Parliamentary.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2077, 31 August 1875, Page 3

Parliamentary.

GRANTS AVAILABLE UNDER OLD AND PEOPOSED NEW SYSTEM.

(FBOM THE CBOSS SPECIAL COEHESPONEEin

WELLINGTON,

Saturday. The following is a tabular statement of the moneys provincially available under the old and new systems :—

. Available under Deficit. » " now system. Auckland ... £21,384. ... £66,062 Available under Available under

old system. new system. Taranaki ... £2,888 ..." £23.351 Wellington... P9.208 ... 123.881 Hawke'sßay 14,935 ... 19,004 Nelson ... 22,135 ... 47,867 Marlborough 712 ... 12,711 Canterbury... 538,485 ... 576,023 Westland ... , 2,785 ... 34,443 Otago ... 163,864 ... 218,588 —As the New Zealand Times this morning says " These figures are at once startling and suggestive."

THE SPEAKEE STANDS ON HIS

DIGNITY.

The following despatch was written last night at midnight, with easy leisure, as I believed the Telegraph Office would be kept open till 3 o'clock this morning. I send it now, only regretting that, by reason of circumstances over which I had ao control, it did not reach your readers this morning, as was intended. Here is the despatch :■ —

" House of Eepresentatives,.midnight. "I did not think that my prophesy made a few hours ago about a troublous time being before the Speaker would so soon be fulfilled. I am now writing at midnight.' While Mr J. C. Brown was addressing the House at 11 o'clock, there were cries for the customary 20 minutes of adjournment. Mr Brown then said that he had been hurriedly called on to speak, and as it was considerably past the usual hour of adjournment he wanted to have the House adjourned for some time, as he wished to adjust his notes. "The Speaker said he would not adjourn, and, till the hon. member had finished his speech, he would continue in his Beat.

" Mr O'Connor then said it had always been usual to grant such an adjournment, at a much earlier hour, to other members, and he did not see that any exception should be made in the case of this hon. member for Tuapeka. ", The Speaker said Mr O'Connor had /'taken an unwarrantable liberty, which, so long as he was Speaker, he would not tolerate. The hon. member (Mr Brown) might go on. 11 Mr O'Connor rose again, and declared he did not intend in. any way to be disrespectful, but would beg to remind the Speaker that he had a few nights ago granted, an adjournment at an earlier hour on a hint from the hon. member for the Hutt.

" The Speaker said the hon. member for the Hutt was then speaking in a very different way frem Mr Brown. The hon. Mr Fitzherbert occupied a very difi'erent position in the;slouse from that occupied by the member *f<pr''Tuapeka, and he had to tell the hon.--member for the Buller

that if he-again attempted any impertinent iJ*"ihterference~he would nob pass.- it over, and that so long as he wa> Speaker of the House he would maintain his dignity, and be respected in the House. The hon. member (Mr Brown) might go on. " Thereupon, Mr Murray rose to a point of order. He said he wished to have his ruling. He (the Speaker) had said that one member, and one member's speech, were more deserving of consideration than another. He (Mr Murray) wished to know if in this House every member was not on a level, and his utterances entitled to equal consideration, as a matter of rule. To say otherwise would be disrespectful to other members, and disrespectful to the constituencies which these members represented. " The Speaker: " There is no point of order." .He had now to tell the hon. member for the Buller and the hon. member for Bruce that he was Speaker; that* they had taken an unwarrantable liberty, and he warned them. tha.t he would not pa.ss it if they dared to act with - such presumption another time. The hon. member might go on. "Mr Brown said he had asked for an adjournment. " The Speaker said he was not aware that he had asked for the adjournment. " Sir Donald McLean said Jie had not heard the speaker say so. " Mr. Mapandyevrand others said they had heard the hon. member appeal for an , adjournment. " The Speaker said he would then leave the chair for a quarter of an hour. "It ought to be stated that Mr J. C. ; Brown, according 'to a! very general opinion, wag playing a trick. He was ' believed to be speaking*against time, and ■ he wished to get time to prepare further notes; at least he said so, and as matter of fact he did prepare them. His object was to speak till twelve o'clock, in order to allow Sir George Grey an opportunity of raising another question of order. That question was, that after twelve o'clock the House "Vpjild hot sit, as Ba^rd^y,' by' Standing Order, and sessional resolution is v not a sitting day. "Sir George Grey made no secret of this ; but it was told in the lobby, and repeated bj others in, the lob.b,ies during the e^eming, that he arranged for this, and Mr Brown spoke accordingly. There was a great flutter within the lobbies when this intention leaked out. Sir Qexu'-go Grey had , found a precedent'in the House of Commons, and there was much glee and great 'joy among a few of the rabid obstructionists. Exactly at one minute past twelve Mr Brown, after having floundered a long' time among figures he did not understand, sat down. But the question •of order, as to sitting after midnight, was} - found to be a m.a.r.e.'*? nsst. The' House of pp^mohs 'precedent was found riot to apply; it was Saturday midnight on that occasion, and Sir George Grey found, on ■■ consulting MtO'Jlorkc, that the practice of Parliament was perfectly in accordance with sitting after midnight, and "the gp.eakgs would be sure to rule against iftem; so that move failed, and Mr Brown's time speech was thrown away, and the House was not very well pleased with the performance. Mr O'Connor, after Mr Brown's finishing words, said he would bring the subject of the Speaker's reference to himself and Mr. Murray b«fore the House on Tuesday next. All intending speakers were induced to waive - their rights, and so at three minutes after " twelve Major Atkinson rose to reply, and as'l write is now speaking.".. A curious conversation between Sir

George Grey and Mr McGlashan is reported in the lobbies :— Sir George to Mr McGlashan: We don't intend to allow you to go to a division to-night, for after twelve o'clock it will not be legal to sit. Mr McGlashan: Hey! Sir George, you are surely joking ; you wont try that ruse; it won't go down, for we can sit until you are tired. Sir George Grey: We do intend it. Mr McGlashan : Then all I can say is that it will tell against you. You are becoming a revolutionist". Sir Geforge Grey: Oh no, only a republican, t Mr McGlasban : Then you are a disciple of Sir Charles Dilke—a regular Dilkite.

Sir; George Grey: Sir Charles Dilke is a good man.

Mr McGlashan : Yes, but he goes in for cremation, and that's what you're doing, Sir George. You are destroying your usefulness in the country, and I regret it very much.—And so they parted. I have already told you that the intenion was not carried out, because of, the advice of Mr O'JRorke.