FROM THE LADIES' GALLERY.
;.;>'_!''JBNIiY ;I WREN^;IN;<PARLIAMENT^^ : / - ■. Hard' indeed js ;the ;i of jPar;.'. \i ': llament no jyomler lurid glearis \" ; ; are to, bo, seen in their-- eyes at, tiuies'S^asv;.'.;';' though tha-. ; libit" of:"their•endurance has at ,0' last been reached;'- One- wouldrhardly be..cur-.-',;, prised any/day tp seo oho• or ■•i'";\ number -of "-;;.' them running."amok" when next the thermo-.', . meter, climbs ''its'-' heights,.: tho. heat,'. : the: yitiated'atmosphere,; and .the disputatious: being',' quite chough .to. account: for.'.'such wild pro- .'■ :i .'ceedings.v; Tho' marvel is that,.', there ; is still. ■. : f; so niUoh energy.left in any of 'them, consider- ;:.. >; mg theoircuiustances, thatithejvcnlr still rise v and hold forth' vehemently, about different J ;. matters of which, they ; disapprove.; The"pbl-, , ■'~■.■■ icy'' Of exhaustion". seems:. a"s though, it-has'■'.. .•',.'. stubbornsubjects,, to- deal with .this; session; ; ■''...' After this - week• it' ; is expected, that Patlia-.' : v"' meat;will', begin work in tho .mornings iav J- ;. stead" of'the atternoohs; land'probably, members ■;':.;. 'view. Christmas with 'something., of. tho; same:"'\ i.' feeling as. a' spent swimmer,' buffeting, through '.: tempestuous waves and adverse ourrents, scans'.. with'desperate, eyes tho distant;shore.-;v,r ■■/;';>,'': Days of Terror.'.'.,..-a,;;-' . v''';,.,^'';.;:.;:^,;';,.; '.'Oil'Monday, :wli'eu Parliament opened!-in ■tho,. ■■'■ -V,',"' afternoon,..tho : indignation': of: tho Government."..';;' leaseholders whs. sHll' being tho; debate on the Lands Committee' report'on ",';■;','.-; the Land Bill giving' them an ; opportunity of-"': ■:'■*■ whioh, they took'full advantage.', Tho air-was ' v'V : ' full ,\if ; ominous .'portents.; and' 1 presentment-."..: of extreme' measures' being', taken,-and.liovono'.-'' ;i; ! what; tho .next .moment might" bring... ; forth. Mr. Millar's speech seemed: to'.'httve ...'. created the. sensation of the. afternoon,' 5 but. -;v it -cannot be said ; that. it"; has thrown any. v. ;, light upon ;the darkness, which- shrouds ..the.'-.' : ::.:, ;: Government's real; convictions," ■ if they, can:-.:';-' be said to have any in which expediency'docs a,"' ' not play, a part: <:It nmst;bo-a>fearful worry, "\. to tho Prime Minister to havo a' 1 Cabinet I ', in ■: : > •'.'■• which individual member's" every -now; ''iind ".''.;; again give expression, to 'opinions, that are quite'' ':'.'■ <■• antagonistic to the policy' that ; : is ! announced'. 1 -' V. : One moment we'hear Mr.'Millarv condemning,'. ; :- the borrowing of ; further' money-'Mr v lands'for ;■'.■ ''•■'■:■■ settlement, and later on Sir Joseph'is moving V;, tho second- reading ,of tho: Lauds 'tor Settle.';'.:,''.' merit Bill, which'deals' with methods of:'bor-V ;: '' ' rtwirig more monc.vrHjrie'million-per; annum;' ' for: lands for.settlement." It seems-curious, to :' ; say. tho' least: . Mr.; Massey help 'a,:.-! v;;: ; sly dig. at tho Minister iu regard to this sihia-' : '-; >';;.-' tion. when' speaking Upon-'the: Bill,,:■>: Mr. : Millar Was. quick Ho "reply: l '"You-, aro -. speaking, of .a. past dcba'.e," .whioh is 'against 'Ji : 'i tho rulo of,tho House." .• .;:.:: . ~,, ';•;-,;
.On Tuesday, in,the beginning; of tlio nftor- ' noon, thero w'as a\ marvellous 6n'augc'.in tho atinosphcrt.of tho Chambei'i-atltir. tlio'stHfe of- :, the. preceding, days' the peace that : had; sifd-'":. (lenly ■.. descended. teemed ■■ i' Hushed,,\vei'e the;:raginjf lior.B of 'the 'lcaik ■ ;-. -' holders who .had. held forth so'.bitiiigh- Wthb--w■'■"', betrayal of the people, no loiiger was the Voice : : '. ( .".' of flerco denunciation mid of bitterscoreboard- '■''■■' lri.tho House,: One pould: only.marvel 'W-tlra:': :- Wonders at'the ; '' tonal,, caucus, andf : surut)sa darkly- as-'aoi'tho:'.,""-. ; fresh dangers auddeeii designs that .'onco : mbf*-. ? surrounded tho freeholders,'. Compromises-have :: been; for '.so long now. .the :ordor of» th'e-'day ■■■,:'vVthat' ont ! begins to have a deep 'arid violent:.: . hatred for .the very uauio—to givo a little
