POLITICAL PLEASANTRIES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 13815, 31 July 1905, Page 9

POLITICAL PLEASANTRIES.

FRIDAY NIGHT’S DEBATE. [FeOM Onll COEEBSFONDEXT.] WELLINGTON, July 29. Mr Taylor’s character. —“I never look across the House at the senior member for Christchurch,” said Mr Rutherford, “ without wondering how ho ever got here. I should rather have expected to find him lurking in the back slums of some city, looking for a friend to stab.” Mr Rutherford confessed that he always took a- paternal interest in Mr Bedford. “I can’t get it out of my head,” he said benevolently, “that he’s a “son of mine. I have a litt|e chap at homo called Tommy, and he reminds me of Tommy every time I see him. He has all Tommy’s ways. Tommy is dogmatic, but good, and bo is tho senior member for Dunedin.” The New Liberal Party is described by Mr Rutherford as composed of political bot-flies. He advised the House to accept them in the spirit of David Harum, whose philosophy taught him that a certain amount of fleas is good for a dog, it keeps him from broodin’ on bein’ a dog. Mr Taylor on Mr Rutherford.—l don’t take any more notice of the member for Hurunui than I would of a fly that settled in my neighbourhood. We know him too well in Canterbury to take any notice of _ his pleasantries, which are almost idiotic at times. I understand that for the last twenty-eight years ho has not read anything, but the Sydney “Bulletin,” and I can quite believe it from wbat ho is pleasdcl to call his speeches in debate.

The Premier to Mr Fisher; —“ The majority of your friends are my friends.” Mr Fisher: “ Well, I’m very -sorry to hear it.” ' Mr Taylor on the Premier:—“Had rue Premier gone into tho church the question of original sin m New Zealand would no longer be a problem. He would have saved everybody.” Mr Taylor professed on Saturday morning to be lost in admiration at the Premier’s histrionic ability, as shown in his rqply to the Young Reform Party’s charges. “The stage,” he said, “ has lost in tho right honourable gentleman a man whose reputation would have been second to none among the great actors of the past, aye, or of the present. If he .and Miss Tittell Bruno had got together there would have been the greatest fortune that has ever been given to tho stage of the world. I oom© of a stock that can’t be hrow-beateu by any Government olaquers, as some members , of this House have been brow-beaten. Thank God, there are one or two free men in this Parliament, not tied by either party or consideration connected with party. What I have said to-night I do not--want any protection, for outside the House.”

Referring to Mr Taylor’s suggestion that Mr Seddon was such a capable actor that in conjunction with Miss Tittel Brun© lie would have mad© a great success, the Premier, in the early hours of Saturday morning, got back at the member for Christchurch. The Premier said that, in order to make the company complete, they would require a villain, and he would have no hesitation Whatever in picking Mr Taylor to take the part, and,” continued Mr Seddon, “ with Mr Taylor as the villain, what a fortune there would have been, and who would have scooped the pool at the finish?” “No docent or respectable constituency should send such men to this House as associate with such a class of men.”—Mr A. L. D. Fraser on Mr Bedford’s explanation of how ho secured the material for his typical telegram.

“Coquetting with an actuality,” is Mr Fraser’s term fox- the dealings with truth of what ho calls “these indefinite articles, the Now Liberals.” Mr Fraser said ho was sorry Mr Herdman had been drawn into the maelstrom with the Now Liberals. ' H© was too respectable politically, too respectable mentally and too respectable socially.” , • Mr La wry, speaking in the House on Friday night, remarked that Mr Massey would regret bringing out a candidate to oppose him. Mr Massey: “That remains to be seen.” Mr Lawry: “If I were five years younger I would go up and fight the honourable gentleman in Franklin, and ho would see the Hons© no more. Where he knows a settler in his district I know twenty.” Mr Lang: “ And they know yon.” (Laughter.) Mr Lawry: “Yes, because I have had dealings with them, and there was never one transaction which did not end in satisfaction and goodwill. That is how they know me.” Mr Massey: “And they refused yon by 500 votes,” Mr Lawry: “ That was beca use, when I fi sfc came out, I was as ignorant_ of notifies as the honourable member himself-” , „ . Mr Bedford’s tongue ran dot on 1! nday night in a search for phrases in which to describe the awfulness of the Government. One of his descriptions of sending Ministerial telegrams free of charge was “petty defalcations.” Mr Bedford had to, withdrafw this. The next be had to withdraw was the statement that the Premier was violating the law of the country, not before he had been challenged over a description of the Premier as “ a snapper-up of from! the Treasury.” _ When the point of order about violating the law of the country woe raised, the Speaker, in calling on Mr Bedford to withdraw, administered to, him a pretty severe rap. “I understood when the honourable member commenced his speech ho waa going tc tiy and bo

