SCENE IN THE NEW SOUTH WALES ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1156, 25 March 1884, Page 3

SCENE IN THE NEW SOUTH WALES ASSEMBLY.

There was again an exciting but discreditable scene in the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales, on the afternoon of February 27th. Mr O’Connor had moved the adjournment for the purpose of enabling him to contradict the statements made by Mr John M’Elhone, at recent public meetings, that Mr O’Connor had pledged the Catholic vote at the coming election for East Sydney to the Government candidate in consideration of his (Mr O’Connor’s) brother being paid by the Government £IOOO for some property in excess of what it was worth. In a speech of half an hour s duration, Mr O’Connor attacked Mr M’Elhone in the most violent manner, denouncing him as a vile maligner of th® living and the dead, and as one who should be ignominiously expelled from public life ; who possessed the inherent currishness of the coward ; who had sunk to the depths of damnable malignity ; who had an utter disregard for the truth, and who indulged in fiendish attempts to vilify private life and degrade public dignity. In concluding an address of half-an-hour’s length Mr O’Connor said, in referring to Mr M’Elhone, ‘I am indifferent to the raaunderings of an illiterate mountebank ; lam independent of the sordidness of a commercial Shylock; I challenge the malignity of an unscrupulous vulture, and from the bottom of my soul I abhor a political Quilp.’ Mr O’Connor was several times interrupted by the Speaker for his attacks upon a member of the House and was compelled to get out of the difficulty by inferentially referring to Mr M’Elhone, instead of directly naming him. Mr M’Blhone replied, and reiterated the charges which he had made against Mr O’Connor, and asserted his readiness to stand the brunt of a Supreme Court action. The House was very much excited during this personal debate, and the terras ‘ liar ’ and ‘ blackguard' were several times exchanged between Mr M’Elhone and Mr O’Connor and one or two otder members. The debate took place under cover of a motion for adjournment. Mr O’Connor has issued a Supreme Court writ against Mr M’Elhone to recover £IO,OOO damages for slander. '