A NIGHT IN THE HOUSE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 234, 3 October 1877, Page 2

A NIGHT IN THE HOUSE.

[Communicated.] Having but one night to spend in Wellington I had reasou to congratulate myself that on that particular evening the no-confidence debate was proceeding, and that some of the leading men were among the speakers. I was iv attendance shortly after the sitting commenced at half-past two, and was not at all sorry to find that the proceedings at once assumed a very lively aspect. The first matter that came under consideration was a Bill, in which the Legislative Council had made numerous aud important amendments, and in its new form it was .then presented to the House. Thereupon Mr Stout questioned the right of the Council to interfere to such an extent with the legislation of the Lower House, and in doing so he made certain remarks that were the reverse of tyatteriug to the nominee branch, of the Legislature. Upon i

his resuming nig seat the Speaker censured mm m pretty strong terms for bia aniinadver-! sions upon the "other body." Mr Stout at once objected to his speech being criticised by the Speaker, to which that gentleman replied that he was not criticising the speech, but merely expressing his opinion that no member of the House of Representatives was justified in alluding in disrespectful terms to the Legislative Council. Mr Stout bowed to the Speaker's ruling, but at once gave notice that he would move on Thursday next "That the present constitution of the Legislative Council is not satisfactory." This was greeted by a shout of laughter of a mixed character, being derisive from some, and approving from others. This was a very fair commencement of the day's work. Mr Reos then moved without notice that the quorum of the Disqualification Committee (in reference to Mr Kennedy) should be reduced to three instead of five, the reason being that he could not get the requisite number to atteud, the Attorney-General pertinaciously remaining away, his objeci being to postpone the report of the Committee until a^er the division on the noconfidence motion, Mr Kennedy being a Government supporter. This gare rise to considerable sparring, Mr Stafford, especially, getting very warm over it, and complaining that as a member of the Committee he had not been consulted with reference to this motion, which had been brought on without his knowing anything about it. More squabbling ensued, and from the general tone of the discussion I gathered that the House was in a bad temper, which, individually, I did not at all regret, as it gave promise of somu smart work in the debate that was to follow. Ultimately Mr Rees' motion was negatived on a division by 38 to 35, and then Mr Curtis was called upon to resume the no confidence debate, which had been adjourned on his motion. On rising he was loudly cheored, which showed that our Nelaon representatives utterances ara regarded [with favor by the House. He made a remarkably neafe little speech as he invariably does, but I have seen him in much better form. There was a great deal of truth and much good sense in what he said, but-— and I claim to speak with some little authority, having I heard Mr Curtis make many scores of speeches— he did not give me the idea of being very much in earnest. There was a half heartedness about every word he uttered, which deprived his remarks of the weight they would otherwise have carried. Without being able to say wherein I could find fault with what he said I must confess that for his own sake as well as for mine I was not at all sorry when he aafc dowu. Mr Montgomery followed. Now Mr Montgomery is spoken of as a possible Minister, and consequently I rather expected a treat in listening to him. I was therefore surprised to see member after member taking up his hat aud leaving the Chamber, aud felt much disposed to deplore the evident want of appreciativeness that they displayed. But as time passed on, and he still continued speaking, I found my own hand iuvolantarily moving in the direction of my hat, and whether it was the force of the bad example set by his brother members or what it was I cannot positively say, but before Mr Montgomery had half finished his speech I found myself in company w Ith a goodly assemblage of M.H.R.'s, enjoying a comfortable pipe in one of the corridors. lam of opinion from what I heard that night that if Mr Montgomery ever does secure a seat on the Treasury Benches and has to speak often, he will greatly swell the receipts of Bellamy's. But this opinion must be taken for what it is worth, for it must be remembered that ie is based upon one single speech. The pipe and the chat in the corridor proved so fascinating that I was deprived of the pleasure of listening to Mr Sutton, and Mr Karaitiana Takanioana, the latter of whom, I was told, denounced the Waka Maori in vigorous terms and stentorian tones. And now came the dinner adjournment. Having made up my mind to devote the whole evening to politics, I waa in my seat before half past seven, the hour for resuming, arrived, aud for some time I amused myself by watching the galleries gradually filling. The ladies appeared to take a special interest in the proceedings, and by the time the Speaker took the chair beiwsen fifty and sixty were in their places, and the amount of knitting and needle -work that was got through between half-past seven and half past twelve, when the House rose, would, I am sure, have been sufficient to stock a goodly numbar of stalls at a charity bazaar. The strangers' gallery was also largely patronised, but that devoted to the "Lords " was not so well filled, about a dozen only putting iv an appearance. Punctually at half past seven the debata wa3 resumed by Mr Tawiti, who appeared to 3peak Ha mind pretty freely, although the circumstances were not favorable to oratorical effect. A sentence or two of forcible Maori, and then the c Am ! dispassionate tones of tlio interpreter, who i was evidently well up to his work, putting what had been said iuto excellent English without a moment's hesitation. Mr Hamlin, from the North Island, followed — a bluff, outspoken mau, who gave one the idea of big being a thoroughly honest opponent of the Government. Clearly he did not entertain a very exalted opinion of the merits of the Wafta Maori, but his speech was much weakened' by the wearisome repet jtioa of too phrase " miserable abortion," which in every other seuteuca he applied to that now famous journal. Tha next to him was Mr Morris, who was succeeded by the vigorous Mr Pyke, who loudly denounced the Government, and than made way for the mild Mr Carrington, who thought the Ministry perfect. Most Taranaki men do. The rattle of small arms having died away a big gun was placed in position, and at once opened fire on the Government. This was Mr Rolleston, the matter of whose speech was far better than its delivery. Hesitation, almost amounting to stuttering, and constant repetition mar the effect that wbat he has tq say would produce if uttered by a more facile speaker. He exposed the weakiess of the Government in strong terms, and raised a loud laugh at their expense when he stated that he did uot accuse them of an inordinate love of office or a blameworthy desire to stick to their seats at any cost, but rather believed that their adhesion to the Treasury benches was merely the result of an unusually strong developement of the iustinct of self preservation. Mr Wason then devoted a quarter of an hour to a severe attack upon Mr Rolleston, his anxiety to lower that gentleman in the estimation of the House leadiug him to entirely forget to inform his audience what were his views own upon the question under discussion. Mr Gisborne then explained why Mr Wason had attackedMr Rolleston, the reason, as he asserted, being some misividerstanding upon a purely local matter. He then opened out upon the Ministry in a speech that was listened to with deep interest by all, and concluded with a masterly peroration that brought down the House, if such an expression may be considered applicable. Aud here I may remark that a strauger cannot fail to observe the sanctimonious tone that many of the members impart to their speeches. This was especially noticeable in the three last named. Mr Gisborne spoke as though he wera preaching a sermon and delivered his peroration as if it were the doxology with which he would have concluded had he been in the pulpit. As I said, there was great cheering when he resumed ho saat, and this became louder and more continuous when Mr Stafford rose. The time for adjournment, however, had arrived, and so we had half an hour to spend in pleasant anticipation of the treat tbat was in store fot us, for we all knew from our afternoon's ex-

