WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXX, Issue 168, 20 July 1894, Page 3

WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT.

A NIGHT'S FUN IN THE HOUSE. AMUSING PROCEEDINGS. (New Zealand Times). The evening sitting. It beginß seriously— with shearers, threshing machines, employers, benefit sooietiea, A large slice of the produoing interest oomeß into evidence. But the House ia bent not on work bat pUy. When Doctor Newman moves to take the ladies into committee, the House settles down to play. The Doctor rather baulks them at the outside by making an oration. Oiutha drenohes him with foam, Mr Mackintosh reproves him firmly, M&ateiton Bboots gentle banter at him. He tigs up a Hymeneal altar prophetically on the floor of the House : he furnishes the same gorgeously with " nuptial knots" : he plants " blonde damsels" and dark-eyed beauties m various parts of the House ; be places one of theae ladies, stylish and fashionable, beside the Doator, and another next to good old Mr Mackintosh, who does not like it at all. He wrestleß with these details " roaring like a Bucking deve." He wanders .outside and csnstruots a statue of the Doctor m pettiooats, m fall blaze of the 3000---candle lamps. " That's bis ebjeot, sir." He gets baok into the House again and goes on with his gentle billing and cooing till begets exhausted. " Forty parson power" is cat m it with him. We all feel snre that tha sailors on the ships at the wharves applaud him to the eoho. Tha eoho does not get so far as wbsre we are, bat that only proveß that ia the matter of voioe there is only one Masterton. Mr G. W. Russell reproves the House for the levity ''with which it has anoouraged Masterton. Mr Guinness brings matters praotioally to a crisis after supper with amendment to oommit the Bill that day six months. But this will never do. The House wants to roast the Dootor. Theamendment is therefore lost. The motion resultß m a tie, 28 to 28 It is promptly discovered that the Premier has aot voted. The Premier is peremptorily hauled out to vote, wbioh he does with, an absurd little round hat, which he has picked up at a venture, on his head, amidst shrieks of laughter. He votes "Aye," and the House rushes to the long-expected fun. The soene ii exaotly like the annual burlesque which precedos prorogation. It begins witfa Mr Bell's serious attempt to get pro ureas reported. The motion transforms the House into Pandemonium. Mock points of order are raised m all directions, burlesque speech succeeds burlesque speech, withroara of laughter aad unoouth sounds of all kinds as a support. A few men attempt to treat the subjeot seriously, and they are "guyed." Various attempts are made to get at the Dootor m obarge of bis beloved measure. But he sits silent at the table, a monument of Patieaoe, pocket edition. Not to be drawn, sir. There if a sound of revelry by night. It keeps up for hours. Major Steward says "Fie" m various keys from the glacial height to whioh only ho can ascend, but the revelry goes on. Several new members take up the parable of reproof ; they too say " Fie" m their various keys. Mr Smith, of Ohristohurch, Mr O'Regan, Mr McLaohlan, Mr Collins— they ara all shocked. Their jolly oollaagues wink the other eye ; : they denda them ; they danae up and down with the Lady Mayor of Onehunga : they pay court to the " blonde damsels" of Mr Hogg's introduction ; they all deolare them* selves to be terribly m earnest. Appearances are against them, but appearances, we all know, are deceptive. Towards 1 o'olook, when things quieten down a little, the Dootor thinks he sees a chance to intervene with effaot. He intervenes, but it is not with effect. It is a fie-y little challenge which he rattles out to the royeterers to quit their "humbug" and Come to division. The royeterera go on for a little while longer, but less uproariously. At last they go exhausted to division, and progress is reported. When " that Banble" is replaced and Mr Chairman gravely announces to Mr Speaker that the " Committee baa made progress," there is a shout of laughter. After that the Dootor plays the game properly. He asks to go into Committee to-morrow ; the House, scattered into chattering groups, vehemently shouts (< No." The Dootor oalls for division. In this division, as m all the others, the serious perplexity of tbe majority of the members ia amusing to the onlookers. These anxious gentlemen wander about from lobby to lobby, they stand m attitudes of uncertainty, they do their best to count antioipatorily*, so that they may vote safely. They proolaim the faot that, whatever may be thought of burleaque and rollicking fun, and mock points of order, a vote, being like the written letter which remains, is a serious thing. In tbe end the Doctor ia refused his Committee for to-morrow, and the House adjourns.