Parliamentary Stonewalling.

Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 23, 27 July 1888, Page 3

Parliamentary Stonewalling.

AN ALL-NIGHT SITTING. Since the now historical stonewalling of ' the Representation Bill in 1831, no measure has met with so much faotioua opposition in our Parliament an is being offered to Mr. ; Pyke's Otago Central Railway Bill. The measure was vigorously stonewalled when it was first committed about a fortnight ago, and its opponents fondly hoped that they had defeated it. Bnt the , measure of the hon. member for Dnnstan waa merely " aootohed, not killed," and . another opportunity occurred for its oom- , mittal yesterday, the last private membera' day of the session. Still the opponents of the Bill, some half-dozen Otago and Auckland lUMinbers, registered a solemn vow yesterday . ;.thot the Bill should not be allowed to pro•greas« #nd as aoon as the Houso went into . .oonnriitoe the stonewall waa commenced by - ;Sir George Grey. Messrs. Fish and J. . 'JffioKenzie continned tho warfare, and Mr. tGoldio took the floor sorao minutes after 10 io'olook. The latter gentleman continued to , «poak until the supper adjournment, enter- ' Sng into elaborate oalonlationa as to the - «ap«bilitiea of the land which it was pro- ' pased to grant 131 3 the railway syndicate — as lor example the number of inhabitants it ] would fispport if planted in oats, maize, and other oereate, or even with tho bread-fruit ] ,tree. Strangers were cleared out of the .galleries shortly xikev 11 o'olook and not re- ] Admitted until 9 a.«. to-day. Mr. Goldie fheld possession of the floor uutil about 2 ta.m., when he was relieved by Mr. B Thompson, who spoke for 4 honrs and 47 minute*. Sir George Grey then took another ( lhand, and continued speaking for an hour. > Mr. Dubcm, who came next, took up his ] •parable shortly before 8 o'clock, and prolonged his remarks until 11 o'clock (an adjownment for breakfast being made in , the meantime). Finally he wound up his f remarks by stating that he had yet ( a great deal to say, and would resume his address when he hod refreshed himself with water. Mr. Fish was the next speaker, a motion that progreas be reported still being before the Honso. Attempts to "count-out" were numeroua. The Chair- , man of Committees woa relieved during the | -night by Measra. O'Callaghan and W, J. J Steward, the latter taking the chair from ' <5 a.m. tor the rest of the morning. Mr. * 'Friend. Clerk of Committees, was relieved of : lis duties during the night by Messrs. ! Euthorford, Otterson, and the Clerk of Par- [ liaroentß $ and Messrs. Barton and Hutohi- ' «on assisted Mr, Pyke in taking charge of . ihe Bill. The Chairman of Committees ' resumed control at noon. Mr. Fish oon•tinued to speak until 1 o'clock, when the Hotua adjourned for dinner, to resume at 2.30 pun. The atonowallera show no dis- 1 position to give way, and all efforts to ' oompromisa between the supporters and opponents of tha Bill have been without ¦ avail. There seems now to be a very Btrong ' probability that unless the Government interpose, whioh it is not considered likely that they will do, as that would entail taking the responsibility for killing the Bill, the ' debate will be carried on all to-night, with tho possibility of continuing to midnight to-morrow, when the Honse must adjourn, Jtanday being a dies ncn. THIS AFTERNOON'S PROCEEDINGS. jjy Tanner resumed the debate at 2.30, and dei" >rMa^ e^ waste of time on a matter in which no «nnoiplewas really involved -the urinoiDle ot lftn o grantß having already been affl?modinthe 0«e of the Midland Railway. H««™4tt»l ft majority of the House sere"n favour of' «» Bill, the Toto should ' M^M'Sie said- » «« «P that Mr. Pyke had been >bbying in favour of his Bill since the oomm^' <IDOen if nt f the session, and had received a n nmperot promises of support. He asked that those gentlemen should be relieved of thi'V? 11 Ie I c V e J in order that the matter might be se. ®* a at once. Mr. Pyke challenged the House to Oi.'* 11 ' 0 to a vote at once, and said he would be pr>. v pared to accept the decision, whatever it wan. ' ", ,-v < Mr. Seddon suggested that an adjourn- , ment should he made in order to give an ] opportunity for arriving at a compromise. The Premier approved of the suggestion, ] and on his motion tho Chairman left the j ohair at 2.45 to resume at 3.30. .

