A Disgraceful Scene in Parliament.

Manawatu Herald, 4 July 1896, Page 3

A Disgraceful Scene in Parliament.

In the course of Thursday evening's debate on the Criminal Code Act Amendment Bill, a passage at arms occurred between the Premier and Mr Pirani. The Premier remarked that Mr Pirani never lost an opportunity of saying things which would be better Mfc unsaid, and the occasion might arise when he should take it into consideration' whether this state of thing should be put a stop to. Mr Pirani retorted that the Premier hud. threatened that if he (Mr Pirani) did not alter bis attitude towards him before the general <?leo tion he would do his beat to prevent his return. He had refused the Premier's offer to come to his district and help him, and he (Mr Pirani) was just as much concerned with the Premier's assistance to his opponent as he was concerned with his assistance to himself. Small as he was, he was prepared to stand on his own ground, and he offered this challenge, that if the Premier would come and contest his seat he would guarantee to stand against him -and everyone else would stand out— and fight him. The Premier had been approached some time ago to do that, but he knew better than to venture it. The Premier delined to put himself on the same level as Mr Pirani. He was not given to retailing secrets, but he could say this, that Mr Pirani came to him on his knees and begged for his assistance to get into Parliament. For that assistance, and for the assistance given by his friends, he had been well rewarded. He would give Mr Pirani time for reflection, but what Mr Pirani had said about the next election was not in his mind, even if it had been in Mr Pirani's. He was, however, prepared on the present occasion to do what he thought he had a right to do, viz., to make Mr Pirani follow him into the lobby, as he had ofttimes done before. Mr Pirani said he could not allow the Premier's statements to go without oontradiotion. Neither verbally nor in writing had he made any communication to him to help him to get into Parliament, but on the other band the Premier had asked him by word of mouth and by telegram to give him a written pledge of support, and he had refused to give it. He said, further, that in answer to the Premier's request for a written pledge of support he gave him, pasted on a sheet of paper, his principles, starting with Elective Executive and Referendum, and he said if the Ministry supported those principles he was willing to give them his support. The Premier challenged the hon member to prove his assertion that he-, (the Premier) telegraphed to him and asked for his support. He declared that he did nothing of the kind. The first he knew of it was the hon member coming to him with his programme, and asking him whether he would accept him as a supporter of the Government. More than that, this was done in the presence of friends of his (Mr Seddon's), and they would prove that Mr Pirani pledged himself to support the Government. The incident then closed. — N.Z. Times.