PARLIAMENTARY SKETCHES

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2754, 19 November 1887, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY SKETCHES

■ ; by '■ Our Wellington Watchman; CONTINUED.' ■ , . .Mr R. Reevos finds, a difficulty in ■saying-Honorable.' - lie call? if ,f lionoroboral." This is all. about :Mr R. Ileeve3 —at present.

I should havo mentioned that oil Tuesday afternoon Mr Turnbull- -mads' a praiseworthy bill; unsuccessful effort to raise a debate on the tariff. Ho is ingenious is Mr Turnbull, but uninteresting, He is generally loadod, like an 18th century smooth bore, to the muzzle-with leaden slugs, but his powder is always damp and he doesn't go off properly. 110 emphasised his arguments with- a long penholder which he waved about, apparently under the impression that it is an enchanter's wand. Like salts and senna a little ol Turnbull goes a long way.

A new gentleman of the name of Tanner,- addressed the House, Whether this is the original fasting Fanner, or whether it is that Dr Tanner who lately created a sensation in the English House of Commons, I know not. This one is a dignified but not a large gentleman, with a prominent but not pleboiau nasal organ; a good talker with some natural, 'and somo acquired acidity of expression.

Mr David Goldie, also a little person, wearing orange views and a blue ribbon took occasion to inform us that he had come down to Wellington pledged to Protection and to keep Sir J alius Vogel out of power, Mr Goldie, fitted by nature and inherent bias to hold the collection platter at a Meeting House, addresses members in aßerloved Bra-tharan " sort of mdnner, but evidently believes his Ber-loved Bratheran should be led into the paths of peace by a ber-ludgeon, and' an orange blunderbuss, Helms tho reputation of being cantankerously honest, and when in the fullness of time he ascends to the realms of tho blest, be will probably decline to remain there if he finds a single Roman Catholic treading the jaspar pavements. But all really groat men suffer from some mental infirmity, and Dr Goldie's, infirmity is Howly Romans.

During the afternoon, MrSeddon had a small difference' with Mr Mari-' ana Monk, and twice called that gentleman " A Talebearer." I should not mention so small a matter, except to point out that Mr Seddon was not checked by the Speaker.for the same, and we may therefore safely conclude that it is Parliamentary for one member to practically call another " a sneak." Viewed by the light of after events this is somewhat peculiar.

Mr _ George Beetham, during the side-wind tariff debate, inaugurated by Timaru Turnbull, went to the animal kingdom for his metaphors, and mixed them in a manner which would have been keenly appreciated by the late lamented Sir Boyle Roche. He said : " The Hon. Member has let the cat out of the bag, and made it a stalking horse", or words to that effect. ■

The tariff breeze died away, and Mi: Pyke. marched round the chamber with a silver snuff-box, which may be considered emblematical of the fact that he is'' up to snuff," and that the Protectionists could not throw dust in his eye 3, Then Captain Russell, in 'his very best Under-Secretary of State manner, asked for an extension of a week to bring up a report on the Midland Railway, Mr 'Beetham moved in the direction of placing a duty on .theatrical, totaiisator, and other amusement tickets; Sydenham' Taylor 1 " 'ad a question'.'—re, as usual, railway servants— to putt to the 'Oiise": R. Reeves, presumably as a. ■measiwof retrenchment, desired toereiit a few telephone stations in places where the population is one leprous Chinkio'-to the square mile; Mr Mo.at who is; eloquently silent' in every European language, -was,-lienrd,'to speak for the first time.in my experi-' eiice: Sydenham' Taylor was . again exercised, this time on smuggled harticles, 'ayin' 'ea'rd that gentlemen. were daily 'avin hoffered then} goods which 'ad hot seen the Custom 'Ouse, and—-r

And— -Mr R. Thompson, - member for Marsden, rose' and" asked-that now celebrated question which has vondere'd him notorious, Truly Mr R. Thompson'might say.that ho went-to bed on Tuesdav unknown and woko to ■ find htmself famous. - There canbe harn in reproducing the question. Here it is;— '

" Is it truo that the services of two public . servants have been retained "by Sir Julius Vogel since the resignation of : the late Ministry to> the present date, and at the public cost?" What followed .is mate of history, has been telegraphed-tie length and

breadth of New Zealand, and is now probably known throughout the world.. I do-hot, in these sketches; profess to give these broad details which are within the province of the orthodox correspondent, but I will jot down a few more, trivial matters which struck me,

In the first place. I noticed, when the question was put, a look,, not ot anger but of pain, flit across Sir Julius Vogel's countenance, and he passed his hand quickly across Ins face, a motion which lie several times repeated .during 'the ensuing scene. Major Atkinson replied to the question in a gentlemanly manner, and Sir Julius Vogel, quiie calmly, reiterated the substance of the explanation afforded by the Premier. He then paused, and was " visibly affected." He proceeded to say that he could excuse the questioners evident ignorance of the world of men and manners. I must confess I could discern nothing insulting in Sir Julius VogeFs tene or ■ manner, and, as for the words employed, I have in my short experience heard far worse used scores of- times uuchecked by the speakor. However, rightly or wrongly, the speaker called Sir Julius to order in a proremptory maunor. Prom this onwards—-I simply 'recount my own conviction, and tell the truth as truth seems to me, no. : matter who is ploased or the reverse.—it appeared as if the speaker was determined 'to urge Sir Julius to extremities and to proceed l\ extremities with-him. The speaker'b' v/hole maimer was unnecessarily dictatorial and-not conciliatory, and yet it must have beenevident .to him that Sir .Julius Yogol was suffering from intense excitement and under a sense,rightly or wrongly, of outrage, The excitoment throughout the House was keen,, and' one combative old gentleman in the strangers gallery, who. had .probably como on tlio off'chaiice'Of aooing a free fight wore an expression of intensost satisfaction, as one who internally chanted his Nunc Dimiites,

Sir Julius Yogel, I take it, suffered throughout the fracas considerable physical and mental pain. Just when we were all woudering where it would end, Mr Fergus, very officiously, called the attention of tlio speaker, to the .presence of strangers in the House.

The most excited person was the Sergeant of Arms. For the First time in ins Parliamentary career he had something to do-and did it well. He came up stairs and posted a messenger on the door. This reminded him of active service. It reinvigorated him! As he looked in that supreme'moment, so looked the old guard who died but did not surrender.

In my next letter I may probably have something to say relative to the debate which ensued on our readmission, and which dragged its weary length, liko Scobie Mackenzie's " wounded worm," over the fair face of Wednesday. Some members seemed to enjoy and revel in the whole affair. The people of New Zealand, however, will hardly ,revel in tho. fact that 48 hours of' the country's time has been fooled away in blustering, bullying, and blundering. ■ Truly we are a meek, a patient, and long-suffering people.