POLITICAL NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8475, 29 June 1907, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES AND COMMENTS.

THE OPENING PROCEEDINGS.

GLORY AND GLOOM,

(From Our Parliamentary Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, June 28

To citizens the proceedings at the opening of a Parliamentary session are ancient history an hour or two after the ceremony. The whole display provides a passing show for several hundreds of city folk who have an hour or two of leisure to witness from a respectful distance the arrival of the Governor Parliament Buildings, and his exit therefrom; and to observe a few volunteers line up in front of the main entrance, and stand for half-an-hour in the sunshine or rain, as the case may be; presenting arms standing "at ease," where ease is almost an impossibility, and witnessing a body of cavalry manoeuvring upon nondescript mokes, borrowed from livery stables and farm yards. As a spectacle, a good Punch and Judy show possesses greater attractions. The outside portion of the ceremony is so much sham, but sham is a staple commodity in the political world, and we have, from long usage, become so accustomed to it that its absence would perhaps leave an intolerable blank. The inside show is of a different character. It is reserved for the "select" of the community. The "masses"'know nothing about it; the wives of the tradesman, the labourer and mechanic are carefully excluded from the sacred chamber of the Legislative Council during the ceremony. The bulk of the floor space is reserved for ladies who figure in "society," and so are the most of the galleries. The "season," as well as the session, practically opens with the opening of Parliament, and the ladies are resplendent in their costly adornments. A cannonade is heard at 2.30 p.m., and the Governor in hat and full war paint enters the Chamber followed by member\s of his staff gorgeously caparisoiiyd. Bowing right and left he proceetteto the "throne" and takes his seat thereon. The Usher of the Black Rod, dressed in sombre black gown, relieved by a white tie, and, beating a wand in his hand, approaches and hands the Governor a roll. The roll is the Speech, which His Excellency is popularly supposed to have composed for the occasion, but which has been dictated by the Premier. It is easily perceptible how little the Governor is acquainted with its details, by the halting way in which he reads it. On Thursday, for instance, in reading the paragraph relating to the population, His Excellency stated that it amounted to 888,579 pounds. This created the one smile that illuminated tbe proceedings. Smiles during the ceremony are permitted, but are rarely possible. Well, having opened the roll, the Governor sends out the Usher of the Black . Rod for the faithful Commons to hear the Speech read. The Usher goes out backwards, bowing repeatedly to the Governor as he does so. He is so accustomed to backward movements in Parlimentary proceedings that he never trips, and performs his difficult feat rather gracefully. He returns at the head of the gentlemen of the House of Representatives, and these, having huddled into the small open space in front of the throne, very much like a flock of sheep, His Excellency reads the Speech, and majestically retires to the booming of guns. Thus ends the Parliamentary opening ceremonial. The two phases of the proceedings described comprised the "glory" of Thursday's business. The gloom came later. During the recess three Legislative Councillors (including a Minister), two members of the Lower House and an ex-statesman (Sir John Hall) had joined the great majority, and a couple of hours were taken up in each Chamber in eulogistic references to thsir public services. The proceedings were gloomy in the extreme. The occasion was taken advantage of by several of the*newly-appointed Legislative Councillors to make their maiden speeches; but one could scarcely judge of their speech-mak-ing capacities under the circumstances. They spoke in tones that did not reach the Galleries. The sombre character of the oratory reminded one of the melancholy words of King Richard II.:

"Of comfort let no man speak; Let's talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs." It was a relief to all when the Council rose out of respect to the memory of the deceased. JOTTINGS. • GENERAL AND LOCAL. The new Attorney-General made his Parliamentary debut in a quiet, unassuming manner, and took charge of the Council with the confidence of an old-stager. His chief duty during the sitting was the moving and speaking to motions, expressing appreciation of recently deceased members, and the ex-Premier and statesman, Sir John Hall. The admirable way in which he performed his melancholy task created a favourable impression amongst members. Brevity, eloquence and deep-feeling characterised his remarks. Dr. Findlay was not openly congratulated upon his assumption of control of the Council, but. perhaps, the occasion was not deemed fitting, and it is possible he will be duly welcomed on the re-assembling of the "Lords" next week.' Mr Hogg intends to ask the Mini ster for Railways whether . it is intended to incx*ease the pay of the ballast gang at Opaki, near Masterton, from 8s to 9s per day, so that married as well as single men may be able to earn a living wage? He has also given notice to move:—"That there be laid before this House a return of the Native lands within the Wellington Land District, showing the blocks, localities and areas, giving psrticutarw of all restrictions over land or timber, the removal of which has been applied for or granted, the areas and terms of leases, the names of persons to whom leases have been issued, and

the dates when the leases terminate." Sir Joseph Ward's promised surprise was not considered so wonderful when it was read in the Governor's Speech. If there was anything in the nature of a surprise about it, it was that any mystery should have been made or secrecy should have been observed about it. People were looking forward to an announcement of an enormous drop in taxation in the face of the record surplus, to the abandonment of the Land Bill, or perhaps to the elevation of the Premier to an Earldom; but to find after all that we were only to be "dominioners" instead of "colonists" was somewhat disappointing. Mr Hornsby has re-introduced his Quackery Prevention Bill, and Mr Hogg intends to proceed with a Bill to abolish plural voting and another to abolish the duty on flour. Notice has been given of a number of old-timer Bills, but su far the Ministry has not introduced a single measure.