IN THE GALLERY.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3770, 15 August 1883, Page 4

IN THE GALLERY.

Changes are wholesome, least so it is said, in that broad way Avhich makes that you can take a proverb and prove the converso. Acting ou this principle I abandoned my usual seat abovo Mr Speaker in the Houso of Representatives, and on Friday transferred my pencil to the abode of tho members Avho are supposed to represent wealth in the colony. That the business Avas more than of tho usual humdrum order Avhich goes on there avus evident from the number of members of the other House present, from thero being half-a-dozen ladies in the gallery, ancl cpiite a little crowd of spectators, all apparently taking a strong interest in the proceedings. The Council possesses a feAV men of ability, and avlio aro very capable speakers. The Premier is a gentleman for Avhom I entertain a groat respect. Having neither a commanding presence, nor many of the gifts AA'hich go to make an orator, one can always listen to his speeches with pleasure. Perhaps Avhat captivates ono most is his logical mode of arguing Avithout eloquence, almost inclined to jerkiuess. Hois a fluent speaker, avlio sticks avcll to his point, never misses his mark, and hits the nail on the head Avith a precision Avhich one of his colleagues Avhen employed in another capacity from that of a legislator I venture to think could not surpass. But I Avas not destined to hear the Premier. Mr Pharazyn Avas the hero of tho day. He moved that the honorarium to members of the Council should expire Avith the present Parliament. The speaker Avas an old man, bent nearly double, with a cough Avhich appropriately enough came in Avhere tho " hear, hears," should have, and so stilled some of tho expressions of dissent Avhich Avere very frequent. Mr Pharazyn began by saying, Avhen ho brought tho motion fonvard in the previous avc ok, he asked some member to second it pro forma, but ho did not expect tlie member doing so Avould grossly insult him. The Speaker objected" to such a reference to a previous debate. Mr Pharazyn continuing said nominated members of the Chamber should not receive any honorarium, ancl ho Avas borne out in that opinion by the strongly expressed opinions of tho Press. Mr Robinson objected to tho member reading from a paper. Mr Pharazyn thought it Avas " just as Avell avc should see ourselves as others sco us," and then continued reading. A point of order avus raised as to Avhether he had read the article, but ho said he avus determined to proceed, and continued to quote from tlic Noav Zealand Herald of 23th July. Mr Brandon Avantcd to knoAV "If it is an anonymous publication r" Mr Pharazyn, "it is a leading article." Colonel B r rett, "By Avhom r" MrMantell, "The division avus Avhether tho question should be put." Mr Pharazyn, reading on, " his wife Avas left at homo in AvidoAvhood" —"hear, hear" from Colonel Brett, to Avhom the passage applied. The Speaker hoped thero Avould be no more interruptions. Mr Pharazyn said his motion avus materially different to Avhat ho brought fonvard before, though ho Avas in favour of doing away Avith the honorarium to both Houses. There Avould bo clashing if the tAvo Chambers Avorc both elective, aud then lie got on to Avhat is known as the Norwegian system. One man wont home and said, " Here arc all my saA'ings, see Avhat a good boy I havo been, Avhilo another man Avent homo to get a curtain lecture, having spent all his honorarium. No doubt all these things occurred iv domestic circles"— dissension and cries of shame. Tho property tax Avas paid by the labouring man. lie had four propositions to make to the House—Sir G. AVhitmore, "Is he about to move an amendment to his oavii motionr" Tho Speaker, "Tho speaker must not read any speech." Mr Pharazyn, " AVould it not bo possible for the honorarium to cease at tho expiration of the present Parliament." MiRobinson, "AVould you read it again." The notes Avere handed by Mr Pharazyn to Mr Robinson. Tho former then continued his speech. South Australia did not pay its members, and Avhy should avo. Men rush to bo able to get the letters J.P. after their name, for Avhich they Avere not paid. Sco tho distriction there avus in that, an honourable- position of Avhich any man might be proud. Mr AVilsou {sotto voce), " And lioav about being struck off tho roll.'' Mr Pharazyn, " the opinion of this Council is against its being an elective Chamber." He concluded by Imping he had made himself intelligible, to Avhich there