A DISORDERLY SCENE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9013, 28 March 1888, Page 5

A DISORDERLY SCENE.

CLAIM FOR £5,000 DAMAGES.

[press association.]

Sydney, March 27. Mr. John Haynes, M.L.A. for Mudgee, has issued a writ against Mr. James Fletcher, M.L.A. for Newcastle, claiming £5,000 damages for the assault committed upon him in the House of Assembly on the 21sfc instant.

The following is an account of the occurrence referred to taken from the Sydney Morning Herald of Thursday last:— Mr. Haynes, in the course of the debate on the Supply Bill, said the Government had done a great work by the action which they had taken in sending work to Newcastle, and had entirely killed the protectionist party there. They had done this in spite of the intrigues of certain gentlemen at Newcastle, who had been working in an underhand manner to induce the Government officials not to carry out the work at Newcastle in order to prejudice the Government there.

Mr. Fletcher : Why don't you name them ?

Mr. Haynes: Well, if the hon. member wishes names, I will mention him as one of these gentlemen. Mr. Fletcher then rose from where he was sitting on the Opposition benches, and walking quietly across the House, seized Mr. Haynes by the throat and ear. A scene of great excitement followed, as the two member? struggled together violently, Mr. Fletcher exclaiming excitedly, "You liar, you blackguard, do you dare say I ever used underhand means with the Government officials." A number of members gathered around the struggling couple and endeavoured to separate tliem, but Mr. Fletcher succeeded in getting Mr. Haynes down on the Opposition cross-benches. Mr. Fletcher was then dragged away by the Sergeant-at-Arms, assisted by several hon. members, and leaving Mr. Haynes, he walked up to the head of the chamber, and said that ne apologised for the scene which had occurred.

Sir Henry Parkes : An apology won't do for this sort of thing. Mr. Slattery then called on the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove the hon. member from the Chamber. He said that it was necessary for him to remove the hon. member from the House.

The Sergeant-at-Arms then removed Mr. Fletcher from the Chamber, the hon. member walking quietly out. Sir Henry Parkes moved that the Chairman leave the chair, and report to the House what had occurred in committee, and ask leave to sit again when the matter had been dealt with.

A discussion followed, whereupon Sir H. Parkes said : The chairman should leave the chair, and report to the House without debate.

Mr. Dibbs : You have no right to interfere with a speech. Sir Henry Parkes ; You know as much about it as any other old woman. (Opposition uproar). Mr. Dibbs : Well, we need not wonder at this outrage, when the Premier justifies it and repeats it. We will have some more scenes presently. The Chairman asked the hon. the Premier to withdraw the expression. Sir Henry Parkes : 1 certainly apologise, but I must add that I am being constantly insulted from the other side of the House. All this is very irregular that is now going on.

Mr. Dibbs said that about 2000 years ago there was an unfortunate wretch placed in an unfortunate position in Jerusalem, and the mob cried, "Crucify Him, crucify Him."

Loud cries of " Shame."

Mr. Dibbs : Who says " Shame " tome ! Hon. Members : I do. Sir Henry Parkes : We have never heard Jesus Christ called a wretch.

Mr. Dibbs said he was not using the term in the sense in which it was taken up. He regarded the spirit now dealing with the case of Mr. Fletcher as the spirit of the infuriated mob who hounded down the unfortunate Nazarene. The hon. member for Newcastle had gone but a very short step further than hon. members had gone before, and the head of the Government would show a wisdom worthy of his position and his years if he moved the acceptance of a suitable apology from the hon. member.

The motion was then agreed to. The chairman left the chair, reported disorder, and asked leave to sit again when the disorder had been dealt with.

Mr. Fletcher then apologised to the House, and was suspended for the remainder of the sitting.