OPENING OF PARLIAMENT

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1840, 22 August 1906, Page 3

OPENING OF PARLIAMENT

(Special to Gisborne Times.) Wellington, last night. There was beautiful wra'her for the epooing of the second sossion cf tho prosoot- Parliament to-day. There was do novely about tho pioctedings in tbo Upper Houso Indeed, thoro wes cot quite such a orowd indoors as usu*>], there being s .vera! vacant seats in tha galleries and on the fleor of the House, There was tho usual ccori of mouuted infantry, and a a detachment frem tbe Petmment Force, with an attenuated baud, which played a ba? of tha National Anthem as the Governor arrived us tho st ps cf Par-

liament Houte and also as bo drove away. A large number oi lad es wore present in the Upper Houso to witness the arrival and departm oi tho G)vernor and tho others ftom Government Ilon-o. and also which was oi much less impottanco to them—to iistm to " Tho Speech from tho Throne." Mis 3 Aluraud, tho governess, with the two elder gi L of tha Governor and Lady P.uok;f, were tho fi:st of the Governmsct House pa ty to arrivo. Afterwards Lady Plur.ket, with Mist Plunkst, Mr Wasotfie'd (arivffo Qrcretary), and Mrs Waterfield d.-ovo r p in an open orriagfi. Last of all cams tbo Governor with his A'do de-Camp (Oupt-ain Braiihwaite) and Captain Bingham, all in full uniform. When p/ayers wc-ro resd in the Lower Houso tbero was no! a sioglo Minislor of the Crown present—a most unusual occurrence. Io tbo Uppo: Houso '.hero wero only 18 Couooillots in attendance. Tbo reading cf tho Spcooh took only tbirto'u miuuits. L idy P.ueket, who wore a beautiful mauve dress of 800 clotl), and a ha! viih long mauve fca'hecs,was prc'sentM Lv the Bp--akvr with a very pretty boeqrot of daffodls. La’y W&rd, who wore block with whito fur, reciived a similar bouquot. Miss Piurikct wore a pals grey bias dress of faced cloth and a large felt hut with a ioug white plume. Miss Waterfield wore a white clo;h dr cat, furs, and a cori-a hat. Miss Ward woro a dross of pile holm trope. All tho Ministers and a largo number of mombets of tho Lower Hou-o attended ti hear tho Spoeeh read. Mr Mills, ox Minister for Customs, was amangst tho member?, but Mr D.moan, ex-Miniatsr for Lands, was conspicuous only by hie absence.

PROCEEDINGS IN THE HOUSE. Its eponiog ceremony having been concluded, tha members of the House repaired to their own Chamber, where a sitting of nearly an hour’s duration wa3 occupied by tha transaction of preliminary and formal business. Tbo seats occupied by the Ministry was the first matter of interest to old Parliamentary habitu s. Sir Joseph Ward has taken the ssat occupied by tha late Premier, his bench companion (in the to-it formerly occupied by himself) bti'g Mr Hill Jones. Mr McGowan retains his former seat, and bo has cn tho left the Native Minister, who has relinquished bis previous scat io favor of his now colleague, tbs Minister for Libor, Messrs McNab and Fowl el 3 h ivo taken tho bench immediately bo'ainct that of ilia Premier, formerly occupied by Messrs Duncan and Mill?.

SWEARING IN OE MEMBER 3

Tho fEst business consisted of the sweating in of the members wbo wore not presmt at the ehoit tossion in June. Thctc were six of tbcsa membcrc, and three of them, including tho Premier, weto Minis tera. Sir Joseph Ward, Messrs McNab, Fow'ds, Ahken, and B dlard were first

sworn in. Mr‘'Tom” Siddon, wbo succeeds his late fiiber as member for Westland, wa3 then conduct d to the Speaker by Ibo Premier and the Eon. W. Hr.il Jones, A 3 bo took tbo 0 ilk all eyes were turned on the youthful member, whoso future c ireer as ihti son cf the colony’s moss distinguished polit’c’an will be wa’cbe-d with the g-estest interest, aud who bai already put up a r cord as tbs youngest member to occupy a seat in tbs colony’s Parliament,

QUESTIONS AND NOTICES OE MOTION.

