PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10900, 3 November 1898, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

tW mEGEAPH-SPEciAI CORESPONDENT.] Wellington, Wednesday. SLIP-SHOD LEGISLATION AMHOTCn the House has been sitting for nearly fi ve monthS) the mq{ ant work is being rushed through in the seem g to r £ fth6 SeSSi ° n " Ministers d ° »<* All t<, care how SOme of the Bills are P as sed. All they want apparently is a thick Statute public ST , ™ 8 they can llold "p on the public platforms, as an indication that they lave passed some legislation recently. The Motion has been of such a slip-shod chabothV 7* aft€r Bills have P assed both Houses the Premier has had to get them S hV nd the , y make their ■»-»» gam by Governor's Message. Captain Ruea, ;n ? *T eral ° the , r membm have Pasted against this unusual state of affairs, and the former stated that it was a grave reflection on Ministers themselves. Mr. Seddon argued that he was not responsible foi amendments made in the Bills. Another instance of the unbusinesslike methods of the present Parliament is to be found in the fact that several of the petitions referred to the Railway's Committee will have to stand over till next session. This will be very disappointing to the petitioners. Some of the matters to be dealt with were of sufficient importance to require the attendance on the committee of the Minister for Railways, but he was genera ly too busy on the Mining Committee to attend. The whole arrangement of the committees has been bad, for in most cases they are too cumbrous, and members have to do double duty on different committees. THE STORY OF BUN TUCK.

Mr. Seddon says that the Bnn Tuck story is to be cut out of the bound volumes of Hansard. Members of the Opposition, however, are chuckling over the fact that the Bun nick issue of Hansard was also the Hororate map issue, of which the Ministry boast that they have circulated 10,000 copies.

THE TUAPEKA SEAT. The Opposition whips (Messrs. Massey and Lewis) have wired to Mr. Rawlins that they will expect him to be in his place on Friday.' Mr. Lewis points out that if Mr. Rawlins should not be elected, his place will be at homo. AN ADVERSE VOTE. The House gave the Premier what is in ■political metaphor known as a slap in the face this afternoon, when ho attempted to introduce the Imprisonment for Debt Limitation Bill. It is very rarely that leave to introduce a Bill is refused, but the House on this occasion negatived the Premier's proposal by 33 votes to 30. The Bill was brought in in accordance with a promise mndo to Mr. Fisher, and when the division was announced, the Premier remarked that he had now redeemed his promise. " Rather Into in the day," Mr. Fisher replied, and the House laughed heartily at the Premier's expense.

DISSATISFACTION WITH THE GOVERNMENT.

The discussion on the Public Works

Statement revealed ,1 great deal of dissatisfaction with the present Administration, mid several strong protests were made about the tactics of the Government in keeping the debate over the dying hours of the session, and forcing it through in one night.