PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIX, Issue 221, 4 October 1906, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

[By Telegraph—Parliamentary Correspondent.! A PEACEFUL OPENING.

WELLINGTON, Oct. 4. The House yesterday afternoon; astonished itself by its own modera» tion. A vast field of answered ques* tions lay spread out within easy reach', yet it actually neglected to open the adjournment gate. Never was such selg-denial on that floor space since last Wednesday, when precisely the same thing happened. THE HUMOURS OF THE PETITION The House was ratner amused in the early part of the afternoon by the behaviour of many soft-hearted legislators, who lost their heads over the sorrow of one Sneddon (a name to conjure with apparently in that House) who was presently not to have any sorrows at all. Just a well-paid excellent mechanic who had wrought well, done great things, and waked up aftelvsome years of private life to discover that he had been " sweated." How great a nightmare that had been the Minister and the members of the Committee showed without any difficulty. The exhibition of misguided friendship is a' curious proof or the terrors that lurk in the petition system.

MR BARCLAY STAGGERED

Mr Barclay also amused the House with his comprehensive motion, but the House was in no mood to waste time on academic questions raised airily by; light-hearted gentlemen, who order the impossible with a firmly pointed finger. " Take over all industries concerned in the food supplies/* said the rash reformer, embracing the" whole universe in the benevolent sweep of his arm. "1 move the previous question,' } said Mr Wilford. Air Barclay, who was not acquainted with tha , practice, stared and glared,- refusing to be interrupted. Cries* of"'f'/Sit" down" and" laughter knocked the stuffing out of him in a minute, a knot of friends was round him explaining, as his face contorted and got purple in the centre of the group. It was clear he was learning for the first time that the "previous question" is," so far as speaking goes, a species of " heads I win, tails you loose." "It has been moved," said Mr Speaker, " that the question be not now put,"and that being lost, he proceeded to put the question, which was also lost. They did not bring in a shutter to carry Mr Barclay out, which was Very thoughtless of them. MR WILFORD REFUSES TO SPEAK. Mr Wilford provided the next sensation. For weeks he has had a harm-less-looking notice of motion on the Order Paper asking about the £150,----000 paid to the Midland Railway people. It is well-known to contain a' sharp sting, but when the motion was reached Mr Wilford sat still, aiid would not move the motion. The' Premier wanted to do it for him, but the Standing Orders prevented. ' He urged that as the motion contained a grave reflection on a former Member, of th© House now deceased!, he ought to be allowed to move. It was useless, Mr Speaker said; he would get his chance later. MR BAUME " FLOPS." . Lastly Mr Bauine got out on the warpath looking for "those names,'.' and, wonderful to relate, he got his motion for them passed without a division. He began to spend time in wondering why he had taken to the " Ercles vein." ' . ■ \ " TOMMY " GETS IT HOT. - , After dinner we plunged' into-* sulphur. There was a concentrated 'essence of fury about Sir Joseph ,'as .hereeled off the story of the way in which _ ihe Midland Railway people got'.tESr ~ debentures as per' agreement.*^MrpWi,l- . ford listened witha-^'yalfory greenery complexion" of.course, eyery t word,of the business-like^ explanation, *■ white hot as it wasj "ahneda* him^nd^fcruck ' him hard without losing" any pprtUwtf of its heat, making him "yalferer", - and " greenerer." When'he rose to disclaim, he was permeated by what in the vernacular is known as " funk."Never had he been so careful, serious, and "ineffective. - Sir Joseph penned him in his reply: /'You don't wriggle out of it," says 'he, and the Hutfc wriggled, but would not get out. , THE UNHONOURED .TREATY , dies. . ; • Reciprocity, struck us next with the flowery rhetoric of, the .academy. " A decided refusal and an. -aoademic-»ej>* - planation " was the title, of-the drama which .kept our attention for the rest off the. night. Here "and,. tEeire' a voic# spoke a doubtful word for, the treaty^ but the fact remains that the treaty, -was brought in dead, and became deader every moment, «ntil- at last it became necessary to call Mr Speaker's attention to the state of. the House.' The House suddenly flushed, thinkirjg of its gross discourtesy to- its-jgootx friends on the .other side.of the The unanimbus dreariness of hostUjty^ went on'drip, drip, till the Premier replied'after 11. He sympathised with; Mr Seddon, and applauded Jgie young man's effort so loyal and so fresh. "He . stroked down every ' interest '.kindly ;* and sent everybody home to bed at -11.15 happy. . Thu<Tpassed ,th6.,Treat"s out of sight. v 7~ ' - \^.; ,V . FIRE BRIGADES GKATEEJ^L:: " ' Sir Joseph Ward has xeceived^a telegram from the Fire Brigades' Association of New Zealand tendering him the. t thanks and congratulations of tue As^ sociation on the -passage.of the.Fire Brigades Bill, which was finally passetl on Tuesday evening..- -None of the amendments made by the Council- were reejcted by the House. -

THE PETONE WHITE , , .ELEPHANT. - Five of the workmen's cottages at Petone have now been leased, and it is anticipated that the remaining fifteen' will be quickly rented if the amending ! Bill to enable workers whose salaries do not' exceed £200 a year to become" tenants is passed. . - THE TAX ON ART. A suggestion finding'"general favour in the lobbies is that the Premier1 should, in his opening speech at. the Exhibition, announce that the .Tariff Bill of next year shall contain provision for taking the" duty off works of art imported into this country. - THE BILL OF BILLS. The Land Bill has disappointed us j all once more. It is now understood that the Committee has determined to consider the-priri^ej§vcomp]£t§*Bill, mis morning before givingji-it^up to Aiixe House in the usual ~way iji the after-, noon. ■ - "•"■■."* .' '-, :' WOMEN PENSIONERS. - Mr T. Seddon wants the Government to introduce' legislation to provide for thejpayment of the old-age pension to women at an earlier age than sixty-five years. In his reply, to a request to that effect, the Premier stated that the cost would be too great. The Colony at present was paying a large sum of money annually in old-age pensions, and it was not proposed to reduce the age at which women could qualify for the pension roll. . ~-■■)