From Behind the Speaker's Chair.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7876, 19 July 1905, Page 4

From Behind the Speaker's Chair.

o (Krora our Correspondent). The week began with a famous trial of strength. The old age pensions were the battle ground, a fact emphasised later on in the week i,j the Premier's appeal to the Ilousi "not to fight over the prostrat, bodies of the old age pensioners.' Tlte Progressives, not .satisfied wi; tile verdict of the House on the i> reducible minimum last week, col lectcd their forces for the tormiit able attack which their genera! T.v lor had prepared against the old at,. position. The Bill proposed to inciease the pension to ten shilling . week, the general persuaded his followers that Hie pnision ought lirito be made general. He Uiereioi. proposed an amendment to the effect that all disabilities ami limitation. should be lirst wiped off the Slatut. Book. It was a specious choice, bin the event proved it to be bad. Tii.-. much the Premier, whose ski!' as a tactician is unrivalled, base; upon knowledge as it is, knew well Being aware of the unwisdom of the choice he refused to make a government question of the amendment, leaving members to vote as ihe\ pleased in the matter. The result was better than he had foreseen, the irreducible minimum was raised to twenty. Two of the Progressives do serted their chief ami some of the Opposition went over to the Government, ami once more Was shown how heterogeneous is tlie collection oi spirits hostile lo the Government. When the second reading came up ii due course the beaten enemy though; to escape from the consequences <; defeat by studiously refraining from calling for a division, but the Government brought out the dividing roof division themselves; their whip, ft instruction called for ativision and the enemy, after doing as much scowling and objurgation as could conveniently be packed into the usual five minutes, hurried into (lie lobby with ministers as if their very live depended on their getting there first It was as fast as the McHmun..Cup best record, one need not doubt it only tlie time could 'have ilkmtaken.

