MR SWANSON ON SEPARATION.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 410, 16 September 1876, Page 2

MR SWANSON ON SEPARATION.

In his speech on the Separation Question the hon. member for Newton thus satirizes the proceedings of the House as follow :— We are told that we are to rise to a great height in legislation ; but I have seen the proceedings of this House stopped to enable hon. members to go to a spree. It is, perhaps, only natural that some people who exercise their heads a great deal, should like occasionally to exercise their heels; but I think the constituencies did not send us here for any such purpose. I think it would be better if honorable members would stay here aud attend to their work, instead of adjourning the House to go to balls, when there is so much business to be done. We have heard a great deal about the Provincial Councils. Have youever heardof any Provincial Council sending Home for plate for Bellamy’s ? I do not know what other provinces hare done ; but they have not risen to the dignity of doing that in tho Province of Auckland, at any rate. Has any one ever heard of the Auckland Provincial Council sending Home for knives, forks, and spoons, for large quantities ofcrockery and crystal, branded with the name of the province, and paid for at the public expense ? And yet this House, which has risen to an enormous dignity, is not above doing that. Hon. members of this Assembly did not only do that, but they sent Home for their wines, of the best kind. They can have have as much liquor as they like, aud can distribute it among their neighbors at the end of the Session —of course, for payment, and I can safely recommend it as excellent tipple. Has any province ever done anything like that, I want to know? Then it seems there was a nice job to be given to some one: it was desired that there should be a housekeeper connected with this establishment. No good reason was given for such an appointment, and they hit upon a happy excuse at last. They said it was to give a tone to the servants ; that was the sole reason given for making the appointment of housekeeper. I think if something had been done to give a tone to honorable members it would have been better. I have here a circular, sent to me, which I very much dislike, for I am in the habit of paying for my sherry and everything else that I get. Let me read this document: —

“ Wellington, Bth August, 1876. “ The amount of upwards of £7OO being outstanding at Bellamy’s, members are requested to pay the sums due from them at once, and for the future to pay their accounts regularly once a week. The books are made up every Monday morning, and a re to bo had on application at the har at Bellamy’s. “ W. D. H. Bailie, “ R. G. Wood.” What I object to is that it should be sent to me or other honorable members in the same position ; it ought to be sent to those who owe the money. Let the House Committee do as is done on the Stock Exchange — put up a big black board, and chalk on it every man's name who does not pay, and the amount he owes. I cannot understand a sot of men sent here not paying for the food they eat and the wine they drink. I ssy it is a disgrace and a scandal to have such a circular seut round to us. Has any member of a Provincial Council ever had such a circular sent to him ? I have seen such results from the existence of Bellamy’s iu this House as I am sure have never been seen in any Council. I have seen the Native members, whom we are told to look upon as barbarians and savages—l have seen them offer in this House to carry a member home and promise to put him to bed and not to hurt him, so that the proceedings might be carried on. I have seen this House cleared on a subsequent day, so that no one should hear what took place—so that the dirty linen might not be washed in public, while the offending member was being reprimanded. I have seen a member taken out of this House by the Sergeant-at-arms and the messengers. I have never seen anything like that occur iu the Provincial Council of Auckland. I have heard speeches about cudgels, cowhides, bowie-knives, and revolvers in this House. All record of the scene that took place was struck out of Hansard for fear of injuring the feelings of a lady. Was ever such a thing seen in the Provincial Councils ? And yet we are told that the members of Provincial Councils are unfit to legislate and deal with the affairs of their own province. Why should Ministers care ? They say this : “ From whatever point of view you look at it, just you vote straight, and you can reason how you like afterwards.” I will tell you what I heard in the lobby from a distinguished leader of a party that is going iu strongly for a united colony ; I heard him say to a wliip on the other side, “If you make any of my men drunk, I will keep the talk up for a fortnight.” Was ever any such thing heard of in the Provincial Council of Auckland ? I never saw in that Council a couple of men told off to watch an honorable member, lest he should get on the “ spree ” and be out of the way when the division took place. What took place in this House ? Have we not heard how people got up on the roof of this building and passed bottles of grog down the chimney to another honorable member who was under lock and key in a Committee room, to make him drunk ? And yet we hear talk of what a superior Legislature we are ! I say such proceedings are a disgrace to any legislative body. We are told that these things ought to be carefully kept out of sight. lam provoked when I hear the provinces insulted. These things are not brought out willingly by me, and would not have been referred to had it not been for the speech we have just heard.