the vote was moved by £339, and division followed division, when after two hours of this disgraceful waste of time, Mr Fish got ashamed of his conduct; he apparently retired from the scene. He left, however, two able representatives of faction in the persons of Mr J. C. Brown I and Mr T)e Lautour, These members, occasionally assisted by about ten others, headed by Mr Fish and other Oppositionists, kept on moving the reduction of the item pound by pound, and moving that the Chairman report progress. We now write after 3 a.m., and still this shameful and disgraceful scene lasts ; Mr De Lautour and Mr Brown remaining to obstruct, wh'le the other members of the Opposition, led by their Head, wait in an adjoining room, ready to give'them

assistance should they require it. We have said that the sceno is unparalleled, and we think that it is high time that the Council should adopt some method to prevent such a shameful proceeding, and also the utter waste of its time and of the people's money. , We do not care to characterise the notion of the members who have made such ah exhibition of themselves: we rather publish their names'." In Parliament jit is the highest disgrace—saving, perhaps, expulsion—for 'the Speaker to name a member. Let'the people of Otagoldarn the names of those members who, out of pri-vato pique, attempted Id'force' aHarge majority to yield to them, 1 and we have no doubt fitting reward will be-bestowed, iuponi them for their conduct. We heed not singlo 'put Mr dames' Clarke Brown and. Mr" Cecil Albert De Lautours We are sorry to say that the other members of the faction- • they do not deserve the name of Opposition—are almost equally to blame. They walked out of the House—excepting Mr Turton, who. remained to advise Messrs. Brown and De L'autour. The names, then, of the faction our readers will learn from the division lists. We have said—we hesitate to'' characterise the proceedings. All we can say is, that if the Council submits to such coercion, and if the districts that return the members of this factious Opposition subm.it to it, it were better that Provincial Institutions be at once abolished. Those members who can talk liberal landrlawism, who s.peaki of economy, who can indulge in hyperbole about the "working-mail" and settlement, are to be found in the ranks of the faction. Well, can the people of the Province believe in their sincerity ? We could understand a' large minority making a stand against thetyranny of a majority; but two or three members being allowed to ] interrupt the whole business of the Council for hours is too much.* We submit something must speedily be done. Two courses are open. Let the Superintendent prorogue the Council, and thereby lay the onus of the steppage of public business on the right shoulders ; or else let the Standing Orders of the Council be amended. Another scene such as that of last evening will bring Parliamentary institutions into such contempt that no rospectable person will care to be concerned 1 in them. Let the Council then.see to it; ere it is too late ; or else acknowledge that forty-three members are bound to obey the dictates of 'Mr Fish's'lieu tenants—Mr James Clark Brown and Mr Cecil Albert De Lautour.

~.{; j; i (Guardian.) The Provincial Council was last night the scene of one of \ those occurrences which are calculated to bring representative institutions into contempt. , In committee on the Estimates, the vote for, Gold-fields Secretary came on, when the Oovernmentwere asked whom they contemplated appointing .to the office? The question was a reasonable one under the circumstances, but the Government refused to give the desired information, whereupon a few members began the work of'obstruction by calling for divisions, and speaking against time during the intervals. "While we., write sixteen divisions have been taken, and there is. every, prospect of these tactics being pursued.until'the majorir.v are tired out. We cannot too strongly condemn factious opposition ; and the conduct of the minority last night was factious in the extreme. Doubtless the Government might have avoided the scene altogether, if they had given the desired information, which could in no way have imperilled the vote ; but their want of judgment is do excuse for members blocking public business. The Gold-fields members agree as to the necessity for having a member of the Government specially charged with Gold-fields administration, and therefore the Executive, by putting the item on the Estimates, comply with their wishes. If, however, the Government decline to say who shall occupy that position during the recess, the minority have no means of compelling them to declare it. To persistently obstruct the public business is iiot the wav to influence the Executive ; and we trust, for the sake of the Council, that resource will not again be had to a power which should only be very sparingly exercised under most exceptional circumstances.