POLITICAL NEWS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3761, 4 August 1883, Page 3

POLITICAL NEWS.

[BY TEI.TCC}ItA.rH.]

[raojr our own t correspondent.] Wellington, This day

Yesterday was devoted to a motion of the Colrmial Treasurer as to whether a .select committee should be appointed to enquire into the charges made against himself and the Premier by"Mr Dargaville. The latter made a wonderful speech in his own defence, and fairly .surprised the House and the Treasurer appeared thunder-struck. The latter was so taken aback with being taken to task that he wiu unprepared to reply. It seemed as if a bombshell had exploded in the House to see its leader backed by one who does not profess to be a. leader, and the lash unsparingly applied was a new revelation to lion, members. Many members have complained of the Treasury having bounced them and bullied

them in many respects, but no man has ever gone the length, at least for some years back, of playing the same game on the Treasurer. The House was struck to find a member having the courage of hi.s 02>inion who was not afraid to tackle where many had longed to try their hands but had not dared. Eventually the committee whs appointed, but no description I

can give can at all adequately express tho vigor with which cither Mr Dargavillo made his denunciation, or the intense excitement under which the House labored while tho discussion was going on. There was nearly a total absence of the outgoings and incomings of members, which always goes on during a debate. The

galleries were crowded in tho evening, and there was a sort of suppressed awe over the proceedings. Mr Joyce considered the dirty linen ought to be washed elsewhere, and" that if Mr Dargavillo published his speech—T understand that is going to be

lone—then tho Treasurer could take an .ction against him for libel. That last

night's debate was useless is self-evident, for there will be another and probably a more forcible debate when the report of tho select committee is brought up, and the whole of tho last debate will be given tie imvo. "Whether a select committee is the proper way of deciding such a matter or not is questionable. The leader of the Opposition, Mr Mont-

gomcry, as usual, put his foot in it. He took exception to the motion, as according to their Standing Orders tho words ought to have been taken down at the time. This was .simply ridiculous, but that gentleman is clever at making himself ridiculous. The words could not be complained of, but tho charges made or alleged in those words was where the shoe pinched, and which was complained of. Mr Dargaville was repeatedly urged to withdraw his statement, and say that ho did not impute corruption, but firmly declined to do .so. This has been tho sensation of the session, and when it is finally settled probably the end of the session will not be far off, though some usually well-informed individuals seem to think that, instead of tending to hurry the session to its close, it will have tho contrary effect of retarding that consummation. The

debate was not concluded till 1 o'clock this morning, so that the debate on flic question of the contract with the New Zealand Shipping Company had to be postponed. There will be a vigorous debate against this monoply, as the' two lines, the Albion and the New Zealand Shipping Company, have both many .supporters.