EVENING SITTING.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 109, 4 July 1885, Page 5

EVENING SITTING.

On the House resuming for the evening sitting, Mr Macandrew moved, without comment, " That this House does concur in the report of the Standing Orders Committee re morning sittings of the House." Mr J. C. Buckland entered his proteat against the resolution. It was only out of compliment to the high position that the member for Port Chalmers held in the House, and the lengthy time he had been there, that the movement had met with encouragement. (Mr Macandrew : No). He could assure that gentleman that members had stated to him that they could hardly see their way to oppose the measure on which he had set his heart so much, and that reason alone had induced them to give the matter an experimental trial. It was not from any spirit of obstruction, but from a desire to see the session shorter, that he,(the speaker) objected to the motion, as members would be deprived of the opportunity of interviewing Ministers with the view of urging the grievances of their various districts. He moved, as an amendment, that the clauses of the report be considered seriatim. Mr Levestam seconded the amendment, as he was of opinion that it would be extremely unfair to ask members to pass the report holus bolus without giving them time to consider it. Mr O'Connor said that with many others he had been induced to support the member for Port Chalmers on the understanding that the hours of labour were to be limited and business conducted in a reasonable way, so that members might be enabled to bring that mature amount of intelligence to bear on the business which it properly demanded. In the report, as drawn up, this was not the case, the hours of labour not being limited ; and he felt i inclined to move that the House rise not later than 8 p.m. Mr Bevan objected to experimental ov hasty legislation, and expressed the belief that if there was less pairing, more practic al legislation would result. Mr Pyke, in the course of a highly humourous speech, condemned what he characterised as a vicious system being introduced on the score of the health of members. He appealed to the hon. member for Port Chalmers not to press his motion. Personally, he objected to being deprived of the opportunity of reoruiting in the balmy atmesphere of Wellington. " Why, sir," he went on to say, "with the impure atmosphere of this House we kill on an average four members a year, and even the Premior last year got the gout. If a robust member like that becomes afflicted with that disease from sitting in this House, what about a small person like me ?" On the original question being put, it was carried by 42 to 32. Sir George Grey was of opinion that none of the petitions presented would now receive proper attention or consideration. It was almost an unknown circumstance that a question of so momentous importance should bo proposed one night and forced through the House on the next, without members knowing what the change really meant. He was convinced that the meaning of this indecent haste was that the promoters of the change knew that with a few days' consideration members and the people throughout the colony would never assent to the proposal. Those people who had come for redress and to have their wrongs righted would now be delayed in Wellington for some time at considerable expense. It was but just that the change should not come into operation till the beginning of next session. Otherwise they might be ruined by unduly hasty conclusions being come to by the House. He was satisfied that if the matter were delayed for a week, members would be inundated with telegrams from their constituencies, praying for the continuance of the present hour of meeting. He protested against the conduct of those who were compelling him to vote before he had time to consider the effect of the recommendations from the Standing Orders Committee.

Mr Stout said that so far 1 as the Govern ment were concerned,' it would be apjbjfreht to all parts of the Souse that the* change would mean the imposition of additional work on them, so that ; in supporting thp measure he was not doing so with £ the view of shirking his duty as a member of the Ministry.- (Hear.) His sole reasonforsupporfcing the motion was that he was satisfied he could not undertake the work* under* the present system which was imposed on them last session. Mr Fergus said the Premier's speech had incontestably proved to him that some consideration was required for the already over-taxed Ministry instead of damaging their health by increasing their labours. __ Mr Seddon moved the previous question, as he recognised in their support to the proposal a desire by Ministers not to* be interviewed by members. Like the member for Port Chalmers, they wanted peace and quietness. Mr Fisher said the proposition was quite impracticable. It was a high compliment to the member for Port Chalmer 3 that, the measure had met with so -much support, and the speaker was convinced that had any other member introduced it, it would have been disposed of in about ten minutes. Mr Brown suggested that with the view of expediting business, members be not allowed to speak longer than twenty minutes, except where the debates were on questions concerning the fate of the Ministry. Mr Joyce, an old journalist, came to ,the rescue of the Press Gallery, who would practically have no time under the new arrangement. He very aptly remarked that they would have no time to take any rest at all. Several other members spoke before the division bell was rung. On a division being taken, to the astonishment of the House, the Speaker announced a tie : -Ayes, 35 ; noes, 35 ; he added that as the House seemed to be puzzled what to do in the matter, he thought he ought to allow another division to be taken. Therefore, he would record his vote with the "ayes" in order that another division might be taken, ,the rule of the House providisg that in case of a second division being taken there should be no intervening debates. The doors were merely opened and reclosed, and the result of the second division was : Ayes, 33 ; noes, 37. The previous question was therefore carried, and Mr Macandrew's celebrated motion, after being twice affirmed by a majority and then "tied," was thus eventually lost.

Enforcement of Judgments. Sir George Grey obtained leave to postpone the second reading of the Enforcement of Judgments Bill.

Employment of Barmaids. The second reading of the employment of Females . and Others Act Amendment passed with scarcely any- discussion. Mr J. C. Buckland announced • that it was his intention in Committee, to. endeavour to secure an amendment to swjeep away the employment of barmaids altogether.

Second Readings. Mr Dargaville's Banknote Securing Bill also passed its second reading without discussion. The Mines Act Amendment was also read a second time. The House adjourned at 10.25 p.m.