(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8557, 27 July 1889, Page 3

(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)

Wellington, Jnly 20. HTOTINO FOR PRECEDENTS. Yesterday everybody was hunting for precedents bearing on the subject of the Speaker s power to put down obstruction. I believe I am right in saying that up to the present nothing has been discovered which the Speaker would dare to apply in the present circumstances. EKCORDS OF LENGTH? SPEECHES. To-day there was some talk of Mr Joyce breaking the stonewall record, and everybody has been hunting up records. I have looked up a few myself, and it may be interesting at the present juncture to note them. Subject to correction, I believe the speech made by Mr W. L. Rees on September 14, 1865, on a motion tabled by Sir G. Grey, that the House concur in the report of the select committee that Ministers had infringed the provisions of the Disqualification Act, is the longest on record anywhere. On the occasion referred to Mr Rees held the floor of the House for exactly 24 hours, and was speaking 17J hours. He began his address about midnight on September 14, and went on till 6 a.m., when the Speaker left the chair till 10 a.m., when Mr Rees resumed the thread of his remarks, continuing till 1 p.m., when an adjournment was made for lunch. At 2 p.m. Mr Rees still had a few remarks to make, and spoke till 5.30 p m. After dinner Mr Rees started again at 7.30 p.m., and continued till 12.30. Mr J. W. Thomson, member for Clutha, followed Mr Rees, and held the floor till 5.30 p.m., but there were several adjournments for refreshments. Among other notable stonewalling speeches are the following:—Mr Leonard M'Olure, a member of the British Columbian Parliament, spoke for 17 hours. Mr Beauehamp, a member of the Marlborough Provincial Council, spoke 15 hours against the question that the offices of the Provincial Government be removed from Picton to Blenheim. In the New South Wales Parliament in July 1886 Mr J. O. Neild 6poko for nine hours against the Customs Duties Bill—a feat which made him notorious throughout New South Wales, aud gained for him the unenviable nickname of "Jawbone" Neild. In Victoria Mr David Gaunson once spoke for seven hours. From the two lastnamed examples it will be seen that Australian legislators have not the staying powers of the politician! of New Zealand. ENCOUBAGINO TELEQIUMS. Many encouraging telegrams have been received by the members who are opposing the Representation Bill. One of these is as follows: —"Oppose infamous bill to bitter end. Stonewall, defeat Ministers; anything. Regarded as either hero or traitor here. Choose which. Public meeting early." Mr Withy has received the following telegram from the mayor of Newton, Auckland:—" General dissatisfaction Representation Bill. Public meeting be called." To this Mr Withy baa replied:—" lam heaftily with stonewallers. Old members say best fight ever conducted. Hold your meetiug on Saturday or Monday. We are fighting for fair discussion versus legislation prearranged by a compact, and brought in by Government, and .we expect to win." AN ALPHABETICAL LIST OF OBJECTIONS. ISr W. P. Reeves, who followed his notorious iaami?seke, commenced by saying that he proposed to deal in alphabetical order with the bill, and would undertake to show that it was absurd, arbitrary, anti-democratic, arrogant, artful, annihilating, bewildering, bungling, baneful, burdensome, baffling, cruel, clumsy, conservative, captious, dictatorial, disturbing, damaging, dilatory, destructive, evil, extreme, exasperating, exacting, evasive, flimsy, fetble, factious, foolish, greedy, grasping, harsb, hateful, hasty, humiliating, improper, illiberal, ill-timed, illtempered, injudicious, 'involved, intimidating, intolerant, intolerable, inconsiderate, inequitable, immoral, intrusive, irritating, irritional, iniquitous, meddling, muddling, nauseous, nonsensical, oppressive, outrageous, quibbling, reactionary, raspiui;, ridiculous, tyrannical, treacherous", Tory, unjust, untimely.useless,unsettling, ungenerous, unkind, unfair, unreasonable, unrighteous, unprincipled, ungrateful, unstatesmanlike, unexpected, uuhappy, vexatious, vacillating, and wrong. Having gravely thus announced his text, Mr Reeves said he would prove that the bill was each of these things, and it is stated that Mr Hamlin, who was in the chair, sent a message to Mr Reeves to implore him to be merciful. Mr Reeves, however, started on " absurd," and after speaking for two hours got on as far as "dictatorial," when being physically unfit to proceed he gave way to Sir George Grey. Mr Beeves consoles himself with tho reflection that Ac has another opportunity to prooeed with an of his little list, ou the question of the .adjournment of the House. ■WELLINGTON SPEAKS OUT. . . A crowded, influential, and enthusiastic meeting was held at the Princess Theatre this evening to protest against the Representation Bill. On the platform were Sir George Grey (who was received with a perfect storm of cheers), Messrs J?isher, Izard, Fish, Feldwick, and a number of leading citizens. Mr Fisher read letters of apology from Messrs W. P. Reeves, Perceval, Withy, Loughrey, Ballancu, 'Allen, Larnach, Barron, Blake, Jones, Taylor, Goldie, T Thompson, Dr Fitchett, R. . Reeves, Turnbull, and Moss. Sir George Grey spoke for about .an hour, and his remarks wera received .with round after round of applause. The mention of Mr Fergus' name was received with hooting and hissing, in consequence of a remark made by the Minister iv the House last night that the meeting to be held was the meeting of " a mob !ed by a demagogue." As tho resolutions reach you through the ordinary channel, I need only add that the resolutions wero carried unaniaoasly with tremendous cheering. UNEXPECTED CONCESSIONS. * The Premier's repeated concessions today iv the matter of adjournments were especially unexpected. The proposal to adjourn over Sunday has caused city members unbounded satisfaction, and they feel that these retreats of the enemy moan victory in the end. Opinion gains strength that the bill will simply become a repeal bill in committee, and that the status quo of 1881 will be the result of the struggle. ■ THE MEIIBEB FOB PffNEDIN WEST. Mr Downio Stewart will be oneof the speakers to-night, having up to the present held himself in reserve. ORDER OF PROCEDOEK. The city party have enough speakers left to carry the debate on " previous question" up to 7 or Bin the morning, and when they have exlausted,fcheir strength the adjournment of the House will be moved, Messrs Loughrey, T. "Thompson, and Laroach starting the debate on that question. Sir G. Grey will bo tho next speaker.