POLITICAL NOTES.

Waikato Argus, Volume III, Issue 211, 18 November 1897, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

(i;y telegraph.—special reporter.) Wellington-, Last Night. CONTINUOUS SITTING. The Police Estimates, as was generally anticipated, have blocked business for a good many hours, and up to 9 o'clock to-night the House had been sitting continuously for nearly 30 hours. The Minister for Defence sat at the Committeo table with perfect composure from about 2 o'clock this morning till after 5 this afternoon, and all attempts to draw him failed. Mr Carson was one of those members who tried to elicit some information from Mr Thompson, but to no purpose. He said they had all heard of dumb dogs, but he did not expect to find thetn on the Treasury l-cnches. Several members expressed the opinion that the Minister for Defence could not explain his estimates, as he knew nothing about them, but even this taunt failed to provoke Mr Thompson to reply to his opponents. The Premier moved to strike out the vote £SO for purchase of lo i£ service medals for the police after Mr Wasorj had moved to reduce the vote by €4O. Mr Carson asked the Minister for Defence which way he was to vote on the Premier's amendment, and whether Mr Thompson really wished the vote to he struck out after putting it there himself. Mr Thompson was understood to say Mr Carson could please himself, to which the member for Wanganui hotly replied, " Docs the Minister mean to say he does not care a hang ? " Mr Thompson quietly explained that what he said was that Mr Carson could vote as he pleased on the Premier's motion. A BRBEZB. During the discussion this afternoon on the police vote a smart passage-at-arms took place between the Premier and Capt. Russell. Mr Seddon had appealed to tho Opposition to allow business to proceed and Cant. Russell said they were determined to pcraist in their obstruction to the Estimates till the Premier met them in a reasonable way and agreed to certain things troy asked for. Mr Seddon then defiantly told the Opposition leader the attitude he intended to take was no agreement at all, but he should refuse to do any business whatever till the estimates were finished. He also threatened to keep the House sitting over Christmas, and said he had serious thoughts of bringing members back to Wellington for a month or six weeks after the holidays. After this declaration of a "no surrender" arrangements were made by tin Opposition for another all night sitting, and they are now strong enough to provide relays of members for such an emergency as has arisen over tli3 estimates. MR TAYLOR'S INTENTIONS.

The Minister for Defence this morning interrupted Mr Taylor with the remark he should not ask the member for Christchurch to explain the Police Estimates to his (Mr Thompson's) constituents. "Oh I don't know about that," promptly replied Mr Taylor," " I am not sure whether 1 shall not go round the country and to the Hon. Minister's district, but unfortunately 1 shall not do so at the expense of the colony," The member for Christchurch was not interrupted by the Minister after that declaration. THE PREMIER-ELECT.

Mr O'Rcgau to-day, with rather questionable taste, occupied for some hours the Premier's seat on the front Treasury benches. The Opposition frequently dialled the member for Puller for usurping the position of head of the Government, iml Mr Seddon himself, speaking from Mr Laruach's scat, cood-humour-cdly turned to Mr O'Regau and said that as the " Leader of the House " had now expressed his opinion he hoped the vote under discussiou would be allowed to pass. NAPIER - EAST COAST RAILWAY. The Gisbornc and Wairoa portion of the railway deputation eNpressed themselves as much gratified with the attention 'shown them by Mr Douglas McLean and the trouble he had taken in getting an interview with Ministers on the railway question. They feel rather aggrieved at the cavalier treatment they have received from their own member, Mr Carroll, who was to have accompanied the deputation and introduced them to his colleagues. It appears that Mr Carroll has not done either one or the other, as he ■ this morning went to the Palmerston Show, and left the deputation to shift for themselves.

A SATISFACTORY SETTLEMENT. The Premier and Leader of the Opposition met to-nigLt and came to a satis factory arrangement with respect to the progress of business. Mr Seddon agreed to give the Opposition fair representation Select Committees in the proportion of three to two, and he also undertook to give the House an opportunity before the session closed of considering the position of the Parliamentary officers which the present Government took out of the Speaker's hand and placed under the control of Ministers. Tho Premier further promised to give the House a free hand in respect of appointing Commissioner Tunbridge to the Royal Commission on the Police Department. With regard to the request of the Opposition for certain returns on the Order Paper which luve hitherto been refused,MrSeddon promised to furnish any reasonable returns asked for. In return for these concessions the Premier stipulated that the Estimates be allowed to proceed without any unnecessary delay beyond reasonable discussion. Capt. Russell agreed to this on behalf of the Opposition, but did not, of course, bind the " Left Wing " in any way. The Opposition hive practically obtained all they have been contending for ever since the session opened, the concessions made by the Premier being such as he would never have agreed to in the last Parliament. I understand the Opposition were prepared to keep up their obstruction for a week or till they were met by the Premier in a reasonable manner. Mr Seddon evidently realised they were strong enough to carry out their intention, as otherwise no such arrangement could have been made. The House is likely to sit till an early hour in the morning, but the Opposition are now prepared to let the remaining Estimates go through at the present sitting.