How Our Legislators Disport Themselves.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 91, 11 October 1894, Page 2

How Our Legislators Disport Themselves.

A SCENE IN THE HOUSE. Scene from tbe stonewall ou the Licen* sing Bill recently :— Mr G. W. Russell : " If we were in a public meeting, and were compelled to listen to people talking such drivel and suoh miserable inanities as we have heard during the last two hours, we could only have one idea of what it was that caused people to talk suoh rot. We have seen the member tor the Buller previously in this House, and I if a photograph could have been taken of his face, and a phonograph could have reproduced the tones of hts voioe, and these had been taken round in bis con* stituenoy from meeting to meeting, so that the people should know the member they have to represent them, they would consider that be had fortified his intellect and his voice and his manly breaifwith — well I will leave them to jlidge." Mr B. McKenzie, in retort, and exceedingly angry : *- 1 haye never heard a more sctu« rdous and more off ensiye speech than that of the member for Riooarton I aay tbe thing is infamous. We have beard him talk more roc during the last three months than bas been talked in any Parliament in tbe world." Raising hia voice, •* I am prepared to meet him in any eleotion in any part of the Colony. I beat a man at the last election whose boots he is not fit to blacken, »nd he need not tell the people of tbe Buller about me, for they know me too well in that part of the Colony for me to haye any recommendation from him, Fanoy his snivelling, drivelling voice being compared with the way I express myself (Roars of laughter) Let members look at his ignominious countenance and get it photographed by comparison with mine. (Fresh laughter.) Let bim go and get his face placed alongside mine, and the electors of the Colony would simply sling him aside, and oUt of this Chamber." After this Mr R. McKenzie went on to personally attaok Mr Bell imagining that the member for Wellington had attacked bim He said tbey had seen Mr Bell come in aud deliver an half -dinner speech when his tongue conld not get round the words, and his knees oould hardly hold him. At this there were indignant cries of " Order !" Tbe Chairman im« mediately called upon the member for the Buller to withdraw these remarks, and ha had to do so at once, and also to express regret for having used the words. The whole business caused a painful sensation. The Premier said he had heard that night what he had never heard previously since he entered Parliament,