I—"rr; ,' ■' -- ->~^- hore,<,to tako back a little there, t to palliate, to shuffle out of pno thing a4d wriggle into another—the whole 1 thing is wearisome and contemptible Oneifeols lespect-for tdnntics after this.; ' 1 Seats-in Heavon. ' ,JTusl' when/ if seemed "as though'ajl trouble \<ii over for tho present, 'Mr. Masscy sprung ai-thtlnderbolt 1 u[lon the House shapo of an amondmerit to the Land9>for Settlemeit BiU that befctoned freehold rights at tho original lvalue, and said that he hoped to see Sir 1 Jouep|i, affer' the freehold proposals that had beon made by the Government, gladly and ftilL. itigly,3upport tho proposal Someipw Sir Joscpn did not look as though ho were filled with eagerness to do'so—nor did any of tho Government part}—if anything, consternation was n)oro the feeling they were experiencing Life y'as indeed full of vicissitudes—no 'sooner were 'they up in the world with a few points scored anil peiice rn their own camp, than they were suddenly prccibitated into the depths again with fresh anxieties to face. It was very awkward for the Government freeholders, for it meant either votfng, for-the amendment and against the' Government, or else throwing over the freeholders, and any excuse was seized that telped them out of the difficulty. Really the Government has had that sort of thing to do bo often that ft is now, second nature Mr. Massey said ho did not care whether the amendment was lost or won, but on every opportunity he was going to separate the sheep trom tho goats on the land question "and let the peoplo we who are tho real freeholders and who the sham ' Mr Hogg had something to 'say about tho Sroposal,' and began most impressively by welling' upon the v,rtues of the Opposition In slow and measured tones he declaimed upon • their uprightness,.the purity of their motives, their benevolence, which would entitle them to seats in Heaven, to all of which tho Opposition assented with hearty "Hear, hears,' while wondering what was going to follow It was fclmost embarrassing to hear their nobility announced so feelingly and so puhlicly, and they have long been unused to compliments On the Opposite side of the Houso were the 'rogues and vagabonds^'—expressions which had to bo withdrawn—hut he gloried in the shame of belonging to them. Then camo his dart. The Opposition, in their benevolence, were, asking the Government to do what thev thcnisevcs in a private capacity would not do Aftoi - having to withdraw of h's expressions, Mr Hogg sat down'happy in the belief that he had exposed the hypocrisy,, of the Opposition, and driven and shame into their hard and •inful hearts When the House met on Wednesday evening, Mr Massey asked the Prime Minister if tho session would end just beioro Christmas, and members listened eagerly for the answer. Sir , c Joseph answered that ho proposed to try and /f, finish,by the 23rd, and ended by sajing darkly \ that jt would depend cntirel) on tho Houso • Probably everjone will agrcoMnth Mr Massey \ when he said' that the would sooner do a little business and do it well than do a lot that would 'have to be amended It would seem, hovyever, as though the session w.il! end, as it i always does, in a perfect rush and. deluge of ' Bills"that haunt members for week*, after like a nightmare. ' Liko "Brer Fox." ' , Aftor that little mtcrludo members set to i?ork upon, the,jDeath Duties Bill, and much was said concerning tho i seventy of the estate and succession duties.- Whilo listoning to tho debate on tho Bill one became conscious of fooling a deep respect for minds, tint could grapple with such things Of all the involved, complicated, and lawyer-like problems that coula.be hunted up,to baffleithe ordinary mind it should surely hold first place Only about five or' sue members ventured to discuss it, the others looking on'withran air aloofness, satisfied that there were other shoulders other than their .own ready to take tho burden upon them One conclusion at least that seemed plain was that the State would reap enormously when the Bill'is .enacted,, and in regard to Eif to there will'be all sorts of evasions which will be most-difficult to trace. Prpbably instead of giving money when starting a son in the world, a father will, or at least could, give sheep and cattle, a house, or anything like that iAnd who is to. say what he has done with amounts ofi'money at differomV times as wel}?. The fate of the widow/.also gave a con siderablo ,amount of i concern to some members, and all sorts of improbable suppositions were brought into tho c,a<ie as to what might be the dispositions of the estate j raadfc by her husband in his will, and what her payable duties should be.
