PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 138, 11 June 1909, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Beporter.i WELLINGTON, Thursday. THE SPEECH FROM THE THRONE. When the less formal and more interesting proceedings in connection with the opening of Parliament took place at 3.30 this afternoon, the public -was not favoured. Accommodation in the new building, and especially in the Legislative Council Chamber, where the ceremony took place, is so restricted that only a small number of members of both Houses, and a select gathering of officials and their wives, were enabled Ito view the proceedings, and there was therefore a lack of that pomp and cir- . cumstance that has on most previous occasions been an interesting concomitant of the opening of Parliament. Lady Plunket was present with the Governor, accompanied by his A.D.C. and private secretary. The commander of H.M.s. Challenger and the flag officers were also present, and were escorted to Parliament Buildings by a detachment of the Heretaunga Mounted Rifles, and the salute was fired by a detachment of the Permanent Artillery. Proceedings in the Chamber did not last for more than a few minutes. ET THE HOUSE. There was little enough of incident in the House this afternoon. Little more than customary routine business was transacted, and as Mr. T. E. Taylor was not present, there were no fireworks. Some of the new members showed up very new. Thus, when Mr. Speaker asked, "Are there any questions?" Mr. Wright, of Wellington South, proceeded to give notice of motion, and was suavely called to order with the assurance that he would get his chance later on. Mr. Torn Seddon had the honour of being the first to catch the Speaker's eye when the question "Are there any petitions?' , was asked, and the first notice of motion was set down in the name of the Prime Minister. A fair numlbeir of notices of questions and ! motions was given, although, of course, in view of the short session, the number was smaller than it had otherwise been. ALAS, POOR PRECEDENT. Precedent is in a bad way just now, the old lady is being treated with scant respect. An informal session of Parliament before the proper one was the first affront offered her, then Parliament meets at 11.30 ajn. instead of 2.30 p.m.; the Governor's Speech, usually taken the day after the opening of a new Parliament, is taken the same day as Parliament opens, and at 3.30 p.m., instead of 2.30 p.m.; and on top of all that Parliament is actually going to sit in the mornings at the beginning of the session. If this sort of thing ,is to be allowed, very soon we shall not know where we are. The trouble about flouting precedent is that it creates more precedent. TO EXPEDITE BUSINESS. The Prime Minister, with a view to expediting the dispatch of business, has given notice to move to suspend standing orders 72 and 73. This will enable Government business to tike precedence on Wednesdays and Thursdays: in other words, there will be no private members' days this session. GOVERNMENT WHIP. It is understood that in view of the fact that the session will only last a few days a junior Government whip will not be appointed, and that Mr. Geo. Laurenson will for this session carry on the duties alone. AN ELOQUENT NATIVE. Members of the native race are naturally eloquent, and Tβ Rangihiroa, member for the Northern Maori District, better known as Dr. Buck, late of the Native Health Department, is no exception to the rule. When speeches in praise of the late Hone Heke were being delivered in the House thi3 afternoon, Te Rangihiroa delivered a speech full of feeling and eloquence, which rose at times to t!he level of real oratory. "There have been differences between your race and our race," he exclaimed, "but moments of death and sympathy bring Hβ together. The canoe of death is with us all through life," concluded Dr. Buck. "It goes to the various villages; it came to Wellington, the soul of Hone Heke embarked on it for that great bourne from which no traveller returns. Let him rest in .peace." Though on such occasions applause is not usually deemed appropriate, Dr. Buck's genuine eloquence so worked upon members that at the conclusion he received a round of applause. Afterwards, in the lobbies, there was considerable laudatory comment upon his oratorical ability. WHAT DID HE SAY? In the course of his speech at the informal session of Parliament on Monday, the Prime Minister, in support of the contention that it is urgently necessary to discuss ways and means of maintaining the maritime supremacy of the Empire, quoted a letter from Lord Charles Beresford to a Navy League meeting, dated April 20, in which he wished the League success in rousing the country to a sense of its grave danger. If the country knew the whole truth, he declared, there would be a panic. This quotation has raised a mild controversy as to what the famous Admiral really did say. The Opposition mouthpiece in this city, following one of its fond methods, seeks to discredit the quotation, and to that end publishes a statement culled from the BritiEh Press to the effect that: "Lord Charles Beresford was asked yesterday to receive a representative of the London News Agency in reference to this report, but he refused to do so. His secretary however, took to him a newspaper cutting containing what had been read as an extract from his letter. Through his secretary, Lord Charles authorised the agency to deny that he made such a statement, or wrote a letter far publication to that effect." However, this by no means terminates the controversy. This morning the " N.Z- Times " says: "Regarding the published denial by Lord Charles Beresford of the statement attributed to him with respect to the state of thn British Navy, that if the truth were known there would be a panic, 'Lloyd's Weekly,' of April 25th says: 'Our Bournemouth correspondent states that he has seen the letter in question. It is a typewritten document, dated from the King Edward VII., and signed by Lord Charles Beresford. On the face of it, it seems that fighting Charlie did say something of the kind.'" THE POINT OF VIEW. Since he has become a Minister, the Hon. A.. W. Hogg, Minister for Roads and Bridges, has become convinced that a sane borrowing policy is necessary. "It is not very long ago," he told a reporter yesterday, " that I was as much against borrowing ."'•s anyone; I thought that we were adding to the country's debt at an imprudent rate. To-day I hold quite another opinion. Thfl money that is being jagenfr-oB jpublie works ia iyllg gegroduo-

tive, but more money is urgently needed to develop the country roads and bridges, and in a less degree for railways, which must keep pace with the development. 1 say -unhesitatingly that the sooner more money is expended in the direction I have indicated, the sooner will the Dominion be placed on a sound footing.

WHAT'S THE USE? The session will only last for a few days, but some members are intent on making a pretence. For instance, Mr. Herdman has a Public Service Bill, designed to effect the old idea of the Opposition to bring the civil service under the control of a Board, while Mr. Fisher is getting ahead of the Labour members with a Sunday Labour Bill, which is so designed to do away altogether automatically with work on the Sabbath dayMr. Sidey has designs on time. He wants to make people get up earlier in the morning in the days when the sun rises early, and go to bed later in the days when the cows wake up late, but no one takes these propositions seriously. The days of the session are to be devoted to Sir Joseph 'and the Dreadnought, and if anything gets in the road it will be shelved. The present Impression is that whatever happens, and whatever questions are asked, the Government intends that Sir Joseph Ward shall start for Home on Friday next.