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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4837, 22 September 1876, Page 2

During the debate in the House of Representatives yesterday, on the question of granting free passages on the Government railways to hon. members, an episode outside the ordinary subject of the debate occurred. The Hon. Mr. Stafford had ironically proposed that not only members but their wives and families should be granted free passages, whereupon Mr. Rees, as who would say “give me the daggers,” arose and abused Mr. Stafford for the space of fifteen minutes or thereabouts by the Parliament clock. Mr. Rees’ abuse was devoid of decent invective, wit, sarcasm, or any redeeming feature. It was simply Reesian and coarse. Mr. Stafford neither condescended to notice it by look or gesture, nor to reply to it subsequently; He was quite right. When Mr. Rees tries this kind of thing with the oldest member of the House, he is simply “ infelix puer atque impar congressus Achilli.” Mr. Stafford may not at present be the leader of a party, or claim subservient followers from a limited and fanatic clique ; but Mr. Stafford has been the trusted leader of the House, his name will go down with our records, and occupy no mean position upon them. Mr. Rees will never occupy a position like this. The history of his unfortunate advent into Parliament will be the record of scurrility unparalleled in its annals.