CONTEST FOR THE SPEAKERSHIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 148, 22 June 1894, Page 3

CONTEST FOR THE SPEAKERSHIP.

/ELECTION OF SIR MAURICE 7. O'RORKE.

• FROM THE GALLERY. } % ? «.LEOBAPH. -PARLIAMENTARY REi, , J.ORTER.) ';, 777.- ' Wellington, thia day. fig. proceedings ab the House, yesterday, 'iteflßh devoid oi the modesb pageantry „hloh characterised to day's function, were foil pf interesb to members and. to a section if Hie public, chiefly from the uncertainty *b_t was everywhere prevalent regarding ibe election of the Speakor. When at 2.30 lharp tbat well-known bell rang out the^ Insistent summons so familiar to. Parliapjntory ears, and the four Commissioners itheHo-s. H D. Miller, W. Montgomery, \yr_f. D. Baillie and Sir Patrick Buckley) look their seats in the Council on chairs placed on the dais usually occupied by_the ttoesker's gorgeous crimson chair, there were only aome twenty Councillors present, and in tbe galleries not a dozen spectators Jeflides the pressmen. As the Commis-jionersassun-ed their places, Mr Bothamley, (Jlstk' Assistant, who acted as black rod on tbe occasion, bowed sedately to them. The Hon. Mr Miller then announced that His Dxcelleocy the Governor bad been pleased to _*Mse a commission to be issued for the opening of the first session of the twelfth Parliament of New Zealand, and black rod was commanded to let the Commons know that .he Commissioners desired their immediate presence in the Upper Chamber to bear'the commission read. That functionary thereupon withdrew and conveyed jiia-njeasage as directed, and in a few moments the doors were flung open, and the Commons entered en masse. In bhe front .row were all well-known faces. Tbtre, in the centre, was the burly form of tbe Premier, with Mr Carroll by his tide, and the Minister of Lands behind bim. Ko less conspicuous was Mr E. M. -Smith jTsrsnaki's appointed one), and Mr Pirani, ihe member for Palmerston. Behind these moved a crowd of faces, some familiar, gibers' new, the new ones betraying in some cases a decided consciousness of the novelty of bheir position. The Hon. Mr Miller rose is soon as all the Commoners had entered, read the Commission, and afterwards directed the Clerk of the House (Mr Stowe) 'o read the letters patenb with due Bonorous .mpbaßis. Mr Stowe delivered himself, ''Victoria, by tbe grace of God, etc.," whereupon Mr Miller again rose, paper in baud, intimated that His "Excellency, Lord Glasgow, would bo pleased to attend in that chamber on the following day and declare .ha causes of calling Parliament together, tnd added that it being necessary thab a Speaker of the Commons should first be, chosen, directed the gentlemen sf the Lower Chamber to " repair to bhe place where yon are bo sib and there proceed to the appointment of some proper person as your Speaker." The crowd of Commons quickly dissolved, the few spectators in the galleries hastened from their loats,' and the members of the fourth estate, picking up their notes, followed their ex-) imple. . THE LOWER HOUSE. Everyone made for the Lower House, rhere the scene is a very different one to hat presented in the Council Chambers, ["he public gallery is packed, the Speaker's jallery is likewise full. In the ladies' [allery there are very lew seats vacanD..and he*, press gallery is crowded with busy irdsa men and Interested officials of the louse. Ddwn below there ia a constant mm of voices. AN ANXIOUS MOMENT. The two fig-urea which attract moat Mention are those of Sir George laurice O'Rorke and the Honourable V. J. Steward. They are both seated parb—Sir Maurice on the cross benches lear the bar of the House, and Major iteward also on the cross benches ab the cry back of all the rest of the members. Jobh are alone, and curiously enough both re seated in exactly the same attitude, me arm stretched along the back of the lench,-tho hand of. the other lingering omewhab nervously aboub bhe lips. There hey sit, while in full view of both ia tbe Speaker's empty chair, which ib is undertood both covet, for the rumour about rlajor Steward having retired from tbe ontesb, which obtained currency up to a aw momenta previous, has been declared baolutely without foundation. After a ittle, young Buick goes across to Major Iteward and enters into conversation with im, which must have been a relief to him. SWEARING IN THE MEMBERS. Meanwhile, the members in batches of ours aro faithfully swearing true allegiance o Her Majesty Queen Victoria. At least, II except Sir R. Stout, Mr Collins (the ew member for Christchurch), and Mr .arnshaw. These gentlemen simply make n affirmation. Sir Maurice and Major Iteward advance to take tbe oath among there, and curiously enough both are wirling their glasses in their hands in xactly the same fashion, tho swearing-in eremony having been completed a little fter three. lIR MAURICE O'RORKE PROPOSED AS SPEAKER. A very marked silence prevails for a joment or so; then the voice of the atri.rch of the House, Mr A. Saunders, is card speaking-. He ia proposing Sir laurice O'Rorke as Speaker. Ho explains be reasons that have induced him to take p the position of proposer, and refers to he appropriateness of his occupying it.ie then goe. on to speak of Sir Maurice, xplaining thab there would have been no ecessity for bim to commend that genblelan in any assembly of old members, ub as there are 33 new names on the nil, he deems it necessary to speak i favour of his friend, and very effectively c does speak, if somewhat lengthily. In a ozen admirably-chosen epithets be desribes the Speakers under whom he has had he honour to sib. The dignified Munro, he discursive Bell, bhe talkative Fitzerber.,- tbe controlling O'Rorke, and the idustrious, debating and law piopounding toward. A luw approving laugh reounds through the House, and Mr aunders continues his panegyric of the ualities' that made Sir Maurice'the superior f all who had occupied the chair. He urns to " Hansard" and reads copiouß xtracts of speeches made on a similar ocasion to the present, in which all show in ow high repute, as a Speaker, Sir Maurice tood. If anyone is curious to know the ivoUrable opinion entertained of Sir laurice's ability by Mr Seddon, Mr iolleston, Mr O'Connor, Mr Thompan, and many others, let him turn 3 those pages from which Mr Saunders noted, and he will find them ail there to heir opinions, which the member for elwyu hopes the House will regard as arrying weight. He adds many coralendatory phrases of his own, he describes hem as being all able to rule in a calm, -bile Sir Maurice could rule in a storm. ' Otber Speakers," he says with emphasis, ' could tell us what to do. He could make s do it." " Others strove to be impartial." Ie says again with increased emphasis, 'He was always as impartial as a machine." ?hen as a test of bhat impartiality he rentes how on one occasion he (Mr Saunders) aoved for a reduction of tbe Speaker's alary, when Sir Maurice'was Speaker, and hough that reduction was-carried, he had lever experienced any difference in the

