PEARLS FROM PARLIAMENT

Free Lance, Volume I, Issue 15, 13 October 1900, Page 12

PEARLS FROM PARLIAMENT

THE passing of the Public Works Estimates was the event of the week, because it is always the turning point of the session. The turning point, as all old Parliamentarians know, is almost the end of the session. The " passing " was like all other passings— the " passing of the Forest," for instance, and the "passing of the Bed Indian"— inasmuch as it came to an end at last. In other respects, different. For instance, the mournful rustle of the leaves in the passing forest rouses our pity, the language of the Eedskin braves, especially when recorded in certain historic romances, inspires respect, but the speaking in this case inspires nothing but a weary recollection of the poorest, dullest, most purposeless debate On record. Yet members were so proud of their own deadly dullness that they kept it up till daylight. * ♦ • The exception in point of ability was the Premier's speech. Very interesting, and well informed, and exceedingly curious withal — cur.ous chiefly for two reasons (1) with all the fire and other elements of a fighting forward speech, it was delivered behind a " brake " policy ; (2) and by way of persuadihg the country to go slow in pushing certain railways, it proved by recorded facts of his own history that the most profitable of all things is to finish railways quickly. w m • One good thing strikes one in looking over these Estimates. We hear much of log-rolling, and when there are many ' logs in a big policy log-rolling is bad. Here there was only one log. The whole bulk of the Estimates was the log, and so well balanced was it that it rolled itself through the House to the satisfaction of all, even of those who affected to grumble at details. The general opinion was that the Government has made the best of the money asked -for. Opinions differ as to the expediency or otherwise of a more forward policy, but no fault can be found with the division of the votes. * * # The only fault vas found by the member for Wairarapa, who had a bridge vote of j£3oo struck out as quite unnecessary, on the ground that the structure only wants bracing. If the honourable member had been less virtuous he would have discovered that even bracing costs money. If the House had been less simple it might have suspected that the bridge in question lives in a part of the country that is not as Hornsbyistic as it might be politically. A halo has been suggested for this patriot. To which the only thing to be said is that things are not always what they seem. . # * The weary Titan whose sleep was so disturbed by weight of coming legislation — vide Free Lance • cartoon of this week — was determined by opposing difficulties to end them. The Titan, no longer weary, having thrown off the load of Bills, is busy setting the Parliamentary clock for prorogation next week. The wheels, however, are a shade stiff, and if the " set " is to come off to time, the Titan and the House will have to perspire much. * # • Everywhere the new Licensing Bill is talked of, and nowhere does it seem to g.ve complete satisfaction. The main chai gi, vz., that from local option to provincial option, goes in the right direction, i.c, towards a distiict bounded by the uninhabitable — an island for instance. But it does not go far enough, as it does not get away from the anamuJy of boundary lines which shut up one set of drinking places, double the drinking in another, and in no way diminish alcoholic practice. The secoud mnovaiior, that of leaving to the voters the question of extending the tenure of 1 censes from throe yeais to six, is democratic in spirit, but not what was foreshadowed and better than the foreshadowing. The setting up of a Eoyal Commission to report on the King Country is simply a bolt from a strong position deliberately taken up. But there is heart enough left for another advance. * * * Gilbert could hardly hava 1 ettered the story of thj Mortgages Bill tf Wednesday evmin o -. A very simple measure it

The House has just astonished itself and a good many worthy people bj 7 passing the Animal's Protection Bill. The subject has been approached many years in succession, fruitlessly. The story is too long to tell, but it beats Noah's Ark, for every time the wild animals let loose were too many to be accommodated. The miracle of the other night is therefore all the more remarkable. The result will please everybody except true sportsmen who think that ducks are hatching in June and July. » # * The friends of the harmless necessary wild pigeon, the half-tame kaka,' and of pukaki, best of New Zealand game birds, will rejoice at the clause giving this class a triennial close season. But who can keep any season close in this sparsely peopled country of niauy poachers ? « # # An earnest attempt was made by MiLewis, who coolly proposed that anybody cirrying a gun (wonder he did not say looking in the direction of what might turn out under a powerful microscope to be the image of a gun) during the close season might be convicted. But the spirit of William the Conqueror and the New Forest which had accompanied Mr Lewis to the door, staid outside and the House did not provide another game law for reforming daws to peck at. Getting back lo our " muttons " pigeon, pukaki, and kaka ; who is to keep the season close for them ?

Another record lats night this week. They laboured all night (till 5.40 a.m.) and they did nothing, for the Compensation Bill came out as it went in. This on the night of Labour Day, the eight hours calebration. As a proof that work does not require long hours, nothing could have been more convincing or more appropriate. # * # On dit, that something handsome will be done by way of settlement in the matter of the Midland Railway debenture holders. Now, it would be handsome to pay for the seized railway a fair price, based on considerations of cost, not on those of profit. There are people who translate the " handsome " of the rumour in that way. If these are right the honour and credit of the colony will be well maintained.

Mr W. L. Rees, who is elsewhere announced for three lectures under the auspices of the British Liberal Association, is a facile speaker, and a well-read man. As a politician, he was many years a prominent figure here, and his book on Sir George Grey is one of the best mementoes of the great Pro-consul. Mrs H. B. Mason has a notice in another column referring to her plain and fancy dress ball on the 19th mst. The London Tailoring Depot, corner Waring Taylor-street and Lambton-quay, announces some novelties to-day.

was, which proposed to sweep all mortgaging lawyers out of existence. It reminded every lawyer in the House (except Mr Barclay) of the celebrated mildestmannered pirate who ever cut a throat. The fraternity said they did not care a rap for the thing as it would not make a difference oi sixpence ahead in the. year. But abetted by laymen of the easilyalarmist order, they frightened the House into believing that any man who might become his own lawyer under the Bill for mortgage purposes would certainly lose his money. Though the Bill proposed to compel no man to do anything, the House took fright and kicked it out. The lines of care on the venerable countenance of the Bill's parent were deepened by the thought that the Bill had been saved from slaughter by a Government which, in the crucial moment, frankly confessed its utter ignorance of its provisions. This confession had the usual effect. One of the fraternity immediately discovered in the Bill a most important question of public policy where there was no policy at all, and gravely propounded a query accordingly to the Minister in charge, who looked as if he were in a witness-box and would like to get out, said it was unfair, and was fairly stumped. Major Steward's face has got another wrinkle (from the lawyers this time) and the mortgage fees of a chuckling profession are safe for another year.

There is much astonishment about the remission of ten per ceut. in the rent of the Lands for Settlement settlers, not because the House talked about it all night — the House indeed is always ready to talk about anything and everything, but because the Lands for Settlement system is based on- a financial plan, carefully and closely calculated,' and much depends on first-class farming to save the country from disaster, and keep its estate in good funning heart, With the pioneer settlement, money is not so important a» the sound settlement which requires encouragement, and therefore it matters »<jfc how many ten per cents Government strike out. In the Lands for Settlement there fortunately appears to be margin enough. It is the only consolation, and it is not too great. When the Upper House, which never talks, asks for a daily Hansard, it means two things (1) that the Upper House is too skimpily reported ; (2) that it will be satisfied with reports at reasonable lengths. There would be no difficulty in satisfying that want. To include the other Chamber, which talks so much, would strain anything in the way of a printing establishment. The experiment would be worth trying, however, for it might diminish loquacity, and it would certainly be more informing to the public. Someone talked of 16 columns a day. Ye gods and little fishes I Anything over four no one would look at.