PARLIAMENTARY.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3955, 1 September 1881, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

(Per Press Association.)

Wellington, Yesterday. Collins (the mover of the Address inReply) moved the adjournment of the House. He charged the Government with having deserted its colours, and attempted to conciliate its foes rather than stand by its friends, They were meditating a grievous wrong to the district he represented, and although he entered to support them, he could no loDger do so.—Grey asked that the adjournment should be agreed to, and that they should be allowed till 7.30 to consider the ruling of the Speaker, after which an opportunity should be given for debating that ruling. —In reply to Bryce, tne Speaker said it was competent, for members to discuss his ruling, and, if possiblo, show cause why it should not be acted upon.—Hursthouse announced his intention of finally severing his connection with the Government party, announcing that for the future he was free to range on whatever side he might see fit. —Grey contended th^ ruling laid down by the Speaker was unjustifiable * if the House had become unmanageable, and Government desired to punish it for its refractory conduct, he challenged them to dissolve Parliament and allow the point to be decided by the country. The Standing Orders, he said, ought not to be interpreted by the Speaker for the coercion of the House. —The Speaker's attention being called to the remark, and Grey being challenged by the former, weut on to say he did not intend to impute improper motives to the Speaker. All he desired was to prevent the Speaker being placed in a, position which would countenance the impression that he was using his authority to coerce

the House.—Gisborne adopted a similar view of the Speaker's ruling. He contended the real question was whether or not an important step should be taken until the matter was relegated for consideration by the electors.—Fox said that there was nothing noble in the conduct cf the Nelsoc members. They were simply fighting for their seats. The coercion proposed was not for the purpose of stifling a fair expression of opiuion, but to crop superfluous and unnecessary herbage. — Macandrew counselled the Nelson members to give way, and allow the business to proceed. — Sheehan, the junior member for the Thames, said he had not yet taken an active part in tlie stonewalling process, but he had some bricks and mortar in hand, and when the proper time came he intended giving his Nelson friends a hand in strengthening their barricade. He reminded Macandrew and Fox that they had both, when the occasion suited them, taken part in the stonewalliug, or similar proceedings, although they protested against those now engaged.—Wakefield spoke in support of the Speaker's ruling, and complained that the action of the Nelson members in stonewalling by means of the motion to adjourn precluded members from discussing the rule of the point, at issue. He also upheld the Speaker's ruling, and Ballance was speaking against it when at 5.30 the House rose. On the House resuming at 7.30, The Speaker ordered the Clerk to call on the Orders of the Day.—Keeves rose and said he had a case of privilege.— The Clerk having read the Order of the , Day for going into Committee on the Representation Bill at once, the Speaker left the chair without noticing what Beeves was saying.—On going into Committee, Seddon moved a new clause— ■" That only persons possessing the residential qualification should in future be entitled to the franchise."—Reeves moved that progress be reported. He complained that the Speaker had left the chair while he was drawing attention to a matter of privilege, and said it was monstrous that members should be choked off in such a. way. He had not intended to move any bogus motion or delay the business, but he wanted a committee of privilege to consider certain transactions between himself and members of another place, as to honorarium. This was a matter seriously affecting himself, and such a committee had been appointed in the Conncil.—Sheehan supported, and Hall opposed reporting progress.—A long discussion ensued.—The motion to report progress was negatived by 42 to 21.

LATER. Wellington. This day. Stonewalling Tactics. The discussion iv Committee on the Representation Bill was continued. Grey urged it should be altered to distribute the representation on a purely population basis, and give each elector only one vote in the colony. If this were done, he would support it.—Reeves spoke from eleven till one o'clock on a variety of topics.—The motion that the Chairman leave the chair was then lost by 25 to 4. A motion by Mr Sheehan to report progress was also lost by the same numbers, and another by Taiaroa that the Chairman do leave the chair was lost by 22 to 4. —Reeves was speaking, quoting largely from books, and about two thirds of the members were sound asleep, when at 2.23 two distinct shocks of earthquake were felt, causing the building to shake severely. ' The effect was perfectly magical. The sleeping members jumped to their feet, and all, headed by Reeves, rushed frantically to the doors, where they remained for a minute or two watching the effect on the lantern dome over the Chamber, but as everything appeared safe they returned to their places, and Reeves resumed speaking, saying the occurrence was no doubt a dispensation, sent in respect'of the froward paths, into which Parliament was straying, and he therefore moved to report progress. The motion was lost by 22 to 3. : Sheehan also improved the occasion, and moved the Chairman leave the Chair, lost by 22 to 4. At 3 o'clock Bryce relieved the Chairman, and alter speaking some time moved to report progres—Ayes 4, noes 21. Between 4 aud 6 o'clock, five similar divisions took place, and at.6.56, when Shepherd relieved Reeves, only 23 members were present, and the most of them were asleep. Later on Lundon was called to order by the Chair man for alluding to the schedules of the Bill when the motion was that the Chairman leave the Chair. This ruling was disputed by Sheehan, who said Seymour had ruled that the whole policy of the Bill could be traversed on that motion. The Acting-chairman however, refused to alter his ruling. On a division the motion to leave the Chair was lost by 20 to 6. The House is still sitting. 2 p.m. Pitt next took a turn aud moved that progress be reported. "He apoke for an hour and a halt', dealing with almost all items on the order paper, in order to show why progress- should be reported. He concluded by stating that if the resons he had given were insufficient, he would be happy to give further reasons on another occasion. During his remarks a quorum had to be rung up on about 14 occasions, A division was taken at 1.30 on the question for reporting progress, ayes 7, noes 28. Seddon then moved that the chairman leave the chair, observing that he could give good and sufficient reasons for the motion. He conteuded that if it came to fighting or bloodshed, they had quite enough fighting power on the West Coast to whop both Otago and Canterbury ; and if those who were seeking to deprive them of their rights had no scruples of conscience in using every means to force this injustice, they would have no scruples about using every means to protect, theirrights. He then began to go over the Hokitika electoral roll, name by name, to show how the property qualification would effect each mau. Latest. . Wellington, 2 45 p.m. In the course of his remarks, Seddon accused Government of buying four Auckland votes two years ago. The Premier said that if it was worth while doing so, he could give that statement,a complete denial. Seddon said the .Premier could not possibly do so, as he (Seddon) knew his hand writing, and had seen it attached to a certain document. Seddon then continued to read the Hokitika Electoral Roll, when Oliver rose to a point of order, as to whether it was competent for him to do so ; several other members also called attention to the matter, but the Chairman ruled that Seddon was in order. He continued to go through the Roll amidst, frequent interruptions. The Premier and Macandrew opoke warmly agttiusfc the

scandalous waste of time that was now taking place in the House. Macandrew said he should-not raise any further points of order, as he found it was a mistake, and that it was better to leave the obstructionists to themselves. Seddon ended a 3| hours' speech at 1.10. Levestam is now speaking.