PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVIII, Issue 2851, 20 June 1896, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

[R.A.L.] MR WARD’S SUCCESSOR. “ Colonial Treasiirership ! ” It Is tho cry of the nktn on the fo’cstio, watching foi‘ the light over tlio waters.of fluaiiqe. It proclaims that wo Inivo a Treasurer who reigns in tho place of Mr Ward, resigned. King Richard rises; ho has an announcement to make ; he makes it 11 with diffidence, sir ” ; it is that he has taken tile portfolio of the Colonial treasury. There is a laugh Irom the benches we associate with the left wing.

Riccarton wants to know if the hoa gentleman intends to retain the portfolio of La bo dr. Tho hoa gentleman replies that things arc hot yet ripe for the final arrangement of the portfolio

“The Treasurer is dead. Long live the King” is the comment I overhear .when tho incident ends.

HANSARD. A curious little discussion arises over this ponderous publication. With reference to the more frequent publication (three ft week) which the Government has been arranging, the Premier brings up tho subject, and informs hon members that tho reason for tho delay is the neglect of hdnuieinbers to correct the reports of their speeches promptly and punctually. The excuse ,all down tho line is that they have not tho time to correct. Mr Pirani urges that one Minister is tho worst offender. Tho Premier is not pdfe out. at all. Ho looks square tft llis friend—ho is sorry that a colleague of his should bo in tho list, but that does not alter tho fact that Hansard is in arroar,. more than it should be. Ho intimates firmly and courteously that if after tho time allowed them members have not corrected their speeches, the publioation must proceed. There are cries of Hear, hear! all round, very distinct, emphatic and numerous. Mr Duthio complains that, with every desire to forward the work, ho does not got his typewritten report in anything like time. Poe instance—holding np_ a big bundle of papers—l only jdst gdt this at 2 o’clock. The Premier intimates that a special messenger will bo do tailed to take tho speeches to tho residences of hon members the first thing in the morning. Tho House Hear, hears ! again, with great heartiness. Olutha intimates (that what is wanted is a good Hansard stiff. Newspaper reports of platform speeches never require Correction by the speakers* Tho only one who complains, sir, is tho Premier. Tho Premier remarks that no member makes fewer corrections than ho docs, or sends his proofs back quicker. Mr Willis hails tho new arrangement with tho greatest pleasure. Magnificent, sir! Groat improvement in every way. Ho can see no difficulty in the way of tho correcting. “Much bettor,” Mr Button calls out cheerily, “to abolish Hansard altogether; the country would bo very much tho bettor for it.” “There’s a bettor way to benefit the country than that. I am thinking of it seriously”—it is tho voice of Richard tho King “thinking seriously of asking the House to sit in tho morning, so that hon members might correct tho reports of their speeches at night. “Hoar, hear” starts up all around, and There arc numerous cries of “ .Start on Tuesday next;” Mr Pirani remarks that last session tho Premier was tho greatest offender. A question of order stops the way, gets itself decided by tho Acting-Speaker, and immediately afterwards wo have tho question: “ What, sir, is tho question before tho House?” and a discussion arises, which ends in a personal explanation by Mr Pirani. Tho personal explanation turns out to bo a complaint that tho Government has arranged for the new Hansard departure without consulting tho Reporting Committee, which ought to have boon asked for its advice. A murmur lots the House know that there are reasons for not regarding this as a personal explanation. “ Oh, yes,” shouts tho Premier, getting up, “Oh, yes, it is a personal explanation. Tho hon member would like to ‘ run ’ tho Debates Committee, tho Government, tho Parliament, tho whole country in fact.” As to what had boon said about the long delays last year of his corrections, Mr Seddon pleaded tho enormous amount of work ho had to do during last session; addingthat ho would rather give up all corrections than delay tho publication. Just after throe tho voice from the minaret calls tlio HoUso to debate with “ First Order of the Day.” DEBATE ON THE ADDRESS. The Minister for Lands at five minutes past three steps heavily into the arena, and marches straight on Milton township. As ho moves swiftly on tho doomed position wo seoni to hear tho pipes giving out: “ Marched into their land To murder and to ravish, For ho did resolve to extirpate tho vipers With fonr-and-twonty pleas, and fivc-and : thirty wipers.” As wo observe tho anxious face of Mr Allen peering from tho walls of his capital, tho shock ot tho first assault reaches our cars. Tho action begins with a lightish fusillade about hole and corner mootings, and skulking, through which there reaches us a note of defiance. “ I will prove that tho hon gentleman has either wrongfully distorted facts for political purposes, or that ho _ was uu- , justifiably ignorant.” After tho wind comes screaming from tho mountain tops to increase tho din of battle ; wd hoar all about tho groat storm of last winter ; tlicu tho claymore is brought up, and in its whirls wo got tho description of tho system by which tho runs have boon cut up, precisely with a View to giving a good mixture of winter and summer country. “ There’s my dadda.” It is a tiny childish voice from tho ' Ministerial gallery, filling up a pause in “ tho i noise of tho Captain and the shouting.” • One look up from dach member, one shout of pleasant laughter, and tho claymore’s grandchild remains master of the situation, clapping his bits of hands and crowing to his heart’s content. I Softened by tho demonstrations of tho third ! generation of the clan the claymore gets into tho scabbard, and the battle reduces itself down to the dimensions of a