POLITICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 9318, 12 June 1891, Page 3

POLITICAL NOTES.

OPENING OF PARLIAMENT. THE ADVANCE OF THE MIDDLE PARTY. MR TAYLOR AND THE “CLAGKEK3.” IN THE COUNCIL. As the hour for tho opening drew near there was deep silence in the Upper Chamber. AH the more extraordinary as there were not less than one hundred representatives of the fair sex present. Fifty on the neats on the fl )or, 50 in tho ladies’ gallery, all dressed in the dark costumes of winter (with here and there a a bit of colour flashing—yellow crimson, blue), all more or leas silent. It was not a case of the proverb! d pin; that much quoted article would certainly have fallen in that presence without exciting any great attention. Tim silence was only broken by whispers evidently the empty benches of the Councillors had a depressing effect. Gradually thi whispers rise higher. Tho galleries facing the Speaker’s chair fill, and before ilis Excellency arrives there must be nearly two hundred ladies present. Ten minutes before the appointed hour Lady Onslo w came quietly on Mr Speaker’s arm, her two children following. The Councillors begin to appear gradually. Sir G. Whitmore with the star of his Order, the Hon Messrs Dignan, Taiaroa, J. Merlm, Hart, Matthew Holmes, At half-past two Mr Speaker is announced, arid more members come in, Messrs Shephard, O. ,Tohnsten, Barnicoat and Pharazyn, Before the Attorney-General is in his place, the guns outside are telling of the arrival of the Governor, “God Save the Queen” from the band outside, “ His Excellency the Governor” is announced at the door, and Lord Onslow, in his blue uniform, marches up to the chair, bowing right and left, lifting his hat, while Hr Speaker retiftjs to a seat alongside. After His Excellency come the Foreign Consuls. There is a pause, during which the faithful Commons are summoned and come, being preceded by their Mr Speaker and the Mace» > As soon as they settle down, with the Ministers in front, in the appointed placd, flanked by the ladies in thenchairs, the speech is delivered. THE SPEECH. The Urivvora visit, the surplus, the unfortunate exodus receive attention; tne working of tho land laws is sketched, and improvement promised, and the large horizon of Native lands is opened up. His Excellency touches Jiphtly the raining question (apparently to the delight of the Hon Mr Seddon) refers to the Sydney Conference, to the delight of apparently nobody. There is a touch of pathos unusual on such occasions, when the reference to deaths of members of that Chamber is made. The p'um of tlie B P oec, ‘ follow, i language of modesty and firmness, announcing a considerable change in the incidence of direct taxation. The Ministerial Bills are enumerated, the Upper House is olficially notified of impending reform, the stereotyped phrase about economy and efficiency appears in its usual place; the Labour Bills follow, like all the others, without any indication of their contents. The usual excellent and pious sentiments bring the speech to an end. Just twelve members were present. Is it a quorum ?

