The Globe. MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 1875.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 379, 30 August 1875, Page 2

The Globe. MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 1875.

Sir F. Dillon Bell lias a very great notion of his own importance, and appears to fancy that he is made of different clay from ordinary mortals. His threats to Messrs O’Conor an d Murray were derogatory to his position as Speaker of the House of hep resen tat ives. The whole squabble appears to have arisen _ from a misunderstanding, and from the reports which appears in 'he dikerent journals there does not seems to be any quos lion but that the Speaker was entirely in the wrong. Messrs O’Conor and Murray and J. C. Brown may not occupy the same position in the House as Mr Fitzherbcrt, but, as members the former gentlemen are entitled to the same measure of courtesy from the Speaker as ho extends to the latter. It is of course absolutely necessary tnafc the Speaker should be supported bv the majority of the House in the onerous position he occupies, and therefore we are afraid Mr O’Conor will not take much by the motion ol which he has given notice, viz, to make the matter a subject for a question of privilege. Many members, who believe that the Speaker was wrong on the occasion mentioned, would either not vote at all on the question, or would believe themselves bound in duty to support the Speaker. But it is worthy of notice that the present Speaker not only contrives to give offence to members of the House, but that even writers in the Australian papers, when giving a description of the Hew Zealand Parliament, call attention to his martinetish rules, and the unpleasantness that often occurs between himself and various members of the House, A captious temperament, and a disposition to ride roughshod over the remonstrances of members who, Sir F. Dillon Beil considers, do not hold any position in the House, are not the best qualification for filling the office of Speaker to the House of Eepresentativos. The dignity of the office is not sustained by such speeches as those reported lately, that hen members “ had better not “ dare to repeat such language.” It is absurd to suppose that members, who have a right to be treated with courtesy, will be intimidated by strong language of this sort, when coming from the Speaker. If the gentleman who now fills this important post, can not so sufficiently control his temper as to prevent his making use of expressions such as we have quoted, ive cannot wonder if he fails to keep order, in a House that should take its tone from the occupant of the Speaker’s chair. Meanwhile, wemust wait and see what Mr O’Conor’s promised motion will bring forth.