MR DONNE'S. LATEST PERFORMANOES.

Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 372, 2 June 1868, Page 2

MR DONNE'S. LATEST PERFORMANOES.

The electors of the Nelson Grey District have got a very rieat thing in members to represent tliem in the Provincial Council. Mr Donuo has always been somewhat of a nuisance in the House, and now he appears to have become intolerable. His latest performance has been a quarrel with th« reporters because they would not report his speeches, and for two days he obstructed the business of the Council by creating a debate as to whether the reporters should be excluded or not. On the hist day, immediately after the minutes of the last sitting of the Council had been read by the Clerk, on the entry of the Provincial Solicitor, Mr Donne called the attention of the Speaker to the fact that strangers were prgs.tsi\t. The Provincial Secretary at once moved the adjournment of the House for a quarter of an hour, which was unanimously adopted. When the House reassembled, Mr Home moved the suspension of Standitig Order No. 141, which permits that any of the other standing orders may be suspended, on motion duly seconded, without notice, provided twothirds of the whole number of members be then present. Mr F. Kelling seconded the motion. Mr Donne again drew the attention of the Speaker to the fac^of strangers being in the House, and strangers were ordered to withdraw. On the readmission of the reporters, Mr Donne was moving the suspension of Standing Order No. 139, which provides that any stranger who shall in any manner interrupt the orderly conduct of the business of the Council, shall be taken into custody by the proper officer of the Council, to be dealt with as to the Council shall seem meet. The motion was seconded by Mr Beitt, and strenuously opposed by Mr Home, who accused Mr Donne of wishing to turn the Council into a beargarden. A " scene" now ensued, Mr Home putting a hypothetical case to the Council, the application of which was evidently we'U appreciated by the members, in whicli he pat it to them to say what treatment would be awarded to the member of any club or society, who should become a public nuisance, to which several voices replied "turn him out."- and concluding by saying that if they were to carry on the public business they must act like men, or if they were to do as the honorable member now asked them, they had better shut the Chamber up. and go h,ome. This scene, which was several times interrupted by Mr Donne calling the hon. member to order, in which he was not supported by the chair, was terminated by Mr Pitt stating that if the discussion was pushed any further, he would call attention to Standing Order No. 138, which provides that any member who shall wilfully disobey any lawful order of tho Council and any member who shall wilfully or vexatiously interrupt the orderly conduct of th<» business of the Council shall be held guilty of contempt. Mr Donne having appealed unsuccessfully to the Speaker to decide whether he had wilfully disobeyed a lawful order of the Council, his motion for the suspension of Standing Order No. 139, was put and unanimously rejected. The Provincial Secretary then put and gave notice of a motion for Erid,ay, to the effect "That the Speaker shall order strangers to withdraw, only at the request of a majority of tho members present," which wa3 received with decided marks of approbation." Commenting on these proceedings, the Nelson Colonist says : — We, have an aversion to aggravate the folly of any man, and no special desire to cause, pain even to those whose unfortunate constitutional temperament places them in positions regarding which after-reflection must be gall and wormwood to. themselves. We are therefore disposed to take but small notice of the performances of Mr George Donne, M.P.C , who, apparently forgetful that he is no longer connected with the stage, and also that the time for Christmas pantomimes has months since goixe by, would persistin looking on the Provincial Council as a theatre, for private rehearsal, and "for two nights only," assumed the not particularly fitting character of Clown. Much depends upon taste ; but the weak repetition of conduct such as. he exhibited to the dissatisfaction of the entire Council, was about the most pitiable display of bad taste that ever took place in the Council Chamber of this. Province ; and the only possible explanation for such a course that we can imagine is that Mr Donne was determined to verify the truth of a remark which he fearlessly made at a hotel bar last session, to the eflect that he "was a tough one, and while he was in that 'ouse he would show them that he was a tough one." Very well, we have no objection ; and it must be exceedingly consolatory to all friends of humanity that Mr Donne is. " a tough one," for otherwise the remarks, of his fellow members must have severely scarified his epidermis. It is not our intention to offer any defence to the charges of Mr Donne against the representatives of the press, who perform the sometimes wearisome, and not always intellectual labor of taking notes of the proceedings of the Council, except to say that reporting the long, wordy, and vain-glorious talk of Mr Donne, at the length he would like to see it, would be too costly, for it would probably affect our subscription-list, and. certainly would tire the most plodding

reader, who would get a most inadequate, return as regards any increase of knowledge. And perhaps hon. members will acknowledge that, while it would be useless work to report the talk on ordinary small business, yet, whenever any import tant question has been debated, the presa, of Nelson has not forgotten its duties, aq the columns of this journal for years back can testify. But we find we are seriously arguing, and seeming to offer a defence, which is not necessary, as the members of Council, by their remarks, have shown. Perhaps when any one (envious of the, notoriety which Mr Donne, like many more foolish persons, mistakes for fame) is disposed to adopt his recent role, it would be well to remember the epithets which that unfortunate receiver of One Vote from his Charleston constituents, has, had applied to him in the Council, by members whom his conduct very much disgusted. "Egotism," "vanity," "an implication of false pretences," " folly, 1 ' " weakness," a " nuisance " who gratified private pique by torturing the forms of th,e Council. These are sufficient evidence^ of how Mr Donne's care for himself leads him to neglect the interests of his constituents, Shall we say anything about his original and applicable remark as to "hirelings of tho press?" No, we think not ; he was sufficiently answered ; for this judgment has been virtually pro^ no-ujiced— Donne sought to, keep repprterg out: — Alas ! He spoke— got heaten, like the prophet's ass, In the "Arabian Nights" we read. curious, stories of the transmigration of souls. To put a hypothetical case, in which some "hireling" philologist (say the Professor of Oriental languages in the University at Melbourne) may feel an interest— it possible for Balaam's quad-, ruped to "re-visit the glimpses of the, moon," with an abbreviated cognomen, and like Bottom, the weaver, "roar as, gently as a sucking dove.? Who can tell I We are surrounded by mysteries, not the. least of which is to see Mr Donne occupying the position of a legislator. Well, the, " divine William » s^ys men in these days* play many parts, and it does not require, a prophet to predict that Mr Donne, when he has "strutted his brief hour out " oq the legislative stage, will then "go off fo? ever," * -