PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1696, 28 July 1879, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

[By Telegbaph.]

[PEGU OUE COEBK3PONDENTS.] WELLINGTON, July 26.

After putting oa their nightcaps and preparing to stay in the House until Sunday morning the members were soon after midnight on Saturday morning surprised to see a member of the Opposition propose an adjournment without the consent of the chief who rose to oppose it, but sat down on finding that some of his party had entered into a compact. It has been arranged that the division is to take place before four o’clock on Tuesday afternoon. Last night was one of great humiliation to the New Zealand Parliament. Besides the painful exhibition made by those members who had so little self-respect as to be willing to talk twaddle by the hopr for the purpose of prolonging into next week the existence of a defeated and degraded Government, at a time when the peace and prosperity of the colony may be lost by a single mistake, one of the members had the bad taste to send something like a threatening

telegram from Rewi, in the evident hope that it would influence the House, Rut worst of all, Mr Barton took advantage of the occasion to shelter himself under the privilege of the House, whilst he accused the judges of the colony of judicial murder and corruption, of “ thirsting for the blood of their victims,” and taking ready-made judgments out of their pockets without hearing the evidence or listening to the defence. It is said that the Rewi telegram was first sent to the Speaker, in the hope that he would have no more sense than to read it to the House. The political situation has occasioned a great deal of speculation all day._ People wanted to know why, when the Opposition were masters of the situation, they should forego their advantage by acceding to the request of the Government to postpone the debate till Tuesday, and many apprehended danger from the delay, dreading that in the meantime Sir G. Grey would develope some new manoeuvre. The real state of the case is that certain representations relating to members of the Cabinet having been made to several leading members of the Opposition, an arrangement purely for private reasons, and out of a chivalrous feeling to prevent something very undesirable, to put it mildly, was made by which the division was put off till Tuesday afternoon, but there is a distinct understanding that it shall take place then. There is not the slightest fear but the Opposition will have an ample majority. Sir G. Grey’s escapade of the Arcade meeting has seriously injured him in the estimation of several of his own party, while his inflammatory expressions with respect to the Land Association in tho promotion of which Sir J. Vogel and Mr Larnach were prominent, has driven at least one, and not improbably two, Otago members into Opposition. A curious feature in connection with the committee clerks, who are appointed for the session, is that formerly these clerkships were given to needy persons. Now however they are snapped up by people who are well to do, and who come ovor here mainly for the gaieties of the session, but who by influence contrive to get into these Government sinecures, and so to a great extent indemnify themselves. The Government are paying a number of committee clerks now, who could readily be dispense i with. It is only beginning to leak out now what a carefully prepared plot had been arranged to make Thursday night’s Liberal meeting a large success. A prominent auctioneer hero, who has had opportunities of making something considerable in Government commissions during the last year, ticked off the Wellington roll, and circulars were taken round and delivered by his brother to all the good men and true, whose particular views were known to be of the proper Grey tinge, inviting them to attend. _No one else by any chance got one of these circulars. Indeed it is not even now generally known that such a course was adopted. The railway map tampering inquiry is expected to elicit sport for the Opposition. Tho Government call it a mare’s-nest, bnt the Opposition say they have got the Government fairly by the wool, and intends to hang on till the whole thing is exposed. . Nothing new has transpired to-day. Ihe Government continue to lose friends, and tho division will probably show a slightly larger majority against them. Their extreme anxiety to prolong their for a few days is easily accounted for, and inflicts great inconvenience on the members of the House, as had the vote been taken on Friday night, it would have given time for the Government to consult with the Governor, and to meet tho House with their decision on Tuesday. They are, no doubt, great at tricks, but tricks are seldom long successful, and are now evidently recoiling on thoir perpetrators. Jnly2 7. It is understood that the Opposition have now a majority of sixteen, and a working majority of seven or eight for the session, no matter who is Premier.