skirmish. Tlio third generation makes a running commentary on the proceedings of the chief of the t*ibo, in a language understanded chiefly of mothers. Presently he is carried struggling with tho fierce determination one expects from a real chip of the old block. It is tho earliest Parliamentary address on record. Not quite in order; but on record. It remains to bo seen whether* thd lion. yoUng member will correct his Hansard proof punctually. There can bo no doubt that ho 1 heard the whole Hansard discussion a short time back. The shining little “pow” removed, the • war warms up again, the claymore springs once more into action, and whistles among the “rigs of barley,” arranged, so nicely by tho Alien speech. Tho claymore swoops down, and alter every swoop the other hand hauls out a “ dummy ” from under tho rigs. This process ended the blade seeks to drink the blood of Mr Duthio, who won’t have tho Bank Committee, but wants a Royal Commission and a “ Tory Judge, sir,” and it is well under all the circumstances that there is no legal luminary of that persuasion within reach of the great arms extended for grappling and the thirsty blade. With Captain Russell tho fight is not so fisreo, but tho slogan sounds again when Sir Robert comes in view. Tho onset oPthe cl lymore is in defence of his loader against the disparaging statement that he never did anything at all in the Midland matter* “ Why, sir, such work I never saw a man do. I have soon him at his office poring oyer papers, examining documents, hunting through books, to get hold of everything that could throw light on the Midland railway. I have left him in his office at five o’clock in the morning. Not do anything, Sir ! I could not sit still and hear such things said.” And it is pretty evident that tho hon. gentleman has not sat still. Wairarapa ho meets in very different humour. Festive and bantering. “Did I say that my hon. friend appeared onco in a dress-coat? I am sure I am tho last man in the world to impute any trivialities to my hon. friend!” And with this prelude ho chaffs Wairarapa about bis lonely bachelorhood, and docs not forget to add a spice of contrast. “ Ho, with his 57 summers and winters, and I at the same ago with a grandchild.” After some more claymore play, he hoars tho timo-boil. and sorrowfully takes leave of tho fray, having made a slashing exhaustive defence of his administration and policy. Mr Felix McGuire, who follows, is happy enough to avoid a count out by a narrow shave, and Mr Hall fills up the time, but not tho House, till dinner. EVENING SITTING. Riccarton moves the debate forward. Vehement is Riccarton, and argumentative, and fluent extremely; also self-possessed. Independent he is in some respects, Elective Executives, pensions for old ago, higher education and German syndicate. Through these things he goes ore rotundo preachfully. but in most things he stands for the Government. The brilliant point of his speech is a cannon off the Opposition campaign. “ Don Quixote, sir.” Ho tells us all about the man of unpractical chivalry, and about his horse Rosinante, whose selection caused the knight such a terrible difficulty ; and about his man Sancho Panza, who had to be bribed with the offer of an island. This turns out by an easy transition to be a parallel. The Captain, sir, is Don Quixote, who goes tilting away at windmills with the highest courage. And his horse, which gave him much difficulty of selection, is a certain association witli a name that lends itself to humorous abbreviation. He means the National Ass., as tho smiling House saw clearly enough. As to the Sancho Panza of this modern Quixote, he fills the bill pretty well, as Riccarton intimates in his sonorous, rapid way. He picks up the pie'es when the Captain is upset by windmills, or trios to, and he contrives, like his great prototype, Riccarfcm also tells ns, to occasionally talk common-sense. That he expects something for these valuable services, something like a portfolio, is equally clear from the flowing remarks of the insinuating Riccarton. “Who is he anyway?” wo all ask ourselves as Riccarton goes bowling on thumping his bench as if it was the head of tho unhappy Sancho Panza. Who is he anyway? Riccarton presently answers the unspoken question. Tb« member for Wellington suburbs, sir, is the Sancho Panza of the combination. A little litter goes round; Suburbs look* up and smiles; and the incident is over. Mr Hall-Jones, who follows, is the surprise of the evening. He come* out as a debater, armed at all points, and, 'what is more, ready. “ Rickety Russell! ” Oh, yes, he grips him by the buttonhole and talks to him straight, “ No personalities why, if you take personalities out there’s nothing left of your speech ” That buttonhole has a warm quarter of an hour. Ho cli illeuges Sir Robert Charge*! Does he want them formulated? Sir Robert sits in dignified silence A time will come. 1 The sensation is with the Suburban Doctor 1 rtpnqntH of those J£H9 so celebrated. “Dr I Newman, sir. was ia charge of the mcd : c\l comforts of the expedi ion. I have seen the 1 list of those comforts.” He reads the list. * Four pounds of tobacco; one box Cockle’s 1

pilU; and—boro ho pauses—l am really afraid, considering that the hoii member is the loading Prohibitionist, to give the next Item—another pause—but, sir, I will sdy that it includes a corkscrew.” , . Then wc have Mr Pi rani ami Mr Earnshaw—who reviews the additions to the Ministry as

“Peer and Prohibition, f> and the mover mid seconder of the Address as “ Beer and Bible ” —and Mr Me Lachlan, who straggles ruggedly along Ins lino, and others. At. 1 a proposal is made to adjourn; the Preniter stands firm. Wo have the first division of the session—2B to 12. The Premier wins easily, and the debate goes plunging on in the hands of Mr Tanner, who, finishing quioklv, enables, the Premier td do tile grace* Ini tiling; The itouse adjourns ou the niqtiou of Mr Mills. Wo go off.wondering when tlio wretched debate will end.