It ia deairable that publio attention should be directed to section 12 of the Customs and Excise Duties Aot, whioh runs as follows:— If, within forty days from the passing of this Aot, the owner of any grain-mill, or mill for the manufacture of textile fabrics shall give notice to the collector that - suoh mill was in course of erection prior to the thirtieth day of May last, and give satisfactory proof to him of that fact, and also deliver to the colleotor a list specifying the machinery, including engines, requisito for the ooraplete equipment of such mill, then, on the arrival of such machinery in the colony within six months after the passing of this Aot, it shall be lawful for the Governor to order that it shall be admitted to entry free of duties of Customs, other than the primage duty, in co far as such maohinery agrees with the list delivered to the colleotor as before Btated. The following new patents have been ¦applied for:— William Blee, of Brisbane, waiter, and Edward Wells, of the same place, waiter, for an improved oheok-till; Henry Dutton Melhuish, of New Sonth Wales, prodnce merqhant, for an improved doubleacting horizontal bundle-press, and for an improved bag-filler, to be used as an attachment to chaff-cutting and other machines ; John Langford Crumpo, of Auokland, gentleman, for lattice stays and surgioai supports, Ac, to be called "The Patent Lattioean Stay"; Arthur Gyon Purchas, of Auokland, surgeon, and John Edward Friend, of the same place engineer, for improvements jn hydro-carbon motors ; Bobert Bole Morrow, of Auokland, Captain, late Imperial Army, for an adjustable doorhinge, to be called "The Union Door-hinge," and for a wire olothes-peg, to be oalled " The - Preaident Clothes-peg " ; James _MiO&esney, of Mufam, builder, and Arthur Thomas Warner Cobham, of the sarao place, cabinetmaker, for an improved sash-balance ; Henry Jarrat Gilberd, of Hawke'a Bay, nurseryman, for an improved maohino for sinking artesian wella and for driving piles ; Leonard Pozii, of Christohuroh, gunsmith, for improvements on Plimnton'sroller skates, to be termed " Pozssi's Climax." The polo match whioh was played at the Columbia Hink last evening between the Wellington representative team and a team of all-comers resulted, after a hot game, in ihedefcatof the "reps." by2go&lstonil. L. captained the viotora, and F. M. Leokie was the skipper of the "reps." During the •evening an exhibition of some clever and .novel feats upon skates waa given by Processor Wyman, who was assisted by a small •jink attendant who has been dubbed " Our tGinger." To-night the Professor and "Ginger" will repeat the performance. The annual meeting of tho Te Aro Rifle Volunteers was held last evening at the Mount Cook Barracks. Captain Marshall in tha ohair. Lieut. Gray and 28 memw n were present. The iwoounts of the corps Binoa *^* formation wero submitted, and a committee' **• appointed .to audit them. Committee. ."«• .¦«> S.P?L Nt 1 d .x to^F fl ran » c for a football n?*tob. with the City Rifles, a Ihootin? match w*h the Wellington Eifle«, and for oarrying out tie K»«g«neiita in oonneotion with the annual balJ.. After the routine buainesa had been transacted, Captain Marshall tendered hia resignation, explaining that he regretted the step, which, however, waa necessitated by oiroumatanoea. On the motion of Sergeant Atkinson, Captain Marshall was eleoted a life member of the oorps. After the meeting was over those present, at the invitation of Lieutenant Gray (in the abßence of Lieutenant Bullock, absent on business) adjourned to the Panama Hotel, where leveral friendly toasts, connected with Captain Marshall's resignation, were duly honoured and an hour wa« spent in conviviality. Messrs. Hasell and Cp announce by ad' Tortieement that their premises will be dosed to-morrow evening, also on Mondaj and Tuesday next, for the purpose of Btook - iaking, preparatory to a ohango in the 6rm