PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1776, 29 October 1879, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

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WELLINGTON, October 28. The "New Zealander" endeavors to show that the inevitable result of the four Auckland members joining the Government will be to raise the cry of separation. ■ Mr Richardson took his seat anna immense applause. Sir G. Grey raised several objections, which the Speaker overruled. Messrs Tole and Hialop and Sir G. Grey endeavoured to upset the committee's report respecting the Christchurch seat, on the ground of irregular proceedings. The report was adopted. After Mr Richardson took his seat, Mr Shrimski gave notice to ask if the AgentGeneral would be dispensed with, <jr if a successor was to be appointed. A long and acrimonious debate arose over the production of a supposed correspondence between the Government and Auckland members respecting their votes. A memorandum was read from Mr Cooper, UnderSecretary, saying that no such correspondence had been recordee. An attempt was then made for the appointment of a Select Committee to take evidence on oath and inquire into the matter. Sir G. Grey said the member for Newton had a document. Mr Swanson said he had a document which he wrote himself. He was not ashamed of anything in it, and had promised several members to show it to them. He would have done so, but when it came back marked " confidential," as the Premier objeoted to making the document public, he did not consider members came there to look into his pocket. No resolution of the House would compel him to produce it. A lot of rot was talked about the document, when all knew any vote must be passed by the House. The debate continued till 5 30, the Opposition condemning in strong terms the seceding four, and the Government and others defending their conduct. The Legislative Council considered the prosecutors in the Kinross case guilty of breach of privilege, but presuming they acted in ignorance, recommended that no notice be taken of the matter.

Sir George Grey's organs, like Sir George himself, are fond of superlatives. They have now fathomed the depths of New Zealand humiliation, and inform us that " the spectacle exhibited by Ministers at the division on Sir George Grey's amendment was the most humiliating ever seen in the New Zealand Parliament." This depth of degradation was reached in the following manner : —Sir Geo. Geroy's motion was an absurd proposal to produce papers which had no existence, and which, if they had existed, the Parliament would have no more power to demand than they would have to demand any other private letters. Hence it was moat natural that the Government should decide at first to vote against the motion; but after the Noes had been called for the first time, Mr Eeader Wood went over to the Ministers and advised them to support the motion, absurd as it was, to prevent Sir George Grey saying that there were any papers in existence that Ministers were afraid to produce. This they consented to do, and after giving their votes with the noes, went into the lobby with the ayes, and nearly half their supporters followed them. This evening, Ministers will propose that all other business on the Order Paper be postponed, to take Mr Macandrew's motion of no confidence, but it is not known whether he will move it or not. If he does not, it is probable that all the long parade of Liberal measures will be past in a few days, and the far more difficult question of meeting our engagements by the necessary taxation be brought on for consideration. It is expected that Sir George Grey will not retire from Obriatchurch without making some noise in the House about it. Later.

The roasting of the four Auckland members ■till continues, so that nothing else is done and the House is a perfect bear garden. Messrs Pyke, Stewart, Seddon, and Lundon have been delivering lectures on morality. Sir George Grey is evidently being preserved for the evening. Mr Oolbeck made his first speech, and spoke very well. Mr Swanson demolished all the brazenfaced fabrications of the Opposition in a few words of unanswerable truth. Mr Bollestoti goes soundly to sleep over it, but Mr Hall does not. He is by no means sufficiently conscious of his own elevation of character, and how little he need care for the impotent rage of Messrs Pyke, Seddon, and J. 0. Blown. THE NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION ABANDONED. On the orders of the day and motions being EOBtponed, on the motion of the Premier, to ring on Mr Macandrew's vote of no confidence, Mr Macandrew declined to move it, and the motion was discharged from the Order Paper, and both Mr Macandrew and Mr Hall expressed a desire that business should now be gone on with, a desire to which the country will surely say, Amen.