Disorder in Parliament.

Manawatu Herald, 30 August 1898, Page 3

Disorder in Parliament.

None bub thosa who were present in the House during the early hours of this rooming will ever be nble to fully appreciate the humiliation of the democracy and the degradation of it? House of Representatives that was there witnessed. We would glacly hide the whole episode from night had wo the power and could find justification, but since we have neither we shall dwell as briefly as possible upon a passage in Parlia mentary proceedings of the country which "every true citizen would like to have effaced. Of what transpired our readers will find some report, shorn of the most bmtal of the personalities employed, in another column. Mr Taylor bpyond question nffrndrd, not only in regard to the particular words that were taken down, but in various passagen nf bis preceding speech, and particularly one reference to Mr Fisher was quite unpardonable. For this and other acts of violent ppeneh no doiibt the junior member of Welling ton was stung to passionate reton that quickly passed the bounds ol reason and decency in such fashion of speech as should have made every member present blush with shame for the degradation of the Parliament of which be formed parr,. Tin rPreririer mad the Leader of the Opposition were, it Feems to ti?, both in the right in the stand they took in censuring the conduct of tbt member for Christchurch, though the course taken was to some exf.err unusual, inasmuch as he was not permitted an opportunity to with draw the words. The license of vitopention that has bern steadily growing in Parliament of late must In stayed, and, as Leader of tb> Houge, the Premier only discharged

his clear duty. If, indeed, we have any fault to find with him it is that he did not move that the offending member be suspended for the remainder of the sitting, and that he made no attempt to curb in a similar way the conduct of Mr Fisher. Our hope now ifl that Mr Sdclon wi'l hold to the course he last night entered upon, and that, while him* self studiously avoiding offensive personalities in debate, he will exr ■>' 2 a!l bis power and influence as Leader of the House to purge it of the pernicious practices that, have of late degraded it.— Fiiday'a Post.