DRUNKENNESS AND DISORDER IN THE PATLIAMENT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 205, 28 August 1880, Page 2

DRUNKENNESS AND DISORDER IN THE PATLIAMENT.

JL JLLJLi JL JJ. . VINCENT PYKE DISTINGUISHES HIMSELF. THE HOUSE ADJOURNS TO COOL. Wellington, Friday. The House met at 2.30. Mr Pyke gave notice that he would move, tbat in the opinion of tbe Honae it ia desirable that the Northern and Middle Islands of New Zealand should be created separate coloniea. That with the view of effecting such separation, a Commission should be appointed to consider and report upon the allocation of the Colonial debt., aud conditions subject to which duties of Cuatoms, and Postal and Telegraphic charges shall be allocated to each island. That a message be sent to the Legislative Council, asking their concurrence, and inviting thut branch of the Legislature to appoint a Committee to confer with the Committee of the Houae thereupon Replying to questions it was stated that the Government would, during the recess, consider the desirability of increasing ad valorem duties on articles which can be mauufactured in the Colony. — A sum of money would be placed on the supplementary estimates to encourßge local industries, and, if passed, Government would consider what; amount should be devoted aa a bonua for the manufacture of cement. — It was intended to amalgamate the Post and Telegraph offices, aud where the combined revenue would warrant it, the extra rate of 6d charged on telegrams sent from non-paying offices would be rescinded.— The attention of Government had been directed to tbe utilisation of spark-catchers for locomotives, aod so far aa they bad been applied they had been moderately successful in preventing conflagration.— lt waa intended to give effect to the recommendations of the Induatries Commission ou the conservation of public forests. The Public Works Bill waa read a third time, and partly passed through Committee! Adjourned at 5 30 p.m. Saturday. After further discussion last night Mr Hall's resolutions re the inscription of stock were negatived on the voices. The Public Worka Bill pasaed through Committee, waa read tho third time and passed. On the motion to go into Committee of Supply Mr Hutchison moved aa an amendment that the ten per cent reduction should not apply to salaries of £150 and under. A long discussion ensued, the amendment heing eventually negatived by 32 to 21. The House then went into Committee of Supply on the Supplementary Estimates. Class I. — Legislative £140. On the item " Clerk to Legislative Council (addition to permanent salary) £90" beiog put, Mr Pyke moved that progreaa be reported. The motion waa loat : Ayeß 5, Noea 49. : Question proposed that the item be struck out. Ayea; 20; Noes 27. It was then proposed to reduce the item by £40. Ayes 22, Ncea 27. Class ll.— Colonial Secretary, Audit office £8450. Passed. Government Statistics Department £92. Pasaed. " Agent - General's Department £4000." Mr Reader Wood proposed that the vote be reduced by £1000. After a discussion, the question was put that the vote be reduced :— Ayea 27, Noes 23. In reply to Mr Swanson, Mr Hall said, that the reduction waa one of so great importance that the Government would have to consider carefully what they would do in the. circumstances. Iv reply to Mr Gisborne, Mr Hall said that the reduction in this case would be in addition to the ten per cent. Mr Sheehan protested against the reduction. Tho very persona who had voted againet Sir J. Yogel, -three or four yeara ago had worshipped him, ;ahd said that he waa the salvation of the colony. Ile^'jmd done good service to tbe colony (Cries bf no) Mr Sheehan said, But Yes. There were men how voting against him who," five; years ago, swore by him. He (Mr Sheehan) would not be a party to jumpuprn a man because he was outside the House. Those who had drunk hia champagne and eaten his dinners, were now the men to jump on him. If he could only come in at the door he could easily imagine that their tune would be very different. With all hia faults ho did good work. They wanted a firßt-claßa man in London, and the provisions they had made would not secure the services of such a man. There were men voting againßt him who, but for Yogel, would never have been known. The vote as reduced, was then passed,

On the vote, •' " Miscellaneous Services £11,395 15s Id," :Mr Maeandrew moved that the item "expenses of printing Transactions of the New Zealand Institute £500" be struck out, but tbe amendment Was lost on the voices. Mr. Seddon moved that the item " Botanical Gardens (four months) £500 "be struck out, but it was not pressed to a division. At 4.30 a.m. Mr Seymour left the chair and it was taken by Mr Kelly. Mr Pyke, on the vote " public buildings " in Class XI objected to the item " furniture and fittings for Wellington hospital £1500." Mr George said it was very plain from the sfate of affairs that it would be quite impossible to go on with the work. He therefore, moved that they report progress. The House divided. —Ayes 8 ; Noes 39. Sir G. Grey moved that the chairman leave the chair. It was evident that at least one 'member was not fit to be there. It was a disgrace to New Zealaud legislation that large sums should be voted in tbis way. Mr Reeves was surprised to hear such remarks. The hon. member could not be aware pf what he waa talking about. Sir G. Grey said that the fact that such conduct had been going on, showed that members were not in a fib state to vote away