POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13632, 29 June 1906, Page 5

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

the opening Ceremony.

CFaois Ous Own CoßitEsroHDEirf.)

WELLINGTON, June 28. | The official opening of Ihc recentlyelected Parliament took place this afternoon shortly before Hie hour of half-past 2. Tho usual booming of cannon announced tho departure of his Excellency from Government House. In a few minutes his carriage, escorted by the Ilerelimnga Mounted Killes, arrived at the entrance to Parliament House. His Excellency, wearing mini form elaborately adorned wiih gold lace, and accompanied by Captain Braithv/aife. and Captain Bingham in the uniform of their regimonls, was received in the portico by the Premier and Ministors, with whom were .Ihc Commander of the Forces (Major-general Babinglon), Captain Campbell. Captain Eliot and his lieutenant, of II.MIS. Encounter. As his Excellency lefi his carriage iho Garrison Band played few bars of the National Anthem. Ministers accompanied his Excellency as far as the lobby between (he two Chambers, and then returned to their own House. Tho proceedings in the Legislative Council Chamber were, of tho briefest tho whole ceremony barely occupying 12 minutes. There were some 24 or 25 members of the Council in attendance. Tho limited space provided for tho public was fully occupied, tho members of the fair sex being, as usual, the predominating element, even to the exclusion of a Hansard reporter from his own gallery. Members of the newspaper press represented in the gallery were also refused admittance, only eight tickets for 14. men being issued. _ flic Governor having punctually taken his scat and made his bow to the members of tho Council, ihcro was a slight pause whilst the arrival of tho Commoners was awaited. Presently they appeared, preceded by the Sergeant-nt-Arms bearing the inace. Tho members were headed by the Speaker, who tool; the scat assigned for him at the head of the body of standing legislators. Immediately behind the Speaker slood tho Premier' (Mr Hall-Jones) and tho other members of the Ministry, tho Hon. James Carroll, as senior Minister, standing on his right. Tho Governor's Speech was very brief. On this account, perhaps, it was received with greater _ interest than is usually accorded to this formal deliverance. As ho Blurted to read the first paragraph, that relating lo tho death of tho Premier, his Excellency uncovered, and the reading of this portion of the address was followed with .elo.-o attention. The Speaker of the. Lower House rose from ids seat and remained standing during tho reference to tho late Premier. Tho short Speech having ended, the Governor and staff withdrew. Those spectators unaccustomed to iho brevity .of the ceremony evinced astonishment .» finding that all was over to soon. "Aint he coming back?"i : ejaculated one lady, and her face clearly oxpressed the disgust that she felt on finding that the function had concluded ere she had fully realised that if. had begun. It was probably the shortest opening ceremony of what will bo Iho shortest session in .the history of New Zoaland' Parliaments. DEPARTED LEGISLATORS. The greater part of tho time of the House this afternoon was taken up with speeches lamenting the dentil of tho' late Premier and other members of the Legislature who have passed away since last session. The speeches delivered, though all in good taste, did not rise above mediocrity, while somo of them wCrc below it. Mr Massey's speech on tho Premier wns decidedly the host, whilo a pathetic note was sounded by Mr Stevens' about the death of his political opponent, tho late Mr Vile. Mr Stevens defeated Mr Vile, who. it will bo remembered, died suddenly of heart failure beforo the result was finally announced. Since then Mr Stevens has become tpiife blind, and the touching tribute that he made to the virtues of his old political foe struck a high note, The references to Mr Pinkcrton.M.L.C, who was much respected by all who knew him, and lo Captain Kenny. M.L.C., were also in excellent taste. It was, however, the late Premier who hulked largest in the minds of legislators and of those who filled the public galleries. The sucech with which the Premier prefaced his motion regarding his late colleague was couched in suitable terms, but, whilst embodying a generous and fitting tribute lo bis departed chief, it could scarcely he classed as a supremo effort of oratory. Ho spoke with the aid of voluminous notes, and it was noticeable that he. followed the late Premier's Well-known habit of underlining the important' passages in red ink. Mr Massey's tribute to the late Mr Seddon was generous without being exaggerated, for, though he differed from him oil political questions, all differences ami parly prejudices had been cast aside by his untimely death. There were many things about him that Mr Massey had admired— his ability, his force of character, and his strength (both physical and mental), ill addition to which, apart from colonial politics, ho also admired his Imperial spirit. The, future historian, he said, no doubt would single out the late Mr Seddon as one of the most remarkable figures in the history of tho Empire. Mr Carroll, with his fine voice and measured tones, followed with a oulogium of his dead chief, net povkns (Hiite up to the lush-water mark of Mr Carroll's .eloquence, but nevertheirs* a marked tribute, especially that portion of it in which ho spoke on behalf of tho Maori race. His eoucludinc sentence was impressive: "Farewell. Richard John Soddon: a long farewell." Mr R. M'K>nzie spoke on behalf of the West Coast, and Mr fra-cr, as a political opponent of Mr Soddon. made a brief and appreciative specoh, after which Sir William Steward, lis the "Father of the House," spoke on behalf of the members in general, the resolution being then put, and carried in solemn silence.

