From Behind the Speaker's Chair.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7864, 5 July 1905, Page 3

From Behind the Speaker's Chair.

W (From Our Own Correspondent). ' WKLLINGTON, June 30. ■ ' Mr Speaker had an exciting journey 1 oxer from the Coast to the City of ■' the Plains, between snow and ice and i the rising of rivers and the bursting i Of hidden dangers, but after all he i was not more than two days on the l road. When one remembers that pec>- s pie have taken as much as ten days i on the road over from Hokitika to i | Cbristchurch one docs not see that t 1 the experience of the First Common- ' [" W in this realm was so very tcr- ' f rible. Of course it was the uhiquit- ' - ' ™ tion who victimised Mr Speaker by , holding him up as a martyr—the < "-" Tery last thing he looked like as he ! v„ »t in his big chair at the head of ' &C the "Faithful Commons'' listening to ' '" the Governor's Speech with the in- ' I srutable air to which we are all so [ much a*custome>l by this time. One ' L- Ihing, however, has come out of h : ' F' /trery one is saying that the Speaker > r tag proved by his progress rale in ' V> bad surroundings that the ordinary ' fe jonrner ought to Ik- very much short- ' B«r between the coasts. ' B That appearcme of Mr Speaker in ' Hthe Council lieforc the Governor re- ' minds me of the compact asscnihlage ' H of the "Faithful Commons.'' and how ■ B they looked. The. first to strike Ihe ' ■ eye was Ihe evergreen Prcinict. He :l looked several years younger than the ' a last time he faced the audience. j Indeed, it was the theme of general ; * remark that the Premier who stood ; t before I/ord Plunkett iw mill, and - the Premier Who fared ihe same potentate in 1»»5, werr two very different persons. As lie utooil there in tfron: of the House of Representative* Mr Seddon seemed the embodiment of vigour. alertnrMi, and mi!h i stantial presence of mind. He was a living corroboration of the repor; of . Dr. Collins the other night which de- -. dared that Richard was himself I is one of the leading notes >sion, in fact the key note rliich all the others are or whatever. The last sension escnt Parliament will he itstory as the session toration of Mr Seddon. •ipeech which was delivered le Parliament on this occanot necessary to go into rladstone once said that the Ipeech was constitutionally ol the sort of language roan that he might the bctil his thoughts. The Speech very much like the caucus—jn for the Caucasian to take ters into his confidence by e process of telling them There are to be a large f measures, all of which canbly hope to get discussed, rtiich have a reasonable hope 5 through , man) of which hope at all. Which Will be and which failures will only i after the members have le for the general election |*etnber. Of course tliepuhle politicians are canvassing (or all if is worth. manner the eaucauses of the ic—that of the Oppositionoil and the other ; tbal of rumenl has not. The lir*t .elaborately explained to the atives of' the Opposition i elaborately refused to the atives of the other side. one knowv any more than *s ol the Opjxjsjtion papers ; absolutely nothing lo go ept the official declaration n thing happens when the rnt holds a caucus and the e authorised to tell all and everything—except tn" tiuji. in and substance of which is all the talk about great with Which the session opis pretty clear that both : watching each other most rithout much knowledge of cr's intentions, and not much their own. When an Oppois not much more than adtion to lay hold of in a vague as well au tuditioui '

al, it may be taken tor granted that there is nothing very specific on which to bang a vote of want of confidence. 'lhc debate on the Aildress fizzled, it is suggested by (lie knowing ones, by complete and almost open collusion on both sides, not of course including the Left Wingers, who are not too much in favour with either side. Certainly it Was noticeable that Mr Massey on his side and the Government Whip on his, neither of them* said anything likely to provoke debate. The Opposition proper is said to be waiting for the report of tlw Land Commission. Sanguine souls have been heard to declare that they know what the Commission is going to say. Which is \ery true so far as it goes. Namely that on the question of granting the freehold option to the holders of estates under the land Settlement policy, Uie whole Commission will declaie against such a demand strongly and uncompromisingly. But as to' the rest the guessing is more frequent than successful. i\u doubt when the report is public property we shall hear a go,.d deal about the freehold. Hui mole than that one cannot sec as yet.