treatment he received at tbe bands of Sir Maurice. All this, and much more, says tbe patriarch, and he is frequently interrupted by applause, which ie still more pronounced when he concludes poetically : "Oh. Willie, we have missed you, Ob. welcome, welcome, back." Mr Saunders' proposal is briefly seconded by Mr W. Kelly, and then MAJOR STEWARD IS PROPOSED The member for Sumner (Mr Hall-Jones) stands up, weighs the two aspirants in his righb hand, and in his lefb tips beam in favour of bhe Major, and ends by proposing bhab the latter be appointed Speaker. Mr Earnshaw promptly seconds this, and a brief lull succeeds. A FEW WORDS BY THE PREMIER. Then rises Mr Seddon and speaks judiciously of both the proposed Speakersvery judiciously—bub still, he is onmistakeably favourable to Sir Maurice, and as he makes abundantly clear, simply on the grounds of the acknowledged fitness of the latter to rnle the House in a manner equalled by none, his speech tells no doubt on more than one waverer. SIR MAURICE O'RORKE SPEAKS. Another pause to allow of any other member to speak in advocacy of Sir Maurice, then the subjecb of eulogy rises himself, his sonorous voice well-known to several there who have beard him speak with authority from thab chair now standing empty, fills the Chamber. Every word he says Ib distinct. He says it is tho sixth time be has occupied his presenb position, bub bn five former occasions he had not to experience either the pleasure or pain of a contested election. He does not mean, he explains, to deprecate contested elections, which put men on tbeir mettle, and he assures the House thab whatever the result of tbe presenb contest there will be no bitterness on his part. He then referred to his long service in the Speaker's chair, and in tbe position of Chairman of Committee. He submitted it was an honourable ambition on the parb of one who had been five times unanimously elected Speaker to desire the honour again, and he trusted they would not think it too ambitions in bim if he expressed a wish that be mighb nob be passed over on bhis occasion. Thab was the only reason of his intercepting his old friend Major Steward. In sonorous periods he spoke of the work he had done, backed by tbe moral support of Parliament, without which it was impossible for any man to adequately fill tbe position of Speaker, and emphasingeach sentence wibh a downward stroke of his forefinger, he spoke of that great reform of last session, the granting of the female franchise, and reminded a pleased House thab they were the chosen of the combined male and female electors of New Zealand. The example which that Parliament had set would radiate into every corner of the world, and the legislators in thab Parliamenb would look back with pride on the work tbey had accomplished. If honoured by the supporb of the hon. members he would return to tbe duties which five Parliaments has entrusted to him. With every desire to be conciliating and yet authoritative, he wouldrespect every person in that honourable House, and yeb would be no respector of persons, and he concluded by submitting his candidature to the House, amid cheers. He then resumed his seat, while Major Steward took ;up a similar theme. He was not .sonorous, ', but he was clear and fluent. WHAT MAJOR STEWART SAID. He spoke of an ideal Speakership, and of his efforts to fulfil the duties of his position. Should he never sit again hu felt he could leave the chair and put off the gown without having left a stain on either members (murmured acquiescent applause), and the Major continued to say that he would supporb the dignity of the chair if Sir Maurice were elected, just as he would expecb his oWn authority to be supported were he . himself honoured by bheir confidence. In connection with his own candidature, he wished to gay to House, and through the House to the country (here the Major raised his voice, slackened his speed, and glanced towards the press gallery), tbat he had never endeavoured to influence any one in his favotfr. A certain newspaper had reported thab he bad tried to secure the supporb of the honourable members, but every man could bear him out wben he said that he had done nothing of the kind. He assured the House that he did not even know ben minutes before Mr Hall-J ones proposed him whether he would have a proposer or nob. A number of bis friends bad asked bim to stand, and he considered tbat he would have been guilty of moral cowardice if he had refused. When he had ended, be was cheered aB his predecessor bad been cheered.