Tna Ilr.uso then proceeded to formal btJ3iooi3 A long lias of notices of motion I on 1 questions to tba Mii.ieter followed, members rising there and four et a time in their eagerness to placo their own particular subject of attention before the House. One of the Q st to riso was Mr 15:1 with a notice of his T, fc-.l suro: Aboli" ;ion Bill. This announcement wa9 greeted with a shout c-f derisive laughter, which was renewed when Sic Win. Steward notified the reappearance of that ba-dy annual the Elective Executive Bill. Various matters were then given notice of. The suijeeti show the usual variety. Mr Biuma’s Juvenile Ofiendois Bill, Mr LI. McKcnz : o’s measure respecting uoxi* tin wools, a question by Mr Witty regarJii g un form rchool bocks, and cue by Mrßiibar ro'a it'g to the removal of the duty oa rot tinea, being amongst the mattsie ci public mr.msot introduced. X'..j qu ti ms w >vi ga ticuiaily mtmtiou’, ant tf ihiy continue io pour in at the : aim rale Minis’Cis wili have a bu-y time it satisfying the quest for inform ition. E A Li BY CLOSING MOVEMENT, « A welcome ohange fr;m questions and notices of rniiim was effjraed when Sic Jossph Ward announced tte formation ef tho new Mimstry. After tbo exchange of

compliments between himself and the Loader of thn Opposition tho IVcmicr mu Ip a suggontiun that tho Houso should i-mbimk on an early dosing movement, an announcement that was i-.oeivoil with houi-ty boar, hears. His idea that the House should make the best possible use of its timo and rise at 11 o'clock appeared to bo favorably received, although many members doubt its practicability. In rogard to tho hour cf rising whon tbo P.omior stated that it was proposed tbo Hou«o should si! from 780 to 11 without the usual supper ndjournmon 1 ', Mr Davy raisod n laugh by nsltihg whothor it was intended to oommenco at halfpast sovon in the morning. "Oh, no, it is an oarly olc.ffiig, not an oarly rtsAlg movomont that I inn advocating,” was tho Priinier’s smiling rejoinor. "THE COUNTRY I’ARIY.” " Thu Couct'y Party,’ 1 which undo a

spasmodic and fruitless display of activity at tho oomnionoemeut of last yo.vr’s setision, is said lo be again bent on an fiTnt iff 1 rgani.-atiou into a definite political factor. Tho appoinim nt (f Mr Fowldu to the Ministry i<, oi ooureo, ono of tho prinoifa’ griovnnoss of tho “ party. ’ Ono of tbo member?, speaking to to:: to-night, su'd, ‘ Whilst wo dffßr from Mr Fosvldt,’

views, wo regard him aa tho most hard working uud ouongotio member of tho Ministry, and ono who iB bound to oxcroiao a groat tnilurnco iu tho mouldings of its

policy. Wo think that it is nccaßßary to tako Bonn ttepa to poo that tbo intcreeta of tbo country sottlors rrcoivo justioo from tho Govermnont." A mooting will bo held

shortly to deeido upon apian of campaign It is oluimed that tTo ll Country Tarty

will compriso 18 solid adherents, and that thr-ro aro übout oiglit other mouthers from whom a tnoro or loss gonoral support expootrd. THE LABOR fAIUY’S VIEWS

I have been nt souiu pains to obtain thn views of tho Labor representative.--, nnd I find that generally t-hoy ate greatly disappointed with tbo Spoeeh. ’l'ho Han. Mr Bigg, M.L.C.i one of tho recognised Labor lenders, said ho rf glided the proposal as to tho appointment of ft new Arbitration Court Judge ns a clever solutiou of a difficult situation. Ho regards tbo Speeoh as a discreet evasion of contentious ques tic ns.

“ Such a speech," ho says, 11 was perhaps necessary under tho ciieumattinosa for Sir Joseph Ward’s Ministry is 0 imposed of man cf very divorso viowr, end as most of his followers earns into tho Elousa p'edgcd to Mr Seddon, tho now Miniffry has yet to build up a party in tho country. The proiont members are not pledged to Sir Josoph Ward, and ho will hnvo to depend to some extent upon their forbearance.”

A well-known Labor member who is on :ho Government side, but did uot wish his

name incotioued, said ho was exceedingly disappointed with tbo speech, and ho would probably voico his opinions ou tho Address-in-Rc-ply debate. Members bud

been looking fo; somo indioat-ion of policy, nnd wero frankly disappointed. Mr Arnold, I understand, is tfiso greatly disappointed with tbo speech, and regards it apparently as a cotnpiomise as tha result of tho different shades cf opinion repre-

sented in tbo Ministry. If tho legislution is no! more satisfactory than tho speech, Mr Arnold, 1 am told, will speuk out with no uncertain sound ogaiast tbo Government.