THE LOWER HOUSE, In the Lower House the air is filled with petitions and notices of motion; Mr lisher taking us by surprise with an Eight Hours Bill, anclan Agent-General Bill. Mr Taylor gabbles something about the Governor and tho Hinemoa. “Don’hepay? If not, why not?’ The rest is drowned in the laughter of the House. Mr Hutchison has a fling at the New Plymouth Harbour Bill; Dr Newman shows his anxiety about butter and cheese; Mr Fisher announces his long lost Education Bill; and the Premier gives notice of tho appointment of the Public Accounts Committee. The usual committee notices follow. Wo have time to look round the House. About 40 members are present, a better show than the hon gentlemen made in another place. Ministers are all in force in their seats ; a united body they look, ready for allcomers, The Opposition leaders are only partially present. The Hon Mr Bryce, the Hon Mr .Richardson are on the front Benco, and Mr Macarthur, who has moved up from the rear division. On one side is Mr McKenzie, of Clulhft, and on another is a vacancy, perhaps for the other McKenzie, he of fcfcobie. Messrs Lawrie and T, Thompson are in their old places by the wall, looking economical as ever. Near them sits Mr Hurkness with ms large beard. Messrs Joyce and HallJones survey the House from the elevation of the south-west corner. In front of them, Messrs Moore and Dutlue make au opposition duet, Before them sits Mr R. Thompson, of Marsden, alone, and on his front, on the circular bench immortalised of old by Messrs Seddon and Kerr (familiarly called Jack), are to be seen Messrs Jackson Fulmer and Blake. ihe former of these gentlemen gave notice of an early plunge into the whole of the Edwards question. Mr Hamlin is stowed away u^d er his usual green canopy, writing. Ihe Labour members are in phalanx-calm and businesslike, Mr G. Hutchison is behind them —in front of where the Maoris will be when they appear—and hard by Mr Hutchison sits Mr Rhodes (oil and water they are); and near tho door is pr Newman, looking more rosy and philosophical than ever. Behind the Government the position is held by Mr Rees, and Mr R. M. Taylor, who looks pleased with the manner in which be has fired his first shot, THE MIDDLE PARTY. The Middle Party was present with all its force, and the Middle Party nearly monopolised the whole business, Mr Fisher gave notice of a complete policy—enough to keep tho House employed for a considerable time. Ho will have the Edwards case enquired into in copious detail, especially does he want to know ho.v much Mr Harry Vogel was paid ; he will have the duties on the necessaries of life taken off, aud the amount made good by taxes on luxury. Petitions he will present from small people about small things, and from great people about gieat things He will take chirge of tire Education of the country, as we have seen, and of tho Labour question. It is a big programme, quite as big as the Middie Tarty can manage. But as the Middle Party sits there under his black hat, stroking his beard and loaning back with that stiffly self-satisfied air of his, the Middle Paity looks ns if in the mind’s eye of him he saw allies, in platoons and squadrons trooping behind him into a perfect vista of crucial lobbies. If these allies come, attracted by the policy, the Middle Party will obviate the difficulty which was canvassed during the morning in learned circles of finding a second teller for himself on divisional occasions. It is rumoured that one of the Government suggested to the Middle Party the propriety of asking for a special day for himself, in which he might carry out his designs undisturbed by baleful Ministerial influence. Rumour did nut catch the Middle Party’s reply. THE TE AROHA ELECTION. THE MIDDLE PART I AND THE “CLAOKER3.” After much buzz of notification the Te Aroha Election Petition business occupies the House. Judge Connlly’s report _is read. The Premier gives the usual notice about recording it. Mr Bryce asks if nothing cm be . done to take the stigma of tho judgment off Mr Allen. The Minister of Mines points out that these matters have been left to the Judges. Mr Bryce explains. The Middle Party comes to the help of Air Bryce—- ’’ A stigma affixed for a thing of which he had no cognisance and could have had no cognisance,” says the Middle Party, begging tho Premier, for his own sake, to be generous. In the coarse of his remarks Mr Taylor made an interjection, which caused the Aliddle Party to rebuke tho Ministerial “ claqueurs.” This brings Air Taylor to his feet in a goodhumoured style of ferocity. With both hands extended he hurled “impudence” at the Aliddle Party, and being promptly checked by the Speaker, wanted to substitute “cheek,” and being driven from that curious position, he withdrew the expression altogether, while the House laughed. But the retreat was only preliminary to a more extended attack. He objected to be called a “claoker.” The Middle Party had called them " Chokers.” " Only think of that,” said Air Taylor, with mockheorio emphasis and a semi-superb attitude. The Aliddle Party was tho biggest of all clackers, he thought. He had fallen into bad ways had the Middle Party of late—the only salvation for him was to take the advice he had given two or three years ago to the hon gentleman to he modest. Here he shook his head in benevolent reproof, ns who should say he much regretted the perversity of tho Aliddle Party in having neglected his advice; after which he denied the Aliddle Party even the right to call its constituency by its name—” So-oalled Wellington,” said Mr Taylor, with judicial scorn—then he denounced the Aliddle Party ns the friend of the Moneybags, called upon the constituency of alleged Wellington to turn him out at once and consult its interest by electing a full, true, and particular follower of the Government. Flushed with victory, Mr Taylor resumed his seat; n breeze of pleasant laughter swept over the House: Messrs Rees, Bryce, and Richardson spoke a few words, the former for the record, tho others for some change in it; the Premier replied, bowing to the ruling of the Speaker against postponement; Air Hutchison threw the weight of his eloquence into the scale too late ; “The Hon the Premier has already replied,” said Mr Speaker—and the record was passed, stigma and all. Then tho Governor’s speech was brought in and read, and the House, after a slight skirmish between the Premier and Mr Biyoe, who has virtually taken the lead, about the course of business and the opportunities of debating the Address, adjourned.

