PLAYFUL AMENITIES.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9887, 18 November 1897, Page 5

PLAYFUL AMENITIES.

[BY TKIiEORAPH.]

(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)

WELLINGTON, November 17.

The House sat all night. It is still discussing the Estimates, and likely to be discu»_ing them for some time to come. The progress made is very slow. Last night nearly six hours were taken over the Department of Lands and Survey. For tho major portion of the sitting after midnight until the breakfast adjournment members showed but little interest in the proceedings, and frequently there was not a quorum present, while quite half of those in the Chamber were asleep or dozing, seemingly unconscious of their surroundings. The public were represented by some half-a-dozen persons untilnM daylight, when even these -*_t-eaer*fc-ecl -fcx_e scene, le_a.-vi.__2; tlie xx-eiacx-seir-si o£ *.__--_■ Press. gallery, *t_-0 J_Cc_-r-_s_--r-_; __*fc_v__T and. -_. T*_c_y cotrespondeii-, -who -_cm_L " seen t>l__j_ lit.tiiiisii." ii «i wiii of at galleries. .Ajs on the previous —11 niglxfe sittings, the supporters of the Governmenl* for the most part remained silent, and left the work to the Opposition and Independent Liberals. The Premier rejected all sng-gestior-a for adjournment, and _ef_fted to agree to reporting progress. At 5.10 a.m. on Wednesday an extraordinary speech was made by Mr Morrison, member for Caversham. God knew, h_ said, how much the National Association had been subsidised and bled, but he did not Suppose they could stand that bleeding process long. "You talk about principle," he said, looking fiercely across at the Opposi' tion benches, " There's not an ounce of principle amongst the lot of you. We are as stiff-necked as yon, and ire are going to see this thing through, let the consequences be what they may." He caused much laughter by referring to the Premier as the Leader of the Opposition. This was, of course, a slip, but laughter was renewed a little later by his reference to Mr Seddon as a dictator. He went on to refer to the alleged thousands of pounds spent by the Opposition and "the lies' they told." Mr Pirani followed, but was so frequently interrnpted by Mr Wilson, member for Wellington suburbs, that he laughingly declared his intention of " making a holy show" of that gentleman. Mr McKenzie rose to a point of order, and wished to know if this was strictly Parlia--mentary. The Chairman said it was. (Much laughter.) Mr Wilson, rather angrily—* " Oh, never mind him, it's only the squeak of a rat, sir." This remark, thus made by a Government man, brought the Premier to his feet. He said " The hon. member"! words were only the squeak of a rat, sir. I don't want our proceedings brought down to that level, sir, as I think the words are most objectionable." The Chairman agreed, and asked the name of the hon. member who had used the words. Several members replied, " Tha hon. member for j Wellington Suburbs." The Chairman asked I Mr Wilson to withdraw. Mr Wilson said "No; the hon. member has threatened mc previously on two or three occasions, and I have had great provocation, sir." Loud cries of " Withdraw, withdraw." Mr Taylor next rose to ask whether the words had been withdrawn. Mr Wilson then agreed to withdraw the words, and Mr Pirani, resuming, said the Premier alone of all people should be the last to call attention to the words, for it was only the other night he had called him (Mr Pirani) a ferret. Mr Pirani was at the time" [ discussing the vote for police inspectors, and he now stated that there would never ' be any chance of Mr Wilson becoming ;$t I Police Inspector. Mr Wilson—-"No, I'll leave the detective business to you. _*___- ! cut out for it." Mr Pirani—"When the hon. gentleman has done with his gentlemanly interruptions I'll proceed. He has told tho House bis remarks Were only meant in a ' Pickwickian flense/" "Well, upon my word," lie added, " if ever there was a Pickwick in this House we have got him in the hon. gentleman, with the exception, sir, of the good. , humour." With this final sally a rather j regretable incident ended. ' Shortly afterwards there was a division on reporting progress. Someone in the "No" lobby began to sing "SweetchimI ing bells of long ago," and the tune being i taken up by others, there was quite a chorus as members trooped in through the lobby door to record their votes. The House, after sitting aU night and making little or no progress on the Police Estimates, adjourned for breakfast at 8 a.n»., and at nine the j-ded members who had been up all night, and some fresh ones whd had just got out of their beds,, trooped back into the Chamber. At 11.20 the House was considering the vote for long service medals, and Mr Wason* who seemed pretty wide awake, ingeniously raised a discussion on the advisability of getting medals mrAe of aluminium. This gave Mr Herries, who is one of the cleverest, if not the cleverest, stonewaller in tbe House, an innings, and he made good use of his time. Mr Buchanan followed, but was a good deal interrupted by interjections from Government supporters, and eventually by the Chairman, who said he did not quite see the con-' nection of his remarks witb the question before the House. Capt. Russell, however, assured the House that his hon. friend was' logical in the extreme, though he was a long time in coming to the point. (Great laughter.) At this stage there wa» a chorus of points of order. Mr Buchanan, however, stuck to his guns, and with mock seriousness charged the Premier (who by tbe way had been chatting amicably with members on the Opgotitien beaches) with coming over to .ii

| effair and glaring at him in an intimidating ananner. (Laughter.) The aluminium question being still unsettled, we had some more about medals. The Premier had moved that tlie item be struck out altogether, so Mr Herries said he could not help looking with pain at the Premier'a proposal to deprive old soldiers and policemen of their long service medals. "When these men learned that hard hearted and flinty minded members had agreed to discontinue these medals they would rise in rebellion. He wanted information as to •whether the medals were made in Germany or elsewhere or whether they were merelyleather medals. Then we had Captain Russell on medals. He could not understand the proposal to abolish the long service medals. He could not believe that the principle of giving these tokens to men who had received scars in serving for their country's good was to be departed from. He went on to deliver a brief nistory of the origin of medals, starting from the first collector of medals, Petrarch, whose collection was now unfortunately broken up. (Laughter.) Medals, it appeared, were originally used as coins, but now those deserving policemen were to be deprived of their medals. How the people of the ancient world used to wear their medals, when they had got them, he could not quite see, seeing that those individuals usually did not wear clothes. (Laughter.) The "Speaker's bell ruthlessly cut snort whut promised to be an interesting discourse. His little bit of comedy was a welcome relief. The debate meandered on drearily, and at 4.50 p.m. little or no progress had been made.

At twelve minute-* past five p.m. Mr Smith moved to report progress as they had been there since half-past two yesterday. Wr Seddon agreed to this and the usual dinner adjournment was taken.

The motto of the Opposition continued to be "No surrender." At 2 p.m. to-day thirteen of the party, including Mr Rolleston and Mr Massey (the senior whips), who had both done noble service, went home to bed, leaving Captain Russell on the bridee and Mr Lewis at the helm for the starboard watch. At 10.30 p.m., if necessary, the present Captain and his crew will go to bed and the other watch will come on deck again.