Later on the Opposition proper tried to get i,t their own liuic atlac"; But the only result was that the time of the country was wasted an;' the unhappy House compelled to tallnonsense till midnight. Here again was seen a remarkable sight-fort!, Progressives either alarmed at t't turn Ihe affair had taken-ii is the last session before the general elei Hon-or irritated at die poor support their last attack had received from the Opposition—who now by the wav arci called "consti'tutipualists" | ! their admirers— or perhaps a little of both, rose one after another air! defended the Government from the "obstructive" attacks of the Opposition chief, just for all the world a> if they had never known a momem of coolness in the ardour of tbeii friendship for the loyal men who march under the .Seddon banner o; victory. The last victory brought the week to a reasonable close. The Premier added some amend ments to the measure, which is a proof that he is not above taking a lesson from the enemy. The speech,-: of the week bad convinced him evidently that some further concession was necessary than that for which he was asking. Therefore best retched his point and asked the House to amend bis Bill by raising tin limit of income and lowering tin limit of allowable property, in tlv, latter case throwing m make weight of £l5O. The enemy did not deserve the concession and certainly did not bring it about, but as it is in ihi •interest of the beneficiaries, who arc poor and give nothing to those wh are rich, there is everything to besaid in favour of the same. Mr Graham, of Nelson, came out with the honours of the debate on Friday. Apostrophising Mr Buchanvn he said "the proposal to enlarge ,'ives us all £26 a year, both the iioor and those who like you and me ire rich. Now you must admit that the addition would be of no absolute ise to us. 1 propose that vou to! me in letting go the £26." Tin House appreciated the humour, from i quarter where humour is not too rt|q)ient, and passed on with a laugh. The upshot of the night's work is that that "extra ten bob" may b, regarded as perfectly safe. It 'is a result achieved without any capital liveried to the enemy. In fact al! the capital that the enemy might. if he hah been reasonable, have divided with tnc Government has gone so the credit of the Government account With the public, who will Ik' . asked to liquidate it at the date ot the general election. The sensation of the week, however, has teen the Land Commission Report. At present of course tin House knows little more about the same than the Speaker's ruling uptu the few points of order raised an.ni the laying of the same upon the table of Hie House. It has learnt for example that the Government when ordered by the Governor t,', place any document on the table "jay if .sq mimled let anyone see the contents of same and make them public. The point is thai the report Was not like the evidence taken before a committee or the report cf a conimittec-a thing of which the House had cognisance, it was reallv outside the ken of ihe House ft might be against the etiquette to divulge the contents, but .[, w ,s mostdecidedly not against the law fL< , n m ' n '-, H, ' lc a S«*n the lacIv -I,°' "* , I>lCn " , ' r «■">" "'«« Play. IxAUvn under the forms the House ,n his attempt to get t,. Uiirnrission's report upon the table hf. put he same into a "Governor's «essage" and 10, the report n"s Sv l "-rough the scowling ranks of 0,. Positron as a thingViv, Z T." lhc Kn ' ul issu " »' & s i. i»„ C i r "'" , '' t """'''' thatheod ■s ii u.. sections, om-„f which < W s on i"h Kru "i ,ns "' ""-• ">«■;■. «»* ;o. can up™, norNr^aK • JIHU-ll CUlling l„ !„..,, ~, , ~ :l""'ll.\ with T|, , ■, ,he (l 0v erniiient in« rr.Jl *™ k,ln «» '"><> "*■ fight">K <l.»wl , na k., C(immon h ***»* that the report it mA \.^ •i •"»"«• „r one „f the ,„.„ . siv , '"." H ban cost tIK . country. Van ev eut> there will l,„„, orcin ,i u . ( f c . U. I .11 .h i li<S I "'°" ,iw < l Mr Massev U, Ml Ihe House on TuesdHv .'■«r the. rest of Uienport, t|i,.„ri„"iwl Point about it is one \ ' , mi« . have 1)W anlici|laW "*" l ' I M]I »W publish,.,! iVom,l,v „f ,l!' i^" r ' n « the siWi, W wandering! ,',' -'""■'*""'• His that the.vI'ort is one of the strongest vindication* that coulj be . wishl *, f ~ KKal ()f has found fcu|l. „„ one has asked for l? B | hj"* o ."' W "' eo of the. U.ml Hoards; tV ,r.v word in th , ,-,.- port ,„ by mfrnvneo a *(,■„„,, le-Vi- •'"■»«■ in .-.■.„„ „f th , Ullllls paru.,,m, „,,,„ ,s presided over bj ~' ;■ ~ " m ' i,n ' ~r 0; "»«>-»- One oi Ibe unexpected results of the "•■•port of the Ln n( i Commission is Mir.; to h.. tI K . complete surcease of the outcry lor any reconstruction of l he Ministry that shall ),e fatal to (Ik. pros|»rts of Tam as a candiilale i>„ tlie honours of ministerial lont^vilv Another result will be the increase hi expenditure on roads and the, betl''i- foolinir of the char/fiKi /,„- ' t| lP same, uhi.h ouirht not tp he p„jd by the oiqmers of the. probities any more than th- railways are So paid The ballot xyslo.ni -W!]J a|lso be tightened inu> Moincthing more ivasrvnable (than it at |ir,«;ent. There will ,t„; some more discretion in administration.and on \hs whole those restrictions which were originally devised for the suppression of the dummy nui-nncc will lie de|iri\ed <,f their noM'iius pressure, upon that public benefactor, lhc bona fide settler.

Ine farmers luive been in council during the week and they have been considerably puzzled by the failure ot the Commissi*! to report in time—- !.»• eueiny of the farmer declaivs— to forge a weapon against the Government. It is- held even by some very sniewd persons Hint this explains the delay in ,the report's production. This niu.V be as it may. To the ordinary mind'it seems reasonably that the liovvrnnicnt knowing the quality ot the most important part of the report would not be likely to resort to any .Haling for the purpose of producing iififceessury nssuJlls.

Tlie formers have done the right thing—astonishing to most people who hu'.e heard them—they have aflirmcd llio principle that the country must pay moro for the privilege of defence by Jhe King's Navy. The idea seems to be that the colonies ought to pay, insicad of the paltry one per cent they now contribute —and some ol (hem grudge, the respeolable proportion of oive-ivhth, which is the proportion of their interest in the com- .■ n imperhil commerce. The presi'ent has assure-i the I'remi r iha.tr !us matter he has the farmers I>\- ■! him. Il is on.- of the Icadim •'OS of til' Wl-k.