ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

Evening Post, Volume XXII, Issue 60, 9 September 1881, Page 2

ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

Tho greater portion of vostorday's sitting erf tho Logislativo Council was dovotod to » discussion on tho Representation Bill, a roporfc of vrhich will bo found in anqthor column. A mo.'Sngo was reoeivod fromtho Governor, notifying that tho Hon. Mr. *" Campbell had been givefl leave of absence for the session. A Nativo Lands Bill introduced by the Attorney-General was road ft first timo. Tho Chatham Islands Bill was read a seoond time. The Musterton and Greytown Town Lands Management Act Amendment Bill, Poat Oftico Bill, Prisons A at Amendment Bill, Timaru Harbour Board Aot Amendinont Bill, Dog Registration Act Ainendmont Bill were reoeivod from tho Lower Houscr and read a first time. TUo Council adjourned at 5 p m. In the Hous-5 yesterday afternoon Mr. Driver obtained leave to introduce " a bill for preventing the printing and publication of Bcandalous newspapers." Ho reforrod to Bomo of tho BOcioly papers, and said thoy carried on a system of blaok-niailing. Tho object of tho bill was to put down suoh papers. Mr. Rolleston introduced tho Special Powers and Contracts Bill ; and after tho House had disposed of a couplo of local bill*. Mr. Gibbs moved—" That, in tho opinion of this Houso, the action of tho Chairman of Committeos, in refusing to acoopt from tho Hon. Mr. Gisborno, on tuo evening of Friday, tho 2nd September, a motion ' to report progress,' for the purpose of obtaining tho opinion of Mr. Spoaker on a previous ruling of Mr. Seymour, to tho eff oct ' that he would receive no further motions to report progrosa or to leave tho chair, or any amondinonts to the bill under consideration but ench as he considered bond fide,' was contrary to Parliamentary practice and tho Standing Ordors of this Houso, and will tend Borioualy to curtail the freedom of debate in Parliament, and strike a blow at the liberties of the people." He doalt with tho question at some lonuth, and complained that freedom of dobato had been stopped. Tho Standing Orders might now, ho thought, jußt as woll bo thrown behind tho fire. . Tho motion was seconded by Sir George Grey. Mr. Seymour doolined to explain hiß ruling, but flatly denied tho assertion made outside tho Houso that his action was tho outcome of previous arrangement between himself and tho Government. Ho had not, ho said, spoken to a Binglo member of tho Govorairtßht, bat had gono Into tho country for a week, in order to bo out of tho way. Tho Premier dofended tho aotion of the Chairman and Spoiker, and quotod from May to show that' obsfcimotlcm of tho kind raised by tho Nelson moxnbors was utterly unjustifiable. Tho aotion of tho Speaker had aavod tho House from being made a laughing-stock of and an object of contempt, not only in Now Zealand, bnfc throughout tho British Empire. Mr. Mobs hold that tho Houbo did wrong to 'fino Mr. Gisborno for endeavouring to bring the ruling of tho Chairman under tho notioo of tho Speaker. Mr. Ballanoo held that the majority must rulo, but rulo according to tho lorms of tho Houso If the Standing Orders wore to bo set aside "on every ocoasion that a majority considered it desirable, then a majority might always bo got to do bo. Tho action of the Spoaker of tho Houbo of Commons, which had boon referred to, was Bimply to refuse to call upon any more members to speak. That was not tho Case horo, for Mr. Seymour refused to put a perfectly legitimate motion. There was no real obstruction shown, for all tho " stonewalling" was dono in accordance with tho rules of the House. Ho romindod the Government that this was not tho first timo stonewalling had boan done. Members who were now crying out against it had sailod in the samo boat in 1875. He was of opinion that it was wrong to impose a fino upon a member. It could not bo dono by the House of Commons, but only by tho House of Lords. Ho demanded that the Government should come down with a reasonable Standing Order to meet the case, and ho felt suro it would be mot in a liberal spirit by the Houeo. Mr. Stewart thought that where there Was unnecessary obstruction tho Chairman had a perfect right to interfere, Tho Houso had an inherent right to prevent its timo being frittered away. He thought- tho Speaker waß justified in going beyond tho Standing Ordors to prevent vexatious wasto 1 of tftnte. A more glaring and impudent attempt to interrupt tho business of tho House he had never known. Mr. Seddon talked tho res* of tho sitting out. In the evening, Mr. Pyko wished to know if it was true, as stated in tho evening paper, that tho Governor was leaving the colony during tho session to attend to his duties in the Western iPapiftd ; and, if so, whether it was with the concurrence of Ministers. Tho Premier answered in tho affirmativo, stating that arrangements had been made some timo ago, and it was then thonght that tho business of 'Parliament would have been over by the pretext time. No inoonvenionco in' the phbllc business would arise as tho Chief Justice would bo hero on Sunday,' and would bo sworn in w.th all tho powers tho Governor now had. Mr. Pyke then gavo notioo to ask the Premier next Bitting day if he would brinir in a bill to reduce tho salary of tho Governor. Tho Houso then proceeded to consider the amendment made by the Legislative Council in the Pensions Sill. Tho Council had struck out clause 6, which provided that tho retiring allowance of a publio officer should ceaso if he again accepted office in the publio service, at a Balary equal to that which he received upon rotiring. Mr. Shrimski, tho father of the bill, looked upon the action of the" Lords "a 3an interference with the liberties of the House, and ho moved that tho amendment bo not agraod to. Tho Premier held that tho olauso was one which tho Council had a right to throw out. The Speaker took- ft different view. He held that the wholo bill was a money bill, and that it was beyond the power of the Counoil to make the amendment they did. After several members had expressed an opinion that tho bill should hive been carried or rejected in its entirety by the Council, tho motion of Mr. Shrimski was agreed to, and the following managers appointed to draw up reasons for objecting to the amendment— Messrs. Saunders, Pitt, and Shrimski. Mr. levin withdrew his Auctioneers Bill and Appraisers Bill, and the House went into committee on tho Fencing Bill, which was reported back, read a third time, and pissed. Mr. Shophard moved tho Eecond reading of the Neglected and Criminal Children Act Amendment Bill— a bill to remedy a technical defect in the existing Aot. There was no discussion, and the second reading was agreed to. 'J he following othor bills were read a second timo without debate : Dentists Act, 1880, Amendment ; Law of Divorce Amendment ; Municipal Corporations Act Amendment, and Miners' Kight Foes Reduction. The Gold Duties Abolition Bill was read a third timo and passed. The rest of the evening was spent on tho Gisborne Harbour Board Bill in committee. Tins Dat. Sir George Grey gave notice to ask whether tho Government would placo on the Estimates for a Uuiversity College at Wellington a similar Bum to that placed upon the Estimates for a Univorsity College at Auckland. Sir George also gavo notice to ask if th« Government will give a bonus for tho introduction of the first aO ostriches, with a view of encouraging O3trich farming in the colony.