PARLIAMENT.

Evening Star, Issue 4231, 18 September 1876, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

[By Telegraph.] TALKING AGAINST TIME, r

Wellington, Septemberlß. While Mr Thomson was speaking on Saturday, he was interrupted by' " Mr Joyce, who called the Speaker's attention to Standing Order No. 66, and inquired on whom rested the responsibility of reporting to the Sergeant-at-Arms that the Ministry were disqualified, remarking that aB a private member he was quite prepared to report to the Sergeant-at-Arms their presence in the hj ouse only as strangers. The Speaker said that the hon. member for Wallace was not justified in assuming that the Ministry were disqualified. Later on, Mr Joyor moved the suspension of the standing orders, so that order .No. 67 might be eliminated. The Speaker ruled that the hon.Fmember was out of order, but

Mr Joyce continued to speak in spite of this ruling, amidst cries of "Order!" and a general disturbance. The Hon. Mr Reynolds, during the disorder, expressed the opinion that the hon. member should be made an example of and fined L 5.

Mr Joyce said that they might name him, or fine him, or do what tbey liked; but he would not stand being told by any hon. member what might happen to him.' He was quite willing to submit to the Speaker's ruling, but net to that of any' h6n. member who might see fit to gei on hial^gs',;;,'','. The Opposition, caucus at 3 p.m. resulted

from the failure to effect an tmdelrrtanding onthefollowing terms, Which were suggested by Mr Macaxdbew -.—"Mr J. C. Brown's motion foranadjournmentto be Withdrawn or negatived; Mr Ballance's amendment tobedebated on its merits, and disposed of on Monday, as also the Indemnification Act through all its stages on the same day, on an honorable undertaking to be come to that all nuestions be dehated on their merits. Talking against time, and other means of creating delay only, not to be made use of. The Honse to adjourn till 2.30 on Monday." The Government refused this, unless it was agreed to by Sir George Grey either in writing or by a formal statement in the House, but Sir George Grey objected to both. His request for a two hours' adjournment was refused by the Government as unnecessary, seeing that their supporters alone were keeping a quorum. For what transpired subsequently, we are indebted to the 'Daily Times,' the Press Agency having failed to furnish us with any report :—-

WHO ARE THE OBSTRUCTIONISTS ?

The ultra Opposition who are carrying on the talk against time are very few in number. Messrs Rolleston, Wakefield, Wason, Shrimski, Tonka, M'Farlane, and many others of the ordinary Opposition have formally intimated to Ministers their disapproval of what is being done, and now regularly taking their places in the Ministerial watches, it is said the object of. the resolution is to prevent any Indemnity resolution being passed until the eight days during which Ministers must plead to Sir George Grey's writs have expired. A PROTEST. The following protest was placed in the hands of the Speaker en Saturday night, but he declined to put it before the House : We, the undersigned members of the House of Representatives, do hereby protest against all adjournments, except those provided for by the standing orders, and will use every constitutional means to prevent the same.—£. W Stafford, J. C. Wason, A. J. Eichmond, J. Sharp, E. Wakefield, J. Henry, T. Kelly, A. P. Seymour, W. Eussell, V. Pyke, A. Cox, J. Bryce. The object of this was to continue tha sitting uninterruptedly through Sunday. AMUSING EPISODES.

During the night there was an amusing episode. Mr Wason rushed into the House and, as an important matter of privilege, said he had just been threatened in a manner which, anywhere but in the sacred precints of the House or a church, would have caused him to take summary vengeance. He had gone into one of the division lobbies and observed a number of persons lying asleep. He had turned the gas up to see who was there, when the member for Auckland City West (Mr Dignan) rose, seized a chair, and rushed at him, threaten ing to smash him. Mr Dignan was sent for, and admitted that he had done what was said, adding that he quite meant it, too. He was suddenly wakened by a glare of light, saw Mr Wason turning up the gas, and thinking him an incendiary seized the nearest chair and rushed at him. After some further talk over the matter, the Speaker ordered the couches, &c, which the members of the Opposition had provided for themselves in the lobby to be removed. The 'Hansard'reporters of course stopped reporting as soon as talking agai ist time commenced, and on Saturday evening a motion was made as a matter of privilege to call the chief reporter to the bar of the House to account for his conduct. This was merely in order to pass time away, and on a division was rejected by a large majority. When the House met on Saturday night candles had to be placed on every desk and all round the House. The House looked dark and dim with the candle-lights, the sunlights being extinguished, or the whole city would, in a couple of hours, be in darkness.

