THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN VICTORIA.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 519, 16 February 1876, Page 3

THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN VICTORIA.

{Argus, Fob, 3.) A meeting of the Government supporters was held yesterday afternoon to consider what measures should be taken to secure the transaction of public business in the Legislative Assembly, in view of the tactics adopted by the minority. Mr G. V. Smith recommended the expulsion of the “ Stone-wallers,” but it was ultimately unanimously agreed that the Premier should move in the House on the fallowing day the adoption of a new standing order, providing that when any motion has been moved in the House or in committee, a resolution may without notice be proposed “ That the motion be now put,” whereupon such resolution shall be put forthwith. There were forty members of the Assembly present at the meeting, and five absent supporters of the Government excused their attendance by letter. The absentees were—Messrs Purves, Thomas, Bent, Godfrey, and Burrowes. The following are the names of the members who were present:—Messrs Bayles, Bosisto, Cameron, Campbell, W. Clarke, Cohen, Connor, Crews, Curtain, S. Fraser, W. Fraser, Garratt, Gillies, Hanna, Hopkins, Inglis, Jones, Kerferd, Langton, Lock, Mcßain, MacDerraott, Mackay, Macpherson, Mason, Sir James McCulloch, Messrs McLellan, Moore, Must, Ramsay, Riddell, G. P. Smith, G. Y.Smith, Murray Smith, Stewart, Walker, Whiteman, Witt, Wrixon, and Young Shortly after the meeting of the Legislative Assembly yesterday afternoon, Sir James M'Oulloch gave notice of his intention to move next day—“ That the following be adopted as a Standing Order of the Legislative Assembly, to be in force during the present session of Parliament:—When any motion has been moved in the House, or in any committee of the whole House, a resolution may, without notice, be proposed—--1 That the motion be now put whereupon such resolution shall be put forthwith, without amendment or debate; and no motion shall be made or question of order raised, until such resolution has been disposed of. If such resolution be resolved in the affirmative the motion and any amendment or question submitted subsequently to the motion, and not then disposed of, shall be put in the accustomed order of precedence without further debate or question of order being raised until such question baa been disposed of. In committee of the whole House, for the purposes of this order, each clause or schedule of a bill, or portion thereof respectively, shall, when called on, be deemed a separate motion, and no question shall be submitted until the member in charge of the business or matter referred to the committee shall have moved in relation thereto,” After the private members’ business had been disposed of, the Premier arranged with the leader of the Opposition that the House should adjourn, as no Government business could be dealt with until this motion had been disposed of. Mr Berry then left the House, and did not return, but some of his colleagues maintained a discussion for upwards of two hours on the question of adjournment, in which they hysterically inveighed against the iniquity of the “ iron hand.” The House finally adjourned at 10 o’clock until the usual hour this afternoon.

Mr Service, in the Legislative Assembly last night, characterised the motion for the new standing order of which the Premier had given notice as the planting oP the scaling ladders against the walls of »the Opposition fort, as to the surrender of which it was now only a question of time. When hopeless defeat was certain, no general was justified in further continuing the war, and he appealed to the minority to save the House and the country from the annoyance of stone-walling for a month or six wee'-s. The Government had got the Opposition in their clutches, and that they would be able to secure the passing of supplies was perfectly evident. Why, then, should time bo wasted in vain and useless discus-

sion ? He suggested that supplies should be granted, and that the Government should at once close the House with a view to coming down with well-prepared measures next session, when hon members would be in a much better frame of mind to deal with them. This proposed settlement was indignantly scouted by the Opposition. Mr Mnrray Smith pointed out that compromise was now impossible. Both sides were embarked in a contest which must end in entire defeat to one of the parties, and with the defeat of the Government party would fall the whole system of Parliamentary government. All that the Government could accept from the Opposition was surrender at discretion.

Some of the leaders of the Opposition last night seemed to be goaded to madness by the real exhibition of the long-asked-for “iron hand.” Judging from the demeanour of Mr Longmore, the iron of the mailed member must have entered his soul. The hon gentleman lifted up his voice until his speech became inarticulate with passion, whUe he declared that the Premier’s name would be handed down to posterity with execration for having deprived the people of their liberties ; and he established his claim to the title of “ a powerful speaker ” by demolishing several stoutly bound acts of Parliament by repeated resounding thwacks with the upraised hand. Mr Munro leaped and wriggled like a Highlander in the throes of “ GillieCallum,” while his excited imagination pictured the names of the members of the Opposition handed down to posterity like those of the heroes of Thermopylae, and while he informed the House in a discordant screech that though his tongue were pulled out by the miserable pincers of the wretched Premier, and though he were confined in the Parliamentary cellar, yield he would not. A much greater indignity, however, was reserved for the Premier than this. The hon member for North Melbourne proceeded to refer to him in illustration of his despotic tendencies as “ The Dodge of Venice.” Tois, of course, convulsed the House, but the hon member stoutly maintained that it did not matter bow he pronounced the word. He concluded by remarking that the two sides had now entered upon a war of extermination, and that if there was a spark of manliness left in the people of Victoria they would crush those who sought to gag the Opposition. If it is borne in mind that throughout this and other harangues Mr Gaunson sat gibbering on a»back bench, and keeping up a constant fire of absurd interjections, some idea may be formed of the dignified character of the deliberations of our Assembly last night. The conduct of Mr Gaunson was frequently brought under the notice of the Speaker, but the hon member settled the matter by the remark, “ I will interrupt if I like,” which seemed to be perfectly satisfactory to the occupant of the chair, for no notice was taken of it, Mr Mackay, on rising to speak, said he had imagined for some time that he was*in the refractory ward of the Kew Lunatic Asylum, but there is reason to fear that in making this remark, the hon member did an injustice to that institution. The new standing order, the adoption of which is to be moved by the Premier to-day, is not very dissimilar to one in force in South Australia. Standing order 168 of the Legislative Assembly of South Australia reads as follows :—“ The motion that the House do now divide, when moved and seconded, shall take precedence of all other business, and shall be immediately put from the chair without any discussion taking place, provided that no such motion can be made so as to interrupt a member while speaking."