PARLIAMENT STILL IN SESSION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2046, 25 November 1907, Page 2

PARLIAMENT STILL IN SESSION.

ATTEMPT TO CLOSE ON SATURDAY FAILS. LEGISLATORS AT PLAY. . Special to Times. AVELLINGTON. Nov. 23. A very determined attempt was made to close the session on Saturday night, but it failed. At 8 p.m., during a division some four members gathered-together at the cross belches and hummed an air pianissimo This occurred on two or tinea occasions till tlio Speaker rebumd Die quartette. “I shall have to iiie:t the ‘Sergeant-at-Arnis to bring before me those members who are making a disturbance,” he said. An lion’, member (sotto voaii: lie’ll liavo a contract. . Mr. Heke then rose a lid moved that Mr. A.. L. D. Fraser be “named.”

The Speaker: I know quite well where tho disturbance is

Mr. Guinness added some,tiling about (the dignity of the Parliament of New Zealand, and there was no more singing. After some trouble yith Mr F<derick McKenzie about a West CVfst Bill, which there was no hope of passing, the Appropriation Bill was passed through all its stages, and the House adjourned while the Bill vas

sent up to the Council. After an interval advantage was taken of the wait to put through the Christchurch Drainage Bill and the Wliangaref Harbor Board Bill, both of which had seemed doomed. Tho House rushed them through in about four minutes, but they were Bills about which tho local bodies concerned had agreed, and littlo objection could ho taken to the unusually speedy manner in which they had been put through their final stages. At about 11.30 p.m., tho Speaker

having -again temporarily left the chair, the piano was wheeled from Bellamy’s to the door of the end entrance of the Chamber, and Messrs Ngata and Ileke sang in Maori “Life’s Dream is O’er,” Mr. Wilford acting as accompanist. Mr. Hall then moved that “Uncle Colvin” fake the chair, and the member for Buller did so. Then there was another song, “Somebody’s Sweetheart,” after which the new Speaker was variously appealed to as “Rip Van Winkle” and “the prophet Dowie,” the allusions being to his venerable beard. Mr. R. McKenzie then rose to make some remark, but his voice was completely drowned by the rollicking strains of “Wo parted on the shore” from “Mother Goose,” sung by members just.outside the Chamber. Various speakers made unavailing efforts to get a hearing. The hands of the clock meantime were getting very close to the midnight hour, and all hopes of ending the session vanished finally. A few minutes before twelve, the Speaker having again resumed the chair, Sir Joseph Ward rose and reluctantly announced that as the

printing not been ablo to cope with the work in time there was nothing for it hut to adjourn till Monday. After some pleasant words from the Premier and Mr. Massey, which showed the best, of good feeling, the House adjourned till Monday. Several of the Southern members left bv the late boat to-night, and the Auckland contingent will leave by special train on Sunday morning. They will probably make a record trip to Auckland, and the journey will also he somewhat of a historic one, as the train that conveys them behind the volcano of Ruapehu will make the first trip over the famous “spiral” on the North Island Main Trunk Line