HOW PARLIAMENT WORKS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 899, 19 August 1910, Page 5

HOW PARLIAMENT WORKS.

;: JUGGLING WITH THE ORDER, •A.,- ■■'-■. PAPER'. " ', Despite, the fact that practically none,' "of the real. business of the 'session has, yet been touched, the House of Represen- ' tatives" found itself . yesterday rn the, paradoxical; position of having'-.almost nothing to, do, and the wheels of the, legislative coach almost .ceased to go round. Most of the afternoon was drawn out with a.lot of unnecessary talk about, two . Then four : local Bills : passed their second readings in a few minutes; another one being referred back to a committee. It had previously been arranged that private business should be taken at 7.30, ! but at 4.30 all'.the local business had been/disposed of, and the acting-leader of the House (Mr. CarToll) was brought face to face with Gqy.and the fact that in the absence of the Prime Minister thero wa-s nothing: of importance, to go on with. Mr. Carroll proposed, that the River Boards Bill (in charge of Mr.' ■„ Buddo) should be taken; but members had not seen- the Bill, and. protested, against discussing a measure they knew nothing about. , After carefully scanning the order-paper,.Mr, Carroll then moved ..that three. Bills on top of the-, orderpaper be postponed to enable the .third reading of the' Phosphorus Matches Bill to; be - taken. This was':done, and the third reading was. agreed to without debate, j The. difficulty /was thus, almost as.great as ever.' It was, however, agreed to .skip" five more..Government j-.lls, :a'nd to,take the second reading of the Town Boards Bill, but not before an unsuccessful attempt had been made'to find Mr. Sidey, with his ; Public Health Amendment - Bill, 'and Mr. Massey. had made a suggestion that raise,d a. laugh at tho,Government's expense,v to . t 'e effect' that the postponed'. discussion on the -Writtg Cross petition should be resumed. Mr. Buddo gave a painfully-, short explanation of his Bill, and in about five minutes it /'ha'd ■ passed its second reading. Meantime Mr. Carroll had left the Chamber, and the * Hon. ," Roderick 'M'Kenzie had to come-to the rescue with his Stone Quarries Bill in -.Committee. In- five; minutes more , the : dinner hour mercifully intervened: '■'■■ Speaking at midnight when the Legislative Council, Reform Bill was. before the House, .Vix. Massev called attention' to the. amount of time that ; had obviously been .wasted, during the afternoon ' and. evening. In' view of that fact he asked whether 'at ,that', late hour it was really :-" intended to consider the serious proposals. '.which: were'contained in the measure before the,-Honse. ""he proceedings ; to- .• day," he added, "have been so. farcical : 'that I feel the .only -proper thing to do ■i would be to have' progress reported. The :•' Government can then. get ready for a, 'serious i sitting of the House to-inorrow." The Hon. J. Carroll said,that he was .. sorry that Mr. Massey had not been in--1 terested .in : the ; discussion which had taken' place on the- Public Health Bill, which had just been put through its ■seci ond reading. Continuing in. a facetious strain he'declared that, it'seemed to him that Mr. Massey had-no interest whatever. in. the -health of the community. ' daughter.)' . - Mr.- Massey:! hope that I shall have ;the right to reply to'these remarks.' :- Mr. ; Carroll: caused another .general smile by declaring that the evening had ; : been a. very interesting one. . ' :' ■ Mr.V Massey: ■To ' those who have: been '. watching the tactics • which, have been ■followed. .(Hear, hears.) .'Mr. Carroll: I am surprised that you . should —— J,: : -- . '■ The Chairman: You must address the \ Chair; / '~ ~'Mr. Carroll: concluded by stating that as he was certain that the whole .of the Bill, could not be dealt with' that night, in the circumstances-he would move to •.■report progress:on the.Bill, with the re.Bult .that the House..immediately ad,'journed. ,'. ~ \-;