SESSIONAL COMMITTEES. The Opposition leaders are angry at the departure ot the Government from the usual practice in these cases, which is to submit the lists of Committees to the other side. In former years they declare that the invariable custom has been to send the list to the Opposition whips, and many times there has been conference,, in consequence, and alteration. This year no lists were sent over. The reason possibly lurks in the fact that from the list of the Waste Lands Committee the name of Mr Macartbur is absent, while Lorn the Stock Committee the absence of the Hon G. F. Richardson’s, after three years* Ministerial experience of the working of the departm.nt, is remarkable. IHE WHIPS. The Government whips are Mr Perceval and Mr W. C. Smith, while for the Opposition Messrs T. McKenzie and Harkness officiate. All were present yesterday, and none appeared to suffer from pressure of business, THE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY. In the Upper House Captain Morris will move, and the Hon Mr Pharazyu will second ; in the Lower the two operators, as already announced, are Messrs McGuire and Buick. Mr McGuire gave the necessary notice yesterday afternoon. THE OPPOSITION LEADER. Mr Bryce is generally considered to have assumed the position, emphasising it by his expression of protended concern for the desire of his absent followers to debate the Address-in-Ileply; admitting that there was a.great deal in the speech. It is an unusual admission on the part of an Opposition Leader.

the middle party’s programme. Of the fifty-eight notices of motion tabled in the House of Representatives yesterday, Mr G. Fisher is responsible fourteen, the principal measures given notice of by him being*—The Agent - General Limitation of Office Bill, the Companies Amendment Act

Bill, the Eight Hours Bill, the Manual and Technical Elementary Instruction Bill, the Public School* Bill, and a Bill to prevent the sale of intoxicating liquors to children. Sir Fisher has aho given notice that he will ask questions regarding the awards L-jui-rms<ioners? appointed under the Naval and Military Settlers and Volunteer’s Lana Act, 1839, also as to the area of freehold land open for settlement a’ong the Main Trunk radway, and as to when the full results of the recent loan conversion will be laid before the House. Ho will also move for the appointment of a Select Committee to enquire into the January appointments to the Legislative Council, and for a return showing, in detail, the amount actually raised on loan by each Harbour Board and by each Borough in the Colony, with the rate of interest payable oh each Joan. Another notice Mr Fisher has given notice of is for the removal of the existing duties on tea, sugar, coffee, rice, currants, raisins, dried fruits, and other articles of general ccnsumption, with a view of placing additional duties on pianos, organs, musical instruments, music, silverware, silverplated ware, furniture, harness, carriages, buggies, cart«, drays, wagons, carpets, floorcloth, artificial flowers, lacei, furs, feathers, silks, satins, velvets, gold, silver, and plated jewellery, diamonds, billiard^tables, iron safes, firearms, fireworks and pictures. Ho also moves for a return showing the total cost, in detail, to the State of the proceedings in the Court of Appeal in respect of Justice Edwards appointment and all preliminary opinions as to the validity of the appointment; the several sums paid to counsel; the sums paid to Mr H. B. Vogel; the costs paid to the Crown Solicitor and to the solicitors for the defendant, other than counsels* fees ; also the cost of reporting and transcribing the report of the proceedings as well as cost of printing same. The return asked for is also to show whether any sums have been paid to Mr H. B. Vogel in respect to “ the abortive proceedings commenced by him in the name of one Aldridge, a felon.'* Mr Fisher will also move a series of resolutions to the effect that the existence of idle capital in the form of unemployed labour and the burdens imposed to provide for charitable aid anomalies reflecting discredit on the Legislature; that adequate areas of land should be granted to every man willing to work, on the sole condition of beneficial occupation, and that suitable blocks of land be placed at the disposal of Municipal Councils and other local bodies, for assignment by them to able-bodied poor ; and that a readjustment of by which the time and attention of a responsible Minister of the Crown might be devoted exclusively to land administration, would be more effective than under the existing system, and conduce to ease off hindrances at present standing in the way of settlement on the land. These are the notices tabled by Mr Fisher yesterday, the first day of the session, but it is stated that he has some 38 more to follow.