WELLINGTON.

Evening Star, Issue 3555, 15 July 1874, Page 3

WELLINGTON.

(From our own Correspondent.)

Wellington, July 11. Though the telegraph has in a great Pleasure done away with the necessity for special correspondents, as most of the work formerly done by them is now necessarily anticipated, the paradox remains that their occupation has by no means gone. They appear to thrive better than ever; tlHr number increases each session ; and already the question is raised as to the right to do so of some individuals who claim the very few privileges accorded to the cla o s. Tn attendance on our Parliament there are reporters* of all classes. To the Hansard staff—the picked men of the Provinces ; all capable men and sterling fellows—is allotted exclusively the right-band corner of the Speaker’s gallery, which overlooks the Ministerial bench ; and to them is relegated the duty of recording all that is done and said, the latter including sense and its antonym. The other end of this gallery is railed off for “the Press.” Here is furnished accommodation of a most indifferent kind for about four persons ; and on the first day of the session it was rushed by twice that number. Reporter and correspondent are sometimes represented in one person, who nevertheless thinks his dual character entitles him to two seats. In addition to the correspondents, the Press

Agency has its representative in the gallery, and the three daily payers of Wellington had to be p-ovided for, so that it was not long before differences of opinion arose among “ the gentlemen of the Press ” as to the occupancy of these seats, to settle which the interference of Mr Speaker and the House Committee was needed. The dispute, though it can hardly be called such, is likely to result in the front bench being awarded to the representatives of the local papers, and a second bench, placed immediately at their back, for the correspondents—a fair solution of the difficulty. "This is my first appearance in the gallery o| our House of Representatives, and a week’s experience of it has not assisted me in arriving at a very favorable opinion of the slace or the manner in which business connected urilih the House i| ! conducted. The

Hall is, to all appearance, roomy and comfortable, but its acoustic properties are : — well, it is impossible to describe how bad they are. In many parts, hearing of certain members is out of the question ; and I have observed some of the reporters, who are forced to strain their necks to catch the utterances of Ministers and othe s almost beneath them, often give up the attempt in despair. That is one difficulty which I was prepared to experience ; the othir was entirely unexpected. Accustomed in our Provincial Council to find every facility given the Press tp acquire information, and tq regaive the utmost courtesy and attention at the hands of hfr Sessions and his obliging Subordinates, I not unnaturally considered that, in the higher atmosphere r f a Colonial Parliament, an equal, if net greater desire te assist the Press would be shown. Therein lay my mistake. There is as much difficulty in obtaining papers and documents of an ordinary kind as in learning what are presumed to be State secrets. An order-pap r is not procurable until an hour before the House meets, though the local papers are furnished with them hours before ; and it Was the subject of general complaint that such an important measure as the Electric Telegraph Amendment Bill was only circulated half-an-hour before it came on for its second reading. The truth is, there is an absurd amount of pomp and cerem ny observed in pur Parliament. Fancy the gal fdrifa being cleared ! in 1 the Lower House whild prayers are being l said I Can folly any farther go than supposing that the prayers of the unfortunate reporters and the very few who occupy the public galleries du ring the afternoon sitting are not worth having ? On no other ground can 1 account for the existence of this ridiculous order, which dates, I believe, from last session. It is worthy of remark that no such practice prevails in Legislative Council. The real work of the session commenced

PU Tuesday, which was the first actual sitting (lay. There w as shown at the outset a disposition to hurry on the business, and get the session over quickly, but that idea is being gradually fallen from, until now there exists the belief, not only in political but ordinary circles, that the session will be drawn put to much about its usual length. Certainly it will not he so sbprt as was ganoqnced } and I think I may thus early venture to predict that it will last nine or ten weeks, and before going further, let m« correct what appears to be a very widespread misapprehension in Otago The present is not the last session of this Parliament. It does not cease to exist until 1876 Most politicians are aware that our EoSse of Representatives is elected for five years. The mistake has arisen from the circumstance, which may not occur again for many years, df thp last .general election happening concurrently w*th the Proymcial Council elections, as was the case in 1871 ; and thus, because the members of the latter body arc only elected for four years, the confusion appears to have arisen in the minds of the Otago people as to the duration of the present Parliament.

As I have telegraphed to you pretty fully the debate on the Address in reply, there is no necessity for me to allude to it here, except to say that Mr Wales, in moving it in the Lower House, created a very favorable impassion. TJe spoke delibgratply and well, and though intending at first'to have touched upon a variety of matters, was wise in making his observations brief and refraining from introducing debateable matter. . Otago matters have occupied an inordinately large share of attention during the week. First came the WardChapman business. Mr J. L. Gillies opened fire by asking—(l) Whether the Government intended to make any investigation into the matter j and (2) whether they hafi any objection to producing the telegrams and correspondence? Mr Gillies observed that one of bis principal reasons for patting the questions was, that during the last session of the Otago Provincial Council the matter was brought under his notice by a number of members of that body, and the question was asked him is his official position of Speaker, whether it would be proper that such a question should be raised in the Provincial Council. To that he replied that it would he much better to leave the matter until the Assembly met, seeing that the House of Representatives and Legislative ooffngil were she proper places where it should be brought up. The publication of the telegrams, whether oerrect or otherwise, gave rise to a very strong feeling of dissatisfaction, uncertainty, and distrust, as to the manner in which the judicial part of the Government was carried out, and any such feeling of distrust as to the manner in which the duties of the Supreme Court were carried out should be removed as early as possible. To the questions as put the Premier made the following answer:—

To Jib® first that the Government had taken no steps to investigate the charges made against Judge Chapman. The Government were of opinion that the charges did not ca'l for any representations on their part to his Excellency the Governor, and Judge Chapman and Judge Ward had been informed to that effect. How the telegrams got into the papers he was unable to say. He had the assurance of Judge Chapman and of Judge Ward that they were not responsible for their appearance: certainly he (Mr Yogel) was not, and ho

did not believe they came through the Telegraph Department. The whole circumstance was one of those mysteries which must be placed in the same category as the writer of Junius’s letters and the identity of the Man with the Iron Mask, Whether time would unravel this mystery he was unable to say. As to the question whether the Government had any objections to lay on the table copies of all correspondence, telegraphic or otherwise, on the subject, he might say that the telegrams as they appeared were not correct, although thev were nearly so, and showed pretty well that the newspaper was very largely in the knowledge of the actual telegrams. And as to whether the Government would lay the telegrams upon the table of the House, he had only to say that they would not do so on their own motion, but they recognised the right of the House to ask for their production, and would offer no oppo sition if the hon. member for Waikouaiti or amr other hon. member made a motion for their production.—(Hear).—But so far as the

Government were concerned, they saw no reason for volunteering to place them on the table, ihe business was a sad one ; and he was sure hon. members, when the read the telegrams and correspondence, would coipe to the conclusion that it was to be much regretted. The italicised passage in Mr Vogel’s answer so flatly contradicted Judge Ward, and so further involved in the matter, that Mr Gillies was bound to call for the production of the papers without delay. This he did the next day, and Mr Vogel, in promising their production at an early day, expressed the hope that the time would come when the scandal would be forgotten ; and therefore that there would be no necessity for printing the correspondence in the appendix to the House journals. Possibly the Government will lay the papers on the table on Tuesday, certainly not later than Thursday ; and Mr Gillies will at once move for a select committee. {To be continued.)