PARLIAMENTARY DOINGS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 231, 20 September 1876, Page 4

PARLIAMENTARY DOINGS.

Cne Hgn, Member threatens to knock another hon member DOWN WITH A CHAia. (Evening Vost, Sept. 16.) ', Mr Rees, who had commenced to " talk against time " at three o'clock on Friday morning, continued to talk till Jen minutes past one o'clock on Saturday morning, having spoken for upwards of fifteen hours. He was followed by Mr ThomsoD, member fo> the Cluthfi, who talked till six a.m., •when the Speaker left tbe chair. On the House meeting at 10 a.m., Mr Thomson resumed, aud continued talking until one o'clock when tbe House adjourned for an hour. The boo. the Speaker, who had been represented in tbe day time by Mr O'Rorke, was in his place during tha evening, and while tbe majority of the members present reposed or- slept, his attention was conetantly required by Mr Rees or otheca requesting that the House should be counted, or by points of order being v raised. Mr Rees had provided himsejf with several volumes from the library, and from these he made frequent and lengthy quotations more or less opposite to the subject of the duties of a Parliament. Wbile reading and commenting he watched eloeely the members present _snd whenever he supposed that a quorum was nod present, he called attention to the state of the House. This he did ten times within an hour, . but on each occasion a sufficient number was found to be present, or, when .the beli was rung, membera entered, and the Speaker intimated that the " hon. member might proceed." Several of the members provided themselves with pillows, ruge, and slippers, and lay down to sleep and to snore, some snoring so audibly that the attention of the Speaker was called to the interruptions offered to " the debate." Pillows were at such a premium that Mr ' Pyke, for the protection of his property, carried his with him wherever he went. Another member, Mr J. E. Brown, appeared attired in a dressing gown, feat cap, and slippers, with otber additions to his costume calculated io promote comfort and keep out the cold. During the interval lor refreshment, ; sofas were procured from all parts of j the House, and placed in tbe more re. tired lobbies or adjacent rooms, where members rested or slept till a call of the House was made. Arrangements had been made amougst the Government supporters to have members thus at hand> but members of tbe Opposition were also iD ambush or " in the arms of Morpheus" in adjucent rooms, and the fact was revealed to the House by an incident which was at first made the subject of Barioue complaiut to the Speaker, but which was afterwards admitted by the hon members concerned to have been the result of a misunderstanding. While Mr Kees was addreßeing the twenty recumbent and . eoinnolent members who were present at midnight, Mr Wason rose, saying he wished to speak to a question of priviledge. He ha<J, uesaiu, baen threatened in tbe precincts of the House. Tbe hon member for Auckland City West (Mr Digaao) had threatened to knock him down with a chair. Mr Wason added that, had tbe same thing happened iv any other situation, he would have taken the law into his own hands. The Speaker intimated to the House than a complaint had been made that the honorable member for Auckland City West had threatened the hon. member for Coleridge in the precincts of the House. Mr Digaaa said, " 1 will be happy to explain what took place. I did say that I would knock tbe hon. member down with a chitir, and I meant it. Allow me to explain. He came iuto a room where I was lying down on a sofa, and where oiher gentlemen were lying on sofas. He came deliberately and turned on the gas above its level. He came and looked over the gentlemen, and then went out agaic. I thought the effect would be to cause an i alarm Gf fire. I did not thiok any geutlemau was justified in creating a false alarm, and I said 1 would kuock him down with a chair. I did say it and I meant it. I did say that, if be had turned on the other cock of the gas he would have set the House on fire." Mr Wason having moved that the bon. member should receive the censure of the House, Mr Dignan was requested to withdraw, and he did so. When he had withdrawn, Mr Wason said—" I make tbe motion that the member for Auckland City West receive the censure of the House. The circumstances were these: — I looked round tha House, and found not more than fifteen or sixteen members present. I went into oue ot tbe lobbies, and found there several gentlemen asleep. I could not distinguish them, and I turned on the gas. It ia aa exaggeration to say it was turued ou too high. Seeing tbat uooe of tbe gentlemen whom I wanted was present, I was goiug away, when the hou. member for Auckland Lity West got up in a lurioua manner, and brandishing a chair, threatened to kuock me down. Obeying one's iustiucie, I might have done that which would hava made tbe hou o gentleman incapable oi doing auything whatever. It- was with the greatest difficulty 1 could restrain myssif. Having resfraiued myeelf, I hope the House will visit his conduct with condign puniehmeut." Mr Waktfisld seconded the motion, Tho Speaker put it to tho nun. member whether it would not be more consistent witb his own euicn feeliugs, and with the feelings ol v the House, not to press the motion, L

and Mr Wason said: — "I accept your advice, Sir, but at the same timejl must warn the hon. gentleman againjst . repeating his conduct." Mr Whitakpr' was understood to complain of the impropriety of the lobbies and adjacent; rooms being made sleeping places for hon.. members, and Mr Wakefield explained that it was by the merest accident that he had not been placed in ' the same position aa Mr Wason. ThY Speaker expressed the hope that there would be no repetition of such condupt on either side, and Mr Dignan havirig re-entered, the Speaker stated tp bibs that the House did not desire to depl with the matter, but that he hoped that sucb conduct would not be repeated. ■ Mr Stout wished it to be understood that the sofas were not placed in the * House by the Opposition., Mr Wasoo" v said he had understood the Speaker (o request him to withdraw the motion,:, and on that suggestion he had withdrawn ir, but he complained of the Speaker flaying that the House had refusd to consider the question. T^e matter then dropped, and Mr Refcs" resumed, continuing to speak till ten. minutes past one o'clock, when lie ended, evidently exhausted. j ■