large sums of money. They had worked for ,18 hours. Mr Hall said that one member certainly was not in a fit state, but that was no reason for saying that the House was not iv a fit state to go on. He objected,to adjourn. Mr Pyke said he had not obstructed the business. He was inclined to aay that the Premier had been guilty of impudence. He had asked a question honestly aud he had a right to ask the question. He had waited there the whole night and he intended to remain until this vote had been struck out. He would not be told by the Premier tbat he was trifling with or obstructing the House. The motion for leaving the chair was put and negatived on the voices. Mr Pyke moved that the item "£ISOO for Wellington Hospital" be struck out. Ayes, 17 ; Noes 28. Sir G. Grey said that it was now absolutely necessary to report progress, as it waa evident there were members there who were not in a fit state to go ou. Mr J. T. Fisher hoped they would not meet again until Monday. Mr Lundon said there was every prospect of a quarrel if they attempted to go on. i Mr Hall said that it was disgraceful that nine-tenths of the members should be kept tbere simply to please one or two members who were only there to obstruct the business. The motion for reporting progress waa then put and negatived on the voices. After further discussion the vote was put and passed. A number of other votes were discussed and paesed. After Sir George Grey insisting that the \ House was not in a fit state to proceed with ' the business, moving that progress be re- , ported, a division resulted in the motion i being again negatived by a large majority. , Mr Pyke called the attention of the Chairman to the fact thut the member for ' Hokitika (Mr Seddon) who waa present in ; the House, had not recorded hiß vote. On being wakened up and challenged Mr Seddon said that he voted " against Pyke." •■ Mr Pyke insisted that the vote had beeu; irregularly recorded, and, in defiance of re- ; peated ovdera from the chair to resume his: seat, be persisted in protesting against the: manner in whicb the vote had been recorded.; A scene of great disorder ensued, amidst' which the remarks of both the acting-Chair-man and Mr Pyke were wholly inaudible in, the gallery. j Mr Pyke was understood to say that he 1 insisted upon the Chairman leaving the chair and reporting wbat bad transpired toi the Speaker. i Amidst the utmost possiblo confusion and: disorder the Chairman left the chair, aud, oui the House resuming, he reported to the, Speaker that tbe hon. member for Dunstan had been guilty of disorderly conduct and insurbordination, inasmuch as he had refused to resume his seat in Committee after having been repeatedly called upon to do so. Tbe Speaker said he would take cognisance of the report, and called upon the member for Dunstan to afford the House ah explanation and to apologise. Mr Pyke, wbo waa indistinctly heard amidst the confusion and uproar that ensued, waa understood to offer some explanation or justification of his conduct. The Speaker, interrupting him, said, "It has been reported to me by the Chairman of Committees that the hon. member for Dunstan has been guilty of disorderly conduct, he being a member of tbis House, while the House was sitting, and I now call upon him to make an explanation and apology for so doing." Mr Pyke again essayed to speak, and although he appeared to speak vehemently, bia voice waa drowned amidst cries of "apologise" "withdraw" and uproar and general confusion. The Speaker — I have again to ask the Hon member for Dunstan (Mr Vincent Pyke) if he is prepared to offer an apology for the conduct of which he has been guilty in Committee and which has been reported to me by the Chairman of Committees. Mr Pyke— Then I say No, I did not apologise, I have got nothing to apologise for. The Speaker— Then in that case, the member having been duly challenged and having refused to apologise for his conduct in Committee, I direct that be at once leave the Chamber. Mr Pyke then rose, and in withdrawing ejaculated in a loud voice something which sounded like a shout, of defiance. After he had withdrawn, Mr Hall said that they must all regret and deplore the painful scene which bad just been enacted. , The conduct of tbe House had been outraged and its authority set at defiance. To him it was a matter of deep regret, and he had no!) the least doubt that all present shared with bim in that regret, but they must, however, bear in mind that they had a duty to discharge both to themselves and to the country, and that duty could not be discharged unless they took cognisance of the conduct which had just now been enacted. He would move, That this House having taken into consideration the insulting and disorderly conduct manifested by the member for Dunstan towards a Committee of the House and its Chairman, and the fact that, when challenged by Mr Speaker in pursuance of his authority, he refused to apologise, therefore this House expresses its disapprobation, and censures Mr Pyke for the same. In the course of a very animated discussion which ensued on the motion, the attention of the Speaker was called to the fact that Mr Pyke had taken up hia position in the Reporters' Gallery. The Speaker— Do I understand that the hon member for Dunstan, who has just been ordered to leave the Chamber, is still present in some portion of it? Mr Andrews- He ia, Sir, present in the Reporters' Gallery. The Speaker— Sergeant'at-Arras, you will proceed to the gallery of this House, and if you find the Hon. member for Duustan there you will direct him to leave by order of tho Speaker. In due course, the Sergeant-at Arms made his appearance in the press gallery, and* proceeding to the extreme end of it where Mr Pyke was Beated busily employed' in tracing hieroglyphics on a sheet of foolscap paper, be tapped Mr Pyke gently on the shoulder, when tbe latter, looking up with some surprise and considerable indignation, demanded

