POLITICAL NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3133, 13 August 1892, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

(BY TRLKRRAFH—•3FBOIAL COttKKSPON'mSST. Wellington, Last Nitrht. PARLIAMENTARY AM UNITIES. The House this afternoon was in a decidedly angry mood, and for this Ministers were undoubtedly responsible. In the first place the Premier was absent through temporary illness and the acting-leader of the Government (Mr YV. P. Reeves), a gentleman whom not even his best, frienrts allege possp.sses a particularly amiable disposition managed by his replies to opposition members to provoke an acrimonious debate on the moticn for the adjournment of the House. Mr Geo. Hutchison had asked a question respecting a return showing how many men are employed by the Labour Rureau in certain electoral districts and Mr Reeves replied by stating that he should give the answer when the motion came on for discussion, Mr Hutchison asked "What motion," to which the Minister for Labour answered that the present was not the proper time tu reply to the question. Later on in the afternoon Mr Hutchison moved a motion standing in his name respecting the Government Loans to the Local Bodies Act, and the only reply he got from the Government Benches was from Mr Reeves who stated that when the Premier was present, ho might, if he chose, aeree to furnish the return asked for. This reply induced Mr Hutchison to move the adjournment of the House, and ho protested in strong terms against the conduct of the Government all through the session in refusing to furnish the most reasonable information to members of the House. Mr Rolleston also said the House should I not proceed with any more business until Ministers informed it as to what course they proposed to pursue with respoct to the advice tendered to the Governor in the question of the Legislative Council appointments, and he regarded it as quite unconstitutional, and improper that Ministers should sit on those benches after their advice had been rejected by His Excellency, and he expressed his intention of taking some decided stand on this

question unless the Government guve the Houße some information on the subject by Thursday next. Daring an animated discussion that followed Mr Fergus referred tn Mr Duncan as being one of the most servile followers of the Government, which expression induced the Minister for Lands to move that these words be taken down. The Speaker asked Mr Fergus to withdraw the words, which he did at once, but Mr McKenzia said he would not be satisfied with their withdrawal, and ha piv.ssed his motion. The Sneaker said Mr Fergus had withdrawn the words, but if the House generally wished it, he should order the words to be taken down. By this time the usual points of order had cropped up in several directions, and the Speaker had to rule that two members could not be, on their feet , at the stuno time. The House, however, eventually did not desire Mr Fergus' words to be tiken down, and the Speaker ruled to thnt effect, which drew from the Minister of Lands the audible remark that the Speaker rul<"d " one way to-day and another way tn-morrftw," Mr Fergus then stited ho did not desire to be offan sive to Mr Duncan, and continued his remarks. The debate wont on till nearly the 5 o'clock adjournment, several members bitterly complaining that they had never known a Government that refused to give necessary information to the House like the present Ministry, and alleging that Ministers were solely responsible for the waste of time that occurred in the House by their refusal to put members in possession of information which they had undoubtedly a right, as the representatives of (ho people, to receive. THE SPEAKER'S RULING. The Minister for Lanis intends bringing the ruling of the Speaker during the wrangling this afternoon before the House, and with this object he intends moviDg on Tuesday : " That the ruling of the Speaker on the motion of the member for Waitaki (Mr John MoKenzie) that certain words used by the member for Wakatipu be taken down is incorrect, inasmuch as Mr Speaker erroneously ruled that it was necessary for the House to express a general desire that the words should be taken down, and that a single negative would prevent the words objected to being taken down." When Mr McKenzie read the motion to the House this afternoon, the Speaker said he had never ruled in the way set forth in the Minister for Land's motion, and his statement was confirmed by loud cries of "Hear, hear," from the Opposition benches.