BUFFOONERY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10579, 7 October 1910, Page 1

BUFFOONERY.

\ PLAIN SPEAKING BY A. S[EMBER. I-- A i -<' BURLESQUE BY TARANAKI LEGISLATORS. - ! - i By Telegraph. j, (Special to the Oamain Mail.) Wellington," October G. A festive section of Opposition memI bers from tlie d.uning distucts of the. I Xorl.li Island : mad© bolcl to stonewall' I the Stone Quarries Bill in tliii House . to-night, the .most painful speedh-being : that of Mr D. Buick, who fairlyi quaked with laughter.- at hisown jests and finally subsided, overcome with his own humor, after speaking atilength on a motion to report progress. : ■ >: Whereupon Mr T..E. Taylor: cleared Ins throat and, addressing the ".Chairman of Committees, began: "I willjvote against the motion as a protestihgalnst the buffoonery of the Taranaki mem-: bers." ■ Mr Massey indignantly resented this: word, and oivithe plea; that he must dei fend Ins party, asked that the 1 Chairman should rule that, the remark- was unparliamentary. "My word," said: Mr Taylor; -'-'they require .your, protection. I : would be ashamed of them it they. \vere:m;ine.?'; ■ Mr Massey: "I am ashamedirof the language of the member for: Gliristchurch North." - 1 ••• .The Chairman : "I think , the word: is perfectly in order." • .-! "Then I move to report progress to /take thev Speaker's, Tilling," said Mr -Massey .warmly. "The Parliament of New ..Zealand.-.-.has become: low. enough lately, but it do not think- ;l;hat it--has become low eitough to tolerate such a word applied to one of its members by another." ■ The motion to take the. Speaker's railing was carried on tlie : voices, and the | Hon. A. R. Guinness took his seat. [ S])eaking to the point of order, Mr Tavlor said that he : had" used the word after listening to a long succession of I specimens of poor humor m unwholesome , amount from members;! behind him. There was not a ruling ion record applying to the word: .buffoonery. The term itself was not objectionable; it referred to a foolish kind of■ humor that might be used, as seemed to lo the case with the Taranaki members, by those who abandoned their ordinary standard of conduct. The word did not impeach a member's honor; or intelligence, .but simply meant .that for the time being lie was acting the part of a buffoon; in . fact they had; let off : on. ail important Bill the stalest kind of. hiimof":iitr had ever heard -from the House. The Hon. R. M'Kenzic said that lie knew of no more suitable word; unless "tomfoolery,", to . apply, to the conduct of the Taranaki members. The: Prime Minister said that Mr Taylor had been referring to the deliberate.burlesque of the Taranaki members, and had described it very accurately. Their conduct had been absolutely intolerant. i ■ ■ Mr Taylor: "You hear such tilings in an ordinary pot-house.?'. / ,;| >f .' The Prime . Minister welded' that, if he could have fcuiid' a more expressive word in the circumstances he would have used it. 1 ! . ■ - : . Mr Speaker ruled that as. long as. lie did uot find in the rulings of previous speakers that the word was unparliamentary it was his duty not to interfere with, the : Chairman's : -riding.;: • JEfe would therefore .uphold the:ruling,.:a.s. the Chairman, had been present and had been better able to judge whether' the word was offensive. . Armed with his license to use,'.tlie. contentious word, Mi- Taylor repeated it lovingly, and went on to criticise, the • Taranaki members. "They came here,."' lie. said, "with the methods, of- . the stockyards, with uncouth remarks, and arguments neither sound nor applicable to the measure, and expect us,to accept tliem as legitimate debate; Mr Mander during, the afternoon had indulged in jests verging on the indecent,' notwithstanding that there were "ladies in the House, and even members v.rlio objected, to such methods.;' The motion to report progress was defeated by 45 votes to 19. . r