THE LEGISLATURE.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 1055, 24 November 1903, Page 4

THE LEGISLATURE.

HOW IT DOES ITS WORK. A TIRED HOUSE.

It is probably about timo that the press of the colony let the people know how their representatives in Parliament conduct the business of tho country (says the Hawko’s Bay Herald’s special correspondent). The matter is becoming more and more a scandal, and there can be no doubt that if the electors could see for thornselves tho condition of thiDgs that exists they would feel disposed to make a clean sweep. I have at various times given instances of the unbusiness-liko way in which the work is often done. Things appear to be going from bad to worse, and the proceedings during tho past few days could scarcely be described in words of strong enough condemnation. On this oeoasion 1 purpose Jetting others give your readers some idea of how the most important and far-reaching measures are dealt with. Here is an extract from tho New Zealand Times, the Ministerial journal pub. lished in tho capital of the colony :— 11 Mr Alison commented on a Bill of the kind being read a second time bofore a tired House, very many of the members of which were sleeping at the time. The Premier was observed to 101 l back in his seat, while a heavy snore was audible throughout the House. Mr Wilfovd, evidently appreciating the situation, walked over to the Premier’s seat and roused him to a state of active appreciation of tho discussion.”

Hero is another paragraph (from the Evening Post) descriptive of the scene last night : The House has become very tired. The fact was plainly evidenced during the long drawn-out debate on the Preferential Trade Bill, and it was still moro apparent during the dobato on the Bank of New Zealand Bill last night and this morning. Both of theso measures, it will be easily understood, are of tho first importance, and yet the normal condition of the House where they were under discussion was one of almost complete somnolence. In fact, at 1 o’clock this morning, the snores of a member so disturbed Sir Joseph Ward that a messenger had to bo sent along to wake up tho offending legislator. Snores greeted the Preferential l'rado Bill, and tho same greeting was accorded tho Bank Bill, and no more remarkablo exhibition was ever witnessed than that of a Minister of the Crown glibly delivering a speech on a matter of the highest importance to a dozen sleeping members (including the Premier), and to a chorus of snores from more than one of the benches, while the Hansard gallery was occupied by a stenographer who was not a HaDßard reporter at ail, his presence beiug accounted for by the fact that the regular HaDsard staff had been nearly all knocked out, A picture of the Treasury benches at 1 o’clock this morning would have shown Sir Joseph Ward making a speech to which no one was listening, while tho Premier and the Hon. C. H. Mills and Hon. J. McGowan peacefully slumbered, and all around worn out legislators slept and snored with commendable unanimity. The end of tho session in the New Zealand Parliament is not edifying.’,