Whatever the reason, the session which was to bait- begun with sound and fury has begun with nothing. Sensible men are declaring that the country ought to be congratulated upon the business-like instincts of the Lower House.

The Speakership of the Council is in the doldrums for a few days, until the Council on Tuesday next proceeds of the election. The only step so far is the passing of the resolution "In Mcniorian" for the late Speaker and of sympathy with his family. Mr Kelly, ol Taranaki, is spoken of as the Government candidate, but the (.iovernment are taking pains to spread the impression that they have no candidate—as indeed they ought not to have in a matter which concerns the Council alone, in which moreover any appearance of interference is certain to be resented in the most practical manner. George Mac Lean is the can. didale upon whom the public pu:s ;is money, as he is the strongest of all. Charles Howen is mentioned and Ins record ought to lie good enough for a , substantial support. Last time, however, it only secured him two votes. It is only prudent to suppose that the Council has forgotten the history of the most distinguished man in the ranks ' Dick', Reeves, and Mr Rigg are supposed to he in the running too, hut no one gives them a hope

Constitutionally the Council is threatened irom within. Mr Wigram having given not ire. of a Kill for ma kiiug the .Kurop.-an portion of the Council elective. What chance the measure has in the Council il is not for anyone to say at this period, when no one cvfi knows if the propositi is .serious. 'Hit: main thing f>cfore the put,lie in relation to the Council is that promise of the I'renver not 1/> make lin y appointments or reappointments until ihe ojuestion of the reform of the Council is settled. The knowing ones profess to explain as meaning that the Premier is thus taking early steps towards protecting himself from tho importunities of iiefened candidates, ami they add that he d,-uc not nitppoint .Mr Twoniec, whose time is up, and will not reappoint Mr biSlnilb Iteeause Ite has "verted" over to th Heforiii League lately formed l.y the llasseyites. tin it he whole the Council is in a state of -gentle excitement, which is n'it allayed by the appearance on the Order Toper of the Lower House of Sir William Steward's Hill of last ij-ar for hltying the Council elected by the Lower House. Uist year the Hill was real a second time.

The Shops Hill has given rise to a rather interesting situation. On one fide, the J/ower House is most anxious to amend the Act by excising the clauses inserted by the Upjier last year : on the other, the I pper is tykially anxious to retain the clans >s which hive earned for it so much abuse. If the Lower House excises the clauses the I "pper nuiv excise the Hill, and if the Lower follows up by repealing the main Act the 1 pjx-r may excise t'mt amending Itill also llie l'pper House in fact is in command of the itosition: The debate pf Wednesiiv"; protractod and ipiernlous, showed tho anxiety of the House ou the sut,j.it. Mr Seddon indWc a good [ioint when he said that the grievance of tin- four ceHres never could Iw a reason for calling U n extra session of Parliament. The country meicixTS applauded, but for all that they seemed just as eager as the othr ers to continue the debate, a fact which very strongly* demonstrates lh»i anxiety <u the lions-.- as to the position of command occupied by the Council. The friends of that body an- openly declaring! that it is| far (he more Liberal of the two Chaniliers. In a few dnys we shall know if there will be it constitutional conflict, fn the meantime th" Hill is <»■- fon; Ihe Laltour Hills ('nmiiirlli-c.nml there are to be '.Treat cloirds ol witnesses to prove that the obnoxious clauses ically nte really as obnoxious as th«y are made to np|>ear by the ui.ilcontents This again shows the anxiety of the. lU-pJe»ontutii\es. I (lid r.irliamentnrianu shake their , heads and ileclarc that the whole thing i* nothinjr but a storm in a teacup, and it Is mil l iukabjc that ihc t'ouncil will dure to hold out in a matter which h - re v.-i- been considered by I'-.-- uiaj rily "f Uie [tenpl) and I- ll'- boil- of lieice collti'llliull Willi the ' -t

