HOUSE COMMITTEES.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 335, 6 August 1875, Page 3

HOUSE COMMITTEES.

(From the ' Star's ' correspondenti), ;

Some '•'Committees' pleasantreputatio'n.' The Land and Gold-' fields Committees are in bad odor just no#,/ Oh Wednesday the Knight of (Cashmere, prayed--to be relieved- from the former* because of the rowdiness of its-proceedihgj in. proof of-which assertion-he -said., one ' Province sent;up.raXand Bill every session and sometimes as many as three. This reference to! Otago brought to his ■ feet Mervyri, who • fairly turned the Jaugh"against Sir Cracroft : Wilson'b.y .'saying ithe only occasion of; disorderly;proceeding; in" the Committee was when Sir Gracroft was. chairman, aiid in consequence of the manner in which he then'presided hVhad been carefully, left out- in the future choice pf r chairman. , , The~X.ords s have evidently imbibed". Sir" 0. Wilson's aristocratic notions,;for -they flatly refused to allow their. Committee* to. confer or sit with that of! the Lower House. The Goldfields Committee, if.Mr. T. L.-Shepherd's statements: on; Wednesday are to be believed;. o{tener> resembles a bear - garden. It appears that after Mr. Shepherd announced . his '■ Gold"-"; fields bill, Mr'. ,Pyke summoned a caucus; of Goldfields me'mbers and invited them .to give it a short shrift, but Nelson's Super-, intendent pd. Mr. Harrison .opposed thatcourse, , the consequence . being, doubtless to Mr. Shepherd's relief, that it was agreed .to recommend Government to consider the Bill, with-a view to its extension to other parts of. the Colony than Otago. The cream of the.thing is that Pyke's action resulted*from a conception that: Mr. Shepherds* Bill was the cumbersone mea- • ure Duristan's member introduced; 1 ast 8

session, which the- committee sat. npou -However; between Mr Pyke and- Mr Shepherd there;is n6 loye:Iost, as is shown; in.-the ' New Zealand: Times.' having denied thatj he convened the caucus; Mr. Shepherd this: morning that he did not do anything calculated to; prevent lhe passing of the bill how intros : Karliahient 'isentireLy- contradic-! ; t?ry> Ss is vouched for by two gentlemen who,' attended. the fleeting,, and ' whose .veracity : is beyond suspicion. '. It appears tho meet- ; 4ng was convened by Mr, secured the attendance of- eight members,' proceeded to explain his object ' in* eatlirigj |tne meetipgi ' The business was>conducted; Evidently withi ® of members,; Mr. Pykej .that ,lHe Goldfields Bill, proposed to: be introducedtby,me, should not be allowed to be ( sent to. Committee, : but the majority] refusingvto consent to such an unusual! course it resulted .in .the meeting dispersing without accomplishing, the desire of Mr.| Pyke. nainely—that eight members of the Assembly should stand pledged to oppose d Bill"that-had not been readoa. first time, arid-iiad: l not; been read by them at all. 1 to any is that, members intrigue to re-' iect Bills vyitHout -a. perusal of them ; also, -Mrt Pykfe's-unlairness in.no.t inviting .., me to attend the -m'eeting. ; Uad he done; soj jt resulted ih his;hot !: playihg his Jlittle-.game' in such<a foolish J m anher as he 'did. and which I have exposed.'- i <