Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, JUNE 1, 1891.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXV, Issue 128, 1 June 1891, Page 2

Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, JUNE 1, 1891.

TnE rowdiness of political meetiugs iv Sydney aud itß suburbß has, become notorious— we quoted an instance on Saturday. This, however, will soarcely be wouderod at by auyoiie who reads the reports of the proceedings iv the New South Wales Legislative ABBembly, which ib equivalent to our Lower House, whoro the representatives sot to the eleotors au example of whioh both ought to be ashamed, although the latter appear dis- ' posed to follow it. Very markedly was this the oase in the recent debate on tho no-confidence amendment to the address-iu-reply, moved by Mr Dibba, the leader of the Opposition. The occasion was a groat one,,for ifc involved the whole questiou of federation, aud on bit- H. Parkes, the Premier, rising to reply, those who are accustomed to the more orderly conduot of the iNew Zealand House of Representatives, would have naturally expected that, considering his position aud the Bubjeot he was dealing with, ho would at leasb have been allowed to speak uninterruptedly. His speech was worthy of the occasion, and was correotly desoribed bythe leading journal in the followiug words;- -"By its breadth of view, its moderation, fairness of argument, aud courageous assertion of priuoiplo.it raised the toue of the discussion high above the level on which it had iv the main formerly proceeded." Yet the Bpeaker reoeived tho moat discourteous treatment at tho hauda of his opponents, who repeatedly interrupted him in the most iiumannerly way, and uufortunately irritated him to such an extent that at times thero was a most undignified interchange of personalities bet ir eon him aud some of the more obtrusive oooupauta of tho Opposition beachee. i Iv order to show on how low a level the popular branch of the New South Wales Parliament Bfcaads as a legislative body we will give a few instaiioaa of what the Premier had to put .up w*th on thin particular occasion, lto. luring to the attitude of the Government, on the .Federation quesDion he was , Baying that they had introduced it quickly enough aud they were prepared to take the full responsibility, whereupon he met with.. the first of the many coarse and vulgar remarko that wore levalled at him dm ijig'che oourue of the e vehiu'g. Id came irom Mr Uriok, wno exclaimed/ "Oh, come down without ahootiug," whioh ioduced Sir Homy to'appaal to Che Speaker to protect him against such " irrelevant interruptions. 1 ' Mr Oriok, it may be mentioned, iv tho member ibr Easb Syduey. A few mouth* ago ho entered the House in au advanced stage of intoxication, aud was geuorally bo obßtreperouß, insulting, and datiuut of the Ohairmau, that ne had to be placed under arrest by tho Sergeantat.arms. bubsoqaoutly ho tendered a sort of half apology tor his shameful cou.du.ot, toudoi-ed his resignation of hia Beat, and went baok to hie oonßtitueuts for re-eleotiou. To tlieir shame he it said, they returned him, from which ifc is to be presumed that they approved ol hia blackguardism, and recognised that he was a true exponent of their own viewß of tho manner iv whioh the business ol tho House should be conducted. On auotkor occasion the Premier was eomowhat rudely interrupted by a Mr O'oulhvan, wheu the lbrnier evidently lost his temper, aud Baid that "one of hia objections to the iuterruptious of tne hon. member was his moßt musical voice." Evidently there was a certain amount oJ irony in these wordß whion .irritated the gouclemau with the Hibernian name, who quickly retorted " Something like your poetry," to which tiiv Henry repliud " that the BCyle of hiß poetry was v great deal better than the honourable gentleman's speeches." All this, ba it remembered, in a debate ou by faivtht moat important budjcod thub nas ovoi oome betoro an Auscraliau Pftrliameui,. and one demaudiug the ablest and mosi temperate disousaioa tliat the member* were capable of giving to ifc. A littk later, this eaina Mr U'oullivau iuterpoluted " You are getting very tume aud yery lame;" ■; The brutality of this remark will bo appreciated when we remind oui readers that a little over a year ago Sh ' Henry met" with a oii'rriago accident which resulted iv his permanent lameness. Some of the members, even of the New South Wales Assembly, had the deoency to cry "Shame" upon Mr O'Sullivan, who, seeing that he had gone too far, sought to exouse himflelf by flaying, " I mean iv your speech." On another ocoaßion there was a baudying of words whioh was quite as discreditable to tho Premier as to his persecutor, on this occasion Mr Want. Sir Henry had just remarked that a certain clause in tho Constitution was framed with all good intentions, whereupon Mr Want interjeoted, " There is a place which is said to be "pared with good intentions. ' " "Yes," re, torted Sir Henry,, "and tho hon, gentlemen may yet find his way to that place," Mr Want replying, "You will prepare it for me;" the meaning intended to be conveyed being, of course, palpable. One more example of the amenities of Parliament m New South Wales, and wo have done, Sir Homy Parkes, referring to Freetrade, Baid "he was in favour now, and he would be in favour as long aa ho lived, of the establishment of freadom for the commercial and industrial energies of the Australian peoples, What else had he to gamP" This gave the irrepressible Oriok a ohanoe, and. he bawled out, " Wait until the 24fch May aud see." Here there wore cries of " Order, " and when they had subsided Sir Henry aeked, " What mast be tho stamp of the mind, whioh, while it pretended to debate a large question like this waa thinking of honours P" And then the House got off tho rails altogothor. Federation was for tho time completely forgotten, aud a discussion on honours and decorations ensued in whioh four members took part, and Sir Henry, taunted with having accepted a knighthood, while Mr Gladstone had Btoadily refused all decoration?, defended himself for having consented to receive a mark of Royal favour.

We have quoted sufficient examples to show ia what spirit a neighbouring colonial Parliament entered upon a debate on the largest question wfth whioh it h*B ever been oafled upon to deal, and the duorderly character of its proceedings. Long may it be before the New Zealand legislature sinks to so low a leveL It* would do woll to take warning from New South Wales. The doscent there from a deoeutly conduoted Assembly to a bear garden has been gradual and long of accomplishment, bub it has at laab been brought about, and behaviour suoh as that wo hare instanced has become common; the people themselves are completely demoral r iced through witnessing, and reading frequent reports of, the proceedings of thoßo thoy hayo eleoted to represent them, and electors and elected aliko are utterly callous to tho opinions of outfiide countries and colonies, the inhabitants of whioh haye aot yet lost their self-respect. But it is not gnly the ovil impreasion created upon obhoji's that has to be avoided; the people of a colony have a right to demand in their own interests that their representatives Bhall conduct themselves in a decent and orderly manner, because unless thoy do so it is utterly impossible that the various matters whioh come before themoan be diuoussed with the seriousness and earnestness that their importance demands. For this reason tho eleotors of New Zealand should carefully watoh and keenly oritioise the conduot of their members in Parliament assembled, and insist that the debates arc carried on in a seemly manner, and with duo regard to the amenities of life, whether public or private.