calm, and I hoped ho was going to reform,” said Mr Speaker, “ bub if that continues I shall have to exercise my power.” Mr Lawry’s defence of the. Government and assailing of the young, reform party was his' host effort in tho House for many a day. He referred to the outpourings of Messrs Fisher and Bedford as political garbage. “Wo have heard that before,” interjected. Mr Taylor. “Yes,” was the retort, “and,the more I ■express it the more appropriate it is to the honourable member himself.”

There should soon be quite a political aviary among the Now Liberal Party. A few nights ago the Hon O. H. Mills called Mr Bedford a political tomtit. On Friday night Mr Lawry described Mr Fishor as a political cuckoo. Ho mad© his point cleverly by telling the House that, as a boy at Home in the Old Country, everyone in early spring asked everybody else, “ Have you heard the cuckoo?” Later on in the season, however, this question gave way to the expression, “ That, infernal, nuisance, the cuckoo-.” This allusion to the interest with which the House awaited Mr Fisher’s first notes, and (viewed from a Government standpoint) their speedy satiety with his harping on the old story, raised roars of laughter on the Government side of the House. When this had subsided, Mr Lawry asked, “Why does not ho introduce something new instead of going on the worn-out paths?” “Why do you ask that?” asked Mr Fisher. “Why do* I ask it?” repeated Mr Lawry. “I ask it because I know perfectly well the honourable gentleman cannot answer it.”

“ If I referred to the indiscriminate promises the Premier has mado up and down tho country it-would fill a Blue Book.” —Mr Duthie. Mr Laurenson on Mr Hall-Jones: “For his own sake apd for his reputation’s sake, tiro Minister of Public Works should not attempt to he humorous. Like the Scotchman, he jokes ‘ wi’ deofioulty,’ and his humour is of the elephantine order.” “I really believe that the leader of the Opposition has some good points about him.”—Tho Hon Hall-Jones. “ There used to bo a man sitting in that scat whoso every word, bore weight.” This was the Hon W. HallJonos’s tribute to the late Mr George Fisher, and ho proceeded to pay a tribute of quite another kind to <Mr F. M. B. Fisher, which Mr A. L. D. Fraser capped by saying that heredity was an exploded theory. These pleasant interchanges were provoked by Mr Fisher’s direct thrusts at Ministers. “I’ve got such an utter contempt for his administration that I don’t car© if tho Premier never informs me again that he is coming to ray city.”—Mr Taylor.

“I love public life, and I believe I 'can render some public service in the capacity I fill,” said Mr Taylor last night, when ho promised not to again contest a scat at the general election if the Premier would give him an opportunity of proving that his family abused the telegraph service by sending telegrams without paying for them. The member for Christchurch stipulated that in the event of his challenge being accepted, an indemnity should bo given to any civil servant giving evidence',- “ and,” he added pathetically, “it would be some punishment to me to be shut out of public life for the next three years.” “The civil service is indignant at the persistent misuse of Ministerial power,” asserted Mr Taylor as a reason for his confident statement that if the Premier tried to, he 'would fail to find the telegraph operator from whom he (Mr Taylor) got his information concerning telegrams franked by members of the Premier’s family.