avci-o responses in tlic shape of audible noes. The motion avis .seconded pro forma hy Mr Campbell. Sir G. AVhitmore, who, in the opinion of a scribe, has never yet given a silent vote, Avho speaks twice as often and tAvico as much as any member of tlic Council, then rose and denounced the motion and tho mover vigorously. Ho admitted reform of the Council avus necessary. A groat mistake made in regard to the members outside avus that they Avero supposed to represent Avcalth. Ho thought what they Avoro there for avus for the purpose of taking a dispassionate vioAV of the legislation taken in another place, and to prevent hurried legislation there. If the Chamber avus electiA'o the payment AA'Oiikl have to bo made Dr. Grace, avlio folloAvcd, is ono of those mon avlio ought never to have been a member. A Vith little or no speaking ability, ho is a pure visionary Avith a deal of bombast iv his nature. His vioAvs aro not those of other men ; they arc simply tho dreams of youth, or us another member has described him, "Dr. Grace's grand schemes ahvays reminded him of his boyish days ; his lofty ambition aud highest aspirations wore ahvays present Avith him Avhen he had no money in his pocket to support them. Dr Grace may knoAV Avhat he means himself Avhen ho speaks—l am quite content to say I clo not. He avus in his usual melodramatic stylo, and assured tho Council that ho never considered tho question of honorarium an essential one, and in some senses it Avas outside the scope of the Council to deal Avith it at all. All members of tho Council, " owing to tho different incidence of locality," Avero not entitled to tho samo honorarium, and ho doubled Avhether members should recciveso high a honorarium as members of the House of representatives. Mr Robinson thought they had Ivtter consider the constitution of the Council first, as Mr Pharazyn had said they Avero tho representatives of Avcalth. Tho other branch of the Legislature Avas elected by universal suffrage ; the Government avctc tho representatives of tho voices of tho pcoplo aud the members of tins House being placed hero by the Government were indirectly elected by tho people. How Avas the honorable member's name on the electoral 101 lr" For acts of corruption he could bo struck off, and aa-us liable to imprisonment, lie (lid not knoAV lioav far back he could quoto precedents The honorable gentleman had been a magistrate tAvico ; tho first time ho should not liko to toll why his name aviis erased ; ho Avould not tell him because it might make him blush. "ItAvould bo a great loss to tho community to lose his (Mr Pharazyn's) services. Any gentleman Avho can steer himself clearly through tho rocks Avhich ho has done must bo a A-ery clever man indeed." Mr Mantoll is a cool, calm, dispassionate speaker, ay ith more than au average amount of common sense. He thought they .should dispose of this childish business at once. Mr Scotland made a long speech, iv AA'hich he said he had listened to a groat ninny debates in that Council, but ho mustjj say he never sat out a debate which filled him Avith greater disgust. He ayus ashamed of listening to tho gross personalities Avhich had been indulged in. Mr Pharazyn had threatened them Avith tho strongly expressed opinion outside of that Council ancl tho Press. Thero Avas a time Avhen ho used to pay attention to the latter, but he had lived long enough to Icuoav better. Just imagine one of us daring to say that AA'as tho remark of a M.H.R. Mr Pharazyn Avas on only one committee, ancl that ncA'cr mot. After seA'oral other members had made a I'oav remarks, though apparently nothing could draAV tho badger that was the attraction ancl draAV to so many being there, namely, Colonel Brett, the Council divided on the question, and bore tho members got into a thorough fog. An amendment had been moved, and AA'hilo ono member said to defeat the motion they must do so, and so another Avishing to vote the same Avay said they must do exactly opposite, eventually tho Speaker pointed out lioav it might be done, by a double negative. That Avas done, and all that Avas left of Mr Pharazyn's motion avus the Avord "that." It was said of Disraeli's Reform Bill that the Liberal party so amended it that all that remained of tho original bill avus tho Avord " Avhereas," with AA'hich it commenced. At the conclusion members strolled out to the lobby to smoke tho pipo of peace alter tho troublous debate, and there not being much 'more inviting subject to demand my attention I hurriedly left the GALLERY,