From Behind the Speaker's Chair.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7882, 26 July 1905, Page 4

From Behind the Speaker's Chair.

(From Our Correspondent.) WKLLINGTON, July 22. Place aux Dames. The legislature has recognised the old maxim ami given pride of place during the week to the great never-ending malrimon ial problem. The result is the dis covery that in the two houses then- , is an irresistible majority in favoui of making the door of divorce more open. With the Bill through all the stages in the Lower House and past its second reading in the Upper, the divorcial validity or a seven yearsconfinement in a lunatic asylum is now practically established. Diuiii-_ Ihe passage ol these measures soim of the newspapers are very strong on the subject, going so far as to prophecy that in a few years an undivorced couple would he as rare in New Zealand as the moa. Jn the street, too, many voices were raised against taking advantage of the mentally alllicied in this heartless way. Bui the Legislature has got the bit matrimonial between its teeth, just as the legislatures of the American states did some years ago, and the only thing for the philosopher lo do is to hope that the results may not be the same. At alt events, as cue shilling light of tli, Legislature said, the. thing has i.eei. put through in a iiiosl businesslike way ! ! Sir Maurice O'Rorke did not lin-.i ;ln> Council quite so accommodating. His provuiuial resolutions found a lespectful but hostile auditory. Respect iul, of course, for every one knew, though few had any person;]l recollection of the last "time Sir Maurice appeared as the champion of provincial institutions in the Legislature. It is the most dramaticstory in our annals. At the time, indeed, the con-duct of the provincial champion was fiecly compared ti that of Burke, who, on a certain lam-' ous occasion wlkmi a resolution was passed with which he for the highest reasons, disagreed, brought in a dagger andfjircw it. down upon the floor of the Uouse. Sir Vogel (it was he fore the knighthood ' of either of them) had just moved the resolution affirming the need for abolishing tin provincial system, and people were wondering who would speak next when suddenly the Minister of .Justice rose in a state of great wrath in his place on the Government benches and delivered a must determined and uncommonly liercc attack on the resolutions, ending by tne flinging of fiis resignation down on the floor of the House. He declared that he would .not be a "base political traitor," asserted his rk-dl-ity to the Constitution given or rather devised, for the colony by that great man and extraordinary genius, Sir George Grey, and said that lie would never have joined the Government had he been aware that- tne Premier possessed in his copious armoury so treacherous a dagger wherewith to stab the nurseries or political life. Having dwelt on the resulting government by a "deadening and deadly sceptre" Ire threw down his resignation, ol" which he said he had given his chief and their colleagues the fullest notice, and stalked out of the Chamber in a fuming passion. Mr Vogel was also in a violent rage, and though he did not give full vent to Iris passion he could not prevent his tongue from hurling some very cheap sneers at the departing ex-colleague, who he declared had taken himself and his colleagues quite by surprise. The House immediately adiourned on the motion of the member for Selwyn (Mr Reeves, the father of the present High Commissioner) ami evelv one hastened to gossip over the

event in the lobbies, each one making liis comments according In hi> political cokmr. The general impression was that Ihe resolutions would never lie carried. Thirty one wars have gone by since thai memo'rablc llth of Außiist, and we are race to lace with the results of Hie aholilion policy, so much so that a very large proportion of on,- politicians is not even aware lhat there ever r.i-rc ; ny provinces in \ew Zealand in |.„. abolished. Certainly ii was though' bclnre the debale on the motion of Sir Maurice O'Rorkc th-at there was no oilier besides Sir Maurice who had kepi alive the anliceniralisi '"'lll'S in all ils oii"iu,il fervour I'hal debate revealed ten others ail as uncompromising enemies of the central idea as Ihal famous champion. The majority stand for the rest of the population. They see that Ihe change was for' the belter, and iliey leel that a reversion is imiiossible however necessary it may ' be to extend the scope of local government in Ihe land. Ml were, howev-

it agreed in admiration lor the brave deed -done by the provineialisl champion in those remote times. All join the country in hoping that Hie hie of patriotism and respect for principle and fidelity to llic plighted word will lie with us in New Zealand as, Fresh and bright as when Mr O'Korke threw away £1,200 a year ami the chance of a great political career in their service. To teach the young idea has taxed tlit- Legislature a gwxl deal during the week, and by the Legislature we of course mean the Lower House ;■ and to the Lower House must' he ail-dn-l the Farmers' Union. The Lower House has only got us yet as far as the method of electing the education boards which control the teachers of the young idea, and thev will shortly have a chance to discus the pension system which is to guarantee the old age of these estimable people from want after they have shullled off the. power of teaching. Regarding (lie first, the House administered a rebuff to Mr Taylor bv refusing to accept his Hill and making Ihe householders die electors of the hoards as they now are of (he committees. "Restricted Franchise," most or (he House cried, and as the I remier encouraged (hem by outlining his proposal for extending (he franchise (o (be Parliamentary* electoral roll, (hey ha«l no difficulty in sitting upon Mr Taylor. If the irrepressible private member whltwill always rush in where Hie privileged ones fear to tread could always he suppressed in similar fashion il would •be well for this happy country.