GALLERY NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6326, 28 September 1907, Page 8

GALLERY NOTES

(BY "ARIEL.") The Council did much useful business yesterday, and engaged in an interesting discussion on game and sport, with special reference to coursing and pigeonshooting. It sometimes happens that a member of the Council wishes himself in the thick of a fight in" another place”; hut there is more than on© M.H.R. who would have liked to take a hand in the Lords’ debate yesterday. In tho House the proceedings opened auspiciously with, an excursion into the fine arts. It seems that the High Commissioner or somebody else in authority for the Dominion in London is getting up a pictorial display of the scenic attractions of New Zealand, and a correspondent had forwarded to Mr Gray, member for Christchurch, the alarming intelligence that the City of the Plains, with its silver Avon and green and golden poplars and willows, had. been letl out of the panorama. Mr Gray, speaking with his feelings tinder admirable control, wanted to know why this was so, but the Government could not tell him whether it was so, much less why it was so if it was. This was extremely unsatisfactory for tho ex-Mayor. but he appeared to derive some consolation from the mock-heroic assurance of the inomher for Mursden that if it was so, Christchurch was not a solitary sufferer. Mr 3Lander had been informed by a little bird that Whangarei also had been left out of the kinematograph, and the honourable gentlemen having exchanged glances of mutual sympathy, beamed upon the House and relapsed.

But Christchurch had not done. Mr Ell took up the parable, and wanted to know the truth about Mr McCullough, the i ail way man, who has been suspended for talking politics. TJie question was put without notice, but the Premier weut to considerable trouble to make his answer .complete. By the rules of the House, no discussion can take place on a question asked without notice, and Mr Barclay, who desired to move the adjournment so as to deal with the question from tho humanitarian 7xl int of view, was ruled out of order. It would have been easy, no doubt, to raise a discussion, and Mr Barclay will effect this when a proper opportunity occurs, hut meantime, and in the light of the reception accorded to the Premier’s explanation, it does not appear likely that great tilings will be said oy responsible tongues on the Opposition benches.

Sir Joseph Ward made a short but lucid statement relating to defence matters in response to a query put by the member for Wellington Central on tho last day of the “Colony." He put the Government right, and invested the reported remarks of Colonel Robin with a new gloss. The militia is not to be called out, but it is to be earmarked, so to speak, so that it will be known to the Council of Defence when wanted. There .was a sigh of relief when the explanation had been given, proceeding from somewhere in the neighbourhood of the seat usually occupied by Mr Ell, but it may have been a lingering echo of tho militant utterance from Wairarapa of Wednesday.

At a reasonably early hour the House got on to the Laud and Income Tax Bill, resuming at clause 17. The member for the Hutt was ready with another verbal amendment, but one which carried a sting in its tail. The sting was not intended for the big landholder either. Mr Wilford was anxious that the provision for putting a period to the amiable practice of cutting up- amongst the members of the owner’s family should not be made retroactive. This would bo tantamount to allowing the practice to continue, and tho Premier could not see his way to do that. _ Sir Wilford smiled, and said it was evident that no amendments would bo carried, save and except his own historical sample, of which ho was extremely proud. That, it may be remembered, effected the omission of the word "sterling” after "pounds” in an early clause.

Mr W. Fraser made an earnest bid to get exemption for tho unhappy largo owner whose cruel mortgagee would not aid him in cutting up his estate, but again the Premier was obdurate. Mr Fraser pleaded that the Minister of Lands sympathised with him, and ho expressed his deep regret that Mr Mels ab was unwell. “Perhaps it was his interview with him that made him ill!” interjected tbs Minister of Mines, whereat Wakatipu waxed very wrathful. The debate was continued till midnight.