PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3948, 24 August 1881, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

[By Telegbaph.]

(FROM OtJK SPECIAL COBBESPONDENT.)

Wellington, This day,

The whole of the night up to 2.30 this morning, was spant over clause 2 of the Representation Bill, the Nelson members, Seddon, Basting and others stonewalling the Bill, and the bell having to be rang every few minutes to get a quorum. The nominal question was the substitution of 60 for 91 as the number of members. After 1.30 Levistam spoke for,half an hour, and then the Chairman left the Chair for half an hour. On resuming Levistam continued reading long extracts and getting tired he said something about bribery, whereupon to give breathing time, Mr Pitt called attention to the unparliamentary language, and Bastings, to help further, moved that the words be takendown. And after discussion the chairman called on Mr Levistam to withdraw the expression, which he did, and having recovered breath, he went on speaking until Seddoa came to the rescue, complaining of the discourtesy of Ministers in reading instead of attending to what was said, and Levistam then asked for a ruling whether sleeping members counted to make up a quorum The Chairman ruled in the affirmative. Bastings raised some other point of order, and Levistam leaving the Chamber, returned speedily with a fresh pile of books, and aft&ry further speaking he moved the Chairman leave the Chair, which was lost on a division of 23 to 6. Mr Bastings then made a long speech on the beauties and capabilities of Wakaia, which the bill proposed to wipe out. His constituents desired him to resist this in every possible way. He proceeded for along time, when rest was afforded by attention biing called to the state of the House; a quorum being run in he proceeded to read page after page from some treatise on political economy, making explanatory comments as he went on. Another division having been made by raising some point of order Bastings went on again. At last Atkinson raised the questionwhether the discussion should not be limited to clause 2, but the Chairman ruled against him. Atkinson then objected that Bastings was reading what purported to be his speech. Bastings defended himself, and when his voice failed Seddon took him, to task for lisping out his words like a lady. This giving him a rest Bastings went on again till 420, when Pitt moved that progress be reported. Seddon supported it, but Bastings raised a point of order about a member snoring, which he said affected his sensitive organisation. Atkinson said Government would not consent to report progress. He appealed to the minority, now that they had entered their protest, not to persist in hopeless obstruction. Pitt replied they were determined not to

allow the clause to pass that sitting. If an adjournment was wanted they could consult "and possibly come to some arrangement. Atkinson rejoined that Government could not allow a minority to coerce the House. Hursthouse urged Government to consent to an adjournment; they were fighting their own best friends. On a division the motion to report progress was lost by 22 to 8. Gibbs said that a reasonable request. for a trace being refused, they must keep tip the fight. At 5.10 Major Atkinson moved, "That Mr Seymour be relievrd from the chair, and that Mr Hamlin take it." Agreed to. Mr Pitt said he would not. have made the overtures he did had he been aware, as he was now informed, that Government had threatened that the actions of the Nelson members would weigh with Government when the Esti« mates came on. Major Atkinson denied any such threat was ever made. Mr Wakefield said the Nelson members had his sympathy iv the bold »tand made in defence of what they deemed their rights. He said no good would be gained by adjourning, but as they seemed determined to go on, he would keep up the debate till they had had time to refresh themselves. He spoke till six o'clock, when another motion to report progress was rejected by 22 to 7. Messrs Seddon and Pitt kept things up till 6.30, when Mr Bastings suggested a hulf hour's adjournment, which the Chairman declined. Another motion to report pro gress was lost by 22 to 7. A quorum had several times to be rung for, while the talking was kept up by Messrs Shepherd and Levistam, and at 8.30 Mr Seddon appealed to Mr Seymour (who was again in the chair) to adjourn for half an hour for breakfast. There were loud cries of " No," and the, Chairman refused to do so. The House is still sitting.