PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1913, 22 November 1913, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

A DAILY SUMMARY. The history of Parliament does not record any duller timo than has been experienced in the Houso of Representatives during the'pnst few days. The Opposition party, as was said in the House yesterday, is out on strike. It is holding up the Legislaturo Amendment Bill because it does not approve the Government's intention of repealing the second ballot, and incidentally is holding up every other item of business before Parliament as well. 'Jfiie House has been sitting continuously since ■ Thursday afternoon, and tho result of its "labours" in that prolonged sitting so far is the passing of a couple of words in the short title of the Legislature Amendment Bill. • Yosterday witnessed no developments of any particular note. During practically the whole of the sitting the Opposition have been engaged in spinning out the maximum possible amount of talk upon a sories of flimsy amendments and motions to report progress. Oneof the humours of tho situation is that the Opposition finds it necessary to gag and hinder its own speakers. In discussing the short title of ' a Bill wide Oatitudo is allowed, but tho length of •the discussion is limited, each member lieing allowed to speak four times for the space of ten minutes on each occa- ' sion. By moviug alleged "amendments," 'the Opposition multiply tq an ialinost unlimited extent their opportunities of speaking, but by tho same iict restrict themselves to a very narrow scope of discussion. When an amendment is before tho. House, all talk on riiatters oxtraneous to the 'amendment is forbidden. The •"speeches" of the day, therefore, consisted of a scries of stumbling and la- , borious efforts to keep a stream of tajk going upon topics so extremely thin that they scarcely afforded ground for an intelligent remark or comment of any Jcind. Under these circumstances deadly dullness descended upon the House, and at was hard to say whether tho speakers or those whom duty compelled to ■listen to them had the weariest time. Tho galleries were filled at 7.30 p.m., but by 10 p.m. only iabouti a score of strangers remained. , The proceedings became a little bit interesting shortly before midnight, ,tvhen tlie Acting-Chairman of Committees (Mr. Bell) ruled In amendment out of order on the ground that it was frivolous. This decision was uplieldby tho Sneaker, when he was appealed to. Tho new development evidently. impressed the Opposition, and the industry of manufacturing amendments was abandoned, for tho timo being, and the 6hort title of tho Bill became tie subject of discussion. . A brief but hedted discussion arose when Mr. R. .M'Callura was ruled 1 out of order for referring to the second ballot. The Acting-Chairman j ruled that tlie reference was irrelevant, as there was no mention of tho second ballot in the .Bill, and when Sir Joseph (Ward proposed to take tho Speaker's ruling, Mr. Bell pointed out that tho Speaker had ruled that, the Chairman's decision on a. question of -relevancy Was not subject to review. The Opposition regained some of tlieir lost ground when Mr. G.. W.i Russell moved to strike out the word "legislature,!' from 1 the short title, and explained that he did so in order to open UD a discussion on tho whole, subject of electoral law. The House was still sitting when we iwent to press. In the Legislative Council yesterday jtbo Bank of New Zealand Bill was passed through VCpinmittee,' and the, TramWays Amendment'Hill r was 'read'a 'third time. . The Local Bodies Loans Bill and the Mutual' Fire Insurance Amendment Bill' wero both reported, with amendments, and iho Board of Agriculture 'Bill was Tead a second time.