HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 211, 6 September 1899, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

,(By Telegraph—Parliamentary Reporter.)

BULLS BRIDGE AGAIN.

A WASTED AFTERNOON

WELLINGTON, this day.

In the House yesterday afternoon some time was wasted by Mr G. Hutchison (Patea) in an attempt to explain the provisions of his Biills Bridge Bill. The hon. member's interjections were painfully interspersed with personalities, for which he was repeatedly pulled up by the Speaker, but these rebukes had no effect on the hon. member, who resumed in the same strain with unaffected "sang iroid" until in one of his diversions Jie spoke in terms of contempt; of the Budget, whereupon the Speaker declared his inability to sfi»» any relevance to the Bulls Bridge. Patea was ambling along in the same old style when he again wandeied into forbidden ground, and this time received a sharp admonition from Sir Maurice. After half ari hour of this Mr Stevens (Manawatu) went back to the flood. He declared that Patea's sole object in asking leave to introduce his little Bill was to get in a garbled history of the Bulls bridge question, In fact it was a sham. "Now, let rae see the position." said Manawatu. "Why, before the flood " the remainder of the sentence was drowned in laughter.

The Minister of Works said he had failed to get any enlightenment on the subject of the Bulls Bridge Bill from the remarks of the two preceding speakers. Slightly altering the words of the immortal.he might have paid "I don't believe there's no such Bill," but nevertheless he devoted some time to demolishing the embryo bridge, and then ensued a somewhat iucohererit debate which, being of not the elaat interest to anyone outside the Eangitikei and Manawatu districts, T forbear to inflict it upon your readers. It may be stated, however, that the x>urpcn't, of Mr Hutchison's speech was an allegation that the Government had fcoajiroperl.y interfered with the unanimous wishes of the local bodies to have the bridge erected on the lower site, but this was rebutted by the Minister of Public Works.

After 2 hours were wasted leave was given to introduce the Bill. On the motion that it be read a first time Mr Stevens called for a division, which resulted in the Bill being thrown out by 25 to 22, which was a nasty jar for

Patea