PARLIAMENT THROUGH COUNTRY SPECTACLES.

Evening Star, Issue 12027, 27 October 1903, Page 4

PARLIAMENT THROUGH COUNTRY SPECTACLES.

At BaJclotha, on Friday avening, at a dinner tendered to Mr H. C. Cameron, the New Zealand Produce CommissioDer in Great Britain, two of the speakers were severe upon the Legislature when responding to the toast of "The Parliament orrJew Zealand." Mr J. C. Anderson said he was heartily sick of the way the present Parliament was conducthig its business. It included sume of the greatest humbugs imaginable, and although it had now sat fpt three months, costing the country £33 an hour, it had only passed one Bill likely to be of any great benefit to the country. Mr Seddon, in his power, ought to come down with Standing Orders to restrict those fellows who were responsible for the wasta of time. If a man could not express himself in a few minutes on any subject he was not- worth his place in the House. Many waifs and strays seemed to get into Parliament, now. Doubtless, however, they represented their own sort, and it took all sorts of people to make a world. . . . He would iike to see Mr Cameron stop in the country and occupy a position in our Parliament." Mr John M'Neil said he could not in all his experience recollect such a. useless Parliament as the present one. As to giving each man two rainuteg in which to express himself, why, h' some meojbexa were given two days to express themselve* they couldn't, because they had np ideas to express.—(Laughter.) Some members were neither use nor ornament. Parliament bad been getting worse year by year, but this was the worst of all The Go^romeafc were wilUng to assist the scheme propounded by Mr Cameron, and it was a pity that it shou'd be thwarted by a, few windbags.