petience that Mr Stafford was not in an amiable mood, and it is generally allowed that when he is " riled "he speaks best. At half-past ten he commenced, and the few opening sentences convinced us all that our. expectations were not to be disappointed, as they shadowed forth some hard hitting. Mr Gisborne was the first to fall under the lash, which wa3 not laid on with a sparing handthen came Mr Wakefield's turn, and most delightfully was he chaffed about the position that was sure to fall to his lot in the event of there being a chauge of Ministry, he haying so fully established h's claim to a portfolio by the abuse that he had showered on the heads of the existing Government. Then followed a little sketch of New Zealand Ministries for the past seventeen lyears, a lamentation that there now existed no defined parties in New Zealand, and an expression of regret that matters of colonial importance occupied a secondary positiou in men's minds to those of mere local moment. With one or two exceptions he would undertake to say that there was not a constituency that would not prefer a third or fourth rate local man as a representative to a well tried politician who came from elsewhere to seek their votes. When Mr Stafford's speech appears in Hansard I would recommend it to the persual' of all who cave to read the Parliamentary debates. It mattered not that it had but a slight bearing upon the question before the House, nor tbat a vein of egotism permeated it from beginning to end ; it was listened to with much interest, and w ill, I am sure, be read with pleasure. There was one little incident that will not be done justice to by Hansard. For some reason or another that was unknown to any but Mmself, Mr Stafford thought fit to administer a dose of flattery to Sir George Grey. "My honorable friend, the member for the Thames"— a pause— "My honorable friend, I say, that is if he will allow mo to speak of him as such, for it gives me real pleasure to do so," and then the ex-Governor wa3 lauded to the skies for certain plucky action he had taken in one of the Maori disturbances. Have you ever tried to make friends with a noble looking mastiff, who, without being in a surly, is not in an amiable mood ? You speak to him softly, coaxingly, and with a certain amount of deference, you even venture to pat him on the back, but not a sign docs he give that he is aware of your presence. He passively submits to your advances, but by not the slightest movement, not even a wag of the tip of his tail, does he express approval of them. Thus, while Mr Stafford was pouring the oil of flattery on the veteran politicau, did he sit motionless and immoreable as though he were a statue. Hat pressed down over his brow, arms folded, and back half turned to the speaker, there he sat, and, but that Sir George Grey does not sleep, one might have supposed that he was iv dreamland. Mr Stafford did not gain much by his attempt. The next and last speaker that night was Mr Stout, who picked out the weak portions of Mr Stafford's speech and tore them to shreds, and laughed at the egotistical remiuiscences with which it abounded, and I regret to say that none was more demonstrative in his applauso or clapped bis hands more loudly when some specially hard bit was administered than did that ungrateful, old gentleman Sir George Grey. Mr Stout alluded to the repeated references that had been made to the uuimportance of the question under discussion and aud the alleged nrstake of having made it the ground of a no-confidence motion. " Ministers," said he, " ask us why we choose the Wak* Maori as a poiufc of attack, why we don't attack them upon their general policy, but what is their policy. They said the Native Lauds Bill was a patfc of it, but when the House said they would have none of it they humbly withdrew it; the Charitable Institutions Bill was said to be a part of their policy—where is it now? Have they got any policy at all beyond rempi'ning iv their seats?" I have been thinking about that ever siuce— as I walked down to the wharf, as I paced the deck of the gallaut little Kennedy as she steamed against the stiff nor-wester that blew in our teeth as we crossed the straits ou our return to Nelson; and since I got back here I have been persistently trying to discover whether the Government have any policy, and it so, what it is. Hitherto I have completely fa'"'cd to fiud a satisfactory answer.