THE PRIVILEGE QUESTION.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 12 September 1901, Page 3

THE PRIVILEGE QUESTION.

Stormy Proceedings in the House

Seddon and Fisher have a Rough

and Tumble.

Nasty Insinuations against an other Member.

A General Slanging Exhibition.

[OUR PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER.]

Wellington, This Day.

There were some interesting passages at arms during the privilege debate in the House last evening. The Premier raisod a thunderous voice in protest against Mr Fisher's defection, and Mr Fisher was equally angry in his references to the Premier's climb down. Both gentlemen assumed a scarlet complexion and there was no blinking the fact that just then they did'not love each other.

Wellington's elected rubbed it in at the outset by terming the Government's motion with respect to the Cohen's breach of privilege "a pitiful climb down." The Premier had failed to fulfil his duty as leader of the House. Mr Cohen had become a myth, and the Government's efforts were not in defence of him but of the position that they had voluntarily assumed themselves. Had not the Premier summoned a meeting of his party, and prevented a dispassionate discussion, otherwise, his (Mr Fisher's) amendment would have been carried by 42 to 18. In defending the privilege of the House he would accept direction from no one, and he would abstain from voting on the humbug motion that the Government had put before the House.

This studied declamation by a member of the fold brought the Premier promptly to his feet. He searched at once for a raw spot, by stating that Mr Fisher's speech was that of a disappointed man. Disappointment was in every word. He also cried to rob Mr Fisher's amendment of originality, by ascribing it in the first to the suggestion of Mr Allen. The ungratoful member for Bruce promptly repudiated the construction put on his words by the Premier. Then Mr Seddon in a response to an interruption by Mr Fisher, thundered forth that no man should prevent him from expressing his mind. He was not of the material to climb down, and the members for Wellington knew it. A voice—" What are you doing then ?" Presently ;the Premier condescended to accept a denial made by Mr Fisher. Mr Fisher—" I don't want you to." There was more wrangle, and then the insubordinate member said he would please himself, and no one but himself how he voted.

Presently, things simmered and finally cooled, but the passage was a warm one and there were present for a time all the elements of a rousing storm, between the most dictatorial and the least governable personalities in the House. Next came a passage at arms between Messrs L. D. Fraser and J. M'Lachlan critioising Mr M'Lachlan's attitude to the Government's privilege motion. Mr Fraser said that the Hon. member had not been too careful of the honor of the Housr in the past. Mr M'Lachlan said that if the words had been spoken in committee he would have been content to let members judge between himself and the member for Napier, but as the statement would appear in Hansard he would giye an emphatic denial to any aspersions sought to be cast on him. After asserting the existence of kinship between Mr Fraser and an ass, an assertion promptly withdrawn. Mr M'Lachlan said that Mr Fraser had used against him a paper that came from the Premier's office. The Premier denied that statement. Mr Fraser denied that he had intended any special reference to the member for Ashburton.

Mr McLachlan—" I accept the Hon. gentleman's apology." The Premier thought that Ashburton should also apologise for his statement about the paper from the Premier's office. Mr McLachlan-—" I withdraw willingly and am glad that the Premier is innocent in the matter."