y •'''EVerybodyijhaSr ; beei;/keenlHto y- ; to:-the\tiine^whbnVithe\!rl!aT^ : V'W;brbught:id6wii; ;and/',as}istusua)ly,!'the}.way ■ '.with'', ; anything -particularly'ihterestingi-'it .did . '■'. eleven' y land-':'conti?iedV-'ngW,jM;/tiH,v.4bDnt/Bblf'past > '■:/ jbne, i ,whenthe ( ; House?adjournedy'AirThursday ::\?afterri6bn,-.arid''in';>the]eyebih y[adjournment l 'it- occupied-'the'i earnest,', attention '. .v6f;/tKß^'Houw^.'' / Mnoh''iwas', i said;'feg , , : .;. from other |'Coiintries';Were' made'subject-to the ■I ■-ratification' ■■ of y their'.. .Parliaments:' y. Another :yy matter''to • BeyTegfetted- was; that* Now,; Zealand ,'. .had, -not joined',in ,with";the Australian unit.: •'. yThen'■'the'question;,;of'docks -for:vtHeylhdomit-, '.'■';:• j r ;; Calliope: Dock-at; Auckland ~ and ■ the" ■■new'' Wei- ■.;'.■•. lington'.Dock •',being, discussed. I ',.';,Opportunities ;■".:'•; for.? disparaging-.eitner; Auckland 'or; Wellington ~?.. 'taken' Wright;-for'one;' '■;.. ih.;(resp6nse;«;td :;a\-.reniark; ; Jro'rt''ari;vAucklahd y member,;, asking'^ : dot ■yyr^thatjisV-.MtH.an^^^^ ■'.'.' •■; I,t. ,'reallyy s'eenjsi as^though.,;the, House' : will .'.'■•„:Beyer.'getiithe'lHo'spitels:.Bill-'off' their"minds,. y.for"a ..reiadstq.'the-effect;that the' y LggislatiT'e.vGpuhcil^.insists";on-the-amendments' .:' that^the' y. ; as; tb;oj^ :• contention ybetireep.; :.thoytwb'Jlbus'esjv'ahdif.has • ; already,; caused, consteirnatioii. in many, hearty.' '.'. t '■ '.'..SEast*night !j the;;-Estimates Xiverey being y.'disv' ";-Vcussediy and.:;,the; ;matter„'of 'railways:, occupied 'the '::'-'. opporpinityi'.of ."stating 'ai'long'array.l df'igriey-' r'.'.Bn^ >hcy,yriad '.pressed ■ for .information 'on : .various; .matters 'belongin'g \ -intere.sspglto\nbtice'' : ,te^ ; .'■. jcauses—impartially;■'.'andy joMcyiy.ylikeJlfr.'ißuchiihanjiv.pKilanthropier, ■■'■..• 6liy,':fof,ittß;;causeSof:Uhe;:children.,getting:to' . ■•■; their yingratiatingly,■ ?> : ' remembering :;pist good ;/works, '• as 'Mr.'. Gutfine ■ did;' or'.persuasiyely.iy'et'forcibly,'byyMr.yTay. y, loWvdr'intthe-^ ■-.':■'; larid;,pf method\belonging!';to:.'Mr. Poole;y , Mr; "' ; (ips'.ihquiries'.'thtit'icanie hefore'him;':;•/ y.-. y
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Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 687, 11 December 1909, Page 10
Word Count
1,481FROM THE LADIES' GALLERY. Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 687, 11 December 1909, Page 10
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