ECHOES FROM THE HOUSE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 546, 22 July 1882, Page 10

ECHOES FROM THE HOUSE.

Last Wednesday afternoon saw the return to Wellington of those of our legislators who took part in the Canterbury “ Bpree,” and to do them justice it must be said that few of them bore any trace of the wild dissipation in which they had indulged. Given ninety-five men with unimpaired digestive organs in the popular branch of our Legislature, much good work ought to be done every session. Of course, the whole number did not go South, but a fair majority found their way to the City of the Plains, and the condition in which they returned shows that they are men of vigorous constitution. We all know how far a sound body goeß to produce a sound mind. Men who can do two journeys in a crowded steamboat, three public dinners, several visits to an exhibition, a children’s fancy dress ball, a presentation to a colonial Blondin, and .unlimited nips of Christchurch whisky —- all within six days and then lay their hands on their hearts and say that they have enjoyed themselves, are worthy of the confidence and respect of the country. In the House on Wednesday night they went to work with a vigor and earnestness that, did them infiniteiCtedit, and when midnight arrived, and several hon. members looked drowsy, it was nnkind of Mr Hursthouse to object to an adjournment, and remark that the work of .the country always fell upon some twenty or thirty members who did not indulge in legislative

sprees. ... Mr Vincent Pyke did not put in an appearance on Wednesday, and his absenoe gave rise to serious apprehensions on the part of several of his'friends.) It will be remembered by all those who were present on the evening before the Southern trip that the hon. member for the Duustan left the House in a decidedly tragic manner. The Protection of Telegrams Bill was under discussion in Committee, and was “ amended’’ in such a manner that it may fairly be said to have been emasculated. Mr Pyke had done battle valiantly on behalf of the measure in the form in which ; it was introduced, but when certain amendments were agreed to, he tore his copy of the Bill into a hundred pieces, declared that the whole thing had been rendered useless, bowed his farewell to the Speaker with a gesture of despair, and left the Chamber with the air of a man who never meant to enter it again. On Friday, however, he turned up again, looking as if he had renetved his youth, and with a fresh flower in his button-hole. . . :

There may be some truth in Mr Hursthouse’3 remark that the real work of the House falls upon a rather small proportion of the members. The same .thing' has been observed by all men who have had much to do with public bodies and public business. It is equally true that the talking that takes place in the House of Representatives after one o’clock in the morning is confined to a select few, whs are seldom heard at any other time, and who possess no earthly influence-over their fellow members. When are the dulcet tones of the sweet Swanson ever heard before midnight 1 The hon. member for Newton is nearly always in his place, but during the afternoon and evening he has nothing to say, though perhaps we must give him credit with the sailor’s parrot for thinking a great deal. Midnight having passsd, however, his tongue becomes loosened, and he seldom misses an opportunity of inflicting a lengthy and irrelevant speech upon a sleepy House. There are, of course, various ways of accounting for this seemingly eccentric conduct, but it is scarcely worth while to discuss them.

There was another debate on the flogging question on Wednesday night, when the Vagrant Act Amendment Bill was again before the House. On this occasion the very mention of tbe Bill served to clear the ladies’ galler and the debate was characterised by muc greater freedom of language than before. The Bill aims at the suppression of a class of offences far too common in this colony, the victims generally being innocent children and defenceless women, and it is a matter for congratulation that despite opposition of a sentimental kind it wa3 advanced another stage, and will probably become law. Mr R. Turnbull, the member for Timaru, is certainly not to be included in the ranks of tho mawkish sentimentalists. He did not express bis approval of flogging offenders, but stated in plain terms that he was in favor of subjecting them to a penalty which had been generally regarded as effective in preventing a repetition of offences of the kind under discussion. It is worthy of remark that “ the Great Unpaid ” have received some remarkably hard knocks and some very back-handed compliments during the session. There are a great many Justices of the Peace in the House, but few of them have had the pluck to stand up in defence of themselves and their fellow honorary magistrates. Whenever it has been proposed to confer the slightest additional power on a Justice there has been a perfect howl of indignation frem all sides, and the power sought to be given has invariably been withheld. There is food for reflection in this. It has often been stated that business is rushed through the House in such a manner that members really have not time to properly study the measures that are put before them. Mr B. Harris, the newly-elected member for Franklin North, has evidently no intention of i beiDg bustled. When the Vagrant Act Amendment Bill was before Parliament on Wednesday, a division took place on an amendment that bad been proposed, and Mr Speaker gave the command, “ Ayes to the right, noes to the left.” When the tellers had finished their work, however, it was discovered that Mr {Continued on Supplement Sheet.)