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS. '- September 18, At ten o'clock this morning, Mr De Latouk resumed his speech, and continued till shortly after noon, when The question was put " that the House do now adjourn." A large number of the Opposition members entered the Chamber, and it looked as if a surprise was intended. Sir Robert Douglas got up and made a few remarks and then sat down, when Mr Hislop commenced to speak, and after going on for twenty minutes the question was again put and a division called for, the adjournment being lost by 34 to 23. Mr Ballancc's amendment was then put. Mr Stout asked whether the debate would be reported or not. Mr O'Rorke, who occupied the chair, explained that this was the same debate, and that it was a physieal impossibility to report a debate so continuously kept up. Mr Stout said he intended to move, when the Estimates came on, that the ' Hansard' staff be done away with. Mr Macandrew said if they were not going to b- reported they had better go to a division at once.

In reply to a question by Mr Bur.srs as to who gave instructions that the debate should not be reported, it was explained that the Speaker gave his written consent that the debate should not be reported. The subject then dropped. The amendment of Mr Ballance was again put, when

Sir G. Grey rose to a point of order, saying that the word" the 1 ' was omitted in the amendment,. and objecting to it as incorrect.

It was then pointed out that the Speaker had ordered the amendment to be amended by the insertion of "the"; but it was also explained that the Speaker ordered the alteration to be made in the words of the report by the Disqualification Committee. Mr Ballance said he copied the report and wanted this amendment exactly the same; but it was declared too late to make thej alteration, and the division taken, the result being that the amendment was carried by 38 against 24. Sir George Gi;ey said as this was the greatest Constitutional debate that ever took place in the House he hoped it would lie reported.

Mr O'Rorke said it was the same debate, and he would not interfere. Mr MuPvEAY announced that he intended to move a proviso, and went on to say that he hoped those with whom he generally acted would not take the same attitude as they had done. He then moved, as a proviso, "That the House expresses its regret that Ministers should have broken the law, and expresses the opinion that even now it would be better to prorogue and go before their constituents."

On the question being put, there were cries for adjournment, and Mr O'Rorke said that was the usual hour for the Speaker to take the chair, and he would be glad if the House would consent to an adjournment. The Premier announced that, although the Government would not object then, they intended to ask the .Sneaker to refuse any more adjournments if the debate was going to be conducted that way. The House adjourned at 1 till 2 p.m. ABOUT TJl¥ LOBBIES. (From our own Correspondent) • The Opposition, at their caucus to-day, determine to pursue their present line of action to the " bitter end." Mr De Lautour collapsed at twelve, when the Opposition tried to force a division; but

there were too many Government supporters in attendance. Mr Hislop tried to speak against time, but caved in in less than half-an-hour. When the division on Mr Ballance's amendment was taken there were twelve Government supporters absent. .An amendment by Mr Murray, that the action of the House is not to form a precedent, is now under discussion. Sir George Grey accused the Government of suppressing the reports of the debate in ' Hansard/ Major Atkinson moved that the word be taken down. A consequent tempest has been evoked. The Opposition is very violent, and doing everything to waste time and to delay business.

{From Another Correspondent.) The Opposition, half an hour ago, took advantage of the absence of Ministerial supporters, but miscalculated the number of those lying in wait at hand, and the majority on Mr Ballance's amendment surprised them. Many of the members who have been speaking against time have become disheartened on account of the non-report of the proceedings in 'Hansard,' and the Dunedin expression of opinion, The real fight will be on Mr Macandrew'B resolutions, for a portion of which it is said Messrs Pyke and Handera will vote.