tojknowwhat he meant by assaulting him while he (Mr Pyke) was in the execution of his duty* '] The Sergeant, having delivered the message given tohim by 1 the Speaker, Mr Pyke replied as f ollows :— " I'll not go: keep your hands off me, sir, or I'll have you brought up before the Court for an assault. Stand out of this, I am reporting for a newspaper, lam reporter for tbe Aasociation. Get out of this, or I'll have you up for assaulting me," The Sergeant having withdrawn and reported to the Speaker the state of affairs in the gallery, he was directed by the Speaker to proceed to the gallery and, if needs be, to bave Mr Py.ko removed by force. The Sergeant paM a second visit to the gallery with, on thia occasion, his dress coat buttoned to the throat and his wristbands turned up, and two attendant at hia beela. The aspect of affairs was so very alarming tbat the only other occupauta of tho gallery, two drowsy looking newspaper reporters, deemed it. prudent to take back seats. On, being again challenged, Mr. Pyke, who was atill^busily employed in tracing what appeared to be a serio-comic sketch of Mr Speaker in his robes with an equally whimsical representation of Cabinet Ministers in deshabille, protested that this Was an unwarrantable interference with the liberties of the pre3B; that he was a newspaper reporter, on thia occasion reporting for the Otago Daily Times. The Sergeant-at-Arms — Come away^ -Mr Pyke and don't make a d d fool of yourself. Mr Pyke— Take your hands off me, Sir. How dare you come here and interfere with me ?■• I'll have you punished with the utmost rigor of the law for assaulting me- in the execution of my duty. At this juncture the , Sergeant applied some slight force, when Mr Pyke rose to his feet, and, facing his antagonist, took a working survey of him from head to foot. When bia eye lighted on the buttoned coat and wriatbands, he appeared to take in the situation at a glance, and without further resistance followed the Sergeant and his attendants down stairs. On again making his appearance on the floor of the Houae the Sergeant reported that he had at last succeeded iv ejecting Mr Pyke from the gallery. An animated debate then ensued on the motion tabled by Mr Hall, which reaulted in Mr Pyke being called upon again to apologise for his conduct in Committee. Mr Pyke replied that he did not know what he had to apologise for. .In calling the attention of the Chairman. to the fact tbat Mr Seddon had not voted he simply discharged a duty he owed to the House aud the constituency by whom he had been Bent there. If there was anyone to be blamed it was not him. It waa the Chairman, who persistently called upou him to sit down when he was calling attention to tbe abovenamed fact. The Speaker — I find that you are still unwilling to apologise for your conduct. I have power, if you remain refractory, either to order you into the custody of the Sergeant-' at-Arms, or else to impose a fine upon you to the extent of £50 Mr Pyke — I decline to apologise for an offence of which I am perfectly innocent. The Speaker— Then you will retire. Mr Pyke then lefi; the Chamber. Mr Sheehan said he blamed the Government very much for what had taken place. They had kept members sitting there for close on twenty-four hours, and it was not to -be wondered at that disorder and irregularity arose. Mr Tole said that Mr Pyke told them he did not mean any disrespect to the House, and that all he intended to do was to assert what he considered to be hia privilege. He thought they should be satisfied with that and allow the subject to drop, and he tabled a motion to the effect that the House take no further notice of the matter. Mr Hall said he had listened with the utmost attention to what had been said by Mr Pyke, and he had not heard a single word that could possibly be construed into an expression of regret or apology. He regretted the circumstances aa much as any one could do, but he had no alternative left but to insist upon the vote of censure. Mr Seddon, after detailing the circumstances under which he recorded his vote, said that when the hon. member for the Dnnstan was ordered to sit dovra there was a great noise in the House, members calling out " chair *' " sit down," and making all manner of noises, and it was quite possible that the member for the Dunstan did not hear the orders given to him by the chairman. Mr Reeves said the member for the Dunstan was quite right not to apologise, and he was glad to see that he was determined to fight it out to the bitter end. It was not the member for Dunstan who was to blame, but the Chairman. He was the only man to be blamed under the circumstances, as he had occasioned the whole of the trouble. The Speaker. — I cannot allow you to censure the Chairman of Committees. You must confine yourself to the member for the Drnstan. Mr Reeves. — Then I have nothing more to say. Eventually it was agreed that the motion should be allowed to stand over, and that the debate should be resumed at 7.30 to-night.' § House rose at 8.30 this morning.