Parliamentary Scenes.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3356, 8 November 1889, Page 2

Parliamentary Scenes.

The Legislative Assembly held a continuous sitting at Brisbane last week from Thursday afternoon (ill Saturday night at eleven o'clock. The question was the vote for the railway loan, £1,000,000, which tho Opposition stonewalled, On Friday Sir Samuel Griffiths moved the adjournment of the Honso in order to call attention to a ruffianly outrage committed on a stranger in the previous night's sitting, which was a disgrace to the country and to Parliament, and was all the moro marked, by thq fact that the stranger was well known to be an enemy of the Government. A long debate followed, in' which the Government strongly denied any -knowledge of the matter, Sir K. Griffiths, in his concluding remarks, stated that no one who, during the debate, had watched the faces of the occupants of the Ministerial benches could have any doubt who were (he guilty parties. The outrage alluded to was that the stranger mentioned, a well known journalist, had been invited to the Parliamentary refreshment rooms by members of the House, and, while asleep on a chair, had his beard mutilated with a pair of ccissor3. A very strong feeling was shown over (he matter during the

debate, it boing generally admitted that the offender bad committed a blackgaurdly action, aud deserved to be expelled from the House During Friday night there were ono or two scones through members becoming heated. Mr Murphy alluded to Sir • Baumol Griffiths as "a cur driven into a comer, who, liko a cur, turned round and snapped at his pernors." Mr Bayers indignatly said that Mr ■*- Murphy was a bigger cur for saying so, and Mr Murphy retorted that Mr Bayers was well-known to be a man whom no deconc person would take any notico of. To-day (Monday) the stonewalling is being continued •.: and his expected to bo so all this week. ;; ,;','' : ' : ' .

Comfortable Travelnng^: :

Tho Wellington correspondent of a southern contemporary gives the following description of. the new .... carriages in course of.constriction'. ;,: at the Government Railway Works:', —A new type of railway carriage has been decided upon for long " through" journeys, and these will be put in hand at the various workshops. They have heeii'designed by Mr Kotherham, tho original idea being suggested by Mr Maxwell, and boing the outcome of his late visit to,. -- Europe and America, Tho first-class carriage is placed on an improved double bogie frame so as to ensure ease■ and. steadiness of running, particularly in rounding curves. In external appearance the vehicle' *2m resumbles tho ordinary typo, oxcopting for half its length on ono side, along winch an exterior balcony or corridor runs, protected on its outward side by a light iron lattice work, enabling pleasant exorcise (and a smoke) to bo enjoyed in fine weather, while the traiu is going at full speed. The remainder of tho floor space of this half of the carriago which is not occupied by the balcony is divided into three compartments, the end one, which is luxuriously , cushioned or padded, and provided with thick mats for the feet, is for private parties if previously engaged, It is cross-seated, like an ordinary cab, and will hold six persons com- , fortably, but the pre-payment of , four first-class fares will (as in Eng- , land) secure it for a whole journey for one, two, three or four persons. i The noxt compartment is a smoker, : and is also luxuriously fitted np. t Tho glass match-strikers are novel in i pattern, and very tastefully decorated, ,> , Tho third compartment, alongside jfe . the corridor, is a lavatory which f i contains abundant appliances for j ablutions, and has other acceptable C conveniences, while special veulilar tion (by means of an "ex- . hauster," which works with inD duced currents of air is provided, 1 so that there can bo no annoyance to e travellers. The end of the corridor B opens into tho othor half of the cars riage, which on one side is fitted ~ with the customary reversible double e cross scat on the American pattern, E but with polished wood arm in lieu of the ordinary iron ones, which are , apt to "strike cold." Along tho , opposite side of this half of the car,C riage a soft and woll padded coucli 0 runs longitudinally, instead of the t single reversible cross seats. Tho , ends and sides of the carriage aro e also padded, so that people who aro I. weary of sitting upright in the cross „ seets without rests for their heads , can change to this couch, and either j lie at full length or elso sit leaning • 1 back aud resting their hoads against {A c the padded wall. This will be found H r a great comfort in a long journey. „ Thick mats cover the whole exposed ~ part of the carriage floor, aud there 3 aro numerous mirrors on the ivalls, . while the customary parcel nets etc, , are furnished, also an tethestically ' , painted filter with drinking cup t situated in a recess. The carriage is C found to run with remarkable steadi- . ness at all speeds, and in short every- ; thing about it so comfortable that if J its passengers grumble thoy must be , regarded as very hard indeed to c pleaso. Provision has been made in , the two small compartments for , invalid beds, which can he arranged ' t in a very fow minutes by a trifling modification of tho seats, in caso such .' a convenience should bo required by , sick persons travelling. The second- , class carriages have a lavatory aud ( other conveniences hitherto resorved , for the more expensive class, and it ', runs just as smoothly as tho other, I Tho arrangements as to windows, &c, arc in both carriages greatly [ superior to tlose hitherto in use. A *• novel but simple device is employod ' which enables passengers to raise and t , lower the windows without jamming ] their fingers, as in the system hitherto adopted. The carriages aro painted Indian red, picked out with black , and yellow (liko the engines on tho English Midland liailway), tho effect being very good. New Zoalaud timber is used throughout, and Now Zealand material almost exclusively.

The English Premier.

Mr Blakely Hall throws sumo light on the kbits of the English Premier. Ik rises ut eight o'clock,and invariably takes a walk boforo breakfast. When at bis magnificent country estates he goes out in his park and very often reels oil' throe or four miles before taking bis codec. When in London it is his custom to have a sharp spin around the Green Park, or even in Hyde Park, before the day fairly begins, 11 is here that ho feels * the presence of the Scotland Yardw deteetivos most severely, for the™ Marquis is a rapid walker, and the spectacle of two beefy, red faced bobbies ploughing excitedly after him disturbs his equanimity aud lub quiet habit of thought. Mr Hall j makes the third detective. From " breakfast until one or two o'clock he is absolutely alone, and it is at these hours that he indulges in whatever meditation characterises his life. Nothing but a matter of the utmost stress can reach him before one o'clock, It is to be remembered, of course, that the system which he has introduced into the" Prime Minister's Office for the first time dees away with a large share of personal labor which men like Disraeli assumed. He has three personal secretaries, and their work is so thoroughly graded that only a very small proportion of the communications addressed to tbo Prime Minister are actually laid before him for consideration. Mr Hall has even . seen him at breakfast. The Marquis A is a very light cator. He at nine, and at least three hundred days in the year the meal only consists of a- rasher of bacon ajid a poached egg. U luncheon, and dinner he is apt to lako a glass of light red wine, but as often as not be goes without a drink of any kind. He has one hobby, and that is an intense aversion to smoking, Even his own sons never approach him, when pulling a cigarette or cigar, Unlike most public men, tbo Marquis is invisible even to his secretaries or' the morning, <j