PARLIAMENTARY SKETCHES

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2786, 30 December 1887, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY SKETCHES

':.'. Ou# Wellington .Watchman; ;: . ..' .' (»'"'. ■'■ ::-■''•'"" v ■■ ,'•.'':(continued) -,; But Hutchison took an altogether different view of the matter--took, in my humble opinion, the correot view.'. He Was not disposed to; act loblolly-. boy to England,' and, relieve: theImperial Naval Estimates of the' cost and keep of. a number of • Imperial officers, more or less useful or priia--mental. ; Mr Hutchison pointed out; that the proposed measure was one of. : vast importance, and... should: not,-; therefore, be discussed when upwards./.: •of half the members had gone to their homes, and the remainder were worn ;i but. He complained that there was not evefraquorum then in the House, and surely-it'was 1 a' poor compliment "to lay. at the foot of the throne," ; (Hutchison is nothing if not-ornate) a consent; wrung from an .exhausted; assemblage." ' Members, he. said, "Members were even now trying to ■■ snatch sleep in the House."; This reminded the historical Hutchison of 1854, when the Duke of Newcastle went to Richmond, where • his worn out colleagues went; to dinner, and committed England to the, Russian wai'j by reading his despatch to tbe nodding heads of his colleagues, "Members eveu now slept." Here McGregor—who-was snoring with the matchless precision of a Hielanderfatigiied -by a cattle raid-rwoke up ' with a mighty snort and repudiated with scorn'the soft impeachment of slumber-. Ido not propose to follow Mr Hutchison through the sinuosities : of his arguments, but this I will say, be made a really great speech, taking lofty ground, and speaking as the senator of a free people and a growing nation should speak. Itwassaidthat Mr Hutchison was Speaking to Hansard,, and that his speech was prompted by lawyer-like smartness. I care not : a brass button what his motives may have been, bis effort judged, perse',., was a most creditable one, .and will stand him in good stead in a few years time, when New ■ Zealande'rs are heartily tired of maintaining a lot of English Naval officers in idleness.in Order that .'the female guests of our little gubernatorial court may have, dance partners. . ' ■"

Towards Mr Hutchison's peroration (Atkinson Wing left the House.when he found that his continual interruptions had no effect on the speaker) Mr H. pointed out tbat "No Member of the Ministry, considers the subject of sufficient importance to remain in the House. Pardon! there is one (Richard-' sou) but he sleeps" (Here Richardson , rather blowsy of aspect, started up and rubbed his eyes) " That gentleman," continued Hutchison, has now the right to get up and deny everything I •.' have said-for ho has not heard a word of it."

In the evening a little gentleman, supposed to be J.C. (anglke J, C. . Brown) aired a grievance relative to some pairing business, and another - little gentleman, supposed to answer te the name of Pearson and to hail : from the sunny South, denied the statements of J.C, and said, with the air of a young rooster that has just discovered things growing out of its beels. "If it becomes a matter of personal honnawh between- Myself, and the lion, membawh forTwopecker I think, there will ho m doubt on which side the verdiot of-the House wiirbe—haw!" He then sat down with' a caokle and a twist of his; incip- y ienttail, .- - ; '

| Sir George Grey was actually and delightfully funny.-' He burst into smiles, arose and chaffed Macarthur in the gentlest, most'benignant manner. .Macarthur, in his turn, chaffed Yogel, and Vogel, as usual, got mad. Then the Chairman of Committees, Hamlin, sat ■on Sir Julius and talked some pompous' rot' ■about meting out even justice, and Mr R-'aseriu'a white waisteoat laughed • hysterically, and ejaculated, loudly Healil Heab. U All this time Sir George, beamed all oyer with chuckles which communicated- their:., subtle influence, to Mr Graham's- somewhat' morose features, and so- the, night went on, varied by debate,'recrimination,. Jsleep,. and overlooked by the sable physiognomy of the. Prince of Darkness" in the-gallery.'. ; ' '/:',

First.repassed thei Loan Bill, then ■ the General Post OMce 'yqtei. then, with emendations, the,: Supplementary Estimates. The; San Froiicisc^Mail-■ 1 Service,was to be continued: for. twelve months;, and we agreed-to; the. Legis-. . ■ lative GbuuoiL Amendments to the Midland.Railway -contract Bill; and after- passing various Appropriation ... Bills, we dispatched: the Speaker to hunt up the Governor and get his . . signature to the Bills'passed. In the interim members varied the monotony by playing the fool. • This does not call for any special comment. At 4.60 a.m., the session'of 1887 "' virtually ended. v And Here endetb. these Parliamentary