THE PROPOSED SEDDON fIRANT. The principal subject of discussion nmoucst, members continues lo l>o the grant which, it is understood, Parliament will 1« asked lo make to Mrs Seddon in recognition of hoc late husband's scribe.- lo the colony. The question'of the amount of the grant mid the form it will take are si.ill exercising the minds of members, and (hero is also ."peculation as lo whether Iho question will be brought before Iho House during the present short- atid formal session, or whether it will be deferred till Parliament reassembles ill August. I questioned tho Premier on the subject- to-night, but. he had no information to give. "A great many members," he said, "think the matter should bo dealt with before tho House prorogues, but tho'Oabinot has not arrived at any decision on the subject:" Can you not say whether the mat-tor is likely lo' be dealt with, this session? I asked. "No," was Mr Hall-Jones's reply. "I cannot say: iu fact, I have hardly' thought about if." Notwithstanding the absence of definite official information, however, I think it may be regarded as tolerably certain that no motion will boMironght forward during the present, session. Members have been sounded on the subject, and as there Joes not appear to be the complete unanimity desired, it will most- probably he decided to allow the matter to stand over. The Now Zealand Times lias been urging that the question of the grant should be dealt with without delay, hut the Post takes the opposite view. "This is not the time," it says, " for the Ministry or the Parliament or the country to see the matter in its true perspective, and to give a decision which will stand the test of cool reflection. In periods of emotion the judgment is apt lo bo obscured, criticism to seem harsh, and the ordinary course of reason and public policy lo be suspended, and there is no special reason for urgency in tho present ease to justify the ignoring of these normal warnings again?t precipitate action." Apropos of the somewhat extravagant proposals that are l>eing voiced in certain quarters regarding a grant to Mrs Seddon, my attention has been called to Mr Seddon's own speech on the Ministers' Salaries and Allowances Bill in the House of Representatives in August, 1900. One of Mr Seddon's strongest arguments in fayour of the increase of salaries that was then made was that, in consequence of the inadequate remuneration paid to Ministers, the House had in tho past, to pay £7000 by way of gratuities. Captain Russell asked what tho lion, gontlcman meant by "gratuities," and Mr Seddon replied that this sum had been given lo the families of past Ministers.

SUPPLIES. The Government has had some little difficulty in deciding as to the better method of obtaining supplies for two months. An Imprest Supply Bill, with the formal method o[ going into Committee of Supply,gives great scope to nny>hwi. member who might, wish to talk or to criticise. • Besidci, tm Imprest, Supply Bill is generally supposed to be only for one month's supplies. This difficulty, however. cotiUl bo'got oyer by a second clause in the bill. The simplest way to obtain the supplies, and one that is accori'linsr to precedent, \e by an amendment of tho Public Revenues Act, extending tho term during which payments can be made without further appropriation from June 30 to August. 31. In this case, however, the Government rather dreads a discussion on tho notorious Public Revenues Act, which Iras got thcin out. of fo many difficulties in regard to illegal expenditure, in the past. Whatever is done I do not anticipate much discussion.