IN THE GALLERY.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3732, 2 July 1883, Page 3

IN THE GALLERY.

After a storm comes a calm—sometimes. Wo experienced no calm on Tuesday ; tho tempest rage as soon as the House met. Tho mild-mannered knight who represents Auckland East apparently has command over the winds—in one direction. Peaceful ho may be, of that I know not; but he has the happy knack of making things, lot us say interesting. That bill for the amendment of tho Costitution ruffled the calm demeanor of tho Speaker, and caused the Colonial Treasurer to put his best foot forward to get its introduction negatived— but he failed. Wo all admire the man who, fighting a losing battle, comes smiling up to the scratch only to receive increased punishment—if he can take it philosophically. I am afraid here the Major failed. He was beaten, and showed it, and apparently this was the mint sauce which the Opposition required to make tho dish palatablo. Mr Conolly's Bankruptcy Bill only served to show the wonderful variety of opinions that could be got out of the bill as a whole, as what a variety there must be in reference to its four hundred odd clauses. Mr Conolly's earnestness is too much for me. I am afraid life is very much what we make it, and I prefer light to darkness, so when things get serious and heavy I generally find lam wanted elsewhere. Thackeray

used to say never do to-day what you can ' leavo till to-morrow, so when 1 find a speaker just " a wee bit" heavy I wait for tho next. Mr Hursthouse, whom I must credit with a good backbone, and a happy-go-lucky manner of giving his opinions, whether they aro in accord or not with other people's views, moved as an amendment that all bankruptcy laws be repealed, and also prohibiting the recovery of debts. This was duly seconded, and then Mr Shaw urged someobjectionsto thedetails of the bill. Mr Shaw lacks boldness in his address, but he will be heard of, I doubt not, in the future. Mr Montgomery and Mr WynnWilliams declared the one for the amendment and the other for the motion, which was in each caso contrary to what one would have expected from their speeches. Perhaps they exchanged speeches. Mr Joyce held that the debtor should go to gaol, where ho should remain till his cstato lyas wound up. Mr Ivess considered no man in receipt of weekly or monthly salary shoidd be allowed to file. Mr Bracken quoted the opinion qf ftu English Judge, "That no man could in justice to. his ' family pay 20s in the pound." Mr Duncan's success on a previous occasion led us to expect something good at his hands, and we were not disappointed. He thought | /hero was a littlo too much of the bill, and he disagreed with those who said thero should be no bankruptcy IaAVS, instancing the case of a poor man whoso wife fell ill, and as the doctor's bill amounted to £02 8s thero was nothing for the poor man to do but to file. Besides, in the bill thero was no consideration for the struggling farmer like himself. Wo all know that the bankruptcy losses never effect trades, as they simply stick it on to somebody else, and the producer had to pay for everything. In estates lawyers swallowed all the proceeds, and the liousc roared when ho declared "it was difficult to steer clear of the lawyers even in that House." When I want to pass my pet bill I shall take caro to have Mr Duncan on my side; ho may not be a gifted speaker; ho may not know the ways that arc wily, but the House listens to him, ever afraid of missing a ion mot, for no sign on his visago tells when one is coming. Scot succeeded Scot, the Lowlaudcr bemg followed by tho Highland chief (least he would or should have been if ho had only lived earlier) Captain Mackenzie. He said ho did not intend to. make any remarks on this bill, at which the House laughed, and then he propounded his theory, which was ttwt the debtov should bo sold as well as

his wifo to pay for his debts. I am afraid iv some instances it would not be the debtors alone that would be '' sold. The debate was then adjourned. Wednesday was dreary and dull in the extreme. We had a long speech from Air Hutchinson against trying to make gaols self-supporting, as it was bad for the working man. Well, it just comes to this—the working man has either got to faco the small amount of competition from prisoners, or he has got to pay for supporting them in idleness. Tho Budget followed, read from a printed paper, figure following figure in endless confusion, forecasts mixed up with results, to a thin House, the members of which wore more than sleepy. Everyone felt glad when it was over, so that there could be an adjournment. It was fated otherwise. Sir George Grey hoped that a land tax would be substituted for a property tax, which caused the Major to challenge him to debate the two, and that there was an hour and a half's skirmishing, with the result of all skirmishing—nothing. Sir George would debate if the Government would allow their followers to vote according to their convictions, which drew the retort, "1 am thankful to say the followers of the Government always vote according to their convictions ; we have confidcnccin one another. Dissolution was talked of, but dissolution never has charms for those sitting on velvet —tho Treasury benches. Thursday was devoted to that bone of contention, Bible reading in schools. I confess Air Green is too much for me ;_ he declaims, ho roars, he takes tho House into Hi« confidence Ili'fry times in a speech by saying "before I sit down," but then forty nine times out of the fifty he keeps on, but" argument there is none in him, and I was glad when tho bill was shelved and I could leave the Gallery.