REPRESENTATION DEBATECONTINUED STONEWALL. A MINIC SIEGE OF TROY.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 390, 3 August 1889, Page 5

REPRESENTATION DEBATECONTINUED STONEWALL. A MINIC SIEGE OF TROY.

Wellington, July 31. Rkl'Kkshi:d from the lunch adjournment, !Mr Taylor came up smiling at 2.30 yesterday afternoon, and in his peculiarly happy style dealt lightly with the Bill and things in general until 4 o'clock, when he gave place to Mr Blake, who discoursed for twenty minute&, being followed by Mr Loughrey, who had said all he wanted to say ivhcn 5. 30 came. After an hour and a half adjournment for dinner, the House again met, when the champion stonewaller of last session, Mr K. H. Keeves, took tho lioor of the House, and kept tho attention of the Speaker until the nightly j adjournment at 10.30.

EFFECT OF THE NIGHTLY ADJOURNMENT. The "Post" last evening, speaking of the arrangement fora nightly adjournment, says: " There is something quite uniquo about a stonewall being carried on by arrangement with twelve hours intervals. We do not remember any piocedent for such a proceeding. Under it the struggle promises to be an ab.->olutoly interminable one, because the night's rest will enable each side to turn up fresh and smiling each morning. It will be a kind of political siege of Troy. The only redeeming feature of the nightly armistice arrangement is that while it continues there can be no possible excuse for applying the iron hand, or any form of closure. While the discussion is proceeding on such a basis there can be no pretence that it is purely obstructive or has exceeded its legitimate bounds. It is well that the country should undei stand that the arrangement in question has been made at the request and for the convenience of the Ministerial party, that the town members do not desire to stop the continuous sittings, and only reluctantly acquiescod in doing so. That the other side should have had to ask for quaiter is, howc\er, satisfactory, and the fact should certainly encourage the stonewallers."

A COMMITTEE. On the House resuming yesterday afternoon, after the luncti adjournment, a formal motion by Mr Lance that the Live Stock Committee have leave to sit to-day, notwithstanding that the House will be in session, was agreed, to without opposition, the town members taking no advantage of the legitimate opening it gave them for obstruction.

COUNTRY PARTY'S LITTLE GAME. The teal struggle over the Representation Bill in Committee will be in connection with the proposal todelay the bringing into operation of cheßepiesentation Amendment Act, 1887, till after the taking of the next census, which of course means its suspension till after the next general election. Mr Kerr has been actively whipping to that end, and claims that an absolute majority are pledeed to vote for suspending the Bill for a couple of years. He further says that though the Premier will not entertain the proposal, mo&t of the Ministers favour it. A large number of members admit that the only true solution of the deadlock is a dissolution, but they wish to avert it if pos>ible — iirsMy, on account of their fear of the " happy despatch '' in a House of 71 membei s : and secondly, because the Southern members recognise that a general election would be most undesirable during the Exhibition period. As I have repeatedly indicated, the question of the quota is merely used as a stalking horse, the real h'^ht being over the attempt to restore the House to 95 membeis. Mr Frank Lawry ha\ing at yesterday's country caucus statedth.it if an oiganised attempt, as seemed probable, was to be made to repeal the Act ot 1887, he should teel compelled to break from the party, eight of his prominent supporters wired to him yesterday afternoon, from Otahuhu, Faying that this expression of opinion had been most favourably received throughout the electorate, and that feeling there was very strong against any increase in the number of the members of the House.