PARLIAMENTARY NOTES. [TELEGRAPH.-SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1710, 21 June 1883, Page 2

PARLIA MENTARY NOTES. [TELEGRAPH.- SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

The Hamilton Bridge. Wellington, Laht Night. You will bo interested in know ing that (luring the debate on the Address-w-Reply, the fleeing of the Hamilton Blidge was brought up as a chaise of partiality by the powers that be in favour of the districts whose members support the Government. Major Atkinson, in reply, challenged the. accuser to state the natuie of the transaction, giving it as his opinion that he u as utterly ignoi.int ot the whole affair. The latter wisely 1 chained from accepting the challenge, and in further explanation Major Atkinson showed conclusively that the concession was a simple act of justice, which no Government could mfu&c.

Railway Management and Borough Endowments. Mi 1 Whyto has tabled the following questions:— (l) Whether it is the intention of the (JSo\ eminent at an early date, b\ commission or othciwi&e, to cnijniro into the management of thn Auckland ftailway gcneially, and more paiticulaily as ie»aids tlio carnage ot goods ; (2) \\ hether it is tlieir intention to intioduce a bill for the purpose of endowing with lands witlmi their boundaiies botough and town districts which have been incorporated since the passing of the act of 187S, wheieby all endowments, to boioughs were stopped.

The Address-in-Reply. Although not yet complete in all its paits, Patliament is getting rapidly constituted. Only a few members have yet to airive, and the Order Papers for the day ore getting lapidly filled up. The first real field day, or rather night, took place on Tues-dciy, when the Address in-liep]y came up for debate. So far as the galleries were concerned, it was a full House, and the spint of the thing was kept up witn considerable animation until about midnight There was soni'hi id hitting, although upon the wliole the oratoucal display was disappointing. Mr Montgomery's spjceh was, as> u-.u il, a hea\}, labouied i-iloi t, in m Ihjli lip growled at last year's Estim:.te->, tlic Eoads and Uiidges Consti notion Act, and the late pcuod in which the present House hid been called, in a most contused way. He did not seem to make a single point, md .so utteily worth!' Si wciemany ot his remains that it \v,is left foi his subordinates to expound tlieii ■ cnl meaning. Sir (i (irey's speech was even moie disappointing. The sub]e<t matter of his remarks wa& f.n t>o p.iltry and ln-agnilieant foi a statesman of hu (ieoigc (Jicy's pretensions, dealing with a subject of such wide liupoit a>, the public policy. The possibilities aic that, feeling, as lie must have done, that he was playing second fiddle to .\li .Mont gomeiy, lie had no great wish to make the Opposition movement a success, hence Ins manifiest lack of pith and pre cision. in this we see indications ot a renewal of that inheieut weakness whijh has man ed tin- Opposition dining tin last two or three yeais. Major Atkinson, in reply, made one. of his cliaiactei istic speeches. Jlc was in a bitteily saiuo^tic mood, wliieh he played olF at tunes with a iree and easy liumoui that told immensely amongst the onlooUeis in the i,'alleiies. Long bcfoic he had concluded it w. is felt that he had gone a great wav tow aid-, demolishing the piospects of a successful Opposition. Amongst the lesser lights Mc-i&is Fish and Bathg.tte pliyed rather conspicuous paits Tlie toiinei" was perhaps tlie best Opposition sjuecii of the evening, although that ot the latter was l>y fai the most atti active, so for as tlehveiy is (onct.ine<l. At midnight the debate was adjoin nod on the motion ot Mr tfeddon. Mr yiuiw, by whom the motion was put foiward, made l.itliei a neat speech, in which lie displayed i good deal ot sound aon->e and foicc of argument Although ([Uit'i a new member, he seemed tlie reputation of a passably pood speakei , a'ld no one could doubt tint lie will rank as a decided impiovement upon Mr Weston, his piedecessor.

Position of Parties. With lespect to the position of paities, nritteib ate much complicity^. The bom 1 of contention is tho East Coast L nul Settlements Bill. On this point Opposition members are divided, and ■iMiDiiggfc tho Government p.nty a similar •^.ite. of diversity exists. Even Governin nt itself is said not to be at one, so tint the piobable lesults are legaiddd with i dual of speculation. The opinion is tli.it tins in 'iisare is likely to exercise a nntcral inlluynee on the proceedings, i but whether foi good or evil remains to [ lie vx'ii If it tends to consolidate patties, and ot!ur.\i»e biiim about a little better ht.ite of cohesion, it will have wiouglit a much needed cure to a louy st Hiding coinplamt. If Major Atkinson's statement is to be relied upon, that the trovi'i'iiuunt has pot all its measure icady to bring down, we may look fonv.ud to .1 shoif". active session The opinion, however, is that the statement is not (jtiite reliable. We are so often deluded with promises of this kind at the beginning of a tegsion, that they have come to be regarded with suspicion.

Hours of Sitting, Mr Macandt'ow's motioU to alter the sitting hours 'per day fimn 11 .1 ni till ."> 'AO p.m., iitot with a gieat deal moir acceptance at the hands of the (iovcrnmont than wao anticipated. Dining the last two 01 three* serious tho sitting hours have been notorious, 4- and 5 o'clock .(•very morning beinsj the rule. Irrcgul.nitifs of this kind have done a vciy pi eat deal to demoialise the Legislatme. What were popularly known as "seimca" invaiiably occurred at untimely hour 1 ;, and if tlic&c cm be avoided in futme, both the health of inenibeis and the tone of tlie L»gisl.iture will be impioved. Meantime the question h.is been lefcirod to the Standing Orders Committee for •id \ ice.