SCENE IN THE LEGISLATIVE AS SEMBLY OF VICTORIA.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 556, 30 March 1876, Page 4

SCENE IN THE LEGISLATIVE AS SEMBLY OF VICTORIA.

The ci nsideratioa of Mr M'Kean's insulting language towards iho Legislative Assembly of Victoria, occ'pied that 1 ody from half past live o'coi ou the 'afternoon of the 9th, till one o'clock next m lining. The Argus of the 10th gives the following summary of the p;oce dings:— 'The order of the day, 'Mr rtl'Kean to attend in his place,' was called on. The Sergeant-at-arms was despatched for the hon member for North Gipps Land, and Mr M'Kean returned to the chamber. Standing up in his place, he said in the most offensive manner, ' I protest against this. I will not attend in my place. It is arbitrary, illegal, and unjust, and I will not respect it. I will treat it as something not worthy of reßpect.' The hon member then bounced out of the chamber. Sir James McOulloch moved that the hou member for North Gipps Land be committed to the custody of the Sergeant-at-arms. The hoij member had openly defied the House, and hon mtmbers on all sides must agree that something must be done to maintain the honor and dignity of the Assembly. When the sittings pi th?

House were resumed after the refreshment hour Mr M'Kcan appeared in his place, and rose to address the House several times, but the Speaker refused to hear him, and told him he must retire from the chamber, informing him that he would have an opportunity of speaking by and bye. Mr M'Keau then loft the chamber, loudly asserting that all he wanted was British justice. A long discussion ensued, the Opposition making the matter a party question, and maintaining that the lion member for North Gipps Land was not more blameworthy than many of the Ministerial supporters, whose misconduct had so far escaped correction. An amendment, that the debate be adjourned until Tuesday, having been negatived, Major Smith proposed, as the hon member for North Gipps Land had caused it to be intimated to the Speaker that he was willing to apologise, that the hon member be summoned to attend in his place forthwith. Mr Murray Smith suggested that as the hon member for North Gipps Land could not well be allowed to enter the House again to apologise, some discreet friend sluuld be allowed to apologise for him. Mr M'Kean was by this time very anxious to apologise, and he authorised Mr A. T. Clark to make a frank and ample apology for him. Major Smith's proposition was then negatived on a division by a majority of 35 votes to 24-, and Sir James M'Culloch's motion was carried by a majority of ■St vo<es to 25, Mr Murray Smith having crossed over in the second division." The same journal of the 11th says :—" The Speaker's warrant for the arrest of Mr M'Kean was not issued until three o'clock yesterday afternoon, so that the hon member might have an opportunity of coming to the House without b<ing arrested, but the hon member was quite incapable of approbating this act of leniency. Mr M'Kean went to the race meeting at Plemingtou, and publicly boasted that he was setting the Parliament at defiance, and when the Sergeint-at-Arms went to his house at ten minutes past three o'clock he was not to be found. If Mr M'Kean had desired to show the slight;, st respect for the body whose dignity he had outraged, he would have surrendered himself at the hour at which Parliament meets, but he did not appear in the precincts of the House until a quarter past ten o'clock at night. He was then arrested by the sergeant-at-arms, and confined in one of the rooms of the House. As s.ion as he had been placed under arrest, Mr McKean forwarded to the House by Mr Berry a petition to be released from custody, and expressed his willingness to make any submission the House thought proper. Mr Berry thereupon moved that the hon member be discharged from custody without payment of fees, on making an apology to the House. Sir James McCul'och maintained that something must be done to vindicate the honour and dignity of the Bouse. The behaviour of the hon member in the Assembly was altogether without precedent, and he had aggravated the offence by using language derogatory to the dignity of the House at a large public assemblage that day. Had the hon member conducted himself in a way which showed contrition, there might have been some slight rewson for showing him indulgence, but it wns not until nearly h df-past 10 o'clock that the scrgeant-at arms was enabh d to execute the Speaker's warrant. He (the Premier) could not assent to the motion now made, and he declined to state what course he thought the House ought to takeas to discharg iug Mr M'Kean until the hon member had shown in a sufficient way that he regretted the most extraordinary manner in which he had acted during the past week. After a long discussion, Mr Berry said he was authorised by the hon member for North Gipps Land to say that he was sincerely sorry for the language be had used and for the offence he gave to the House, and that he was prepared to make a full and unconditional apology. The House then divided on the question that Mr M'Kean be discharged from custody without payment of fees, and the proposition was negatived by a majority of 28 votes to 19"