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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 6171, 11 June 1891, Page 2

Tna Chairman of Committees has yet to be appointed by the House of Representatives, and it was over this office that the Government last season caused so much offence. The appointment was offered first to Mr George Fisher, who acceded to the tequest of tho Premier that he should allow himself to be nominated for the office by the Government. Somehow Mr W. C. Smith's name got mixed up with Mr Fisher's, and between the two the Ministry found it wiser not to propose either. Both gentlemen, naturally, teel themselves aggrieved, for the office was not of thei. seeking, and they were most unnecessarily placed in a false position. The Post says in connection with this subject that tbe best man is '• Mr Hamlin, who has already filled the position for several Parliaments with credit to himself and advantage to the Legislature. He has no rival in tbe present House m knowledge of Parliamentary law and procedure, his impartiality in the chair has never been seriously impugned, and out of the chair he is by no mean 3 a partizan. As Deputy Speaker, his assistance and advice would be of great valuo to a comparatively inexperienced Speaker, and his appointment to the position would tend to allay certain unpleasant feelings and anticipations not unnaturally created in the public mind by some indisc/eefc utterances on the part of Mr Speaker Steward when recently addressing his constituents. There is really no reason for or justification of making the appointment a party one, and the Government having an assured majority on questions of policy, so far as yet known, would be acting most unwisely to attempt to use that majority to place an unsuitable or unqualified member in the Chair of Committees, merely to reward party services or meet party claims. It is not probable in any casn that Ministers will attempt to renew Mr Fisher's nomination, and it seems generally understood that Mr W. 0. Smith will not ag iin obtrude whatever claims he supposes himself to have ou the support of the party."