TV |>i,s, ittiic- has come out of the >ear's work *tll)l the r..-cord in its lii-torv. Souie IV* weeks agolit was at the o|H-ning of the n.-w Tost Office at raliif-rston North) the I'ost-mastet-Ceiteral some,ligiires which yhowud ihat New Kealatid does m ire leijiineEs per bead, and has more post oflices than any otluT c.iiintn in the-world. This report add* Ihe information that no other pa.vs Ix'ttT. Alter nut-ting the demand- of the iH-nny postage the l»e----partiuiiit is able to show a clear profit of £7:;. mm -, year, and il ,illoned. as other departments are. to charee ~11 branches of the, public service i„ r the official business done tint prolit jv.uld be swell,,! |, v a coo| hu,idr..v| thou.-aml. Speaking of Ihe- i«-nny (Kislage one may well sny lliat.-iiotiflng sucr L ..-ils like success-." The old Age Pen-ion- Bill, which raises the weekly amount ol the pension to t<n shillings and only lowers the limit, of allowable properly by t.™ [HiurMls. is regarded as the best replv to Iho bulk of the ciiiicisms th.it have l«-en levelhtl at the administration of the (lovernment. The feeling in the llon-e is very strong that the Gerhard Mueller JVnsion li'ill should l« pawsul. As .\ matter of fact Mr Mueller had beet drawing the |»tisioii, as the Premier promi«.<l he should, when th.- passage of th': IJill Ha- olifitriicleit last year for the punxisij of getting other people includt.d. The honour of the country is at stake. No loan who has fairly earned his pension should Ik- depntfel of the samt through ;f mure technically with whiti- li* nevii- had any thins to do. The w.-'-k ended with, Ihe usual long deflate on the Imprest Supply Hill. It ha- couje to be usual only in laier vcars. the ol)ji-ct IwiTiar lo gal! the Government ihat cannot Ik-turn-ed out. Of) the pi.-e„i, occa.-ion the only s|*eeh in any way ntnarkablo was »hat |il' -Mr Ijuureiison. Its I'lailil to ilk title is that it- o'ltstiokcniw-ss ,h.,«s that the i.fU Wing ha- |fol „t least om- stroetr r-cruii during th* recess. T.ns really -.vms to _be all Unit the alunnisi,jiimours of the pa-t few weeks have to show by wa.v of justif.CUion. The U'ft Wingers say they can count twelve. A 8"V8rB undercurrent of criticism was w;tting vesterday in the din>ction of Mr Taylor. It api*ars that there has been another scandal in the City of tho J'hins, the villain of the piece lieing a certain n-verend gentlen an. who has disappeared from Ms imual haunts. Somehow, it got to to Jti-e'ty extenwwly bcl eved t' i f it Mr T a vlor. who had Itiken the initiatl'.e in tbti former icuudul,

a lid in gvtl ng tin" culprit exemplarlily punched, hurt in I his ruse inTaiig-!'-d f.,r- (he escape of the evildoer and jior the hush;,;.; up as Mr as pos--i' 1' . f Ihe evil done. I have Ihe fact.-, however, from a sure source, and tlk v arc that Mr Taylor rnn.s no cnnim-.iii.'ii with tho man in question, iiwf thai he knew absolutely nothing nooiit the ,-vili done or the disappearance of the evildoer until he heart! Ihe story in the .-(.reel.

The end of next wivk will see the report of the Labour Kills Coiun.illee about the Shops Hill, and perInaps 'he report of the Liuitl Commission. At present the members are I chewing- the cull of the criticism levelled at their salaries in the House during the debate of the Imprest. I'hrec guineas a day is the usual r a le of Commission pay. but it seems to have sickened a good few member*.